METROPOLITAN INTERDENOMINATIONAL CHURCH CELEBRATING 35 YEARS OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE SECOND SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY SUNDAY, January 17, 2016 MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. SUNDAY PREPARATION The Pastor s entrance and the beginning of the musical prelude are the calls to silent, personal preparation for the worship of God. THE GATHERING We are standing on Holy ground, And I know that there are angels all around. Let us praise Jesus now, We are standing in God s presence on Holy ground. LITANY by The Reverend Canon Gina Gilland Campbell, Canon Precentor August 28, 1963. A nation stood, transfixed. The preacher, the prophet, the poet of the people s lament; shaped by the cadences of black preaching, steeped in prayer, filled with a message of deliverance, speaks from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Millions of people witness history being made. Martin Luther King, Jr. dreams a dream. We shall overcome, we shall overcome, we shall overcome some day; Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe, we shall overcome some day. A movement of God s holiness intrudes into the life of our nation; an oppressed and disenfranchised people hope for the future; hope for their children; dare to hope that God will pluck up and tear down the status quo; will plant and build an astonishing newness. We are not afraid, we are not afraid, we are not afraid today, deep in my heart, I do believe, we shall overcome some day. From churches and synagogues, union halls and student centers, barber shops and beauty parlors; nonviolent foot soldiers for freedom arise. Rise despite the harshness of Jim Crow and the violence of the Klan; rise despite the degradations of segregation and cruel poverty; rise despite our nation s determination to remain segregated and separate; unequal and unfree. God is on our side, God is on our side, God is on our side today, deep in my heart, I do believe, we shall overcome some day. In Birmingham, in Albany, in Selma; the people call upon God to act; confident that God will act; and bring a new exodus to those in bondage. God s eternal will and God s generative word will not be stilled or silenced until all the children of God can sing with joy Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty we re free at last. We ll walk hand in hand, We ll walk hand in hand, We ll walk hand in hand today, deep in my heart, I do believe, we shall overcome some day.
Stirring words alone will not maintain our nation s moral compass. The richness of our diversity does not diminish the rancor of our divisions. Without one another, we turn from the ways of justice; walk too easily away from righteousness and into sin; cry peace, peace, when there is no peace. By your Spirit, O God, stir up in us the drumbeat of human flourishing; the power of moral imagination; the will for reconciliation. We shall live in peace, We shall live in peace, We shall live in peace today, deep in my heart, I do believe, we shall overcome some day. On the streets of Ferguson, in the deserts of Wyoming, on the border of the Rio Grande; you show us, O God of history, how quickly dreaming turns to nightmare. Call us to redemptive action through Jesus, your Son. Beyond the moral moment or the moral Monday; fill us with the imagination, the courage, and the will to live authentically and not anemically as your prophetic people; who see visions and dream dreams. We shall overcome, we shall overcome, we shall overcome some day; Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe, we shall overcome some day. SONG OF LIBERATION WE SHALL OVERCOME 1. We shall overcome, we shall overcome, we shall overcome some day Oh, deep in my heart, I do relieve, we shall overcome some day. 2. We re on to victory 3. We ll walk hand in hand 4. We are not afraid (today) 5. The truth shall make us free 6. We shall live in peace 7. God is on our side (today) WELCOME Visitors standing If you are here for the first time, we are delighted that you came. If you are dropping in for a second or third visit, we are glad you found something you were looking for. We hope you will be challenged by our worship and that you will come back again. If you are looking for a faith community, we would welcome you as a part of our church family. When you are officially welcomed as a visitor, you will receive a Visitor s Information Card. Please fill it out, and return it to the Pastor, or place it in the offering plate. WELCOME! CONCERNS OF CHURCH AND CITY D. Billye Sanders Your tithes and gifts help us: Pay the mortgage, utilities, maintenance, and security for the Metropolitan Meeting House; Provide free pastoral counseling (spiritual, marital, grief) services to members of our congregation; Fund the programs of the First Response Center, serving >700 people living with HIV/AIDS, and others at-risk; Pay for the personnel and operating costs of our ministries; Provide educational materials to assist in the spiritual growth & development of our community; Maintain meeting space for ministries, including Girl Scouts, various groups, and community events; Fund our annual Anniversary and Homecoming celebrations; Provide emergency assistance to members of the congregation and community through our benevolence fund. Every gift of your time, talent and treasure makes a vital difference in the life and ministries of Metropolitan Interdenominational Church. Thank you. SONGS OF PRAISE The Voices of Metropolitan Reginald Green, Minister of Music OFFERTORY For all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You. 1 Chronicles 29:14 DOXOLOGY Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise God all creatures here below Praise God above ye heavenly host: Creator, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
PROCLAMATION THE WORD John 2:1-11 CHORAL RESPONSE Harry Emerson Fosdick Grant us wisdom, Grant us courage, For the living of these days, For the living of these days. PREPARATORY PERIOD THE MESSAGE IT IS WHAT IT IS! SENIOR SERVANT 2 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, They have no wine. 4 And Jesus said to her, Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come. 5 His mother said to the servants, Do whatever he tells you. 6 Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to them, Fill the jars with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 8 He said to them, Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward. So they took it. 9 When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now. 11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. John 2:1-11 SERMON NOTES RESPONSE Please do not leave the sanctuary or in any other manner create a distraction during the invitational period. This is a moment of unparalleled importance. MOMENTS OF REFLECTION Voices of Metropolitan INVITATION TO LIFE IN CHRIST This church will welcome into its membership any persons who love and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and who promise to live according to His Laws of Love, recognizing all people as brothers and sisters for whom He gave His life.
THE LORD S SUPPER Communion Prayer We do not presume to come to this, Thy table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in Thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs from under Thy table. But Thou art the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy. Grant us, therefore, gracious Lord, so to partake of this sacrament of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, that we may walk in newness of life and grow to reflect Thy Spirit in all things forevermore. Amen. (We will eat and drink together after all have been served.) FELLOWSHIP CIRCLE We ve come too far to turn back now; By the grace of God we re gonna make it somehow. Nobody knows the trouble we ve seen; We ve come too far to turn back now. Wherever there appears in human history a personality whose story is available and whose reach extends far, in all directions, the question of their working paper is as crucial as the significance of their life. We want to know what were the lines among which they decided to live their life. How did they relate themselves to the central issues of their time? What were the questions which they had to answer?... Our attention is called to such a figure because of the impact their life makes upon human history. For what is human history but people s working papers as they ride high into life, caught often in the swirling eddies of tremendous impersonal forces set in motion by vast impulses out of the womb of the Eternal. When a solitary individual is able to mingle their strength with the forces of history and emerge with a name, a character, a personality, it is no ordinary achievement. It is more than the fact that there is a record of their life as singular as that fact may be. It means that against the background of anonymity they have emerged articulate, and particular. HOWARD THURMAN, from Jesus and the Disinherited According to some reports, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. carried this book during his civil rights protests. Dr. King particularly connected to Thurman's teachings about nonviolence as a way to overcome evil. Young Martin interacted with Thurman while studying at Boston University. In 1953, Thurman had become dean of BU's Marsh Chapel, the first African-American academic dean at a predominantly white university. In correspondence and meetings, Thurman supported King's efforts, but urged him and other civil rights leaders to maintain a spiritual life. Leaders like King do not arise out of a historical vacuum. There are movements and there are personalities who actually sow the seeds. Thurman is one of those persons who sows the seed. In fact, I don't believe you'd get a Martin Luther King, Jr. without a Howard Thurman. -- Dr. WALTER L. FLUKER, Director, Howard Thurman Papers Project, Morehouse College METROPOLITAN INTERDENOMINATIONAL CHURCH 2128 11 th Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37208 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 280779, Nashville, TN 37228 Phone: (615) 72METRO (726-3876) Fax: (615) 259-9210 website: www.micwhosoever.org Rev. Edwin C. Sanders, II, The Senior Servant Pastoral Staff: Rev. John Cross, Rev. Marcella Lockhart, Rev. Clifford Smith, Rev. Christopher Davis, Rev. Terry Terrell, Rev. Mary Jo Smiley, Rev. Regina McCrary, Rev. Neely Williams, Rev. Stephanie Thompson, Rev. Cherie Booker, Rev. Christopher Goodwin
UPCOMING EVENTS MIDWEEK FELLOWSHIP: Wednesday, January 20, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. Dinner by Circle 6; Bible Study 7:00 8:00, Classes for Adults and Children Financial Freedom/Entrepreneurship Seminar Series meets Saturdays 9:00 11:00 a.m. at the First Response Center, 1219 9 th Avenue North, Nashville 37208; Call: 615-321-9791 Saturday, January 30 th, 2:30 4:00 p.m. - Ecclesiastical Council Meeting FEBRUARY IS FOUNDERS MONTH! Sunday, February 7 TH METRO s 35 th Anniversary! Sunday, February 28 TH Founders Day Brunch Friday evening Dancercise, 7 pm // Voices of Metropolitan Rehearsal, Saturday, 12 2 pm Saturday Evening Worship, 6 7 pm Photo Directories have arrived! One free for each family photo, then $10.00 each. BIBLE READINGS Read Pray Sacrifice January 18-24, 2016 THIRD SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10 Psalm 19 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a Luke 4:14-21 United Way Employee Giving Campaign: Designate #3255 to support the First Response Center. For the Combined Federal Campaign, Write In Metropolitan Interdenominational Church First Response Center. Support Metropolitan while you shop. (1) Register your Kroger Plus card online and select Metropolitan as the organization you wish to support. Go to Koger.com/communityrewards or call 1-800-576-4377 option 3. Renew registration annually, in August. (2) Register at Smile.Amazon.com, select Metropolitan FRC as the charity you support, then always shop through Smile.Amazon; 0.5% of the proceeds will support the work of the FRC. ~ Giving Summary ~ Date Offering - Budgeted Offering - Actual Offering (Un)Realized Summary (Un)Realized 2015 Year to Date $ 300,040.00 $ 283,492.20 ($16,547.80) January 3, 2016 $ 5,770.00 $ 7,475.00 $ 1,705.00 January 10, 2016 $ 5,770.00 $ 4,646.00 ($ 1,124.00) January, 2016 $ 11,540.00 $ 12,121.00 $ 581.00 2016 Year to Date $ 11,540.00 $ 12,121.00 $ 2,286.00 $ 2,286.00 SICK, SHUT IN, and RECOVERING MEMBERS Leon McKinley Corder 1902 Elliott Avenue; Nashville, TN 37204-2004 Send prayers, not visitors, please. Ella Louise Gant 908 Cannon Street; Nashville, TN 37210 615-242-0226 Lynda Hodgers P.O. Box 54; Guys, TN 38339 662-579-5317 Evelyn Martin 3253 Spears Road; Nashville, TN 37207 615-227-0095 Pat Patterson 208 Lunn Court; Nashville, TN 37218 615-876-4433 Connie Ryans 1703 Pecan Street; Nashville, TN 37208 615-310-7855 Rev. Mary Jo Smiley Rm #200, Creekside Rehab. Center, 306 West Due West Ave, Madison TN 37115 Ernestine Williams 2712 Vista Lane; Nashville, TN 37207 615-876-7057 Mary Grace Williams 293 Becklea Drive; Madison, TN 37115 615-868-6810 Emmilye Wilson-Walton P.O. Box 78795; Nashville, TN 37207 615-262-9375
METROPOLITAN INTERDENOMINATIONAL CHURCH CELEBRATING 35 YEARS OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE Sunday, January 17, 2016 -- SECOND SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. SUNDAY Metropolitan Interdenominational Church is a community of believers inclusive of all and alienating to none, leading the way to spiritual growth by sharing God s love with the world. DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU is a statement most of us find difficult to hear. The idea of a directive that seemingly takes away our ability to question or challenge what is being asked of us is unconscionable. None of us are quick to relinquish control over our lives to the point of allowing anyone else to dictate our actions and behavior. Even when there is clear evidence of mismanagement regarding our personal affairs, we are still reluctant to trust someone else to be in charge. The idea of surrendering our will to another person is all but impossible. Yet, as true as this might be, all of us come to places in life where it is necessary to acknowledge the need to let go of the controls. When life s problems are bigger that we can solve and life s questions are more complex than we can answer, it is sometimes necessary for us to get ourselves out of the way. The situation, in the gospel according to John at the wedding at Cana where the wine runs out, is one of many instances in the ministry of Jesus where we see how important it is to DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU. We don t know all of the circumstances that brought about the crisis, but we do know the problem was solved when the servants followed Mary s direction. We need to hear these words every day as we navigate the seas of life. This is especially true in the face of crisis. Jesus called on the servants to do what was in the scope of their ability to do as they were told to fill the jars with water. When they did what they could do, the Lord then did what only he could do to address the crisis. This lesson is of vital significance for us today as we struggle to respond to the many crises in the world around us. The magnitude of the problem is greater than we can wrap or minds around, but we must do everything we can and draw upon all of the resources we have available as we submit to the voice that tells us DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU. Our Lord is still using ordinary people as vessels to accomplish extraordinary things when we DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU. (reprinted from Sunday, January 20, 2013) -Senior Servant MIDWEEK FELLOWSHIP MEAL SCHEDULE January 27 Circle 7 February 17 Circle 3 February 3 Circle 1 February 24 Circle 4 February 10 Circle 2 March 2 Circle 5