The First Presbyterian Church of Jackson

The First Presbyterian Church of Jackson To Glorify God, And Enjoy Him Forever

THE LORD S DAY The Twenty-Eighth Day of December, Two Thousand Fourteen MORNING WORSHIP Eight-Thirty and Eleven O Clock Presiding Minister The Reverend Dr. Edward A. Hartman Minister-Elect of Mission and Outreach Senior Minister The Reverend Mr. David T. A. Strain At the time of the Greetings and Announcements and during the Prelude, the congregation is invited to a season of silent and reverent preparation for corporate worship. The Greetings and Announcements (8:20 and 10:50 a.m.) The Prelude What Child Is This...Arr. Walter L Pelz Nancy Bateman, Cello; Jackie Bateman Langhofer, Violin The Call to Worship * The Psalm of Praise No. 198 Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates! The Prayer of Adoration and Confession The Scripture Reading Nehemiah 9:9-25 (Pew Bible pages 404-405) The Morning Prayer * The Hymn of Response No. 219 All Praise to Thee, Eternal Lord The Presentation of God s Tithes and Our Offerings The Offertory Wayfaring Stranger...Arr. by R. Walters Kim Porter, Soloist The Prayer of Illumination The Reading of Holy Scripture Matthew 20:20-28 (Pew Bible page 825) The Sermon A Servant is Born...Dr. Hartman The Hymn of Response No. 230 The Benediction Thou Who Wast Rich beyond All Splendor The Congregational Response Thou who art love beyond all telling, Savior and King, we worship thee. Emmanuel, within us dwelling, make us what thou wouldst have us be. Thou who art love beyond all telling, Savior and King, we worship thee. The Postlude Glorious Day in David s Town... G.F. Handel *The ushers may seat latecomers Congregation standing

EVENING WORSHIP Six O Clock Presiding Mr. Sean G. Morris Senior Minister s Intern Assisting Minister The Reverend Mr. David L. Felker Minister of Young Adults The Announcements and Words of Preparation (5:50 p.m.) The Prelude Debbie Dempsey, Flute; Connie S. Wadsworth, Organist The Call to Worship The Hymn of Praise No. 277 Christ the Lord Is Risen Today The Invocation The Evening Hymn No. 401 All Praise to Thee, My God, This Night * The Greetings The Evening Prayer Ruling Elder Orrin Swayze The Presentation of God s Tithes and Our Offerings The Offertory Allen Burrows and Friends The Young Children s Devotional For children currently in 4 year-old through 3rd grade Sunday School The Song No. 461 Not What My Hands Have Done.(Stanzas 1 and 3) The Children s Catechism No. 41 Q. Can anyone be saved through the covenant of works? A. No one can be saved by works.. The Scripture Jeremiah 17:9-10; John 14:6; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7; Hebrews 12:2 The Meditation...Martin Antoon, Student Ministry Assistant The Prayer... (The children dismissed following the prayer) The Hymn No. 635 How Good It Is to Thank the Lord (Psalm 92) (Tune: SOLID ROCK, #521) The Prayer of Illumination The Reading of Holy Scripture Psalm 92 (Pew Bible page 498) The Sermon... Mr. Morris A Psalm of the Sabbath, A Psalm of the Savior The Benediction and Response (Tune: TALLIS CANON, #401) Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heav nly host: Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! The Postlude Postlude in D...Glanville Smith *The ushers may seat latecomers Congregation standing To All Our Visitors We are delighted that you are here with us today. Our hope is that your understanding and love of Jesus Christ will grow because of your visit. To answer any questions you might have, please come by our Greeting Courtyard through the doors on the south side (right side as you face the pulpit) of the sanctuary after the 8:30 a.m. or the 11:00 a.m. worship service. We would love to meet you.

A GUIDE TO THE EVENING SERVICE The Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs Psalm 92 This psalm is indeed a hymn of thanks and praise to God, specifically celebrating the blessing of the Sabbath institution in Israel. The Sabbath was a day of rest and a day for gathered worship (Lev. 23:3), and worship is the focus of the psalm. Besides the title ( A song for the Sabbath ), features that display this specific focus include the references to morning and evening worship (v. 2), to the musical instruments used in worship (v. 3), and to the temple (v. 13). Over and over, the Psalm reinforces the truth that weekly worship of the LORD God is Good. One of the most basic features of worship on the Sabbath day is celebrating God s greatness in presiding over his creation and his goodness toward his faithful. The words give thanks, sing praises, declare, and sing for joy all describe the significance of the songs sung in gathered worship, along with musical accompaniment (lute, harp, lyre). The songs honor God for what he has revealed about himself, recalling Exodus 34:5 7, where God explained his name (note v.1), especially his benevolence toward his people (he is abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness). God s work and works are the great deeds he has done in creating the world and in caring for his people. (Literary Study Bible, Crossway) Christ the Lord Is Risen Today An Easter hymn in late December? But, of course! As we gather on the Lord s Day, we remember that it was on this first day of the week that Christ rose again from the dead and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (2 Timothy 1:10). And so, it is fitting that we should sing this anthem of praise as our opening hymn tonight, as we recall again the glorious truth of why Christians all around the globe gather together on this day. This joyful and exuberant song is, though, one of the most popular Easter hymns in the English language. Leonard Payton, music director at Redeemer PCA in Austin, Texas says: I think I ve sung this every Easter Sunday of my life, and I hope my grandchildren will be singing it, too. The music comes from the Lyra Davidica (London, 1708). Wesley s words were written for use at the first worship service at the Wesleyan Chapel in London. The chapel, on the site of a former iron foundry, became known as the Foundry Meeting House, and this hymn was included in the famous Foundry Collection. Certainly, an apt and majestic hymn by which to begin our worship this Lord s Day Evening. All Praise to Thee, My God, This Night One of the greatest of the evening hymns in the English-speaking churches, we always get positive feedback when we sing it. The text, written by the godly and principled Thomas Ken, is set to a tune originally composed by the Tudor period church musician Thomas Tallis. Verses one and two offer thanksgiving for the blessings enjoyed during the day and ask for forgiveness for the sins committed during the day. Verses three and four are prayers for the night s sleep, and verse five contemplates the final rest that will forever chase dark sleep away. Ken wrote it to be sung by his boys choristers at Winchester. The thoughts are so simple that they need almost no explanation: thanks for the day just passed, prayers for forgiveness, for rest, and for freedom from fear of death. The last stanza is, of course, known to you as The Doxology (yes, Thomas Ken was its author!). This hymn is well worth memorizing and using at home as part of your private and family devotions. We sing it tonight as our Evening Hymn. How Good It Is to Thank the Lord As we study Psalm 92 from God s Word this evening, we ll also sing it together in preparation for our study. Tonight, we sing this metrical hymn-arrangement of the Psalm set to the familiar tune Solid Rock (to which we sing My Hope is Built on Nothing Less ).

A GUIDE TO THE MORNING SERVICE The Scripture Reading Nehemiah 9:9-25 In this larger portion of the Book of Nehemiah, the Book of the Law is solemnly read, the Feast of Booths is kept, and a great act of covenant renewal is performed. For the first time in this book, Ezra enters the narrative. This section shows the unity of his and Nehemiah s projects. With the walls securely in place, the centrality of the Mosaic Law is once again made prominent, since it is not security alone that is essential to the life of the community, nor even the temple, but trust in God and obedience to God s Word as revealed through Moses. The whole passage has Leviticus 23 especially in mind. The prayer resembles in part Ezra s prayer of confession earlier in Ezra 9:6 15. It has even more in common with certain psalms of confession (such as Psalm 78; 105 106), which interweave confession with memories of God s grace, and notes of petition. Notice especially how this prayer follows the biblical story as told in Genesis Kings. (Literary Study Bible, Crossway) The Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates! Our opening psalm of praise this Lord s Day Morning is one that is familiar to us, especially during the holiday season. This excellent New Covenant rendition of Psalm 24 emphasizes the coming of the Lord, a theme we will sing of and hear of throughout this morning s service. Churches that follow the ecclesiastical calendar call this season Advent in celebration not only of Christ s first coming but also in anticipation of his Second Coming. The church s longing for the Second Coming of Christ is a theme is beautifully expressed in so many of the hymns and carols of the Incarnation. Set to the triumphant tune Truro, this is a majestic psalm by which to begin our sung praise this morning. All Praise to Thee, Eternal Lord Following our Scripture Reading from Nehemiah 9, we sing this carol as our hymn of response. This carol was composed by Martin Luther himself, and his strong faith and child-like wonder at the glory of the incarnation are all over it. We sing it to Robert Schumann s Canonbury (to which we often sing Havergal s Lord, speak to me that I may speak ). Note how Luther beautifully and helpfully draws attention to the paradoxes of Christ s enfleshment. Thou Who Wast Rich Beyond All Splendor Though certainly a hymn appropriate for Christmastime, do notice that the larger focus of this hymn is the humiliation of Jesus Christ. The theme for these come from the words of the Apostle Paul, For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich, (II Corinthians 8:9). The author of this hymn, Frank Houghton, wrote a wonderful book on hymns for InterVarsity Press many years ago, and was an evangelical Anglican. The tune is French in origin and the text is moving and poetic, yet clear and almost blunt a beautiful hymn to close out our corporate worship this Lord s Day Morning.

FPC THIS WEEK SUNDAY DECEMBER 28, 2014 Sunday Pre-Service Announcements 8:20 a.m. in the Sanctuary Prayer for Worship Service 9:00 a.m. and 10:50 a.m. in M133 The Learning Resource Center 9:30 a.m. 10:45 a.m. (Library only) Sunday School 9:40 a.m. 10:40 a.m. in various locations College Sunday School 9:50 a.m. in the CH Pre-Service Announcements 10:50 a.m. in the Sanctuary The Learning Resource Center 5:30 p.m. 5:55 p.m. (Library only) Pre-Service Announcements 5:50 p.m. in the Sanctuary No Senior High Insight Monday No Scheduled Activities Tuesday No Scheduled Activities Wednesday No Scheduled Activities Thursday Church Offices closed Friday No Scheduled Activities Saturday Men s Prayer Breakfast 7:30 a.m. in MH CH - College House MH - Miller Hall WH - Westminster Hall LH - Lowe Hall MS - Music Suite HC - Hutton Chapel M - Main Floor PH - Patterson Hall LRC - Learning Resource MCR - Ministers YH - Youth House Center Conference Room SC - Study Center SR - Session Room

ANNOUNCEMENTS II THESSALONIANS 3:1 Finally, brethren, pray for us. Greg & Ginger O.- Serving with Mission to the World in East Asia. For information, please contact the Mission Department. Children of Abraham The Children of Abraham (COA) ministry was founded in 1977 to communicate the saving message of Christ to a largely un-evangelized Arabic community in and beyond North America. Mailing Address: P. O. Box 63941, Colorado Springs, CO 80920. Website: coabraham.org. FLOWERS The poinsettias in the foyer during the month of December are given to the glory of God by Mr. and Mrs. Bill Crim in loving memory of Stacie Crim s mother, Joan McGee Smith, and her brother, David Barton Smith. YEAR-END GIVING REMINDERS If you are planning to donate stock to First Presbyterian Church before the end of the year 2014, please notify Earl Davis in the Business Office at 601-973-9107. In order for year-end church contributions to be deducted on your 2014 tax return, they must be received at First Presbyterian Church on or before December 31, 2014. The Business Office will be open from 8:30 a.m. 3:30 p.m., and you may give online until midnight, December 31, 2014. If you mail your contribution, the envelope must be postmarked no later than December 31, 2014. Security will be posted on the south side of the church (Pinehurst Street) to receive any contributions that may be dropped off after hours on December 31, 2014. All gifts received or postmarked after December 31, 2014, will apply to your 2015 Contribution Statement. MOMS BIBLE STUDY - DON T FORGET TO REGISTER! MOMS is a weekly Bible study for mothers of children 6th grade and under. It meets on Wednesdays in Patterson Hall from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. Starting Wednesday, January 14, MOMS will be studying Sweethearts for a Lifetime. Registration for new MOMS begins January 1, 2015. To register, contact Joanna McNeel at 601-807-1596. BAPTISM The next baptism is scheduled for Sunday, January 18, 2015. Space is available for only the 8:30 a.m. worship service. To make your reservation, please contact Lisa Walters at 601-973-9102 or email her at lisaw@fpcjackson.org. MID-SOUTH MEN S RALLY - JANUARY 30, 2015 Men, mark your calendars, and plan to join us for our annual Mid-South Men s Rally. Our speaker this year will be The Reverend Dr. Ralph Davis, Minister-in-Residence at First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, SC. No advance registration is necessary. Dinner will be served beginning at 5:15 p.m., with the first session beginning at 6:30 p.m. If you have questions, please contact Christina Meenan at missiondepartment@fpcjackson.org or 601-973-9125. 2015 MISSIONS CONFERENCE February 22 March 1, 2015 Mark your calendar and plan to attend the 2015 Missions Conference! If you would like to provide housing or a meal for one or more of our missionaries, please contact the Mission Department at 601-973-9125 or missiondepartment@fpcjackson.org. BURWELL FUND The Burwell Fund is a source of financial help for members of First Presbyterian Church in need of assistance. This fund is under the management of our Deacons. If you have this need, please contact Wiley Lowry, Billy Dempsey, or Earl Davis, and they will be happy to assist you. Follow us on Twitter @FPCJxnMS CONNECT WITH FPC ONLINE website: www.fpcjackson.org Like us on Facebook Facebook.com/FirstPresJackson Download the First Pres App free http://get.theapp.co/d6ed

THE CHURCH DIRECTORY Church Offices: web site - www.fpcjackson.org 1390 N. State Street WLBT TV3 10:00 A.M. Sunday Jackson, Mississippi 39202 WBWV TV14 Memphis 601-353-8316 FAX 601-973-9119 WBIW Prattville, AL John A. Crawford, Clerk James S. Armstrong J. Mark Baird D. Kyle Ball McNeill Bartling III Bryant R. Boswell John H. Bowen III David L. Bowling Max P. Bowman Forrest G. Bratley, Jr. Donald G. Breazeale John P. Buchanan Don B. Cannada Stuart H. Clarke C. David Cleland John A. Crawford, Jr. William S. Cook Robert A. Cunningham Edward J. Currie, Jr. Arthur P. Davis THE SESSION The Reverend Mr. David T. A. Strain, Senior Minister Stephen M. Edwards James D. Elkin T. David Elkin George R. Fair Kenneth G. Fairly W. Craig Flowers Marcial D. Forester, Jr. L. H. Fulcher, Jr. Alan F. Futvoye Claude W. Harbarger William K. Harper Samuel D. Hensley Larry Houchins, Jr. Paul Hurst W. Wayne Husband W. Harper Keeler Crane D. Kipp Terry R. Levy Ralph H. Lord Robert Y. Love, Jr. Wiley P. Lowry, Jr. George W. May, Jr. John H. McVey, Sr. H. V. Meena, Jr. Robert B. Mims J. Longstreet Minor III James L. Moore William McNeill Moore Doyle B. Moorhead Joel G. Payne, Jr. William D. Payne, Sr. William M. Penn Thomas I. Rice III Richard L. Ridgway Benjamin W. Roberson Stephen W. Rosenblatt Richard W. Russ A. Jerry Sheldon Jerrald L. Shivers John Lowe Smith Mark A. Sorgenfrei Paul H. Stephenson III Marvin E. Stockett William O. Stone, Jr. Daniel B. Story II Orrin H. Swayze, Jr. Tian C. Teh Timothy M. Threadgill Jim B. Tohill Noel K. Toler, Jr. R. Barry Vickery Alan H. Walters T. Calvin Wells A. Terrel Williams Marcus M. Wilson Mark J. Windham Elders Emeriti: Thomas H. Bowen, Jr.; Robert F. Cooper, Jr.; William H. Cox, Jr.; T. Doug Dale, Sr.; Owen C. Elder, Jr.; Frank H. Hagaman; W. Jefferson Hamm, Sr.; Homer Lee Howie, Sr.; Leland Hume, Jr.; H. Richard Johnson, Jr.; William A. Long, Jr.; A. William May; C. Eugene McRoberts, Jr.; J. Lee Owen, Jr.; Sidney A. Robinson, Jr.; Joel E. Varner David H. Fulcher Chairman G. Bailey Adams Kirkpatrick Anderson F. Hall Bailey David M. Baird Kenneth C. Ball Matt L. Ballew III Charles F. F. Barbour William H. Barbour III James M. Bateman Lewis W. Bell Victor E. Blaylock Walter J. Brand Jay Brown Stephen Keith Brown P. Sharkey Burke, Jr. Beau Burrow C. Glen Bush, Jr. John David Case V. Reid Cotten John L. Cox Paul L. Cox J. Holt Crews William L. Crim, Jr. Thomas D. Dale, Jr. Guy H. Davant III John Daniel Davis David B. Day Robert G. Dye, Sr. Auston Ramsay Edwards Parker Lee Ellison Robert G. Feild Spence Flatgard W. Douglas Garland III Matthew Samuel Glover Frank Guyton Graham, Jr, Matthew Lee Graves Henry W.H. Greaves, Sr. Willard Benton Gregg Zeb King Henson James R. House III THE DIACONATE Carey A. Johnston J. Dallis Ketchum Stephen Paul Kruger Robert H. Lake Michael M. Manning R. David Marchetti Douglas M. McDaniel Kelly Wyche McMullan Robert A. Miller James L. Moore, Jr. J. Walter Newman IV J.T. Noblin Nathan Ray Oakley Rob Coit Oates, Jr. J. Lee Owen III Leroy H. Paris II R. Phillip Parker Charles R. Porter III James E. Prince III Cy Rosenblatt R. Weston Russ, Jr. Bryan B. Rutledge Malcolm Saxon III Kenneth C. Seawright Jeff W. Skelton William F. Sneed Stewart C. Swayze J. Ryan Swindell L. Ford Terry Michael T. Tramel Hugh D. Trussell II David A. Turner J. Wilbourn Vise Arthur C. Wadsworth H. Coles Wilkins, Jr. Joseph T. Wilkins III Neil T. Witherow Walter R. Wofford, Jr. John H. Young III Deacons Emeriti: John H. Allgood III; T. Oscar Burris, Jr.; R. Barry Cannada; Larry W. Edwards; Charles R. Gardner; Billy C. Greenlee; Gary J. Herring; J.O. Manning, Jr.; Joe P. Uithoven; Richard B. Wilson, Jr.; Wirt A. Yerger, Jr.; Donn E. Young THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 9:40-10:40 A.M. Mr. William O. Stone, Jr., General Superintendent Mrs. Betsy Chestnut, Special Ed. Coordinator Mr. & Mrs. Crane Kipp, Churchtime Coordinators Mrs. Hall Bailey, Information Desk Coordinator THE CHURCH PROGRAM THE SUNDAY SERVICES: * Sunday School... 9:40 A.M. * Morning Worship... 8:30 & 11:00 A.M. * Evening Worship... 6:00 P.M. Senior High Insight... 7:30 P.M. Communion... 2nd Sunday in January, April, July and October Baptism...3rd Sunday in January, March, May, July, September, and November New Members Received.1st Sunday in February, April, June, August, October, and December at 5:15 p.m. in PH *THE MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDY AND PRAYER MEETING:...Wednesday, 6:30 P.M. Family Night Dinner... Wednesday, 5:00-6:15 P.M. Junior High Discipleship Groups...Wednesday, 5:00 P.M. Children s Activities...Wednesday, 5:30 P.M. The Choir Rehearsal...Wednesday, 5:50 P.M. Discipleship Groups... Wednesday 6:30 P.M. Bible Study and Prayer Meeting... Wednesday 6:30 P.M.