A BULLETIN FOR CHILDREN AND THEIR ADULT FELLOW-WORSHIPERS First Presbyterian Church Sunday, October 28, 2018 at 10:30 AM 320 North Main Street, Hightstown, NJ 08520 609-448-0055 (phone) / 609-448-8634 (fax) Website: www.hightstownpres.org / Email: info@hightstownpres.org
ORDER OF WORSHIP GATHERING It is time to come into the presence of the Lord! God is here waiting. Prelude In Christ There is No East or West arr. Dahl The beginning of the prelude is an invitation to silence your conversations and prepare your hearts and minds for worship. Welcome and Announcements When you see an arrow ( ), rise in body or spirit! Call to Worship One: Take a moment and notice those around you in the sanctuary. Many: God is here! One: Listen to the whisperings in your heart: in the longing and the hunger, in the hurt and the shame, in the hope and the generosity, in the empathy and the joy, Many: The Holy Spirit is waiting! One: Lift your heads and feel the warmth of Jesus shining as we meet him in the neighbor, and in this place. Many: Jesus Christ is present with arms full of love! One: All around, deep inside, arms reaching out in love, God is here! Many: Let us worship God! Hymn 694 Great God of Every Blessing AURELIA Prayer of Confession Voices from the congregation (please read the words underlined in your bulletin when it is your turn. Not every bulletin has the same words underlined): We are in a hurry. We are too important. We are too busy. We are afraid to share, wondering if there will be enough for us and our families. Some of us don t say it out loud, but we are not sure everyone is deserving of our generosity. Some of us say it way too loud. (Silent confession and scripture reading) A Samaritan, who was on a journey, came to where the man was. But when he saw him, he was moved with compassion. The Samaritan went to him and bandaged his wounds, tending them with oil and wine. Then he placed the wounded man on his own donkey, took him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day, he took two full days worth of wages and gave them to the innkeeper. He said, Take care of him, and when I return, I will pay you back for any additional costs.
Prayer continues together: Generous God, help us to notice those in need, to stop, to care for them, to share generously of our time, our money and ourselves. For just like them, we too are people in deep need who have been tenderly and generously cared for by you. Amen. One: Friends, here s the good news Jesus Christ came, he was moved with compassion and he gave freely and completely of himself to tenderly care for us, to heal us, to restore us. Many: That is good news indeed! The Passing of Peace Shake a friend s hand, shake a hand next to ya, Shake a friend s hand as we sing this song. Shake a friend s hand, shake a hand next to ya, Shake a friend s hand, as we sing, sing this song. A la la la, la la la le lu jah, A la la la, la le lu jah (2x) vs. 2: Pass a little peace, pass Christ s peace next to ya vs. 3: Give a high five to a friend next to ya Response to Peace Hymn 610 O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing AZMON O for a thousand tongues to sing my dear Redeemer s praise, the glories of my God and King, the triumphs of God s grace! EXPERIENCING AND EXPLORING GOD S WORD We are ready to listen for what God is saying! Prayer for Illumination L: You are here, Holy Spirit, moving in our hearts and minds to prepare us to hear God s Living Word, Jesus Christ, in the words of this story, and the words we share with one another. Help us to listen, to speak and to act. Amen! Scripture Luke 10:25-37 Common English Bible (CEB) A legal expert stood up to test Jesus. Teacher, he said, what must I do to gain eternal life? Jesus replied, What is written in the Law? How do you interpret it? He responded, You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus said to him, You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live. But the legal expert wanted to prove that he was right, so he said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor? Jesus replied, A man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. He encountered thieves, who stripped him naked, beat him up, and left him near death. Now it just so happened that a priest was also going down the same road. When he saw the injured man, he crossed over
to the other side of the road and went on his way. Likewise, a Levite came by that spot, saw the injured man, and crossed over to the other side of the road and went on his way. A Samaritan, who was on a journey, came to where the man was. But when he saw him, he was moved with compassion. The Samaritan went to him and bandaged his wounds, tending them with oil and wine. Then he placed the wounded man on his own donkey, took him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day, he took two full days worth of wages and gave them to the innkeeper. He said, Take care of him, and when I return, I will pay you back for any additional costs. Exploring the Story The Samaritan: Gather in groups of 3 or 4 and answer the questions on the back of your bulletin, after reading or rereading the story together. You will have 10 minutes to discuss this story in your group. At the end, someone from your group will be asked to share your stickies with the answers to the last two questions. Anthem All Earth Rejoice With a Gladsome Voice Vivaldi/Hopson We Are Neighbors Jillian Schneider with a word about Maury Hageman Hymn 749 Come! Live in the Light! WE ARE CALLED Prayers of the People THE RESPONSE We have heard the good news and now we respond! Our hearts are full! The Lord s Prayer (together) 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. Invitation to Generosity L: Take a moment and think about the things we said about when it is easy to be generous. Imagine which of those apply to your generous giving to the work God does in and through this church. Then, I invite you to give generously of your money this morning, and also of your time and of yourself in the week to come. Offertory Come, Holy Traveler P.L. Harris Doxology 607 Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Christ, all people here below; Praise Holy Spirit evermore; Praise Triune God, whom we adore. Amen. (x6) AVERY AND MARSH
Prayer of Thanksgiving (together) Generous God, you have seen us, had compassion on us, and given generously of yourself to us. Take this money, and our time and ourselves as we offer them this day to be of compassionate service to you and the neighbors you give us to love. Amen. SENDING We are ready for another week! Go out into the world and be a Good Neighbor! Hymn 700 I m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me I M GONNA LIVE Blessing and Charge Benediction Response Hymn 648 Thankful Hearts and Voices Raise THANKFUL HEARTS Thankful hearts and voices raise; tell everyone what God has done. Let everyone who seeks the Lord rejoice and bear the name of Christ. Send us with your promises and lead your people forth in joy with shouts of thanksgiving. Alleluia, alleluia. Postlude A Mighty Fortress is Our God arr. Whitsett Please feel free to depart in silence during the postlude, mindful of those who remain to listen. PARTICIPANTS IN THE SERVICE Pastor, Rev. Lisa Day Children & Youth Music Director, Julia Henry Liturgists, Children & Youth Music Director, Debbie Tarby Sanctuary Choir Pastoral Intern, Lottie MacAulay Friedman WEEK OF OCTOBER 29 Monday, October 29 4:00 PM Community Dinner 7:00 PM Art Ministry Wednesday, October 31 5:00 PM NO Kids Club-Happy Halloween 5:30 PM NO ESL Conversations Thursday, November 1 7:15 PM Bells 8:15 PM Choir Sunday, November 4 9:15 AM Adult Ed/Sunday School 10:30 AM Worship 12:30 PM Youth Group Afternoon Activity
CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS Today s Ushers Mearmon and Tom Davis-Walton Today s greeter -- Karen Klimpl Coffee Hour Join us for a special Deacon s coffee hour today following worship. Celebrating Friends Afternoon Tea -- Better Beginnings and the Outreach Committee are co-hosting a tea on Saturday, November 3 rd, 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm in Fellowship Hall. We are excited to share this day with our friends and neighbors at Better Beginnings. All proceeds will be used to support the Better Beginnings Literacy Program. This program is an evening once a month where a book is read in both English and Spanish and then each participant gets a copy to bring home. Dinner and a craft round out the evening. In addition each student at Better Beginnings is given a copy of their own. RSVP this week (609) 448-6226 or (609) 448-0055 or info@hightstownpres.org. A contribution of $20.00 per person (checks can be made out to Better Beginnings). Adults only, please. Scrip/Gift Cards - are available for over 700 stores, including local supermarkets, restaurants and on-line retailers beginning at $5 for gift giving or personal use. Proceeds benefit adult mission trips. See Carol Duryea in coffee hour or call her at 609-448-5316. Office Hours -- The office is open M & W 10-4, T & Th 8-10 & 3-6, F 3-6.
QUESTIONS 1. Two people passed by the Samaritan. What were some of the possible reasons they did not stop to help? Which of these are good excuses? Which are not? Which have you used in your life? 2. Look carefully at the story and notice all the verbs/action words about the Samaritan: 3. Why did he stop? Why do you imagine his reaction was different than the other two? 4. Once he stopped, what sacrifices did he make to help the injured man? How do you imagine he felt about what he did? 5. When is a time when you have seen and stopped and helped either literally as in this story, or more generally a time when you have gone out of your way to give of your time, your money, yourself? How did it feel? What were the risks? Why did you take them? Write your answers to the next two questions on stickies and pick someone from your group to share the answers to each question when asked. 6. When is it hard to be generous (for people in general and you in particular)? 7. When is it easy?
Complete the WORD FIND below that includes words from today s scripture reading. Then, see if you can find them in the scripture passage printed in this bulletin. October 28, 2018 W Y W O W N V D D C K Y E H T R R E R S L Q A S E O O K S D E T E A N M I K T K K G N M B E I N G N I A E V T H E R A K P A U R O A D H R V R B T D F D E A R E P E E K N N I U E T E L N Y S N N N S E G A W K D A O L N A H S F R G A Y N E I G H B O R J B D I M U E H T C X V A J Z G D E M X O P T T H E I H A O A O E N P I Q N T E M C C J R C I L Y T I W T H S C R E L N A P A M B M E M R T A E O R W U R T E C M D E R U J N I V A J O M O K P T P A Q N T M F O E S O J S O K U R R Q S A Q S T R I P P E D S V O R N L E L T O E R H Q B J L Z E E E S H D C T H B I T L K I L G E D D M W K X E H N T R C A M S A V I T R E P X E P D H I P N I T L O A M BANDAGED BEAT BEING COMPASSION CROSSED DONKEY ETERNAL EXPERT HEART INJURED INNKEEPER INTERPRET JOURNEY LEVITE LOVE MIND MOVED NAKED NEIGHBOR PRIEST RETURN ROAD SAMARITAN STRENGTH TEACHER THIEVES TRIPPED WAGES WOUNDED WRITTEN