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!
March 15, 2015
Ten o’clock
4th Sunday in Lent
GATHERING
REFLECTION
“Those who wait for the LORD shall
renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall
run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
Isaiah 40:31
PRELUDE
Meditation on “Wondrous Love”
Arr. Gilbert M. Martin
CALL TO WORSHIP
In
this place, the community of faith is reminded of the promise:
God's love endures forever!
In
spite of our impatient grumbling, despite our attraction to the shadows:
Christ's light shines in us!
When
we think our hands our empty, when we have no music in our souls:
the
Spirit fills us with glad songs, and creates us for good works!
OPENING
PRAYER
*HYMN NO. 543
“God, Be the Love to Search and Keep Me”
GOD BE WITH YOU
Lighting
the candles today is Acolyte Alyssa White.
CONFESSION
CORPORATE CONFESSION
The
Light of the world has come, but we admit we love the shadows all around us.
For there, we can boast of our achievements, rather than point to your grace;
there, we can grumble of our unhappiness with you, instead of singing your
praises; there, we can give into our natural anger, and not be touched by your
call to be agents of peace and hope.
Forgive
us, Eternal Love: lead us from the shadows of sin into the light of your joy;
raise us up, as your children, so we may knell in service to others; shower us
with the grace, the hope, the peace you have brought to us through Jesus
Christ, our Lord and Savior.
ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS
...Friends,
believe the good news.
In
Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
*RESPONSE OF PRAISE NO. 710
“We Lift Our Voices”
OFFERING
We
lift our voices; we lift our hands;
we
lift our lives up to you: we are an offering.
Lord,
use our voices; Lord, use our hands;
Lord,
use our lives; they are yours: we are an offering.
All
that we have, all that we are, all that we hope to be, we give to you, we give
to you.
We
lift our voices; we lift our hands;
we
lift our lives up to you: we are an offering.
PROCLAIMING AND RESPONDING
ANTHEM
“Balm In Gilead”
Arr. John Leavitt
Chancel Choir
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. Please
place the cards in the offering plate and the staff will include them with their
prayers this week.
SCRIPTURE
Page 134, OT
Page 88, NT
SERMON
“The Waiting is the Hardest Part”
Rev. Don Brown
*HYMN
NO. 624
“I Greet Thee, Who My Sure Redeemer
Art”
TOULON
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
“Via Dolorosa”
Billy
Sprague & Niles Borop
Allison Gogarty
Soloist
*RESPONSE OF THANKSGIVING NO. 607
“Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow”
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise Christ, all people here below;
praise Holy Spirit evermore;
praise Triune God, whom we adore. Amen.
*PRAYER
OF DEDICATION
GOING FORTH
*BENEDICTION
*CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE NO. 175
“Seek Ye First”
LAFFERTY
Seek ye first the kingdom of God And
its righteousness,
And all these things shall be added unto you, Allelu, alleluia!
*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.
†Our
sympathy as a Christian family to…
...Lisy Trueba on the death of her
mother, Aagot Elise Nielsen, on Friday, March 6, 2015.
†The
flowers this morning are given to the glory of God in honor of…
...our
grandchildren, Anabelle and Henry Gibson by Alice and Gordon Gibson.
†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, Mary Hugo, Edith Jipp, Roger
Jones, Marilyn O’Connell, Barbara Piggery, Dave Reimer, Louise Ritscher, Laura Winter and Clarence 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