PRELUDE:
Liebster Jesu (Blessed Jesus, At Thy Word), Richard Purvis
Song of Peace, Jean Langlais
WELCOME
* CELEBRATION OF FRIENDSHIP
* SANCTUS (pew card)
* CALL TO WORSHIP AND SALUTATION - from Ps. 29 Emerson Chen
Leader: Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
People: Ascribe to the LORD the glory of his name; worship the LORD in holy splendor.
Leader: The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over mighty waters.
People: The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
Leader: The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire. The voice of the LORD causes the oaks to whirl, and strips the forest bare; and in his temple all say, "Glory!"
People: May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!
Leader: Grace and peace to you from God our Father, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
ALL: Amen.
* HYMN No. 3: Holy God, We Praise Thy Name
* PRAYER OF CONFESSION (unison)
Eternal God, in whom we live and move and have our being, whose face is hidden from us by our sins, and whose mercy we forget in the blindness of our hearts: Cleanse us from all our offenses, and deliver us from proud thoughts and vain desires, that with reverent and humble hearts we may draw near to you, confessing our faults, confiding in your grace, and finding in you our refuge and strength; through Jesus Christ your Son. Amen.
* KYRIE (pew card)
* ASSURANCE OF PARDON
* SUMMARY OF THE LAW
* Gloria Patri (pew card)
JUNIOR SERMON
ANTHEM: Grant Peace, We Pray, Felix Mendelssohn
Grant peace, we pray, in mercy, Lord, in our time peace, oh, send us! For there is none on earth but Thee, none other to defend us. Thou only, Lord, canst fight for us.
MORNING PRAYER AND LORD’S PRAYER
Lord’s Prayer (pew card)
Prayer response, Johann Wolfgang Franck
O Jesus, grant me hope and comfort; O let me ne'er in sorrow pine. My heart and soul, yea, all my being, O Jesus, trust alone in Thee. Thou Prince of Peace, Thou Pearl from heaven, true God, true Man, my morning star! O come, Thou precious Sun most radiant, Thy beams illumine my heart and soul.
* HYMN No. 328: God's Holy Ways are Just and True
SCRIPTURE LESSONS
Acts 10: 34 – 43, Pew Bible, page 895
Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
Matthew 3: 13 – 17, Pew Bible, page 784
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
The Word of God for the people of God. Let the people of God say - AMEN!
THE SERMON: Divine Approval, Rev. Douglas Estella
WORSHIP OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS
Offering
Offertory: Gloria in Excelsis, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
TRANSLATION:
Glorious is thy Name, Almighty Lord, all the angels stand, round about thy throne. Let all nations bow before thee, and declare thy wondrous works. We praise thee, we give thanks to thee, we adore thee, we glorify thee. Lord, we adore thee, we bless thee; Lord, we thank thee for thy great glory. Heaven is thy throne, and earth is thy footstool. Thou art King over all the world. Glorious is thy Name, O Lord. Blessing and honor be to God, for ever and evermore.
* The Doxology (pew card)
* Prayer of Dedication
* AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
* Apostles’ Creed (pew card)
* HYMN No. 689: The Church’s One Foundation
* BENEDICTION
Response: Sevenfold Amen, Peter C. Lutkin
POSTLUDE: Hanover (O Worship the King), Gordon Young
ANNOUNCEMENTS
WE WELCOME back the Rev. Douglas Estella to the pulpit. Rev. Estella served as pastor of the Sunnyside Reformed Church from 2000 to 2006. Currently he is a teacher at the Academy of Urban Planning in Brooklyn. Doug and his wife, Janet, live in Sunnyside with their daughter, Renee.
THE ROSES: The left vase is given by the Auction Committee in appreciation of Marion and Ray Durney. The right vase is given by the Auction Committee in appreciation of Glenda and Jorge Alamilla.
OUR APPRECIATION FOR TODAY’S VOLUNTEERS:
Van Driver: Gerry Mendler
Coffee Hour Host: Marion and Ray Durney
Greeters: Nancy Gessner and Eva Munoz
Ushers: Elaine Ho, Loretta McCaffrey, Barbara and Richard Niebergall and Jerry Good
Children and Worship: Kathleen Bracken and Michael Iovale
LARGE PRINT BULLETINS are available. Ask an usher if you need one.
2014 OFFERING ENVELOPES are at the back of the church. If you don't see your envelopes and would like a box, please sign the list and a set will be available for you next Sunday.
VAN SERVICE: If you need a ride to church on Sunday, speak with Gerry Mendler at (917) 362-6284 (day) or (718) 464-3464 (evening).
The van service for grocery shopping will resume in the Spring.
COFFEE HOUR VOLUNTEERS NEEDED – To host a coffee hour after church, speak with Rhoda Jabbour.
YEAR-ROUND COLLECTIONS –
Donations for the Food for Kids Ministry should be brought to the Church office. This food will be given to families in need in Jamaica, New York.
Donations for pets brought to the church office will be given to Worthy Pause to be distributed to local animal shelters.
Christmas cards (with Forever Stamps on the envelopes) are collected in a basket at the back of the sanctuary. These cards will enable inmates at the Nassau County Correction Center to correspond with their loved ones.
PRAYER REQUESTS: Ruth Bailey, Letty Delgado, Ed Diercks, Dombrowski Family, Edythe Durney, Alfred Gessner, Lisa Gessner, Jenny Hampton, Robert Keller, Hope Kingman, Fritz Kunisch, Ann Martin, Irma Matzke, John Molino, Josephine Rivera, Janice Serra