THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AT
CALDWELL
Our Purpose:
To help all people build
life-transforming relationships with God and each other.
The members and friends of FPC
welcome people from all backgrounds - - people of faith from throughout the world,
people who profess no faith, Christians of all denominations and those who are
searching for religious and spiritual meaning.
Welcome!
November 23, 2014
Ten o’clock
Sunday of the Reign of Christ
GATHERING
REFLECTION
Gratitude is not only the greatest
of virtues, but the parent of all others.
Cicero (160 BCE-43 BCE)
PRELUDE
“O God, Our Help in Ages Past”
Arr. Paul McKlueen
Chancel Handbell
Choir
CALL TO WORSHIP (from Psalm 95)
O come, let us sing to the Lord; let
us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into God’s presence with
thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise with songs of praise!
For the Lord is a great God, and a
great King above all gods.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
OPENING PRAYER
*HYMN NO. 22
“God of the Sparrow”
ROEDER
Lighting
the candles today is Acolyte Billy Slater.
CONFESSION
CORPORATE CONFESSION
Wondrous and generous God, you have blessed us with gentle rains,
glorious sunsets and sun-warmed days. You bless us with loving families, kind
friends and a caring church. Let us receive these gifts with thankfulness and
humility. We cannot earn nor do we deserve such generosity, but we
graciously open our hearts and hands to receive. Forgive us when we are
hardhearted and tight-handed, when we don't let your goodness flow through us,
when we hide our talents and turn away from the needs of the world.
Release us, Holy One, from fear, and create a contagious spirit of giving that
touches the world with hope.
PERSONAL CONFESSION
In whose
name we pray.
Amen.
ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS
...Friends,
believe the good news.
In
Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
*RESPONSE OF PRAISE NO. 336
“We Gather Together”
KREMSER
We
gather together to ask the Lord's blessing;
he
chastens and hastens his will to make known;
the
wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.
Sing
praises to his name; he forgets not his own.
PROCLAIMING AND RESPONDING
ANTHEM
“Make a Joyful Noise”
Jeff Reeves
Youth Club Choir
Please join the choir in singing a
stanza of “Holy, Holy, Holy”
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and
mighty! God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
TIME WITH THE CHILDREN
Please note: Children through 7th
grade may leave the sanctuary for Sunday School
following the Time with the Children. Please exit through the doors on either
side of the Choir loft.
PARISH LIFE
Members,
friends and visitors, please
sign the Friendship Pad in each pew and pass it to the person next to you. The
last person will pass the pad back to the first person, who will then please
place the sheet in the offering plate. Worshipers are invited to use the
cards in the pew racks for prayer requests so we may share one another’s joys
and concerns. The ushers will collect the cards during the hymn
following the sermon and they will be offered during the Prayers of the People.
MINUTE FOR MINISTRY
Stephen Ministry
Sandra Harvey
*PSALM 98
Noel Piercy
Chancel Handbell
Choir
Kelsey Witzel,
Cantor
SCRIPTURE (Hymn No. 179)
“Ten Lepers Facing Constant Scorn”
RADIANT CITY
Page 75 NT
SERMON
“Stepping into Wholeness”
Dr. Richard Sommers
*HYMN NO. 643
“Now Thank We All Our God”
NUN DANKET ALLE GOTT
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE 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.
OFFERING
OFFERTORY
“The Promise of Living"
Aaron Copland
Chancel Choir
*RESPONSE OF THANKSGIVING NO. 612
“We Praise You, O God”
KREMSER
We praise you, O God, our Redeemer, Creator;
in grateful devotion our tribute we bring.
We lay it before you; we kneel and
adore you;
we bless your holy name; glad praises we sing.
*PRAYER OF DEDICATION
GOING FORTH
*BENEDICTION
*CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE NO. 612
“We Praise You, O God” (stanza 3)
KREMSER
With
voices united our praises we offer
and
gladly our songs of thanksgiving we raise.
With
you, Lord, beside us, your strong arm will guide us.
To
you, our great Redeemer, forever be praise!
*THE PEACE
The peace of
Christ be with you.
And
also with you.
Please exchange greetings of welcome
and peace with your neighbor.
*Please rise in body or in spirit
†If
you are new to the church...Welcome! We’re glad to have you here. Please
ask an usher to direct you to Visitor packets at the rear of the
church. They can be found on the table near the usher’s closet under the
balcony stairs. After the 10:00am service today, we hope you will join us for
Coffee Hour in Room 120 located through the door to the left of the choir loft
and left to the end of the hall.
†We give thanks for the
special Thanksgiving display on the Communion Table which was created by the
artistic hands of Linda Ogden.
† The red rose this morning
celebrates the birth of…
… Quincy Ogden Berner, son of Alyssa and Drew Berner,
maternal grandparents are Steve and Linda Ogden.
†Your prayers of intercession are
requested for those members and friends known to be currently or recently
hospitalized or who continue to need our prayers and support:
… Harry Coppens,
Bill Hayden, Ruth Hults, Edith Jipp, Roger Jones, Olga
Muller, Marilyn O’Connell, Barbara Piggery, Louise Ritscher,
Laura Winter and Helena Wispelwey. The church office
will be happy to verify their home addresses for you should you wish to send
them words of encouragement or get well wishes.
† It
is easy to join our mailing list! Just text FPC to 42828 and follow the prompt
to send your e-mail address by text message.
THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
AT CALDWELL
326 Bloomfield Avenue
Caldwell, New Jersey 07006
973-228-0310
www.firstprescaldwell.org