1 ALL SAINTS' DAY TwentyFourth Sunday after Pentecost November 4, 2018 11 am Grace Hall, North Campus
Welcome to First Community Church We are a Christian church, affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the Disciples of Christ denominations. We welcome people of all Christian traditions as well as people of other faiths and people of little or no faith, and those who are searching. Christian worship has been offered by First Community Church for over 109 years. By worshipping with us today, you become a part of that living tradition. Our regular worshippers and church members, supported by members of the staff and a large number of volunteers, make up our church community. We are committed to diversity, equal opportunities and personal and spiritual development of all who work and worship here, because, as our church's belief statement says, "we strive to follow the path of Jesus Christ while recognizing other pathways to the divine." Thank you for being with us for worship today. If you desire a pastoral call, please indicate this on the welcome pad. If you are in need of prayer, please fill out a prayer card located in the welcome pad booklet and place it in the offering plate. Our prayers go with you as you return to your home. (The paper we use for the order of service is recycled. You are welcome to take it away with you, but, if you would like us to recycle it, please place it in one of the bins at an exit, as we are also committed to our environment, God s Creation.) The Service of the Word All Saints' Sunday "A saint is a person who lets in the light of God's glory and love." THE CALL TO CONTEMPLATION (For the time during the prelude, we invite you to be in prayer. On this All Saints Sunday you are invited, during the organ prelude, to come forward and light a candle in memory of a loved one.) THE ORGAN PRELUDE Gaudeamus Everett Titcomb (18841962) THE CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: Friends, we are called to remember God s gracious acts and sustaining presence. Though we may claim forgetfulness, the heart remembers and no memory is lost. Today, on this All Saints Sunday, we remember in our worship all those who have gone before us, who demonstrated in their acts of caring, God s allencompassing love. 2
People: Let us give thanks to God in our prayers and in our singing, as we remember the saints in our lives. Leader: Let us come to worship, seeking the sacred joy that wells up from the astonishing abundance and mighty love of God. THE PROCESSIONAL HYMN O What Their Joy and Their Glory Must Be O Quanta Qualia,1808 1 O 2 Long 3 There what ing in their for a joy home Sab and now bath their let of THE PRAYER Leader: Blessed are you, O God, for You are holy, gracious, and good, the hope of all the faithful. People: Empower the meek and encourage the poor. Leader: Comfort those who mourn and fill humble hearts with gladness. People: Give food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, peace to the peacemakers, mercy to the merciful, and honor to the unloved. Leader: Sustain Your saints in ministry, until at last they see their reward: People: The joy of eternal life with You; Leader: Through Jesus Christ our Lord All: Amen. THE WORDS OF ASSURANCE Leader: One fact remains that does not change: God has loved you, loves you now, and will love you always. This is the good news that brings us new life. All: Thanks be to God! (The people may be seated.) glo ev un ry ery end must heart ing be, raise light, as end less prayers of de joy ful ly Sab vo keep baths tion ing the and that bless an ho ed thems ly ones of day see; praise; bright, Crowns for From streams We join the of in val sor chant iant, row ing for we the ry up with ones our out rest; eyes, cease God to with shall the all be all, blessed cit the saints and y, in in our that wea lift song all home sweet ev and realm er our of blessed. prize. peace. 3
THE BELL ANTHEM Sine Nomine (For All the Saints.) Ralph Vaughan WIlliams (18721958) arranged by Douglas E. Wagner (b 1952) THE WELCOME (During the Welcome the children in K5 and Middle School youth are invited to leave for their classes to continue their worship and study.) A Moment for Stewardship THE HYMN (remain seated to sing) Eternal Spirit of the Living Christ (1) 4 Sursum Corda A TIME OF REMEMBRANCE Leader: A child, when asked, "What is a saint? looked up at the church s stained glass, and replied: "A saint is a person who lets in the light of God's glory and love." In an attitude of thankfulness and remembrance, let us pray. People: Wondrous God, our human journey is dwarfed by the immensity of the universe. Your creation is boundless. Yet You care for us, tenderly weeping when one of Your creatures is wrested from earth and thrust into heaven. We thank You for Your love and unity with us in sorrow and in joy. Leader: Help us to know that although so many are included within Your love, not one is nameless or confused by You with another. People: And let this awareness and this assurance give us a new sense of understanding about our daily life and work, since we know that in Christ our labor cannot be lost. Amen. THE ANTHEM Sing Me to Heaven Daniel E. Gawthrop (b 1949) Words by Jane Griner In my heart's sequestered chambers Lie truths stripped of poet's gloss. Words alone are vain and vacant and my heart is mute.
In response to aching silence Memory summons halfheard voices, And my soul finds primal eloquence and wraps me in song. If you would comfort me, sing me a lullaby. If you would win my heart, sing me a love song. If you would mourn me and bring me to God, Sing me a requiem, sing me to heaven. Touch in me grief and comfort; Love and passion, pain and pleasure. Sing me a lullaby, a love song, a requiem. Love me, comfort me, bring me to God: Sing me a love song, Sing me to heaven. THE READING OF THE NAMES Leader: We remember before You now, O God, those members of our congregation who moved on into Your eternal light this past year... THE LORD'S PRAYER (from the Maori, New Zealand Prayer Book) Leader: Eternal Spirit, Earthmaker, Painbearer, Lifegiver, Source of all that is and that shall be, Father and Mother of us all, Loving God, in Whom is heaven: The hallowing of Your name echos through the universe! The way of Your justice be followed by the peoples of the world! Your heavenly will be done by all created beings! Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth. People: With the bread we need for today, feed us. Leader: In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us. People: In times of temptation and test, strengthen us. Leader: From trials too great to endure, spare us. People: From the grip of all that is evil, free us. Leader: For You reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and forever. All: Amen. 5
THE OFFERTORY The Offertory Sentence The Receiving of the People's Gifts The Anthem Abide with Me William Henry Monk (18231889) arranged by Molly Ijames (b 1978) Abide with me, fast falls the eventide; the darkness deepens, Lord, with me abide! When other helpers fail and comforts flee, help of the helpless, O abide with me! I need Thy presence ev ry passing hour; what but Thy grace can foil the tempter s pow r? Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be? Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me! Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes; shine through the gloom and point me to the skies. Heav n s morning breaks and earth s vain shadows flee, in life, in death, O Lord abide with me. Amen. The Presentation of Gifts Leader: As the gifts are presented, would all rise in body or spirit? Let us together pray. All: All good gifts come from You, O God. As You have given us gifts, so we offer our gifts, that we may be gifts to one another. Leader: With gratitude today, we join in naming the gifts of Your many saints, those people whose deep affections have drawn our hearts ever more closely to You. And we celebrate the witness of their lives which have strengthened us by their luminous example. God of all Wisdom, Source of the questions that lie deep within our minds, we lift up to You all those whose words and deeds have taught us that a seeking spirit lies closer to Your fullness than our quick and partial certainties. People: For those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. All: Amen. The Hymn and Presentation of Gifts Praise God, from whom all blessings flow, Praise God, all creatures here below; Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise God, the source of all our gifts! Praise God, our strength, whose power uplifts! Praise creation, God s creation! Lasst uns erfreuen 6
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! (The people may be seated.) THE READING FROM HEBREW SCRIPTURE Ruth 1:118 NRSV In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. 3 But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband. 6 Then she started to return with her daughtersinlaw from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had considered his people and given them food. 7 So she set out from the place where she had been living, she and her two daughtersinlaw, and they went on their way to go back to the land of Judah. 8 But Naomi said to her two daughtersinlaw, Go back each of you to your mother s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 The Lord grant that you may find security, each of you in the house of your husband. Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud. 10 They said to her, No, we will return with you to your people. 11 But Naomi said, Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I should have a husband tonight and bear sons, 13 would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, it has been far more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the Lord has turned against me. 14 Then they wept aloud again. Orpah kissed her motherinlaw, but Ruth clung to her. So she said, See, your sisterinlaw has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sisterinlaw. 16 But Ruth said, Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die, I will die there will I be buried. May the Lord do thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you! 18 When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her. 7
Leader: These words are breathed into us by the Holy Spirit. People: Thanks be to God! THE SERMON MAKING ROOM FOR EACH OTHER THE CLOSING HYMN For All the Saints (2) THE BENEDICTION Sine Nomine 1 For all the saints 2 You were their rock, 3 Ringed by this cloud who their of from their la bors rest, ref uge, and their might: witness es di vine, who you, we to the Christ, the fee bly world their hope that strug gle, steadfast faith con fessed, put their fears to flight; they in glo ry shine; your 'mid yet name, gloom in O and your Je doubt, love sus, you our be for ev er were their one true faith ful lives en blessed. light. twine. Al le lu THE ORGAN POSTLUDE In Memoriam, OP. 156, No. VII Josef Rheinberger (18391901) ia! Al le lu ia! ~ The End of Worship, the Beginning of Service ~ PARTICIPANTS All rise in body or spirit Preacher: The Reverend Ms. Katherine H. Shaner Minister of Mission Liturgist: The Reverend Mr. David S. Hett Minister of Religious Life and Learning Stewardship Speakers: Barb and Terry Davis Ushers: Group A 8
MINISTRY OF MUSIC Ronald J. Jenkins, Minister of Music and Liturgy Robert A. Griffith, Organist Suzanne Newcomb, pianist THE CHANCEL CHOIR THE WHITECHAPEL RINGERS Carol T. Neff, Director (1) Eternal Spirit of the Living Christ. Words copyright 1974 by the Hymn Society, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX. All rights reserved. Music by Alfred Smith, 1941, by the Church of the Ascension. Reprinted under OneLicense.net # A708978. (2) For All the Saints. Music Copyright Oxford University Press. From The English Hymnal, 1906. We lovingly remember before God the following members of our congregation who have passed on into God s eternal light during the past year, November 1, 2017 through October 31, 2018. Paul Becher Denver Bowers Martha Denig Pat Donovan Beth Dropkin Marcia Early Nancy Ewing Don Gabriel Pat Gatsch Virginia Gordon Kay Graf Bill Grafton Dick Gregory Tanny Gustafson Bill Harper Joan Hatten Susan Hesler Anna Holderman Joan Jackson Martha Johnson Herb Johnston Jeanne Johnston Alvin Lawrence Gloria Lieser Jean Lombard Nancy Marsh Bill Mielke Dan Morris Margaret Nourse Betty O'Neill Nancy Pickett Lowell Poland John Scurlock Liz Sturges Susan Taylor Dick Tice Joe Vesco Patty Vesper Betty Wittman Michael Zmuda Our Pastoral Care staff is available if you desire a visit or call during an illness, hospitalization or time of need. Please send notifications of weddings, births, hospitalizations or deaths to prussell@fcchurch.com or call (614) 4880681 ext 228. 9
Welcome visitors! Stop by our Welcome Center for information on programs and activities and pick up a copy of our newspaper. Church Membership: Please contact Kristy Glaser at (614) 4880681 ext. 161 or kglaser@fcchurch.com if you are interested in becoming a member. Baptisms: Our next Baptism Sunday will be November 11. For more information go to FCchurch.com/baptisms. To schedule a public or private baptism, contact Paula Russell at (614) 4880681 ext. 228 or prussell@fcchurch.com Watch the 11 am service from the South Campus live on Facebook and at FCchurch.tv Watch First Edition on WWHOTV, The CW, Sunday mornings at 8:30 am. Large print bulletins and hearing assistance devices are available; ask an usher. TODAY AT FIRST COMMUNITY CHURCH North Campus 9 am Worship: Grace Hall Crib to 5 years: Rose Wing K3 grades: Begin in worship, then excused to classes in the Rose Wing. Grades 45: Begin in worship, then excused to the Education Wing 11 am Worship: Grace Hall Crib to 5 years: Rose Wing K3 grades: Begin in worship, then excused to classes in the Rose Wing. Grades 48: Begin in worship, then excused to the Education Wing South Campus 8:30 am Adult Education: Wicker Room Care of the Ageless Soul: The Work of Thomas Moore 10 am Worship: Sanctuary Crib to 5 years: Rooms 221 & 222 K5 grades and Middle school: Begin in worship, then excused to Lincoln Road Chapel. Grades 612 are invited to Crossroads tonight, 7 8:30 pm, North Campus. FCchurch.com info@fcchurch.com Affiliated with the United Church of Christ and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)