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 20, 2015
Ten o’clock
5th Sunday in Lent
GATHERING
REFLECTION
“Abide with me from morn to eve,
For without Thee I cannot live:
Abide with me when night is night.
For without Thee I dare not die.”
John Keble (1792-1886)
PRELUDE
“Grazioso”
Arnold Sherman
Chancel Handbell
Choir
CALL TO WORSHIP
Lord
God, we have gathered here in your Spirit,
With hearts hungry from our Lenten
journey.
In
the midst of our wilderness travels, we yearn for holy refreshment,
Through your loving and healing
Spirit.
We
yearn now in our time together to experience you,
In fresh, new and abundant ways.
Prepare
us now for this time of worship,
And may the power and promise of our
Lord Jesus Christ be evident in our worship.
OPENING
PRAYER
*HYMN NO. 450
“Be Thou My Vision”
SLANE
Lighting
the candles today is Acolyte Ian Flanagan.
CONFESSION
CORPORATE CONFESSION
Almighty and merciful God, it is a
gift that we can enter into this time of confession. You have already given us
so much, and yet we continue to want more. And we want everything to come
without struggle. Forgive us when we fail to appreciate what we have. Forgive
us when we don’t do the work we need to do with care and diligence. Cleanse us
of envy, greed and laziness. Help us see the world with your eyes so we will
respond as you would — with generous hearts.
PERSONAL
CONFESSION
Through
Christ our Lord we pray.
Amen.
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
“Who at My Door is Standing?”
Arr. K. Lee Scott
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.
PRESENTATION OF BIBLES TO 3RD
GRADERS
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.
SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM
We welcome into the family
of God through baptism Milan Vivian Lester,
daughter of John and Erica Lester, born on September 29, 2014.
Assisting in the baptism
today is Elder Elizabeth Resch.
*AFFIRMATION
OF FAITH The Apostles’ Creed (ecum)
I believe in God, the Father
almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only
Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he
descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the
living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic
church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the
resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
*HYMN NO. 483
“Dearest Jesus, We Are
Here”
LIEBSTER JESU
SCRIPTURE
Page 103, NT
SERMON
“Safely You’ll Abide”
Dr. Sommers
*HYMN
NO. 43
“You Who Dwell in the Shelter of the
Lord”
ON
EAGLE’S WINGS
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
“Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley”
Arr.
Albert Zabel
*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.
†The
flowers this morning are given to the glory of God in memory of…
…Carl E.
Thyren by Jean Thyren.
†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