St. Paul s United Church of Christ We are a welcoming, Christ-centered community called to embody, nurture and share God s Loving Light both within St. Paul s and our wider community. www.stpaulsbirdsboro.org
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost September 16 th, 2018 9:30 am Worship We re Glad You are Here! Welcome: Inspired by Christ and his ministry of God s invitation, we proclaim, No matter where you are on life s journey, you are welcome here! Get Connected: Signup online for the weekly E-news or monthly Cornerstone Newsletter, like us on Facebook, give us a call, or send an email. It is our joy to journey with you! Restrooms: These are located on the basement level of the church. Either go through the double doors in the front of the sanctuary and turn right to go downstairs, or use the stairwell in the back of the sanctuary and then walk through the fellowship hall. Children: Children of all ages are welcome within our worship services, so that they may learn how to worship God. (We readily expect to hear their presence and recognize their occasional need for a break from the worship space.) Children s activity bags, for use during the service, are available by both entrances to the sanctuary. A nursery, located beyond the double doors in the front of the sanctuary, is also available for children up to 5 years old. Please see a greeter for assistance. Hearing amplification devices: These personal devices are available for your use. Directly connected into our sound system, they make it possible to hear those leading worship without amplifying background noises. Please see our sound person for assistance. Remember: As we enter into worship, turn off or silence your cell phone, pager, or watch chime. Your presence is a blessing to God and to us! Please feel free to share with us any ways in which we might be a blessing to you in this journey of faith and life. Today s Scripture Readings James 2:14-26 + Isaiah 50:10-11 + Mark 8:27-9:1 Minister All Members Pastor Rev. Joseph A Motz Organist Grace Griffith Worship Steward Tim McGee Worship Leaders Acolyte Olivia Motz Ushers Carole Audette & Eloise Stevens Nursery Attendant Barb Kerper & TBD 300 West First Street, Birdsboro PA 19508 610-582-8461 + office@stpaulsbirdsboro.org + www.stpaulsbirdsboro.org Pastor s e-mail: pastormotz@stpaulsbirdsboro.org
Order of Worship Welcome & Announcements Prelude (Prayer: Wash me anew in your presence, O God. Let the weight of the filth that has tainted my spirit and my soul be no more, as you shower me in the wonder of your mercy, the embrace of your love, and the healing of your touch. In you I am made new.) (Please rise in body or in spirit) Call to Worship Leader: Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul. People: I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as live. Leader: Do not put your trust in rulers, in mortals who cannot save. People: When their spirit departs they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Leader: Blessed are those whose help is the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them the Lord, who remains faithful forever. People: The Lord upholds the cause of the oppressed, gives food to the hungry, and sets the prisoner free. Leader: The Lord gives sight to the blind, lifts up those who are bowed down, and loves the righteous. People: The Lord watches over the alien, sustains the orphaned and widowed, but frustrates the ways of the wicked. Leader: The Lord reigns forever! People: Praise the Lord. -Psalm 146 Hymn: The God of Abraham Praise #26 Call to Confession (Please be seated)
Corporate Confession Leader: Merciful God, you call us to be a people who not only listen for your way, but who live out your way with the fullness of our lives. People: Forgive us and renew us that we may follow after you. Leader: We ask your mercy for the things we have done that we regret, and for all the things we have failed to do in response to your call. People: Forgive us and renew us Lord God. Leader: We pray for healing in the lives others, for all the times we have acted without love, for all the times we have reacted without thought, for all the times we have withdrawn care. People: Forgive us as you pour out your healing upon those harmed by our sin. Leader: We pray for softened hearts for all the times we have failed to forgive, for all the times we have allowed fear, hate, and bitterness to be our Lord. People: Forgive and transform us Lord God. Leader: Hear us, O Lord, as we further open ourselves to you, that your healing may enter in and we may be a people saved and renewed through the outpouring of your grace, that is of Jesus Christ, our Lord. People: Amen. Silent Confession (A time of personal prayer for God s healing and redeeming peace.) (Join in singing the second time through) Taize: Songs for Prayer #22, All rights reserved. OneLicense.net License #A-71449
Assurance of Grace Leader: Thanks be to God who has created us, who has saved us, and continues to sustain us in the way of everlasting life. People: Glory be unto the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Now and forevermore! Amen. Passing of the Peace Leader: The peace of Christ be with you. People: And also with you. (During the following hymn, children nursery/pre-k to 9 th grade are dismissed to participate in age specific Christian Education classes for the rest of worship. Parents/guardians of first time students are invited to follow children to their classroom in order to complete registration information before returning to worship. Following worship please pick-up children, 3 rd grade and younger, from the classes located just past the church side entrance.) (Please be seated.) Hymn: Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying (sung 2 times) Lord, listen to your children praying, Lord, send your Spirit in this place; Lord, listen to your children praying, Send us love, send us pow r, send us grace. This piece appears at number 513 in the Worship His Majesty Hymnal, of which there are sufficient quantities Epistle Lesson: James 2:14-26 (p. #1882) We are challenged to recognize that faith, for it to be meaningful faith, needs to bear fruit that reflects the heart of that faith. Without this, one s faith is worthless. Old Testament Lesson: Isaiah 50:10-11 (p. #1141) The prophet declares that we come to ruin when our faith is in ourselves. True light that guides one in the way of life only comes through the Lord. Gospel Lesson: Mark 8:27-9:1 (p. #1566) Though Peter is able to rightly declare who Jesus is, he lacks understanding in knowing what it means for Jesus to be the Christ, and for Peter to be his disciple. In other words, Peter still needs to learn what it means for him to follow in the way of his teacher. Leader: The Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God! Sermon
Not Just Belief - Discipleship (Please rise in body or in spirit) Hymn: Before Your Cross, O Jesus (Please be seated) Receiving New Members into the Body of Christ (Jesus calls us to be in community with one another. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them (Matthew 18:20). We celebrate today those who have received the call of discipleship to Jesus Christ and now enter into covenant with this Body of Christ.) Invitation Joe & Krista Strohl Vows of Membership Statement of Faith Pastor: Let us unite with the church in all times and places in confessing our faith in the triune God. (All who are able please stand)
Pastor: Do you believe in God, the Father? People: We believe in God the Father, the Maker of heaven and earth. Pastor: Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son? People: We believe in Jesus Christ the only begotten Son, the Savior and Redeemer of the world. Pastor: Do you believe in God, the Holy Spirit? People: We believe in God, the Holy Spirit, the Sustainer of all that lives. Welcome President: Let us, the members of St. Paul s United Church of Christ, express our welcome and affirm our mutual ministry in Christ. Members: We welcome you with joy in the common life of this church. We promise you our friendship and prayers as we share the hopes and labors of the church of Jesus Christ. By the power of the Holy Spirit may we continue to grow together in God s love and knowledge and be witnesses of our risen Savior. Blessing Pastor: Almighty and everlasting God, may your hand ever be over your servants who have made a commitment to discipleship here today. May your Holy Spirit ever be with them. So lead them in the knowledge and obedience of your Word that they may serve you in this life and dwell with you in the life to come; Through Jesus Christ. People: Amen. Receiving of Tithes and Offerings (We give as an act of worship, tangibly offering ourselves to God s service.) Offertory (Please rise in body or in spirit to sing glory to God)
Prayers of the People (Believing in God s truth, we open ourselves as God s servants through prayer.) All: 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, for ever. Amen. Commissioning Benediction Sending Hymn: Fairest Lord Jesus #188 Postlude (As the acolyte carries the Light of Christ out into the world, so too are we to carry Christ s light from this sanctuary into the world, our communities, and our homes. May the presence of the Spirit go with you until we gather again in the shared joy of God s worship.) Announcements
Connection Cards - There have been some questions regarding the purpose and use of the Connection Card that have been included in the Sunday bulletins. Hopefully we can clear some of that up. The idea behind the new Connection Card is to better engage with members and visitors alike. The information that is requested on the card is a combination of the pew pad, visitor s card, and prayer request cards. If you have joined this congregation as a member, or you regularly attend worship as a guest, you will not need to complete the entire card unless you have an update to your contact information that you would like to share. All you need to do is fill out your name and indicate that you Attend Regularly. If you are new to worship here at St. Paul s, we ask that you complete the whole card, but it is not required. The use of the Connection Cards throughout the summer has proved to be very helpful. We ve more consistently received contact information from our guests, discovered how people are hearing about St. Paul s, and have been able to receive updates and prayers requests from members and guests alike. We thank you for your continued use of the Connection Cards as we move into the fall! If you have feedback on how we might improve the Connection Cards for your use, we are open to suggestions. Please be sure to contact the Church office by September 23. Christian Education has started! - To ensure a smooth year, the Sunday School Teachers are looking for anyone in the congregation that would be willing to serve as back-ups, substitutes, or additional teachers throughout the year. At certain points in the year, there will be a need for extra hands and hearts to help teachers live out our mission. Such times will include: Bunny Breakfast, Santa breakfast/workshop, food baskets (Thanksgiving and Easter), larger activities during class time. If you would be interested please see Rachel Flanagan or Lizzie Reppert. The only requirement is having all your clearances on file. Creative Contemplative Holy Listening instructed by Pat Babel - Listening deeply to another person places us on holy ground where gifts are reaped by speaker and listener. This class will be held tomorrow, September 17 from 6:30PM to 8PM. Creative Contemplative classes will be offered FREE to the public on the third Monday of each month and they will be held at the Daniel Boone High School, Room 135, Birdsboro, PA. Please see our website or Facebook page for further details and a complete listing of classes. Prayer Around the Cross These gatherings will resume on Wed. Sept. 26, from 7-7:30 pm in St. Paul's sanctuary. On this night our prayers' focus will be Love in the face of Hate. Everyone is very welcome to join in a time of special readings coupled with silence, as we seek peace for ourselves and for the world. Interactive Drumming & Rhythm Worship - September 30 th - Music has always played a
central role in the praise of God and as a means to bring one into a fuller communion with God. On September 30 th, in addition to our traditional organ centered worship, we ll be given the opportunity to explore God s worship through drumming and other rhythm instruments. Our instructor and guide for this worship will be Lisa Fairman, from Earth Rhythms LLC, who comes to us highly recommended by the participants of a recent women s clergy retreat gathering. No experience is necessary and everything you need will be provided. Therefore come as you are, inviting others with you to experience and explore this unique, and yet age old, way of entering into God s living presence. 2019 Budget Planning Team - Thursday, Oct. 4, 12:00pm-3pm / Tuesday Oct. 9, 12:00pm-2 pm / Thursday Oct. 11, 6:30pm-8:30pm (if necessary) - You are invited to participate in developing the congregation s 2019 financial mission plan. The Consistory President, Treasurer, Ministry Chairs, and Pastor are required to be in attendance, but we want you to be there as well. If interested, contact Richard Wolf at treasurer@stpaulsbirdsboro.org, or the church office at 610-582-8461 by Tuesday September 24. CROP Walk Together we can make a life-giving difference in this community and across the world! CROP is a worldwide program that helps communities in their struggle against the destructive powers of hunger, poverty, and homelessness. For every dollar raised, 25% stays in our community to support people struggling with hunger and poverty here, while the remaining 75% blesses people throughout the world. You can join in this worthy cause two different ways: You can use a special offering envelope, making a donation to CROP OR you can become a sponsored walker in the October 14 th CROP Walk sponsored by our local ministerium of churches (held at Daniel Boone Homestead). Please see Joe Cisick for more information. SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, April 27, 2019 for Mission: Birdsboro 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run Applebees Pancake Breakfast - All you can eat! Cost $8.00 / September 22nd from 8:00 am to 10:00 am to benefit Boy Scout Troop 595 See either Sandi Swavely or Gage Fecera for tickets Apple Festival - Saturday, October 6 from 8 am - 3 pm at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Rt. 662, Douglassville. Five bands including Crow Hill Bluegrass, David Cullen, Whiskey Kreek, Boyertown Band and Elvis artist Jeff Krick. Enjoy the Fall Flower Show, Craft Show, Model Train Displays, Pony Rides, Apple Pancakes, Pies, Cider Donuts, Tarts, Dumplings and homemade festival food all day. www.stpaulsdouglassville.com