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!

February 4, 2018

Ten o’clock

5th Sunday after Epiphany

The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper

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GATHERING

REFLECTION

If you want to get warm you must stand near the fire: if you want to be wet you must get into the water. If you want joy, power, peace, eternal life, you must get close to, or even into, the thing that has them. … They are a great fountain of energy and beauty spurting up at the very center of reality. If you are close to it, the spray will wet you; if you are not, you will remain dry.

— C.S. Lewis

PRELUDE

Sonata in G-Major Mvt. 1 Allegro

attr. Giovanni Battista Sammartini

Celia White, cello

CALL TO WORSHIP

Psalm 116

What shall we return to you, O God, for all of your bounty to us?

I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.

O Lord, I am your servant. You have loosed my bonds.

I will give you thanksgiving and call on your name in the presence of all the people.

ALL: Let us worship God!

OPENING PRAYER

*HYMN NO. 1

“Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty”

Nicaea

Serving as Acolyte today is Charlie Babboni

CONFESSION

CORPORATE PRAYER

We cannot hide from you, Everlasting God, even if we were to go from one edge of creation to the next. You speak to us of compassion, but the ways in which we treat others show we have not been listening. You explain your hopes to us, and we act as if we don’t have a clue as to what is going on. We run as fast, and as far, from you as we can, and wonder Why we have no energy to follow Jesus. Yet you search for us in all the deserted places we flee to, so you can take us by the hand to show us the way to life with you. You heal our broken hearts so we can offer them to others. You fill us with your strength so we can bind ourselves to Jesus, our Savior, following him to serve all of your children.

PERSONAL CONFESSION

In the name of Jesus, we pray.

Amen.

ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS

...Friends, believe the good news.

In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

*RESPONSE OF PRAISE

NO. 581

“Glory Be to the Father”

Gloria Patri

PROCLAIMING AND RESPONDING

TIME WITH THE CHILDREN

Please note: Following Time With The Children, children preschool through 1st grade may leave the sanctuary for Young Children and Worship to be held in room A-5.

PARISH LIFE

Members, friends and visitors, please sign the F riendship 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.

MINUTE FOR MINISTRY

Church Plaza Project

Brian Archibald

OFFERING

OFFERTORY

“His Eye Is On the Sparrow”

arr. Jack Schrader

Chancel Choir

*RESPONSE OF THANKSGIVING NO. 607

“Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow”

Doxology

*PRAYER OF DEDICATION

SCRIPTURE

Genesis 18:1-15

Page 13, OT

Matthew 3:13-17

Page 3, NT

MEDITATION

“The Creed—The Divine Particle”

Rev. Don Brown

THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORD’S SUPPER

INVITATION TO THE LORD’S TABLE

*HYMN NO. 6

“I Bind Unto Myself Today”

St. Patrick; Deirdre

GREAT PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING 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.

THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD AND COMMUNION OF THE PEOPLE

MUSIC DURING DISTRIBUTION

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

GOING FORTH

*BENEDICTION

*CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE

NO. 175 “Seek Ye First” Lafferty

*THE PEACE

The peace of Christ be with you.

And also with you.

Please exchange greetings of welcome and peace with your neighbor.

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*Please rise in body or in spirit

† Thank you to Sydney Theilmeier for preparing the table for the Lord’s Supper. Our Communion servers this week are: Brian Archibald, Jack Dusinberre,, Chris Flanagan, Donna Heun, Bob Hodge, Nancy McCarthy, Mark Mulick, Kathy Pace, Bill Trafton and Steve Urban.

†Our sympathy as a Christian family to…

...Sally and Don Cooperson on the death of their brother-in-law and Rick Scott on the death of

his uncle, Don Vieweg on January 23, 2018

†The flowers this morning are given to the glory of God in memory of …

…Mary Wefferling by Lewis and Debbie Wefferling

†We are glad you have chosen to worship here today! Please come again!

Nursery care is provided for children up to 24 months in our Cradle Room during the 10:00AM Worship Service. Ther e is Chr istian Education dur ing the 10:00AM Worship Service. The Cradle Room and Rest Rooms are located through the door to the left of the pulpit then left down the hallway.

†For more information about our church, please visit our website: www.firstprescaldwell.org. An information packet is available at the rear of the sanctuary and an Usher or one of the Greeters that you met as you came in will be glad to provide you with more information.

†You are respectfully requested to turn off all pagers and cell phones. Our church is equipped with a hearing assistance system. Please ask the usher for a receiver.

† Your prayers of inter cession 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, Jay Courter, Magda Emodi, Ruth Evans, Bill Hayden, Edith Jipp, Christopher Kerwin, Max Oehler, Barbara Piggery, Arline Pressl, Louise Ritscher, Richard Rose, Michael Sanok, Bob Scarrillo, Emil Schnell, 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.

THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

AT CALDWELL

326 Bloomfield Avenue

Caldwell, NJ 07006

973-228-0310