First Presbyterian Church For Christ in the Heart of Charlotte Founded in 1821 Order of Worship Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost September 2, 2018 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 Blessed Jesus, We Are Here Johann Sebastian Bach Words of Welcome Adoration The Reverend Katherine Kerr *Call to Worship (from Psalm 147) Praise the Lord! How good it is to sing praises to our God. For God is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting. God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. The Lord lifts up the downtrodden. Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving. Praise the Lord! *Hymn No. 393 es flog ein kleins waldvögelein O Day of Rest and Gladness
Large-print hymnals and Bibles are available. Please let an usher know if you would like one. We are grateful to Natalie Raygor, Director of Youth Ministry and FPC Seminary Intern, for assisting with worship leadership this morning. 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. First Church does not meet during the summer. Children in kindergarten and above are encouraged to participate in the full worship service, and care for younger children is available in the nursery. Call to Confession Confession Natalie Raygor Prayer of Confession Holy God, we come to this sanctuary on Sunday mornings to worship. We come seeking a time and a space set apart from the demanding pace of our week. We admit that we struggle to find a balance between work and rest in our lives. We have a strange sense of pride in the length of our to-do lists, the number of our responsibilities, and the long hours we work. We confess that our sense of responsibility often keeps us from enjoying this life you ve given us. You, O Lord, know that in the rhythms of life, we need meaningful, fulfilling work, and we also need renewing, life-giving rest. Forgive us for believing that we must earn your love through our work, and help us to remember that leisure is not laziness. By your Spirit, use this time of Sabbath and worship to renew our spirits and draw us closer to you and to one another. In silent prayer, let us confess to God the things we choose not to speak aloud. Assurance of Pardon Friends, believe the good news. In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. *Response (Hymn No. 581) gloria patri 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. Prayer for Illumination Proclamation Scripture Deuteronomy 5:12-15 pew Bible pg. 162 This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Anthem Honor and Glory Johann Sebastian Bach Honor and glory be to God in the highest, Hallelujah, sing praises to His name! Time with Children Children in kindergarten and above are encouraged to remain in worship. Younger children may go to the nursery. Scripture Mark 2:23-28 pew Bible pg. 36 Sermon Back to School: Recess The Reverend Chuck Williamson The 11 a.m. service is televised over WSOC-TV, Channel 9 this morning and streamed live at www.firstpres-charlotte.org. *Hymn No. 630 Fairest Lord Jesus crusaders hymn
Response *Affirmation of Faith (from A Declaration of Faith) Christ calls us to life in the presence of God. Jesus lived with a constant sense of his Father s presence. He put God s claim on his life above all else. He joined others in God s worship and praise. He drew strength from the Scriptures. He prayed and taught his disciples to pray. We believe that Christ gives us and demands of us personal lives that are centered in God and open to God s reality and rule. We are to observe a day of worship and rest, setting aside our own working to enjoy God s work, celebrating with sisters and brothers the Lord s goodness. Life in God s presence connects us to the lives of others, for if we do not love sisters and brothers whom we see, we cannot love God whom we do not see. Prayers of the People Stewardship of Life Opportunity Forum Presentation of Tithes and Offerings The Reverend Katherine Kerr Offertory Anthem Jesu, Joy of Man s Desiring Johann Sebastian Bach Jesu, joy of man s desiring, Holy wisdom, Love most bright, drawn by souls aspiring, soar to uncreated light. Word of God our flesh that fashioned with the fire of life impassioned. Striving still to Truth unknown, soaring, dying, round Thy throne. Through the way where Hope is guiding, hark, what peaceful music rings where the flock in Thee confiding drink of joy from deathless springs. Theirs is beauty s fairest pleasure; theirs is wisdom s holiest treasure. Thou dost ever lead Thine own in the joys of love unknown. *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. 295 Go to the World! sine nomine *Charge and Benediction With believers in every time and place We rejoice that nothing in life or in death can separate us from the love of God. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior, The love of God the Creator, And the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, our Comforter, Be with us all. Amen. *Benediction Response Amen danish Postlude Fugue in G Gigue Johann Sebastian Bach A time of personal prayer is offered following the service. If you would like to pray with a pastor and a member of our prayer team, please meet them in the chapel following the 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 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 Get Ready for Fall Kickoff Fall at First Pres kicks off next Sunday with the return of the 9 a.m. worship service and a full schedule of Formation offerings at 10 a.m. After worship, all are invited to a fried chicken and potluck lunch on the lawn. Dress casually and bring camp chairs or blankets for seating. You re invited to contribute to the potluck by bringing a side based on your last name: A-N: cold salads and vegetables O-S: bread, biscuits, cornbread T-Z: desserts Changes to Wednesday Worship Beginning in September, Wednesday Worship with Communion will be offered on the first Wednesday of the month from noon-12:30 p.m. The sanctuary will be open from noon-12:30 p.m. other Wednesdays during the month for prayer. Lunch will no longer be served on Wednesdays. This transition period offers the opportunity for reflection and prayerful discernment on creative ways to expand our ministry beyond the sanctuary and the church gates. Choir Registration Sign-ups for children s and youth choirs and handbells are now open. Visit the Tickets & Signups page on the FPC website. Learn Enneagram 2018 September 18-November 27 11:30 a.m. This fall, use your lunch break to take part in a transformative journey with the introductory Enneagram class. The cost is $120. Register on the church website under Tickets & Signups or by visiting http://bit.ly/enneagram2018. Church in the Mountains November 9-11, 2018 Montreat Join your church family for a weekend of relaxed fellowship, rich conversations, good music, and good food. Singer, songwriter and author David LaMotte will be our keynote speaker. For registration information, visit the Events page on the church website or pick up a brochure in the historical lobby. Care Fellowship at the Bechtler September 12 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Wrestling the Angel, an exhibition at The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, examines how religion and sacred art appear in work made by secular, avant-garde artists. Join your FPC family and friends for a docent-led tour of this exhibit. The $7 registration includes entrance to the museum and a small convenience fee for online payment. Pay at the FPC website. The group will find a close spot for lunch afterward. Contact Mary Margaret Porter (marymargaretporter@yahoo.com) with questions. Serve Moving Ministry: Bring a friend to help September 8 9:00 a.m., 333 Dalton Ave. Come out on Saturday morning to help individuals and families move from homelessness into a permanent home. You, your friends, your teens or spouse, are invited to meet at at the Crisis Assistance Furniture Bank. The work is appropriate for every strength level, including moving everything from lamp shades to sofas. Sign up on the Now@FPC page on the website for a Saturday morning or two, or sign on for the year. Eastern North Carolina Mission Trip October 17-21 Kinston, NC Participants will assist with ongoing hurricane cleanup. Call Kenny Archie (704.777.1105) or contact David Burton (burtoncustombuilding@gmail.com, 704.334.3909) if you would like to be a part of this trip.
*Hymn No. 393 1 O day of rest and gladness, O day of joy and light, O balm for care and sadness, most beautiful, most bright; on you, the high and lowly, through ages joined in tune, sing Holy, holy, holy to the great God triune. O Day of Rest and Gladness 2 On you, at earth s creation the light first had its birth; on you, for our salvation Christ rose from depths of earth; on you, our Lord victorious sent Spirit forth from heaven. And thus on you, most glorious, a triple light was given. 3 On you, God s people, meeting, the Holy Scripture hear, Christ s living presence greeting, through bread and wine made near. New graces ever gaining from this our day of rest, we reach the rest remaining to spirits of the blest. *Hymn No. 630 Fairest Lord Jesus 1 Fairest Lord Jesus, Ruler of all nature, O thou of God to earth come down, thee will I cherish, thee will I honor, thou, my soul s glory, joy, and crown. 2 Fair are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands, robed in the blooming garb of spring. Jesus is fairer; Jesus is purer, who makes the woeful heart to sing. 3 Fair is the sunshine, fairer still the moonlight, and all the twinkling, starry host. Jesus shines brighter; Jesus shines purer, than all the angels heaven can boast. 4 Beautiful Savior, Ruler of the nations, Son of God and Son of Man! Glory and honor, praise, adoration, now and forevermore be thine! *Hymn No. 295 Go to the World! 1 Go to the world! Go into all the earth. Go preach the cross where Christ renews life s worth, baptizing as the sign of our rebirth. 2 Go to the world! Go into every place. Go live the word of God s redeeming grace. Go seek God s presence in each time and space. 3 Go to the world! Go struggle, bless, and pray; the nights of tears give way to joyous day. As servant church, you follow Christ s own way. 4 Go to the world! Go as the ones I send, for I am with you till the age shall end, when all the hosts of glory cry Amen!