PRELUDE:
Choral Song, Samuel Sebastian Wesley
Deck Thyself, My Soul, With Gladness, J.S. Bach
WELCOME
* CELEBRATION OF FRIENDSHIP
* SANCTUS (pew card)
* CALL TO WORSHIP AND SALUTATION – from Ps. 40 Jim Nicholas
Leader: I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry.
People: He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.
Leader: He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.
People: Happy are those who make the LORD their trust.
Leader: Grace and peace to you from God our Father, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
ALL: Amen.
* HYMN No. 34: Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart
* PRAYER OF CONFESSION (unison)
Holy God, you gather the whole universe into your radiant presence and continually reveal your Son as our Savior. Bring healing to all wounds, make whole all that is broken in us, speak truth to all our illusions, and shed light in every darkness, that all creation will see your glory and know Christ as Savior and Lord. Amen.
* KYRIE (pew card)
* ASSURANCE OF PARDON
* SUMMARY OF THE LAW
* Gloria Patri (pew card)
ANTHEM: Everybody Ought to Know, The Junior Choir
JUNIOR SERMON
ANTHEM: Lord, We Pray Thee, Franz Josef Haydn
Lord, we pray Thee that Thy grace may always prevent, and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
MORNING PRAYER AND LORD’S PRAYER
Lord’s Prayer (pew card)
Prayer response, Felix Mendelssohn
Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee. He never will suffer the righteous to fall; he is at thy right hand. Thy mercy, Lord, is great and far above the heavens; let none be made ashamed that wait upon thee.
* HYMN No. 93: All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name
SCRIPTURE READINGS
1 Corinthians 1:1-9, Pew Bible, page 926
Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you— so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
John 1:29-42, Pew Bible, page 862
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.” The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”
The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).
The Word of God for the people of God. Let the people of God say - AMEN!
THE SERMON: Come and See, Rev. Douglas Estella
WORSHIP OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS
Offering
Offertory: The God of Abraham Praise, arr. Gerhard Schroth
The God of Abraham praise; all praised be His Name who was and is and is to be and still the same! The one eternal God, ere aught that now appears; the first, the last: beyond all thought His timeless years!
The God of Abraham praise, at whose supreme command I rise and seek the joys at His right hand. I all on earth forsake, its wisdom, fame, and power, and Him my only portion make, my Shield and Tower.
The whole triumphant host give thanks to God on high; hail, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, they ever cry. Hail, Abraham's God and mine, I join the heavenly lays. All majesty are Thine and endless praise. Amen.
* The Doxology (pew card)
* Prayer of Dedication
* AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
The Apostles’ Creed (pew card)
* HYMN No. 702: I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord
* BENEDICTION
Response: Sevenfold Amen, John Stainer
POSTLUDE: Trumpet Voluntary, Henry Purcell
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.
SOUPER BOWL SUNDAY: The Sunday School will again participate in the national “Souper Bowl of Caring” campaign on Super Bowl Sunday, February 2nd. Please bring in cans of soup and they will be given to a local food pantry. Monetary donations will go to the Greenpoint Reformed Church Soup Kitchen.
OUR APPRECIATION FOR TODAY’S VOLUNTEERS:
Van Drivers: Gary LiBert (AM), Gerry and Jean Mendler (PM)
Coffee Hour Host: Rhoda Jabbour
Greeters: Linda Diez and Angela Edward
Ushers: Gina and Sal Lombardo, Nina and Bill Proschel and Jerry Good
Children and Worship: Judie Kellaway and Yessenia Iovale
Childcare: Nancy Gessner
2014 OFFERING ENVELOPES are at the entrance 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.
VALENTINE FOR VETS: Bring your valentines on Sundays, February 2 and 9 and deposit them in the box at the church entrance. These cards will be personally delivered to the Veterans Hospital in St. Albans. We want our vets to know that they are not forgetten.
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 or put your name on the list in Gessner Hall..
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