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TRANSCRIPT
Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church Asheville, North Carolina
www.gcpcusa.org
September 8, 2013 – 10:30 am
“Today, and it breaks my heart to say it, finding a homeless person who has died of cold, is not news.
Today, the news is scandals, that is news, but the many children who don't have food — that's not news. This is grave. We can't rest easy while things are this way.”
-‐Pope Francis
Organ Voluntary Aria Michael Burkhardt * Call to Worship
Welcome, travelers. Welcome. Sometimes it is harder to cross an unrepaired sidewalk than to travel a thousand miles. Sometimes it is harder to forgive an old friend than to welcome a stranger. But God teaches us that we should welcome the stranger as we would welcome Jesus Christ. However far we have come this week, we bring gifts of our selves, our minds, our compassion, our love, and our dedication. Let us continue our journey together.
* Hymn 464 Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee HYMN TO JOY * Call to Reconciliation * Prayer of Confession
God of pure, unbounded love, we are a people who long to be loving and a people who often fail. Forgive us when our actions hurt ourselves and others. Forgive us when we do not choose our words with care, lest they hurt our families, friends, or neighbors. Help us to go the second mile in loving and giving of ourselves; make us strong and wise in our loving. Teach us what it means to love our enemies. Hear now as we pray to you for healing in our relationships: with you, with our loved ones, with friends and associates, with our world neighbors, and with ourselves. Through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
* Kyrie eleison
* Assurance of Forgiveness
There is no shame in the good news – only hope, only life, only joy, only peace. Even now, God is forgiving us; even now, God is making us new. Thanks be to God. Amen.
* Response
* Passing of the Peace The Peace of Christ be with you. And also with you.
Prayer for Illumination Gospel Matthew 5:38-‐42 The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God!
Psalm 139: 1 – 6, 13 – 18
Gospel Matthew 20:17-‐19 The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God!
Sermon “Who Will Go First?” Dirk Ficca Silent Meditation * Hymn 372 Lord, I Want to Be a Christian I WANT TO BE A CHRISTIAN
* Affirmation of Faith (adapted from a Creed by the Masai people in East Nigeria) We believe in One High God, who out of love created the beautiful world. We believe that God made good God’s promise by sending his Son, Jesus Christ, a man in the flesh, a Jew by tribe, born poor in a little village, who left his home and was always on safari doing good, curing people by the power of God, teaching about God and human beings, and showing that the meaning of religion is love. He was rejected by his own people, tortured and nailed hands and feet to a cross, and died. He was buried in the grave, but the hyenas did not touch him, and on the third day he rose from the grave. Amen.
Our Life Together (Please sign the Friendship Pad located in your pew) Offering (Please place prayer cards in the offering plate for the Prayers of the People) Prayer of Dedication Choir Anthem O Jesus, Every Moment Philip W. J. Stopford
O Jesus, ev’ry moment be in my heart and mind; O Jesus, stir my heart with sorrow for my sins; O Jesus, fill my heart with never-‐failing love; O Jesus, sweet Master, never part from me. O Jesus is my King, my friend, and my love; O Jesus is my shelter from sinning and from death; O Jesus, my gladness, my mirror all my days; O Jesus, my dearest Lord, never part from me. O Jesus, be forever in my heart and in my mouth; O Jesus, be forever in my thought and my prayer; O Jesus, be forever in my quiet mind; O Jesus, my sweet Lord, do not leave me alone. – from an Ulster manuscript; tr. G. O. Simms
* Doxology Choir sings, then all repeat
Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer (using “debts…debtors”) * Hymn 422 God, Whose Giving Knows No Ending BEACH SPRING * Charge and Benediction Organ Voluntary Toccata on the Carillon of Longpont Louis Vierne
(Those departing can help those who are listening to the voluntary, by holding their joyful greeting of others until they reach the narthex.)
* Please Stand In Body or Spirit As Able
All musical pieces used with permission.
We gather to worship God who is larger than all our imagination! We encourage all persons to sing the gender nouns and pronouns
they prefer in referring to God.
___________________Welcome to Grace Covenant Thank you: to the Head Usher: David Bailey ~ Liturgist: Barrett Payne Thank you to the Rev. Ficca, guest preacher today. Rev. Ficca served as Executive Director for the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions, organizing the world’s largest international interreligious gatherings in Chicago (1993), Cape Town (1999), Barcelona (2004) and Melbourne (2009). Under his leadership the Council’s mission promoted interreligious dialogue, grassroots organizing, and global networking in cities around the world. Rev. Ficca brings 20 years of experience in the global interreligious movement to promoting a metropolitan-‐based social cohesion strategy, as well as bringing an interreligious dimension to existing social change organizations, projects and initiatives. He is an ordained Presbyterian minister, and serves as the convener of the Ecumenical and Interreligious Work Group of Chicago Presbytery.
_________________________________________________GROW real.life.stories | TONIGHT | 5:00 PM | Avenue M | Childcare at GCPC Theme for the evening: "Great Expectations… Listen to Dave Dykes, Jason Gilliand, Emily Hennesse, Michael Isaacs, Karen Rohls, Lisa Turano, and Walter Ziffer tell a personal, first-‐person story centered on the theme above. These stories last 8-‐10 minutes in length. Please arrive at 4:30 to enjoy Avenue M’s hospitality before we get started promptly at 5 PM. http://www.gcpcusa.org/#/grow-‐spiritual-‐growth/2013-‐reallifestories Writing Workshop | 1st & 3rd Thursdays of the Month September 19 – February 20 | 7:30 – 9:30 PM | Jerusalem Room Margaret Tierney and Anne Raustol will be co-‐facilitating two-‐hour low-‐key workshops twice a month. We will be using the book, The Soul Tells a Story: Engaging Creativity with Spirituality in the Writing Life by Vinita Hampton Wright in order to guide us into discussion about our own writing lives and how our faith may or may not inform the process. Each class will not only involve discussion of the chapter for that day, but will also include free-‐writing, sharing our work and instruction only as needed. Every participant will work toward writing a completed manuscript to be encouragingly critiqued by fellow workshop participants. E-‐mail Anne ([email protected]) or Margaret ([email protected]) with any questions. New Member Sunday | September 22 On September 22nd we will be introducing New Members to the congregation. If membership is something you would like to explore or just have some questions about, please contact Mark Ramsey, Kristy Farber or Heather Gast.
NEXT SUNDAY, September 15 | 2013 Fall Kick-‐Off Resume 2 Service Worship Schedule (8:30 & 10:30 AM) Christian Education (9:15 AM)
ADULT EDUCATION Five Week Combined Adult Education Sermon Series Class Kristy Farber and Mark Ramsey | Fellowship Hall Where do you see God's activity in the world?
On Sunday September 15, we begin a five-‐week sermon and combined Adult Ed series, focusing on the question: Where do you see God's activity in the world? Using the parables of Jesus in Matthew 13-‐-‐the sower/soils, the weeds and wheat, the treasure, pearl, mustard seed, yeast, and net-‐-‐we will probe how we are to understand Jesus startling announcement that the "reign of God is at hand."
As part of the series, we are asking everyone to send us photos, as you go through your daily activity, of where you see God's activity. You can email those photos to Leah at [email protected].
The Bertha Lewis Class, the Journeys Class, and Pressure Points will be joining this combined class with their individual curriculums beginning October 20th.
YOUTH Middle School Youth Middle School Youth will meet in the Middle School Room (upstairs in the education wing) with Leah and Ryan Madamba.
High School Youth High School Youth will meet in the Senior High Room (upstairs in the education wing) with Nathan McMahan and a member of session.
CHILDREN Preschool Preschool children should be dropped off and picked up in the childcare wing as the do each week. They will be walked to their Sunday School room for class.
K – 5th Grade (TPZ) Kindergarten through Fifth Grade (The Promise Zone): should be dropped off in the Temple Room (upstairs in the education wing). TPZ kids need to be picked up at 10:10.
YOUTH GROUP KICKOFF Sunday, September 15, at 5:00 PM | Cookout & Parent Meeting All parents and youth are invited to kickoff the new year of youth group with a cookout in the courtyard at GCPC. Youth will have some time together and the parents will get the chance to talk about the program for the fall. We are really excited about the coming school year! Contact Nathan with any questions: [email protected].
_________________________________________________SERVE Walk of Awareness | Sunday, September 15 | 3:00 PM This guided 3k walk takes about 2 hours, and traces the steps of the homeless and disenfranchised citizens of our community, including stops at most organizations alleviating homeless in Asheville. A van is available as well. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for youth 17 and under. Children 6 and younger are free. All proceeds support the Haywood Street Congregation's Downtown Welcome Table. To register or for more information, go to www.haywoodstreet.org, or call Haywood St at (828) 575-‐2477. Dinner & News From Guatemala | Friday, September 13 | 6:00 PM Black Mountain Presbyterian Church [RSVP to [email protected] by Tuesday, September 10 for Dinner (Donations encouraged)] Delegations from Waldensian PC, Black Mountain PC, and the Education Study Group will share news from Guatemala. The Education Study Group's report will be especially interesting because GCPC people have been generous supporters of a scholarship program administered through our partner Jerusalem Church.
__________________________________________________CARE High School Girls Night Out! September 14 | 5-‐9 PM | DeMattos’ Home The GCPC youth advisors are hosting a high school girls hang out on Saturday night, September 14 from 5-‐9 at the home of Molly DeMattos. All 9th through 12th graders are invited to come eat dinner, relax, and connect with one another. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Kristy Farber. Friendship Circles Are Forming Now | Luncheon, October 13 Consider joining a Friendship Circle. These loosely structured groups meet periodically to enjoy fellowship, service, and fun. Each group moderates itself and is autonomous to do whatever they’d like to do (you’re limited only by your imagination – Asheville has a lot to offer!). Please look for the sign-‐up sheets in the narthex. Then join us on October 13 for a Meet & Greet Luncheon in the Fellowship Hall directly after worship. Contact Liz Rupp (299-‐1195) or Joanne Wallis (254-‐0964) for more details.
Prayer List – As we gather together for worship, we invite your continuing prayers for: Jerusalem Church elders | deacons | congregation; Linda Albin (Les & Susan Stradley's friend); Mary Owen (Cecil & Sandy Jividen's friend); Melissa Wills (Anna Thomas' friend); Ann Irwin (Kathy Jacobs' sister-‐in-‐law); Katherine Fulford (Steve Riedesel's cousin); Victor Solano (Jerusalem Church Member); Sister Maria del Rosario (Jerusalem Church Member); Sam Bradley (Virginia Bradley's son); Hazel Dare (Heath Rada's sister); Martin Havens (Carmen Haven's father); Jan & Dick Stagneth (Bob Walther's friend); Billy & Mollie Johnson (Ann Goodpasture); Melanie Rutledge (Amanda Rutledge's mom); Joe Meigs (Ted Meigs' father); Brenda Taylor (Florence Riedesel's cousin); Nikki Hebert (Nancy Quick's niece); Edwin Shealy (Cathy Fodi's father); Jared Stokes (Jordan Stokes' brother); Marie Watson (Janice Brumit's mother); Pam Morrell (Penny Ponder's daughter); Kimberly Glenn (Elizabeth Mullen's sister); Joan Irwin (Kathy Jacobs' mother); Debbie Leon (Cecil & Sandy Jividen's friend); Marsi Brewer (Carmen Havens' friend); Linda Parker (Anna Jarvis’ sister-‐in-‐law); Anne-‐Marie Shealy (Cathy Fodi’s mother); Beth Newman; Ruth Anne Blakely; Al Williams; Sandy Jividen; Ruth Barnett; Janet Bondurant; Jack Smith; Rachel & Buddy Gill; Diane Chambers; Elizabeth Fisher; Steve Hopkins Support and sympathy are extended to Carmen Havens upon the death of her grandfather, Buford Henry Poole, on September 1. Faith Sharing With Children is on hiatus for the summer months, but will resume in the fall when we return to two services. Sunday Fellowship As the days shorten and cool down, lemonade will become hot chocolate and coffee. In order for us to do this, however, we need your help. Please consider helping to facilitate this fun, together time. Contact David Bailey (777-‐3990 or [email protected]) for details as to how to get involved. Thank you!
______________________________________________SUPPORT The Sunday Deacon is available to hear congregational needs and concerns. Please look for Judy McDonough after the service.
Next Sunday, September 15, 2013 Resume Two Service Worship Schedule
Worship at 8:30 & 10:30 AM Education Hour 9:15 AM
Sermon: “Christmas Eve, 11:32 PM” by Mark Ramsey Scripture: Matthew 13:31-‐34; Romans 8: 31-‐39
____________________________________________Calendar Sunday 8 9:15 AM Dick Foccia – guest speaker 10:10 AM Pick up children 10:30AM Worship 11:30 AM Courtyard fellowship 5:00 PM real.life.stories @ Ave. M Monday 9 7:00 PM SOS Tuesday 10 9:00 AM Prayer Group 6:00 PM Committees Wednesday 11 5:30 PM Preschool teacher training 6:15 PM Sections rehearsal 6:30 PM TPZ Sept. training 7:00 PM Chancel Choir Thursday 12 7:00 AM Men’s XYC @ Edna’s Saturday 14 5:00 PM High school girl’s night @ DeMattos’ Sunday 15 8:30 AM Worship 9:15 AM Education Hour kick off 10:10 AM Pick up children 10:30AM Worship 11:30 AM Child Protection Policy training 11:30 AM Courtyard fellowship 4:00 PM PW Coordinating team 4:30 PM Treble Choir 5:00 PM Youth Group kick off