The Presbyterian Church BASKING RIDGE, NEW JERSEY FOUNDED CIRCA 1717 July 27, 2014 He [Jesus] speaks in parables, and though we have approached these parables reverentially all these many years and have heard them expounded as grave and reverent vehicles of holy truth, I suspect that many if not all of them were originally not grave at all but were antic, comic, often more than just a little shocking. ~Frederick Buechner 1
Welcome We warmly welcome you to worship at The Presbyterian Church in Basking Ridge. We pray that you will be encouraged in your journey of faith and drawn closer to God by your experience with us. A special welcome to visitors we're glad you're here! When our welcome pads are passed down the pew, we invite all worshippers to take a moment and sign their name, and for visitors to also include their address and phone number. Following both of our worship services, everyone is invited to gather for fellowship and lemonade under the Oak Tree. Childcare and Sunday School Childcare for infants and toddlers is available in the nursery downstairs. Pagers are used to contact parents during the worship service when necessary. 9:00 am The Nursery is open for infants & toddlers through age 2. There will be no Sunday School for the summer months. 10:15 am Children ages 3 through Grade 2 are invited to attend Children s Church in the Chapel after the Tacklebox Message for Children. Children in grades 3 and up are invited to remain in worship with their parents. Calendar of Prayer Sessions and Congregations are invited to pray for the congregations, pastors, members and staff of the Presbytery of Elizabeth during 2014. This week, we pray for First Presbyterian Church in Perth Amboy. Online Sermons Recorded audio sermons from the most recent Sundays are available on the church website at www.brpc.org. To access, click on the sermons link on the main menu. Amplification Headsets So that all may enjoy the worship service, sound amplification headsets are available from the ushers for those who need assistance with hearing. Statement of Purpose God calls the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church to be a living community and light to the world, guided by the Holy Spirit and transmitting God s love revealed through Christ Jesus. In response to God s call, we seek to realize the Kingdom of God as we Welcome everyone into our community with open arms, Care for each other both in times of joy and in times of sorrow, Worship together creatively and enthusiastically in gratitude to God, Prepare each other through Bible-based education and open discussion to Serve Jesus Christ as disciples in local and global ministry and to Share our wealth, time, talents and faith with the world. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, as indeed you are doing. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. I Thess. 5:11, 28 2
July 27, 2014 Order of Worship 9:00 a.m. ~ Chapel; 10:15 a.m. ~ Sanctuary 7th sunday after pentecost (As the prelude begins, please prepare prayerfully for worship and be sure all cell phones are turned off.) PRELUDE Melodie (Op. 47, No. 3) Edvard Grieg, arr. Steven Scott CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name. People: Make known His deeds among the peoples. Leader: Sing praises to Him; and tell of all his wonderful works.. People: Glory is His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! HYMN SING Favorites of the Congregation PRAYER OF CONFESSION We confess the times we fail to involve ourselves in planting any seeds of faith in the lives of others; the times when our lives become so entangled with the values of the world that we forget what you have said and done and promised. Lord Jesus Christ, we know that when we become disconnected from you, our lives become parched and unfruitful and our faith becomes stunted and dry. Bless and renew our lives, we pray, so that we remain connected to you at all times and in all places, strengthening our faith to expand and, growing strongly and vigorously, to bear the fruit of your mercy, your love, your undying life. Amen. SILENT REFLECTION AND CONFESSION OF SIN PRAYER RESPONSE Spirit of the Living God Hymn 288 Spirit of the Living God, Fall afresh on me; Spirit of the living God, Fall afresh on me. Melt me, mold me, Fill me, use me. Spirit of the living God, Fall afresh on me. ASSURANCE OF PARDON *Those who are able are invited to stand. 3
*RESPONSE OF PRAISE Gloria Patri Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Amen. *THE PEACE Leader: Since God has forgiven us in Christ, let us forgive one another. The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. People: And also with you. Leader: I invite you to turn and greet one another with a sign of Christ s peace. WORDS OF WELCOME PASSING OF THE WELCOME PADS TACKLEBOX MESSAGE FOR CHILDREN (10:15) (Children ages 3 through second grade may go to Children s Church in the Chapel; Children in grades 3 and up are invited to remain in worship with their families.) 4 Jacqueline Obregon *HYMN 450 (10:15) Be Thou My Vision slane SCRIPTURE LESSONS Psalm 105: 1-11 p. 556 Matthew 13: 31-33 and 44-52 p. 14 Leader: This is the Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God. SERMON A Parable Universe: The Treasure Hunt Dr. Maureen Paterson PRESENTATION OF TITHES AND OFFERING DUET Pie Jesu Andrew Lloyd Webber Jeanne and Carolyn Poehner *DOXOLOGY Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise God all creatures here below; Praise God, above ye heavenly host! Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen. *PRAYER OF DEDICATION PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING AND INTERCESSION Leader: The Lord be with you. People: And also with you. Leader: Lift up your hearts. People: We lift them up to the Lord. THE LORD S PRAYER Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
*HYMN 774 There is Now a New Creation stuttgart BENEDICTION POSTLUDE Fantasia on Dix Conrad Kocher, arr. Lani Smith We thank Linda Langstaff for serving as organist today while Mary Lou Stevens is on vacation. Reverend Jones is presently on sabbatical. We look forward to his return on August 25. Church Family The Flowers on the Piers this morning are given to the glory of God. ~By Kris and Bill Emmitt, in loving memory of Kris mother, Lucille Zeh, who passed away last month. She would have been 97 years old yesterday. The flowers that grace our sanctuary each week are gifts from members flowers of the congregation. Flowers may be given in memory or in honor of someone or to celebrate an occasion. There is one pier opening available on August 3, 17, 24 and 31. If you would like to donate an arrangement, please contact Debbie Schaub at 908-507-3844; e-mail address, debbie.schaub@verizon.net. Our Greeters this Sunday are George Fricke and Bill Williams. Join us for Lemonade under the Oak Tree hosted by Liz and Joanna Messineo. Children and Family Ministries Vacation Bible School: August 4-8 from 9 a.m. 12 noon, Ages 3 through Grade 6 This year we will have live animals and a visit from the ice cream truck. Don t miss it! Cost is $35 per child or $70 per family; Register now at brpc.org Theme: Weird Animals: Where Jesus Love is One-of-a-Kind Volunteers and Donations are needed! Please contact Jackie Obregon to get involved (jobregon@brpc.org, or 766-1616, ext. 14). Church House Blessings Abound! Just look at the Church House Parlor Made possible solely by dedicated gifts and the generous donation of the time, talent and resources of Jeffrey Haines, our Church House parlor has undergone a stunning renovation. The parlor, used primarily for funeral receptions, celebrations, luncheons, meetings, recitals, and counseling sessions is a central part of our ministry. Following Shirley Kreitler s funeral service and reception, the family dedicated the memorial gifts we received in her memory to the renovation of the parlor. Grant funds received from the Willits Foundation restricted to Church House improvement completed the funding. Three beautiful tables that grace the room were a gift from the Hyzer family. We invite you to stop in and see how beautiful the room looks, and join us in thanksgiving for the generous gifts we received to make this renovation possible. 5
Opportunities to Give and Serve Homeless Solutions Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Luke 6:38 During difficult times there is nothing better to keep our minds off of our own troubles than to reach out and help someone in need. Homeless Solutions provides shelter for 25 homeless men, 10 homeless women, 19 families and 20 Safe Haven guests. The mission council is seeking volunteers to prepare and serve dinner to these families at the shelter. Volunteers need to arrive at the shelter by 4 p.m. and dinner is served at 6 p.m. Clean up is done by the shelter residents. All menus are pre-planned or you may prepare your favorite specialty. One volunteer is also needed to shop for the groceries and all receipts are submitted to the church for reimbursement. If you feel called to this very special ministry please contact Karen Cokewood at 908.221.9323. Remaining 2014 Dates: Sept. 6 and October 11. God s Co-op Pantry The food donation item for the month of July is canned sliced peaches and for August is 8 oz. of grape jelly. Please bring your donations to the church house. Thank you for your support! Ushers Needed for 9 a.m. Worship Service With Katja s move to Michigan, the Chapel service is searching for ushers. The plan is to create usher captains for each month. The monthly captain is responsible for ushering at the service and identifying a substitute when they are unavailable. There is an usher instructions sheet that serves as a guide to the usher s duties. Ushering can be staffed by an individual, a family or with a friend. The available months are November, January, February, April, May, July and August. Please contact Rudy Hyzer if you are able to usher at the Chapel service. Maureen s Challenge to Us This Pentecost I want to offer us a challenge let s make this no ordinary summer. Let us be aware of the signs and wonders of the Holy Spirit around us and within us to look at the world with new eyes, to have courage to dream and see visions of what this extraordinary life of faith is. Pentecost celebrates the birthday of the church but we still live in Pentecost moments. Let s embrace the extraordinary! Each week, I invite you to take note of your Pentecost moments the signs and wonders of God around you. Bring them to worship with you (signed or anonymous) and place them in the offering plate. We will post them on a bulletin board and remind each other of the spirit s presence among us. That s no ordinary way of living and looking at the world let s make this no ordinary summer. (Read the full sermon at brpc.org). 6
New Book New Book by Rev. Bob Beringer! Rev. Robert Beringer has just published a new book entitled "Anchors of Life", which is comprised of short messages that Bob wrote for inclusion in the weekly newsletter at Culver Lake where he served as the summer pastor for 21 years. If you would like to reserve a copy, please call the church office or email us at office@brpc.org. We will advise you when the books arrive, at which time you can collect your copy and provide a check payable to The Presbyterian Church for $15. We will forward proceeds from the sale directly to Bob. Thanks to our Volunteers Thank You for Hosting Fellowship Time The Board of Deacons would like to give a sincere thanks to everyone who served coffee to this congregation during Sunday morning Fellowship Times, since September, 2013. It was through the giving of time and effort, by all those listed below, that gave us all the opportunity to come together weekly as a church family. Thanks for responding to the call! Beth & Bill Adams, Adult Education Committee, Courtney & Michael Battista, Dick & Nancy Bedner, Dan & Lois Boston, Suzanne Brewer, Deb Carroll, Hanna Celentano, Linda Chen, Dottie Dameo, Nancy DiSisto, Jean Dorr, Joan & Scott Eichhorn, Sue Farmen, Betsy & Dick Fryling, John Goemaat, Betty Hahn, Evelyn & Ken Helland, Brad & Florence Henry, Ruth Herbert, Lee & Michelle Horner, Joanne Howell, Barbara Hyzer, Estrid Jones, Carey & Henry Kane, Kevin & Nancy Kilroy, Marilyn King, Janet Kinney, Margaret Klippel, Helen Koenig, Elizabeth Ku (& her mother, Nancy Perley), Jason & Shannon Lukes, Andrea Mastrobattista, Verneen Mastrobattista, Charlotte & Jeremy McGuire, Liz Messineo, Pam Meyers, Betsy Miller, John & Marilyn Morris, Sue Pape, Melanie Pasternak, Pam Petill, Anne & Jason Pinto, Claire Pratt, Kate Prins, Beverly Prochazka, Marj Rich, Linda Rhyne, Jo Rosenthal, Alex Ryder, Debbie & Jeff Schaub, Jim & Nancy Sinni, Karen & Ken Skoglund, Hal & Jann Slapin, Elsie & Fox Stoddard, George & Ronna Storm, Joelle & Mark Strona, Deanna Tiffin, Cindy & Koert VanderVoort, Sue Watt, Barbara & Bruce Wilber, Debbie Youngblood, and the Youth & Young Adult Committee. Artists of the Month SCEEP Students Display their Work Please stop by the Church House this summer and see the creative display by the second grade SCEEP students. The students read the book The Day the Crayons Quit, by Drew Daywalt. They then selected a crayon color and wrote their own letters to Duncan, the main character in the book. They tried to use their imaginations and express the feelings of their particular crayon. The students worked carefully to publish their letters and illustrations. Don t miss their witty and heart-felt letters! 7
Weekly Calendar SUNDAY JULY 27 Early Bird Bible Study, 7:45 am... Library Worship, 9:00 am... Chapel Fellowship, 9:45 am... Under Oak Tree Worship, 10:15 am... Sanctuary Fellowship, 11:15 am... Under Oak Tree MONDAY JULY 28 Adult Ed. Comm., 7:00 pm... Geneva Room Tree House Board, 7:30 pm... Library TUESDAY JULY 29 Communications, 7:00 pm... Library Trustees, 7:30 pm... Parlor WEDNESDAY JULY 30 THURSDAY JULY 31 FRIDAY AUGUST 1 Munch Wedding Rehearsal, 5:30 pm... Sanctuary SATURDAY AUGUST 2 Munch Wedding, 1:30 pm... Sanctuary The Presbyterian Church One East Oak St., Basking Ridge NJ 07920 908.766.1616 FAX: 766.4450 e-mail: info@brpc.org - www.brpc.org Pastor & Head of Staff Rev. Dennis W. Jones... ext. 15 Associate Pastor Dr. Maureen Paterson... ext. 11 Parish Associate Rev. Bruce Schundler Director of Ministries to Children Jacqueline Obregon.... ext. 14 Tree House Director Jennifer Nowack.... 221-1619 Minister of Music Mary Lou Stevens... 953-9809 Director of Children s Music Ministry Beth Donley... 953-9809 Handbell Director Linda Langstaff... 953-9809 Church Administrator & Treasurer Janet Bentley... ext. 18 Assistant Treasurers Liz Messineo... ext. 21 Nancy Kuhn... ext. 21 Pastoral Administrative Asst. Cara Burchett... ext. 19 Church Administrative Asst. Pam Smith... ext. 12 Receptionist Michelle Berger... ext. 10 Interim Website Coordinator Gary Ingram... ext. 13 Sexton Staff Peter O Connor... ext. 16 David Brownlee If I rise on the wings of the dawn, If I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me Psalm 139: 9-10 8 Ministers All the People Clerk of Session Dick Fryling President of Trustees Rudy Hyzer Moderator of Deacons Pamela Meyers