The Riverside Church in the City of New York On the Way with Jesus SEPTEMBER 24, 2017 HOMECOMING SUNDAY SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Welcome to The Riverside Church Interdenominational Interracial International Open Affirming Welcoming Worship is at the center of the life of The Riverside Church. As you prepare yourself for Worship, we invite you to reflect quietly on these words: The Liturgical Year The Riverside Church follows the liturgical calendar to mark the seasons of our life together. We are currently in the Season after Pentecost, also known as Ordinary Time. It is signified by the green paraments and clergy stoles that represent new life and growth. Ordinary Time is observed from Pentecost until the beginning of Advent. We are currently in our four-week series, On the Way With Jesus, in which we are looking at Matthew s Gospel as Jesus journeys toward Jerusalem. Along the way, Jesus interacts with his disciples, teaching them and us how to live in community and be the Church. If this is your first visit: Complete a Welcome Card and place it in the offering plate as it passes. Join us for the Festival of Lay Ministries in South hall directly after Worship. As you leave the Nave, take a right and follow the hallway past Christ Chapel. Signs and greeters are available to provide direction. Breakfast and lunch for purchase will be in Assembly Hall. A church tour is offered each Sunday after Worship free of charge. Meet in the 1st balcony. Tours also take place on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. leaving from the Gift Shop. No reservations are necessary. Assistive hearing devices and large print bulletins are available upon request from an usher.
GATHERING We gather as a community and prepare our hearts to worship God CARILLON Meditation: Vigiles et Sancti Dionisio Lind, Carillonneur Ronald Barnes CONGREGATIONAL HYMN SING 341 Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine 276 Great Is Thy Faithfulness 138 Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty! LIFE OF THE COMMUNITY Rev. Amy Butler INTROIT Gabi, Gabi Trad. South African melody Trans. Nyberg, Notman KB, Ljungsbro, and Parkman Praise our Creator, Liberator, and Lord, who frees all the captives and gives the hungry bread. PROCESSIONAL HYMN 455 All Creatures of Our God and King Lasst uns erfreuen CALL TO WORSHIP One: All: One: All: Rev. Bertram Johnson We gather, O God, to give you thanks for your steadfast love and faithfulness to all generations. We gather to remember the history of this church and its years of faithful ministry to the community and the world. We gather to celebrate the promise of a future filled with hope and light as we work alongside our brothers and sisters for your coming Reign. We gather to prepare ourselves to joyfully serve you in all places and all times in ministries of justice, peace, mercy and love. Come let us worship! INVOCATION All who are able, please stand
LISTENING We listen for the word of God through song, Scripture, and preaching ANTHEM My Soul s Been Anchored in the Lord Spiritual, arr. Moses Hogan In the Lord, in the Lord. My soul s been anchored in the Lord. Before I d stay in hell one day, I d sing and pray myself away. Gonna shout and pray and never stop until I reach the mountain top. Do you love him? God Almighty? Are you anchored? My soul s been anchored in the Lord. Will you serve him? God Almighty? Are you anchored? My soul s been anchored in the Lord. Hallelujah, will you praise him? God almighty? Are you anchored? My soul s been anchored in the Lord. Lord I m anchored, Lord I love you, yes I ll serve you, Lord I praise you. Hallelujah! My soul s been anchored in the Lord. WELCOME OF NEW MEMBERS Rev. Kevin Wright & Ms. Anita Bryant Congregational Response: We welcome you with joy and friendship into the common life of The Riverside Church. By the power of the Holy Spirit may we continue to grow together in God s love and grace and be witnesses of our risen Savior. Blest Be the Tie That Binds Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love. The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above. HEBREW SCRIPTURE LESSON Exodus 16:2-15 (page 62 in the Old Testament) Leader: The Word of God for the People of God. People: Thanks be to God. Rev. Lynn Casteel Harper EPISTLE LESSON Philippians 1:20-30 (page 196 in the New Testament) Leader: The Word of God for the People of God. People: Thanks be to God. Ms. Glenessa Gordon All who are able, please stand
HYMN We Belong Because We re Eager i We belong because we re eager for a larger, common aim, some commitment much less meager than success or wealth or fame. Here we re welcomed and related by the purpose we all share: living as we were created for a life of trust and care. Beach Spring We believe we re called to travel through a realm where questions thrive. As our certainties unravel faith and wonder come alive. They extend our range of seeing to the very core of things where all life is given being and fresh hope forever springs. We become transformed embracing those we once had judged as strange. Life together means displacing fear of others bringing change. Ways of praying, being, doing that our hearts resist at first come in time to be renewing, quenching our profoundest thirst. May the grace and love sustaining our dear church s storied past grant us courage for attaining the ideals that we hold fast, till belonging and believing and becoming are the way that we learn the art of weaving how we live with what we pray. GOSPEL LESSON Matthew 20:1-16 (page 21 in the New Testament) Leader: This is the Gospel of Christ. People: Thanks be to God. Rev. Dr. James A. Forbes SERMON All who are able, please stand WHAT BELONGS TO ME Rev. Butler
RESPONDING We respond to the hearing of God s word through confession, offering, passing the peace, and monthly communion PASTORAL PRAYER Leader: The Lord be with you. People: And with your spirit. Leader: Lift up your hearts. People: We lift them up unto the Lord. Rev. Michael Livingston THE LORD S PRAYER Pray in the language or version of your heart. 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. 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. PASSING OF THE PEACE Leader: The peace of the Lord be with you. People: And also with you. INVITATION TO GIVE AND SERVE Rev. Wright OFFERTORY ANTHEM Hymn to the New Age Lee Hoiby Through the long night we have come, the sun is bright the wars are done. We will unite, we will be one, a new light has begun. Smile, heaven on our loving land. Shine blessings on our fair kingdom. Enrich our time to come with growing love, with joy abundant, and long prosperous days. God s blessings are renewed again. The face of freedom is revealed in sunlight. Now sing in praise of life with poems praise, with voices raise, with drums, with trumpets praise. God s loving kingdom come to us; The gift of life and the gift of freedom. Now shall peace reign, truth be revealed and all wounds be healed. So was it ever meant to be, resplendent hope of humankind: To follow with the dove, the way of peace, the way of love, so shall it be, so shall it ever be. All who are able, please stand
AT THE PRESENTATION: THE DOXOLOGY The congregation rises row by row as ushers pass to symbolize offering of our whole selves to God Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise God, all creatures here below; Praise God above, you heavenly host; Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost. Amen. PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING AND DEDICATION Rev. Wright SENDING We are sent out into the world to love God and our neighbors BENEDICTION Rev. Butler RECESSIONAL HYMN 420 God of Grace and God of Glory Cwm Rhondda POSTLUDE Carillon, Opus 31, No. 21 Louis Vierne Special thanks to our congregational leaders: Ms. Glenessa Gordon Liturgical Resources for Today: i Commissioned for the 85th Anniversary of The Riverside Church. Thomas H. Troeger, Copyright 2015 Oxford University Press. Life of Our Community For announcements of programs and events in the church, please pick up the Life of Our Community bulletin located in the back of the pew or outside the Welcome Center. Or visit our website www.trcnyc.org.
LAY MINISTRIES OF OUR CHURCH Today we celebrate the work of our lay ministries which have a long and fruitful history here at The Riverside Church. We also invite you to consider where God may be calling you to serve in the coming year. African Fellowship Group B s & P s Beloved Earth Community Black Lives Matter Board of Ushers Career Day Church Council Coming Home Communications Ministry Communion Deaf Ministry Ecclesia Ministry Education Ministry English Conversation Flower Guild Freedom School Greeters Ministry Knitters and Crocheters at Riverside Latinos/as at Riverside Maranatha Membership Intake Membership, Care, & Parish Life Ministry Membership, Friendship, Fellowship Memorial Society Men s Class Ministry Millenium Scholarship Committee Mission and Social Justice Ministry Movies @ Riverside Music Ministry Nominating Committee Ordination Committee Pastor s Pub
Personnel & Salary Committee Prison Ministry Riverside Book Club Riverside Hawks Riverside Kids Worship Sharing & Densford Funds Social Services Sojourners South Africa/Cuban Support Group Spiritual Life Retreat Stephen Ministry Stewardship Committee The Riverside Cherub Choir The Riverside Choir The Riverside Inspirational Choir The Riverside Ringers The Riverside Rising Voices Theatre of the Oppressed Tower League Welcome Center/Gift Shop Worship
A Teaching Moment please enjoy these activities for our younger family members as we worship together. COLOR THIS WEEK S PICTURES
Exodus 16:2-15
TALK WITH THE PREACHER Read Pastor Amy s blog online at talkwiththepreacher.org. Printed copies are also available in the Welcome Center/Gift Shop. Pastor Amy is available for conversations with members by appointment. Please email srminister@trcnyc.org or call 212-870-6775 to arrange an appointment. CONNECT WITH RIVERSIDE S PASTORAL & PROGRAM STAFF Senior Minister s Office Rev. Dr. Amy Butler Senior Minister - abutler@trcnyc.org Rev. Michael Livingston Executive Minister - mlivingston@trcnyc.org Rev. Dr. James Forbes Senior Minister Emeritus Communications Rev. Rachel Johnson Director of Communications & Public Relations - rjohnson@trcnyc.org Rev. Jim Keat Associate Minister of Digital Strategy & Online Engagement - jkeat@trcnyc.org Faith Formation Rev. Kevin Wright Minister of Education - kwright@trcnyc.org Ms. Amanda Meisenheimer, MDiv Associate Minister of Children and Families - mmeisenheimer@trcnyc.org Music Mr. Christopher Johnson Director of Music and Organist - cjohnson@trcnyc.org Parish Care Rev. Debra Northern Minister of Parish Care - dnorthern@trcnyc.org Rev. Lynn Casteel-Harper Associate for Parish Care lharper@trcnyc.org Social Justice Rev. Bertram Johnson Minister of Justice, Advocacy & Change - bjohnson@trcnyc.org Stewardship & Development Ms. Christian Peele, MDiv Director of Stewardship & Development - cpeele@trcnyc.org Ms. Farley Lord, MDiv Senior Major Gifts Officer - flord@trcnyc.org Rev. Dustin Pickett Senior Individual Gifts Officer - dpickett@trcnyc.org Worship & the Arts Rev. Ellen Robison Minister of Worship & the Arts - erobison@trcnyc.org Contact Us: To contact the church with general questions, call 212-870-6700 or email communications@trcnyc.org. The Riverside Church is a member of the American Baptist Churches, U.S.A. and the United Church of Christ and cooperates with the Council of Churches in the City of New York, and with the New York State, National, and World Council of Churches. trcnyc.org Parking - 9/24/2017 Parking is available in the garage below the building. Present this bulletin to the attendant before 6:00 p.m. for a reduced rate of $4.00 cash or $5.00 credit card.