First Presbyterian Church For Christ in the Heart of Charlotte Founded in 1821 Order of Worship Seventh Sunday of Easter May 13, 2018 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. You are invited to use the time before the service to prepare your heart and mind for worship. In consideration of others, please silence your cell phones. Preparation Prelude I Leave All Things to God s Direction Johann Sebastian Bach Words of Welcome Adoration Choral Call to Worship Christopher Tye O come, ye servants of the Lord, and praise his holy name. From early morn to setting sun, his might on earth proclaim. His laws are just, and glad the heart. He makes his mercies known. Ye people, come and bow before his throne. *Hymn No. 611 Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee hymn to joy
Large-print hymnals and Bibles are available. Please let an usher know if you would like one. The prayer of confession was written by the Rev. Taylor Lewis Guthrie Hartman, associate pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Durham, NC. We believe that God put the wiggle in children, and all are welcome in worship regardless of their ability to sit still. If you d like to step out of the sanctuary with your child, please feel free to visit the chapel (to the right of the sanctuary) where the service is streaming. Call to Confession Prayer of Confession Confession The Reverend Katelyn Gordon Cooke One: Why do we confess our sin? All: Because all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. One: But why do we do this together? All: Because we are a community, a covenant people. One: Then let us confess our sin. All: Merciful God, you gave us the gift of resurrection, a gift that calls us to be an Easter people. You call us to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with you. You ve given us the gift of covenant community, of friends who join us in heart and hand and hope. Yet, we turn away. We decide that we don t have enough time. We know someone else who will pick up the slack. We claim there isn t anything of interest to us. And yet, Christ shows up, saying, You are witnesses of these things. Help us to be an Easter people, Lord. Strip us of our timid ways. Roll back the stone of our hearts. Send us out that we might join our savior in the holy work of justice, kindness, and humility. We pray in Jesus name. One: In silent prayer, let us confess to God the things we choose not to speak aloud. Assurance of Pardon One: Friends, believe the good news. All: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. *Response (Hymn No. 245, stanza 3) llanfair Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia! Where, O death, is now your sting? Alleluia! Jesus died, our souls to save, Alleluia! Where your victory, O grave? Alleluia! Sacrament of Baptism Mia is the daughter of Allen and Vibecke Cates. Bo is the son of Lauren and Wilson McCrory. Sacrament of Baptism (9 a.m.) Hymn No. 188 Mia Seidel Cates (11 a.m.) Robert Wilson McCrory jesus loves me Jesus loves me! This I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong. They are weak but he is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so. *Apostles Creed I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen. The 11 a.m. service is televised over WSOC-TV, Channel 9, this morning and streamed live at www.firstpres-charlotte.org. Children in kindergarten through 2nd grade may leave for First Church. They will return to the sanctuary during the last hymn. Younger children may go to the nursery.
Prayer for Illumination Proclamation Scripture John 10:22-30 pew Bible pg. 104 One: This is the word of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God. Anthem We Shall Walk Through the Valley in Peace arr. William Appling Quartet: DJ Godinez, Branden Nicholson, David Ramirez and Daylin Lott We shall walk through the valley of the shadow of death; we shall walk through the valley in peace. And if Jesus himself shall be our leader, we shall walk through the valley in peace.there will be no sorrowing there. And if Jesus himself shall be our leader, we shall walk through the valley in peace. Scripture Acts 9:36-43 pew Bible pg. 128 Sermon Casseroles and Shawls The Reverend Pen Peery *Hymn No. 686 God of Our Life sandon Prayers of the People Stewardship of Life Summer Camps Presentation of Tithes and Offering Response The Reverend Erika Funk Offertory Anthem The Gift of Love arr. Hal Hopson Though I may speak with bravest fire, and have the gift to all inspire, and have not love, my words are vain, as sounding brass, and hopeless gain. Though I may give all I possess, and striv ing so my love profess, but not be given by love within, the profit soon turns strangely thin. Come, Spirit, come, our hearts control, our spirits long to be made whole. Let inward love guide every deed; by this we worship, and are freed. Amen. *Doxology (Hymn No. 606) old hundredth Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise him all creatures here below; Praise him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. *Prayer of Dedication and 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. Sending Forth *Hymn No. 475 Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing nettleton *Charge and Benediction *Benediction Response Amen danish Postlude Fanfare on Nettleton Jim Twyne We welcome David Ramirez and Daylin Lott, who join Sanctuary Choir members DJ Godinez and Branden Nicholson in singing today s anthem. The sanctuary flowers are given to the glory of God and in loving memory of Sarah and Carlton Andrews. The sympathy of the congregation is expressed to Susan B. Kelly on the death of her son, Bowman Kelly, and to Christy Priester on the death of her father, Tom Connors. We are grateful to Jim Twyne for playing the organ and to DJ Godinez for directing the choir today. A time of personal prayer is offered following both services. If you would like to pray with a pastor and a member of our prayer team, please meet them in the sanctuary overflow area after the 9 a.m. service or in the chapel following the 11 a.m. service. * Please stand if you are able.
We are glad you are with us today! We welcome all to First Presbyterian Church as we worship together, knowing that each of us is a beloved part of the body of Christ. Our Pastors Pendleton B. Peery Senior Pastor ppeery@firstpres-charlotte.org Katelyn Gordon Cooke Associate Pastor for Christian Formation kcooke@firstpres-charlotte.org Erika Funk Associate Pastor for Mission efunk@firstpres-charlotte.org Katherine C. Kerr Senior Associate Pastor for Congregational Ministry and Care kkerr@firstpres-charlotte.org Charles C. Williamson Parish Associate cwilliamson@firstpres-charlotte.org William P. Young, III Director of Music Ministries wyoung@firstpres-charlotte.org Are you interested in joining our church? Contact Lucy Caldwell Membership Coordinator lcaldwell@firstpres-charlotte.org Pastor on call If you have a pastoral emergency outside of regular church hours, dial 704.927.0256 for the on-call voicemail. Your call will be returned promptly. 200 West Trade Street Charlotte, NC 28202 www.firstpres-charlotte.org 704.332.5123 News and Announcements worship We worship in ways that speak of God s majesty, mystery and love. Sermon Series for May Living Unafraid in a Scary World The Reverend Pen Peery preaching unless otherwise noted. May 20 - Acts 2:1-13 (The Reverend Erika Funk) May 27 - Acts 28:23-30 (one service at 11:00 a.m.) Summer Worship Schedule May 27 - September 2 We will begin our summer worship schedule on Sunday, May 27, with one service at 11:00 a.m. The 9:00 a.m. service will resume on Sunday, September 9. Lost in Wonder, Love, and Praise Music Sunday June 3 11:00 a.m., Sanctuary Join us after worship for our second annual Food Truck Lunch on the lawn. serve We go into the world to seek and serve and walk alongside our family in faith. Men s Shelter Sandwich Delivery Sundays, May - July 11:30 a.m. We need volunteers to deliver the boxed sandwiches on Sundays by 11:30 a.m. Volunteers are also welcome to help distribute the sandwiches and have lunch with the men. Sign up online under Tickets & Signups on the website. Officer Nominations Your help is needed in the process to select church officers to serve on the Session and the Diaconate from 2019 to 2021. Forms for making your recommendations are available on the Now@FPC page on the website and on the information table in the Historical Lobby. Deadline is May 25. care We aim to provide support, prayer, love and acts of compassion as we seek to draw closer to one another in community. Helpers Needed for Lemonade on the Lawn Sundays, May 27 - September 2 12:00 p.m. Summer is right around the corner, and that means it s time for Lemonade on the Lawn. Each week a different family or group serves the lemonade. Sign up online. Contact Mandy Rencher (MandyRencher@hotmail.com, 704-718-2348) with questions. learn Through study at every age and stage, we aim to become more Christlike and deepen our relationship with our Lord. Nacho Average Young Adult Social Wednesday, May 23 6:30 p.m. 709 Woodruff Place If you ve never experienced the awesomeness of table nachos, this is your chance! Katie and Scott Curry will host us in their backyard. BYOB and an appetizer or dessert please. RSVP here: https:// tinyurl.com/nachoaveragefpcsocial Potluck Dinner June 5 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. First United Pres 201 E 7th Street Please bring a dish to share and join members from First and First United Presbyterian Churches for a potluck dinner. The topics for discussion include a summer camp, an after-school program, and early childhood education at FUPC. All are welcome! Summer Centering: Faces of Our Faith Intergenerational Formation Experience June 3 - August 26 10 a.m., WFH Overflow Join us this summer as we explore stories of lesser known characters of the Bible as well as our own faith stories. We ll learn together through Bible study, reflections from FPC members and pastors, activities, and prayer. In Loving Memory of Edythe Sweet April 12, 1926 - May 9, 2018 Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, says the Spirit. Revelation 14:13
*Hymn No. 611 1 Joyful, joyful, we adore thee, God of glory, Lord of love! Hearts unfold like flowers before thee, opening to the sun above. Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the dark of doubt away. Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day. Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee 2 All thy works with joy surround thee; earth and heaven reflect thy rays; stars and angels sing around thee, center of unbroken praise. Field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea, chanting bird and flowing fountain, call us to rejoice in thee. 3 Mortals, join the happy chorus which the morning stars began. Love divine is reigning o er us, joining all in heaven s plan. Ever singing, march we onward, victors in the midst of strife. Joyful music leads us sunward in the triumph song of life. *Hymn No. 686 God of Our Life 1 God of our life, through all the circling years, we trust in thee. In all the past, through all our hopes and fears, thy hand we see. With each new day, when morning lifts the veil, we own thy mercies, Lord, which never fail. 2 God of the past, our times are in thy hand. With us abide. Lead us by faith to hope s true promised land. Be thou our guide. With thee to bless, the darkness shines as light, and faith s fair vision changes into sight. 3 God of the coming years, through paths unknown we follow thee. When we are strong, Lord, leave us not alone. Our refuge be. Be thou for us in life our daily bread, our heart s true home when all our years have sped. *Hymn No. 475 1 Come, thou Fount of every blessing; tune my heart to sing thy grace; streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise. Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above; praise the mount! I m fixed upon it, mount of God s unchanging love! Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing 2 Here I raise my Ebenezer; hither by thy help I m come; and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home. Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God; he, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood. 3 O to grace how great a debtor daily I m constrained to be! Let that grace now, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love; here s my heart; O take and seal it; seal it for thy courts above.