THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH Today Pentecost Sunday 8:45 a.m. Chancel Choir Rehearsal 10:30 a.m. Worship Sanctuary 11:45 a.m. Second Sunday Walk 12:00 noon Chapel reserved 12:30 p.m. Sanctuary reserved Monday 9:30 a.m. Fusion Dance Class Gathered 1635 Walton Place Stamford, Connecticut 06901 Member of the United Church of Christ An Open and Affirming Congregation Tuesday 7:00 p.m. Bible Study West Parlor 7:00 p.m. Rainbow Café Wednesday 12:00 noon Sanctuary Open for prayer and reflection (until 2:00 p.m.) 7:00 p.m. Trustees Thursday 10:00 a.m. Thrift Shop 7:00 p.m. Parlor reserved (until 9:00 p.m.) Saturday 11:30 a.m. Stamford Eats 1-5:00 p.m. Dining Room Reserved 6:30 p.m. Parlor Reserved Next Sunday Second Sunday after Pentecost 8:45 a.m. Chancel Choir Rehearsal 10:30 a.m. Worship Sanctuary 12:00 noon Music Board 12:00 noon Chapel reserved 12:30 p.m. Sanctuary reserved ~ Alcoholics Anonymous: Monday-Friday, 12 noon Dining Room Overeaters Anonymous: Monday-Friday, 12 noon Room 309 The church building and office are open weekdays 9 a.m. 3 p.m. Church Directory Ministers All the people Interim Senior Pastor Rev. Susan Gibson Organist and Choir Director Timothy Wallace Administrative Assistant Peggy Kittle Sexton Flor Beltran Phone: 203 323-0200; Fax: 203 348-2270 Website: www.fccstamford.org Email: fccstamford@gmail.com
PENTECOST SUNDAY June 8, 2014 10:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary *All who are able, please stand. Please turn off cell phones. ~ PRELUDE Timothy Wallace WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS RINGING OF THE HOUR AND LIGHTING THE CHRIST CANDLE INTROIT Spirit of the Living God Chancel Choir Daniel Iverson If we didn t know it before, we surely know it now, as the second chapter of Acts unfolds: this is no tame God who comes to us, no safe and predictable deity. This is the God whose loving sometimes takes the form of scorching. Jan Richardson *CALL TO WORSHIP Used with permission of the author, Rev. Mindi Welton-Mitchell, http://rev-o-lution.org.. In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, The earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep. Then the spirit of God swept over the face of the waters. O Lord, how magnificent are Your works! In wisdom You made them all, The earth is full of Your creatures. When You send forth Your spirit, they are created, and You renew the face of the ground. God will pour out the spirit on all flesh Our sons and daughters will prophesy Our old shall dream dreams, Our young shall see visions. Come, O Holy Spirit, Come! Renew in us Your Spirit today! Amen. * HYMN On Pentecost They Gathered Chalice # 237 FCC Visioning "'For surely I know the plans I have for you,' says the LORD, 'plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.'" - Jeremiah 29:11 FCC s visioning team (Lisa Bauerle, Rev. Gibson, Rob Godzeno, Kathie Laug, Anne Mochulsky and Pam Shadford) is seeking input from the congregation. This week s discussion question is: Have you seen our website? How could our website be more helpful to you? How could our website be more useful or engaging for the community? If you would like to respond to this question or you have other thoughts to share with the team, please feel free to email them via Rob Godzeno (rmgodzeno@gmail.com), or you can reach out to any of them by phone or in person. Also, look for the new comment box on the visioning bulletin board during coffee hour on Sunday mornings. 1 6
LIFE OF THE COMMUNITY High Ridge Bike Lane Rally. Would you like to help make Stamford a safer place to bike, run and walk? Please join Rev. Susan, Jen and Rob Godzeno and others at People Friendly Stamford s High Ridge Rally to show your support for new bike lanes on High Ridge Road, and throughout Stamford. City government is in favor of the project, but they need the backing and support of Stamford s residents to move the project forward. The rally is at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 14 at Rippowam Middle School (381 High Ridge Road). The rally will be followed by an optional 4 mile bike ride/run along High Ridge Road, so also bring your bike and/or running shoes if you are interested. Revive, our young adult discussion group, meets on the third Sunday of each month at noon. This month, we will meet on Sunday, June 15 th. Weather permitting, we will meet on the front lawn of the church along Walton Place. Please bring your favorite folding chair or blanket. We ll have a few extra blankets available for sharing. In the event of rain, we will meet in the West Parlor (room next to where coffee hour is held). Please join us for a time of discussion about current events of interest and reflection on that Sunday s lectionary readings and sermon. To stay up to date on meeting times and locations, email rmgodzeno@gmail.com to be added to our email list, or check back here regularly. Hand bell volunteers. In celebration of Music Appreciation Sunday on June 22, at least 4 volunteers will be needed to ring. This will be fairly easy (not a lot of rehearsal time needed) and lots of fun. Please see Tim Wallace for details. Adult Bible Study. Continuing for June, let s join together every Tuesday evening at 7:00 p.m. for Bible Study. Using the texts that will be heard in worship on the following Sunday, we will ponder how God is working in our lives and in our community. The next gathering will be June 10 at 7p.m. in the West Parlor. No preparation is necessary. Come with open hearts and minds. The Clason Group Meets Sunday at 9:45 a.m. 2014 brings a new focus for the Clason Group, our no-commitment and all-ideas-welcome "sunday school class." Through the first part of 2014, we will be exploring together "Why we Church." We all have siblings, parents, children or spouses that think churching every Sunday is good thing, and we all have family and friends that think it is a waste of their time. Whichever side you fall on, you are welcome to come and share your understanding of why we church, or to listen to what others might have to say. Through the spring, the Clason Group will convene upstairs in room 309 on the first and third Sunday of each month, at 9:45 a.m. Next meeting is Sunday, June 15. Rainbow Cafe, A youth group for Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgendered Youth, will meet at the church Tuesday, June 10, 7:00 p. m. Check out our Facebook page for the latest information (Rainbow Cafe Stamford) or contact Joe Belisle. All are welcome. Interested in being an usher? Please talk to Pam Groeschner at coffee hour. Want to be informed of the latest goings on at First Congregational? Please, email fccstamford@gmail.com to join our church mailing list. Also, we do have an e-mail prayer chain. If you d like to join this, please email us and request to be added to this list. Keep us informed! If you are hospitalized, please call the church office and let us know. We would like to include you in our prayers and visit. 5 *PRAYER OF CONFESSION Used with permission of the author, Rev. Mindi Welton-Mitchell, http://rev-o-lution.org.. Almighty God, we confess that we continue to try to put You in a box. We tell others how to know You. We believe our way is the only way. We do not recognize or look for You in the face of others or at work in other people around us. Forgive us for thinking we have a corner on the truth. You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Break open our box. Tear down our walls. Breathe into us the newness of life in the Spirit. In Your name we pray. Amen. *WORDS OF ASSURANCE * GLORIA PATRI Chalice#35 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. PASSING OF THE PEACE A WORD OF GOD FOR CHILDREN OF ALL AGES ANTHEM Spirit of God Words: George Croly; Music: Frederick C. Atkinson, arr. by Joseph M. Martin Spirit of God, descend upon my heart; wean it from earth; through all its pulses move; Stoop to my weakness, mighty as Thou art, and make me love Thee as I ought to love. I ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies, no sudden rending of the veil of clay. No angel visitant, no open, no op'ning skies, but take the dimness of my soul away. Teach me to feel that Thou art always nigh; teach me the struggles of the soul to bear, to check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh; teach me the patience of unanswered prayer. Teach me to love Thee as Thine angels love, one holy passion filling all my frame; The kindling of the heav'n descended Dove, my heart an altar, and Thy love the flame. My heart an altar, and Thy love the flame. Amen. Alleluia. 2
SCRIPTURE Acts 2:1-21 New Testament, p.119 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 New Testament, p.174 *PRAYER OF DEDICATION HYMN Spirit Chalice #249 SERMON Rev. Susan Gibson *BENEDICTION HYMN Ours the Journey Chalice #458 JOYS AND CONCERNS PASTORAL PRAYER THE LORD S PRAYER (unison) 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. *SUNG BENEDICTION Shalom Chaverim Chalice #438 POSTLUDE Shalom chaverim, shalom chaverim, shalom, shalom Le-hit-ra-ot, Le-hit-ra-ot, shalom, shalom (sing thru three times) ~ Timothy Wallace PRAYER RESPONSE Breath on Me, Breath of God (vs. 1) Chalice #254 Breath on me, Breath of God, fill me with life anew, that I may love what thou dost love, and do what thou wouldst do. INVITATION TO SHARE OFFERINGS OFFERTORY Ev'ry time I feel de Spirit Terry Hyde, tenor Spiritual arr. by H.T. Burleigh SONG OF THANKSGIVING Accept, O God, the Gifts We Bring Chalice #379 Accept, O God, the gifts we bring of spirit and of clay Transform them into blessings on those we serve today Rekindle deep within us all a passion to fulfill The ministry disciples have, empower d to do your will. 3 To celebrate Pentecost, the birthday of the church, the library has a display of First Congregational Church of Stamford earlier meeting houses and a parsonage in the Tinker Memorial Cabinet in the main hall under the sketch of our Fourth Meeting House, 1790-1858. We also have pictures of other churches, including sketches of all of the churches in the Fairfield West Association of the United Church of Christ, hanging near the cabinet. LIFE OF THE COMMUNITY Join us for Hospitality in the Parlor. (Light refreshments and friendship). We welcome children in our worship. Children s bulletins and pencils are available. If you prefer, childcare for infants-5 year-olds is available during worship in the upstairs nursery with caregivers, Elfriede Mallin and Margaret Simpson. Church school classes are offered for children ages 5 through 12 years. Today, church school for ages 5 through 12 years of age meets after the Word of God for Children of All Ages. Second Sunday Walks: today we will have an inter-generational walk (for children of all ages) from Latham Park to the Mill River playground. Karen Davis of the Unitarian church will be the leader. Meet in Latham Park at 11:45. 4