ORDER OF SERVICE April 6, 2014 Fifth Sunday of Lent PRELUDE Spring Song Enrique Granados WORDS OF WELCOME INTROIT CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: Let us praise the Creator, who welcomes us into this sanctuary and offers us fullness of grace All: Let us follow the Christ, who is present with us in all the seasons of our lives Leader: Let us praise the Spirit, who empowers us in the struggle for justice and peace All: With all the saints in every time and place, we sing praise to God, who loves us, redeems us and is our guide and strength on the pilgrimage of faith *HYMN No. 16 Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing *The congregation is invited to stand
*PRAYER God of grace, you disarm our judgment with your outrageous mercy; and even when we wander far away from those things that bring us true satisfaction, you welcome us home: no questions asked. By the power of your spirit direct our energies where true joy may be found, that we too may show tenderness to our broken and beloved world, through Jesus Christ. Amen. *THE LORD S PRAYER (using trespasses ) *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. CHILDREN S MESSAGE The Rev. Lynne Kramer Children may now leave for Church School.
ANTHEM Lord, Lead Us Still German Folksong English text by Helen A. Dickinson arr. Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Along the varied paths of life, Through hours of joy and sorrow keen, In grim temptation s mortal strife, In doubt or confidence serene, Lord, lead us still, O lead us still. Through all the changes of the years, Whate er of good or ill betide, In laughter gay or bitter tears, O keep us ever at Thy side; Lord, lead us still, O lead us still. And when at last the tale is told, The vict ry won by Thy good grace, May we Thy glory, Lord, behold, In that blest Homeland see Thy face; Lord, lead us still, O lead us still. SCRIPTURE LESSON Luke 15:11-32 Then Jesus said, There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me. So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, How many of my father s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.
So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his slaves, Quickly, bring out a robe the best one and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found! And they began to celebrate. Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound. Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him! Then the father said to him, Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found. SERMON The Parable of the Prodigal Sons The Rev. Dr. Ed Horstmann *HYMN No. 353 Come to Me, O Weary Traveler
OFFERING Invitation Offertory Prayer Anthem De Profundis (From the Deep) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) From the deep I have called unto thee, o Lord; Hear, O Lord my voice in supplication. Let thy ears be open to consider my pleading; Hear the voice of my complaining. If thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark the things done amiss. O my Lord, who may abide it? For that, there is mercy, even pity with Thee; And for Thy mercy shall Thou be feared much, O Lord our God. I look for the Lord, for in him is my hope and trusting. My soul doth wait for the Lord God, the God of truth; More than they that await the morning, long for its coming. Hopeth Israel in God the Lord For with the Almighty there are mercies manifold; Indeed we know that his redemption is plenteous. He shall redeem even Israel and from his sins and his iniquities save him. Glory be now to the Father, Son and the Spirit most holy; As it was in the beginning, and is now, and ever, For ever more, world without end, Amen. *Doxology No. 46 *Hymn No. 720 O Beautiful for Spacious Skies (verse 1) PASTORAL PRAYER
*HYMN There s a Wideness in God s Mercy Frederick William Faber
CHURCH PRAYER Our Heavenly Father, shed forth thy blessed spirit upon all our lives. Make each one of us an instrument in thy hands for good. Purify our hearts, strengthen our minds and bodies, fill us with Christian love. Let no pride, no self-conceit, no rivalry, no illwill ever spring up among us. Make us earnest and true, wise and prudent, giving no just cause for offense; and may thy holy peace rest upon us this day and every day throughout the coming week, sweetening our trials, cheering us in our work, and keeping us faithful to the end, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BENEDICTION CHORAL RESPONSE POSTLUDE Sonata movement in G Major J S Bach ROUND HILL COMMUNITY CHURCH CREED I believe in God, the one universal Father of all mankind, revealed supremely in Jesus Christ, our Lord, and present with us to guide, comfort and inspire in the Holy Spirit. I believe in the Kingdom of God; and in the mission of the Christian Church to proclaim the Gospel to all the world, exalting the worship of the Lord our God, and laboring for the progress of knowledge, the promotion of righteousness, the reign of peace, and the realization of human brotherhood. United in Christian love, we pray and labor for the coming of the Kingdom, the triumph of righteousness and the life everlasting. Amen.
CHURCH NEWS We thank today s ushers, Helen and Bruce Dixon. Our thanks to Lyn and Bob Harmon for hosting Coffee Hour this morning. Please join them in the Parlor immediately after worship. Join us in the Meeting Room at 11:30 a.m. today, for discussion and feedback on this morning s sermon and to discuss Chapters 7 & 8 of John Dominic Crossan s book, The Power of Parable. Holy Week at Round Hill Community Church April 13, Palm Sunday, Worship, 10:00 a.m. April 17, Maundy Thursday, Service of Tenebrae with The Sacrament of Holy Communion, 7:30 p.m. April 20, Easter Sunday, Worship 9:30 a.m. Sermon: Roll Back the Stone, The Rev. Dr. Edward G. Horstmann Special Music with Choir, Soloists and Chamber Orchestra, Shaw/Parker, vivladi, Engelberg, Barber and Handel Church School with Easter Egg Hunt Special Coffee Hour in the Community House following worship. Sign up in the Parlor to bring snacks. Our Annual Dinner, Now for the Future, is Wednesday, April 23 at 6:30 p.m. in the Community House. Ed Horstmann, Tim Wright and Nancy Mazzoli will present, Five-Year Vision for Round Hill Community Church. Suggested donation $10. RSVP to the Office at 203/869-1091 or church@roundhillcommunitychurch.org Our Annual Congregation Meeting will be held on Sunday, April 27 following our worship service. The Strategic Planning Task Force will also present updates of their work at this time. If you are a Committee Chair, please submit your Annual Report to the Office by Wednesday, April 16.
REFLECTION When I saw the Rembrandt painting of Return of the Prodigal Son for the first time in the fall of 1983, all my attention was drawn to the hands of the old father pressing his returning boy to his chest. I saw forgiveness, reconciliation, healing; I also saw safety, rest, being at home. I was so deeply touched by this image of the life-giving embrace of father and son because everything in me yearned to be received in the way the prodigal son was received. Henri J. M. Nouwen from The Return of the Prodigal Son, A Story of Homecoming Order of Service Cover Image: Rembrandt, Return of the Prodigal Son, St. Petersburg, The Hermitage Senior Minister: The Rev. Dr. Edward G. Horstmann Pastoral Associate: The Rev. Lynne S. Kramer Minister Emeritus: The Rev. Dr. Ralph Ahlberg Interim Music Director: Eugene Sirotkine Church School Coordinator: Connie Blunden Round Hill Community Church 395 Round Hill Road, Greenwich, CT 06831 203.869.1091 roundhillcommunitychurch.org