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 11, 2018

Ten o’clock

Transfiguration of the Lord

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GATHERING

REFLECTION (Psalm 127:1)

Unless the Lord builds the house,

those who build it labor in vain.

Unless the Lord guards the city,

the guard keeps watch in vain.

PRELUDE

“Art Thou With Me”

J.S. Bach (1685-1750)

Arr. Wallace Hornibrook

The First Church Ringers

CALL TO WORSHIP

Sing to the Lord a new song;

sing to the Lord, all the earth.

As God spoke, calling light out of darkness,

God’s glory shines in the face of Jesus Christ.

Let us worship God.

OPENING PRAYER

*HYMN NO. 301

“Let Us Build a House”

Two Oaks

Lighting the candles today is Acolyte Will Capizzi

CONFESSION

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

He appeared on the mountaintop bathed in light, dazzling, radiant…

Forgive us, God, for accepting mediocrity in your name

and calling it good enough.

He appeared with Elijah and Moses…

Forgive us, God, for demanding exclusive expressions of faith

even in the face of your expansive vision.

He was transfigured while a voice was shouting,

“This is my Beloved; listen!”

Forgive us, God, for silencing the voice of the other

struggling to praise your name.

He came and continues to come,

bathed in light, appearing in communion,

shouting for all who have ears to hear…

for all who have ears to hear.

PERSONAL CONFESSION

Through the grace of the Transfigured One, we pray.

Amen.

ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS

...Friends, believe the good news.

In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

*RESPONSE OF PRAISE NO. 190 (stanza 3)

“Swiftly Pass the Clouds of Glory”

Geneva

PROCLAIMING AND RESPONDING

CHOIR TOUR COMMISSIONING

ANTHEM “O Bless the Lord”

from GODSPELL Stephen Schwartz

Westminster and Pilgrim Choirs

Amanda Lecuona, soloist

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.

SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM

We welcome into the family of God through baptism Jake Robert Liberman, son of Eric Liberman and Lauren Kovacs, born on November 14, 2017.

Assisting in the baptism today is Elder Betty Resch.

*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH

The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

*HYMN NO. 482 “Baptized in Water” Bunessan

OFFERING

OFFERTORY

“We Beseech Thee”

from GODSPELL Stephen Schwartz

Westminster and Pilgrim Choirs

Andrew McLaughlin and Michael Soccio, soloists

*RESPONSE OF THANKSGIVING NO. 710

“We Lift Our Voices”

Offering

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.

CHURCH PLAZA PRESENTATION

Earl Jackson

*HYMN NO. 401

“Here in This Place”

Gather Us In

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

†We welcome to the service this morning Earl Jackson, the architect retained by the Capital Commission. Earl is the Founding Principal of The Earl Jackson Architecture Workshop, the professional practice of architecture and urban design that focuses on an artful approach to solving building, city, and campus design problems. He has served as Associate Adjunct Professor of Architecture at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture Planning and Preservation since 2009 and has taught at NJIT’s College of Art and Design. Earl was formerly Partner and Design Director at Cooper Robertson, Associate Director at Skidmore Owings and Merrill, and Designer with Michael Graves. He has led designs for diverse cultures all over the world in an effort to create successful Public Open Spaces, Mixed-Use Transit Oriented Developments, College Campuses, and Waterfront Designs. In the wake of Sandy, he served as a design lead for Mayor Bloomberg’s Special Initiative for Rebuilding and Resiliency, Governor Cuomo’s New York Rising, HUD’s Rebuild By Design, and is an advisor for the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities Initiative. He believes that our Nation’s Main Streets, Sidewalks, and Plazas are some of our best public places and has led the recent re-designs of MGM’s Las Vegas Boulevard and Coral Gables’ Miracle Mile and Giralda Avenue. Not only is Earl an accomplished architect, he also has deep ties to the church. His mother is Lois Jackson, and his grandparents were Roland and Helen Oliphant. Additionally, Earl was married in this church!

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

….John R. Wilcox, pastor 1958-1967 by Laura Ingersoll

† 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, 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