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!
April 19, 2015
Ten o’clock
3rd Sunday of Easter
GATHERING
REFLECTION (Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl)
“The best remedy for those who are
afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite
alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that
all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the
simple beauty of nature. As longs as this exists, and it certainly always will,
I know that then there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances
may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.”
PRELUDE
Sonata in G Major
Cantabile & Allegro
George Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)
Ashley McDowell, flute
CALL TO WORSHIP (from Psalm 65)
Praise
is due to you, O God!
You visit the earth and water it,
you greatly enrich it; you provide the people with grain, for so you have
prepared it.
You
water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers,
and blessing its growth.
You crown the year with your bounty;
the pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy.
The
meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy. Praise the Lord!
The Lord’s name be praised!
OPENING PRAYER (written by St. Basil the
Great—329-379AD)
O God, enlarge within us the
sense of fellowship with all living things, our brothers, the
animals, to whom thou gave the earth as their home in common with us. We
remember with shame that in the past we have exercised the high dominion of
[humankind] with ruthless cruelty, so that the voice of the earth, which should
have gone up to thee in song, has been a groan of travail. May we realize that
they live not for us alone but for themselves and for thee and that they love
the sweetness of life. Amen.
*HYMN NO. 17
“Sing Praise to God, You Heavens!”
WIE LIEBLICH IST DER MAEN
Lighting
the candles today is Acolyte Henry Jones.
CONFESSION
CORPORATE CONFESSION
O God of time and space, we confess
we are running out of both. Species whirl into extinction faster than ever
before; habitat created over millennia is destroyed in the blink of an eye. O
God of time and space, we confess we are running out of both.
O God of hope and resurrection, we
confess to despair that creates the denial of a Good Friday world. We tremble
on the brink of the temptation to simply give up. O God of transformation, we
confess to choosing Business as Usual because it is easier and because we don’t
want to give up what we have and because we are afraid.
Remake us, O Creator. Transform us
into new beings. Open us to your love which can open our eyes and our hearts.
Give us courage to walk in your path with all creation. Forgive us and make us
free, for healing and for hope.
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
Psalm 150 (A Responsorial Setting)
Please join the choir on the refrain
“All creation join to say: Alleluia”
PROCLAIMING AND RESPONDING
ANTHEM
“The Canticle of Brother Sun”
Grayston Ives
Text based on the song of praise by
St. Francis of Assissi
Pilgrim, Westminster and Chancel
Choirs
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
Spirituality
Seminar
Pam
Rotelle Robertson
SACRAMENT
OF BAPTISM
We
welcome into the family of God through baptism Derek Joseph Antunes,
son of Alexander and Jodi Antunes, born on December 22,
2014.
*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. 630
“Fairest Lord Jesus”
CRUSADERS’
HYMN
SCRIPTURE
Page 1-2
MINUTE FOR MINISTRY
Sustainable Action Day
James Heinegg
SERMON
“To Serve and to Preserve”
Dr. Sommers
*HYMN NO. 713
“Touch the Earth Lightly”
TENDERNESS
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
“Look at the World”
John Rutter
Pilgrim,
Westminster and Chancel Choirs
*RESPONSE OF THANKSGIVING NO. 712
“As Those of Old Their Firstfruits
Brought”
As those of old their first-fruits brought of vineyard,
flock, and field
to God, the giver of all good, the source of bounteous yield,
so we today our first-fruits bring, the wealth of this good
land:
of farm and market, shop and home, of mind and heart and hand.
*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 our
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 10:00 service
today, we hope you will join us for Coffee Hour in Room 120.
†The flowers this morning are given
to the glory of God in loving memory of…
… John
Brackman given by his wife, Alice Brackman.
†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, 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