October 13, 2013

* All who are able, please stand.  Please turn off your cell phones. Thank you.

PRELUDE:  Cynthia Shaw, guest organist

WELCOME
* CELEBRATION OF FRIENDSHIP
* SANCTUS (pew card)  

* CALL TO WORSHIP AND SALUTATION Steve Sarran

Leader: Destruction and violence are everywhere, strife and contention are all around.
All: The needs of the world are so great; O Lord increase our faith.
Leader: The law is slack, and justice does not prevail.
All: The needs of the world are so great; O Lord increase our faith.
Leader: How many threats surround us: warfare, homelessness, loneliness, loss.
All: The needs of the world are so great, but you O God are greater still--- the One in whom all things are possible. O Lord! Increase our faith in you!
Leader: Grace and peace to you from God our Creator, our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

* HYMN No. 2 Holy, Holy, Holy!  Lord God Almighty

* PRAYER OF CONFESSION  (unison)

Merciful God, you have called us to live in sincere faith and to suffer for the gospel.  We confess that we do not come before you with a clear conscience.  Our faith is clouded by sin and uncertainty.  We shrink from your call to live- and sacrifice- for others.  Too quickly, we seek our own ease and comfort first.  We confess that in our own lives, and in the church, we rely on our power rather than yours.  In new mercy, forgive us and increase our faith, that we may be faithful servants at your everyday table.  In Christ’s name we pray.  Amen

* KYRIE (pew card)
* ASSURANCE OF PARDON
* SUMMARY OF THE LAW
     * Gloria Patri  (pew card)

ANTHEM:  Ave Verum, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

SUNG IN LATIN - TRANSLATION:

Jesu, Word of God Incarnate, of the Virgin Mary born; on the cross thy sacred body for us men, with nails, was torn. Cleans us by the blood and water streaming from Thy pierced side. Feed us with Thy body broken, now and in death's agony.

JUNIOR SERMON    

MORNING PRAYER AND LORD’S PRAYER
Lord’s Prayer (pew card)

Prayer Response, John Yarrington

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

* HYMN No. 101 My Jesus, I Love Thee

SCRIPTURE LESSONS

Lamentations 3:19-26, Pew Bible, pg. 669

The thought of my affliction and my homelessness is wormwood and gall!My soul continually thinks of it and is bowed down within me.
But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

Luke 17:5-10, Pew Bible, pg. 852 

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. “Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your place at the table’? Would you not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink’? Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!’”

The Word of God for the people of God. Let the people of God say - AMEN!

THE SERMON:  Strength in Numbers, Donna M. Field

WORSHIP OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS
Offering

Offertory: The King of Love My Shepherd Is, John Ness Beck

The King of love my shepherd is, whose goodness faileth never; I nothing lack if I am His, and He is mine forever. Where streams of living water flow, my ransomed soul He leadeth, and where the verdant pastures grow, with food celestial feedeth. In death's dark vale I fear no ill, with Thee, dear Lord, beside me, Thy rod and staff my comfort still; Thy cross before to guide me. And so through all the length of days, Thy goodness faileth never. Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise within Thy house forever. Amen.

* The Doxology  (pew card)
* Prayer of Dedication

* AFFIRMATION OF FAITH  —Adapted from the Belhar Confession

We share one faith, have one calling, are of one soul and one mind.
We have one God, are filled with one Spirit, and are baptized with one baptism. We eat of one bread and drink of one cup, confess one Name, are obedient to one Lord, work for one cause, and share one hope. Together we come to know the height and the breadth and the depth of the love of Christ. Together- we are built up to the stature of Christ to the new humanity.
Together- we know and bear one another's burdens, thereby fulfilling the law of Christ that we need one another, build up one another, admonish and comfort one another, and suffer with one another for the sake of righteousness. Together we pray. Together we serve God in this world.   Amen.

* HYMN No. 692 Faith of Our Fathers

* BENEDICTION 
       Response          John Yarrington

The peace of God which passeth all understanding, be with you now and evermore. Amen.

POSTLUDE:                             

ANNOUNCEMENTS

WE WELCOME DONNA MARIE FIELD to the pulpit.  Donna graduated from the New Brunswick Theological Seminary with a Masters in Divinity degree.  She will be leading our worship services until a permanent minister is in place. 

OUR APPRECIATION FOR TODAY’S VOLUNTEERS:

Van Driver: Royce Gothelf
Coffee Hour Host: Marion Durney 
Greeter: Debra Rossi
Ushers: Sally Ann Castle, Nancy Gessner, Jayne Halley and Jerry Good
Children and Worship: Sharon Rivilli and Michael Rivilli
Childcare: Adriene Toy

CHILDCARE during the worship hour 

Children thru age 3 in the Educational Building, 1st floor, in Room 1A.

Children ages 3 thru 2nd grade will share in the service through the Junior Sermon, then go to Room 2E for the Children and Worship Program.

COFFEE HOUR VOLUNTEERS NEEDED – Please pick a date on the Sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in Gessner Hall or see Rhoda Jabbour.

VAN MINISTRY: We offer van service for Sunday worship and grocery shopping every other Tuesday.  If you need a ride to church on Sunday or would like to join them for grocery shopping, speak with Gina Lombardo at (917) 767-2923. 

PRAYER REQUESTS:  Ruth Bailey, Letty Delgado, Ed Diercks, Dombrowski Family, Edythe Durney, Alfred Gessner, Lisa Gessner, Robert Keller, Fritz Kunisch, Ann Martin, John Molino, Ed Moores, Josephine Rivera, Gloria Scrivano, Janice Serra, Mary Wainwright, Joan Werbel.

 

October 6, 2013 - Worldwide Communion Sunday

PRELUDE:                                

The Celestial Banquet, Olivier Messiaen
Amazing Grace, arr. Gilbert M. Martin

WELCOME
*Call to Worship and Salutation, Jeanne Sarran (Sign Language)

Choir:    We stand before you, God, with ready arms reaching for you.
People:   We bow before you, God, with humbled hearts seeking you.
Choir:    We sing before you, God, with glad voices raised to meet you.
People:   We kneel before you, God, with open souls lifted to greet you.
Leader:  Draw your Church together, O God, into one great company of disciples, together following our Lord Jesus Christ into every walk of life, together serving him in his mission to the world, and together witnessing to his love on every continent and island.
Choir:    Grace and peace to you from God our Creator, our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

*HYMN No. 779: Great God, Your Love Has Called Us

SCRIPTURE READINGS

Mark 14: 22-25, Rosa Weed (Spanish)

While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, ‘Take; this is my body.’  Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it.  He said to them, ‘This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.’

 Acts 2: 2-13, Nina Proschel (Russian), Helga Brenner-Khan (German), Linda Diez (French)

Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.  They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.  All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.  Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans?  Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?  Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”  Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

JR. SERMON

ANTHEM:  Amazing Grace, arr. John Rutter

Maureen Saepia-Chen, soprano

Amazing grace!  How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!  I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved; how precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come; 'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me, His word my hope secures; He will my shield and portion be, as long as life endures.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail, and mortal life shall cease, I shall possess, within the veil, a life of joy and peace.
When we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we've no less days to sing God's praise than when we'd first begun.

SERMON: A Mouth-full, Donna M. Field

*WORSHIP OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS
Offering
Offertory:  In Remembrance, Buryl Red

In remembrance of me, eat this bread, in remembrance of me, drink this wine.  In remembrance of me, pray for the time when God's own will is done. In remembrance of me, heal the sick.  In remembrance of me, feed the poor. In remembrance of me, open the door and let your brother in.
Take, eat, and be comforted.  Drink, and remember, too, that this is my body and precious blood, shed for you.  In remembrance of me, search for truth. In remembrance of me, always love.  In remembrance of me, don't look above, but in your heart for God.  Do this in remembrance of me.

*The Doxology (pew card)
*Prayer of Dedication

MORNING PRAYERS AND LORD’S PRAYER
LORD’S PRAYER, New Zealand Book of Common Prayer

Eternal Spirit, Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that is and that shall be, Father and Mother of us all,
Loving God, in whom is heaven:
The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and testing, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and forever.
Amen.

INVITATION TO THE LORD’S SUPPER                     Donna Field & Emerson Chen

Christ invites us all to this Holy Feast.  As we gather this morning, we remember our sisters and brothers from above and below the equator, from the North and from Down Under, from every time zone around the globe.  As today's sunlight inches across land and sea - Christians gather to celebrate their place in God's family. All who are baptized in Christ are invited and are welcome.

One:  What do you understand by “the communion of saints”?

All:    First, that believers one and all as members of this community, share in Christ and in all his treasures and gifts.  Second, that each member should consider it a duty to use these gifts readily and joyfully for the service and enrichment of the other members. Come, for the meal is ready!

                                                                               Heidelberg Catechism Q & A 55.

Prayer of Preparation

Confession

One:  To God be the glory: great things God has done!

           To prepare ourselves to partake of this Holy Meal, let us pray:

Healing God, we come before you broken, yet seeking wholeness, isolated, yet seeking community, overwhelmed, yet seeking simplicity, shamed, yet seeking grace:

All:    God, we yearn for the healing you promise.

One:  God of Justice, we come before you selfish, yet seeking a generous heart, arrogant, yet seeking humility, responsible for injustices, yet seeking forgiveness.

All:    God, we yearn for the justice you promise.

One:  God of Peace, we come before you afraid, yet seeking assurance, agitated, yet seeking serenity, angry, yet seeking a forgiving heart.

All:    God, we yearn for the peace you promise.

Words of Assurance

Apostles Creed  (pew card)                                       Jeanne Sarran (Sign Language)

One:  Knowing that through Christ all things are made new, we come to this communion table to be recreated through the bread and cup, and to be renewed in our faith and commitment.

All:    God, we submit ourselves to renewal through you. This we pray through Jesus the Christ, our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

One:  Loving and gracious God who summons galaxies into being, we give thanks and blessings to you.  We bless and thank you for our world.  The diversity of our planet amazes us from the prairies and pampas of the Americas to the dusty deserts of Africa and Asia, from the majestic mountains of Europe to the vast outback of Australia.  We give you thanks for the multiplicity of humanity with our complexity of color and culture yet called into oneness-of-being through Christ. With many tongues, yet with one voice, we honor you saying:

SANCTUS (pew card)

One:  Loving and gracious God who surrounds creation with abundant love, we give thanks and blessings to you. We praise you for your love made known to us through Jesus, which reassures and reconciles us to you, to ourselves and to one another. As Christ is our light to you, may we be lights to others illuminating the path toward communion with you the Holy Spirit and Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

           Together we proclaim the Mystery of Faith -

All:    Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again!

Words of Institution                                             Jeanne Sarran (Sign Language)

Blessing of the Elements

One:  God, may this bread connect us more closely with you and with our neighbors near and far.
All:    Bless this bread, we pray.
One:  May this fruit of the vine remind us of the inter-connectedness of people around the world.
All:    Bless this cup, we pray.
One:  May this simple meal bring us into union with you, your people and your world united in the One Body of Christ.

Sharing the Elements

Prayer of Thanksgiving

All:    Praise God from whom all blessings flow! With thanksgiving, let us celebrate our new life in Christ giving thanks to God our creator and sustainer: Loving and gracious God, thank you for this holy meal. Thank you for Jesus and his all-inclusive love for humanity. Thank you for this day which we worship and serve you.  Amen.

*HYMN No. 697                In Christ There Is No East or West          

*Benediction (unison)                                        Adapted from the Belhar Confession           

We share one faith, have one calling, are of one soul and one mind.
We have one God, are filled with one Spirit and are baptized with one baptism. We eat of one bread and drink of one cup, confess one Name, are obedient to one Lord, work for one cause, and share one hope. Together we come to know the height and the breadth and the depth of the love of Christ. Together we are built up to the stature of Christ, to the new humanity.
Together we know and bear one another's burdens, thereby fulfilling the law of Christ that we need one another, build up one another, admonish and comfort one another and suffer with one another for the sake of righteousness.
Together we pray. Together we serve God in this world.  Let us all go in peace.  Amen.

Postlude: We All Believe in One God, Johann Sebastian Bach

Pastor Donna gives thanks to Emerson Chen, Rosa Weed, Nina Proschel, Helga Brenner-Khan, Linda Diez, Jeanne Sarran, and the Chancel Choir for participating in this morning’s service.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

WE WELCOME DONNA MARIE FIELD to the pulpit.  Donna graduated from the New Brunswick Theological Seminary with a Masters in Divinity degree.  She will be leading our worship services until a permanent minister is in place.

MEMORIAL SERVICE for Hank Brunjes, brother of Donald Brunjes, this Saturday, October 12, 2013, 11:00 A.M. in the sanctuary.  Collation following.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED to do crafts for the Harvest Festival on November 16th.  See Helen Lucas after the worship service or call (718) 353-2940.

OUR APPRECIATION FOR TODAY’S VOLUNTEERS:

Van Driver: Gina Lombardo
Coffee Hour Host: Rhoda Jabbour
Greeters: Nancy Gessner and Eva Munoz
Ushers: Ginny and Hong Chan, Marion Durney, Marie Mark, Jeanne and Steve Sarran, Adriene and Bill Toy and Jerry Good
Children and Worship: Kathy Bracken and Michael Iovale
Childcare: Judie Kellaway

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.
  • Christmas cards (with Forever Stamps on the envelopes) are collected in a basket in back of church.  These cards will enable inmates at the Nassau County Correction Center to correspond with their loved ones.  

VAN MINISTRY: We offer van service for Sunday worship and grocery shopping every other Tuesday.  If you need a ride to church on Sunday or would like to join them for grocery shopping, speak with Gina Lombardo at (917) 767-2923.

PRAYER REQUESTS:  Ruth Bailey, Letty Delgado, Ed Diercks, Dombrowski Family, Edythe Durney, Alfred Gessner, Lisa Gessner, Robert Keller, Fritz Kunisch, Ann Martin, John Molino, Ed Moores, Josephine Rivera, Gloria Scrivano, Janice Serra, Mary Wainwright, Joan Werbel.

September 29, 2013

The Church on the Hill at Worship

 

September 29, 2013 11:00 A.M.

* All who are able, please stand. Please turn off your cell phones. Thank you.

PRELUDE: 

Prelude and Fugue in a minor   Johann Sebastian Bach
God's Time is the Best      Johann Sebastian Bach

WELCOME
* CELEBRATION OF FRIENDSHIP
* SANCTUS (pew card)  

* CALL TO WORSHIP AND SALUTATION Connie Thorsen

Leader: Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD; praise the name of the LORD.
People: Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time on and forevermore.  From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the LORD is to be praised.
Leader: The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.
People: He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.
Leader: Grace and peace to you from God our Creator, our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Amen

-- Adapted from Psalm 113

* HYMN No. 20   Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

* PRAYER OF CONFESSION (unison)

O God, you have shown us the way of life through your Son Jesus Christ. We confess of our slowness to learn of him, to follow him and to love others as ourselves.  Have mercy on us Lord and forgive us. We confess the poverty of our worship, our neglect of fellowship and of the means of grace, our hesitating witness for Christ, our evasion of responsibilities in our service, our imperfect stewardship of our gifts.  Have mercy on us Lord and forgive us. Amen. 

* KYRIE (pew card)
* ASSURANCE OF PARDON
* SUMMARY OF THE LAW
     * Gloria Patri(pew card)

ANTHEM:  Thou Wilt Keep Him Samuel Sebastian Wesley

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee.  The darkness is no darkness with Thee, but the night is as clear as the day.  The darkness and the light to Thee, are both alike.  God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.  O let my soul live, and it shall praiseThee, for Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forevermore.

JUNIOR SERMON    

MORNING PRAYER AND LORD’S PRAYER
     Lord’s Prayer (pew card)
     Prayer Response                                            Samuel Sebastian Wesley

Lead me, Lord, lead me in thy righteousness, make thy way plain before my face. For it is thou, Lord, only, that makest me dwell in safety.

* HYMN No. 289   Holy Spirit, Ever Dwelling

SCRIPTURE LESSONS

Jeremiah 8:18-9:1 Pew Bible, pg. 619

My joy is gone, grief is upon me, my heart is sick. Hark, the cry of my poor people from far and wide in the land: “Is the Lord not in Zion? Is her King not in her?” (“Why have they provoked me to anger with their images, with their foreign idols?”) “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” For the hurt of my poor people I am hurt, I mourn, and dismay has taken hold of me. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has the health of my poor people not been restored?
O that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears, so that I might weep day and night for the slain of my poor people! 

1 Timothy 2:1-7 Page 963

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all—this was attested at the right time. For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. 

The Word of God for the people of God. Let the people of God say - AMEN!

THE SERMON                    Faith and Truth Donna M. Field

WORSHIP OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS
Offering
Offertory:  Be Not Afraid,  Craig Courtney

Be not afraid: for I have redeemed you.  Be not afraid: I have called youby name.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; when you pass through the floods, they will not sweep o'er you; when you walk through the fire, you will not be consumed; you are mine, you are precious in my sight.
My love for you is everlasting, my love for you shall have no end. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; when you pass through the floods, they will not sweep o'er you; when you walk through the fire, you will not be consumed.  You are mine, you are precious in my sight.

* The Doxology(pew card)  
* Prayer of Dedication

* AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (unison) From: Song of Hope

We sing to our Lord a new song; we sing in our world a sure Hope: Our God loves this world, God called it into being, God renews it through Jesus Christ, God governs it by the Spirit. God is the world's true Hope. Come, Lord Jesus:  We are open to your Spirit.  We await your full presence.  Our world finds rest in you alone.

* HYMN No. 495 My Faith Has Found a Resting Place

* BENEDICTION
Response, Tom Fettke

May the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, and inhabit the throne of your being; and whatever you do, and whatever you say, do it all in the name of Jesus, do it all in the name of the Lord.  Giving thanks, unending thanks; giving thanks to God through Christ, the Lord. Giving thanks unmeasured thanks, giving thanks to the Living Word.

POSTLUDE: Voluntary on “Old Hundredth"       Henry Purcell

WE WELCOME DONNA MARIE FIELD to the pulpit.  Donna is a graduate from the New Brunswick Theological Seminary with a Masters in Divinity degree.  She will be leading our worship until a permanent minister is in place.

TODAY’S COFFEE HOUR is hosted by the Congregational Care Committee in honor of the July, August and September birthdays.  All are invited to join us.

OUR APPRECIATION FOR TODAY’S VOLUNTEERS:

Van Drivers: Gary LiBert (AM), Simon Walsh (PM)
Greeters: Linda Diez, Marion Durney
Ushers: Linda Diez, Irma Karle, Irma Schubert, Dorothea Zelnick
Head Usher, Jerry Good
Children and Worship: Kathy Bracken and Sharon Rivilli 

VAN MINISTRY: We offer van service for Sunday worship and grocery shopping every other Tuesday.  If you need a ride to church on Sunday or would like to join them for grocery shopping, speak with Gina Lombardoat (917) 767-2923. 

CHILDCARE during the worship hour 

Children thru age 3 in the Educational Building, 1st floor, in Room 1A.

Children ages 3 thru 2nd grade will share in the service through the Junior Sermon, then go to Room 2E for the Children and Worship Program.

COFFEE HOUR VOLUNTEERS NEEDED – Please pick a date on the Sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in Gessner Hall or see Rhoda Jabbour.

PRAYER REQUESTS:  Ruth Bailey, Letty Delgado, Ed Diercks, Dombrowski Family, Edythe Durney, Alfred Gessner, Lisa Gessner, Robert Keller, Fritz Kunisch, Ann Martin, John Molino, Josephine Rivera, Gloria Scrivano, Janice Serra, Mary Wainwright.

 

September 22, 2013

The Church on the Hill at Worship

September 22, 2013 11:00 A.M.

* All who are able, please stand.

Please turn off your cell phones. Thank you.

PRELUDE:

Choral Song, Samuel Sebastian Wesley
Aria, Flor Peeters  

WELCOME
* CELEBRATION OF FRIENDSHIP
* SANCTUS (pew card)  

* CALL TO WORSHIP AND SALUTATION Sally Ann Castle

Leader: Let us bow down before our Creator, whose Spirit moves over desert and sea, whose Word has the power to create, to judge, and to save.
People: The Lord seeks those who look for God, even if they have gone astray. O! that our deliverer would come! Lord, restore our lives and make us glad!
Leader: Grace and peace to you from God our Creator, our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.  Amen

* HYMN No. 49   Praise the Lord Who Reigns Above

* CONFESSION LITANY

Leader:  O Lord, forgive your foolish people. We at times walk away from you, for we do not know how to do good. Create in us a clean heart.
ALL: Put a new and right spirit within us.
Leader: In the folly of our hearts, we live as though there is no God. Create in us a clean heart, O God.
ALL: Put a new and right spirit within us.
Leader: We forget all you have done for us and make false idols to be our gods. We act faithlessly, violently and scorn your name. 
ALL: Create in us a clean heart, O God; and put a new and right spirit within us.

* KYRIE (pew card)
* ASSURANCE OF PARDON
* SUMMARY OF THE LAW
     * Gloria Patri  (pew card)

ANTHEM: From the Rising of the Sun F. A. Gore Ouseley

From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same my Name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered up unto my Name: for my Name shall be great among the heathen, thus saith the Lord!

JUNIOR SERMON    

MORNING PRAYER AND LORD’S PRAYER
Lord’s Prayer (pew card)
Prayer response                   G.F. Handel

Lord, I trust thee, I adore thee, Ah! Thou friend of man, restore me!  On thy loving grace relying, for the bread of life I'm sighing. Quench my thirst and let my hunger cease, fill my heart with joy and endless peace. When the breath of life has left me, may my soul be blended with thee.

* HYMN No. 579                    I Surrender All

SCRIPTURE LESSONS

Psalm 113: 1-9 Pew Bible, pg. 491

Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord; praise the name of theLord.
Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time on and forevermore.
From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised.
The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high,
who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?
He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.
He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord!

Luke 15: 1-10 Pew Bible, pg. 850

Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. “Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The Word of God for the people of God. Let the people of God say - AMEN!

THE SERMON                    ollie ollie oxen free Donna M. Field

WORSHIP OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS
Offering
Offertory:    Praise Ye the Lord of Hosts         Camille Saint-Saëns

Praise ye the Lord of hosts, Sing his salvation, bless His name, show  forth his praise in His holy house! Rejoice, ye heavens, and be joyful,  on earth, rejoice in the face of the Lord, for He cometh, Alleluia.  Rejoice, ye angels; rejoice all ye nations, now in the face of the  Lord, for He cometh. Alleluia.  

* The Doxology  (pew card)  
* Prayer of Dedication

* AFFIRMATION OF FAITH  Heidelberg Catechism, Question and Answer 1  

Leader: What is your only comfort in life and in death?

All:  That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, He also watches over me in such a way  and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.  that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.

* HYMN No. 641 All the Way My Savior Leads Me

* BENEDICTION TO EACH OTHER 

Go now in the strength of the Lord Jesus Christ, who appoints us for service and makes us faithful.

Response, Martin Shaw

And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost be upon you, and remain with you forever. Amen.  

POSTLUDE:     Recessional                         Frank  Asper

WE WELCOME DONNA MARIE FIELD to the pulpit.  Donna graduated from the New Brunswick Theological Seminary with a Masters in Divinity degree.  She will be leading our worship services until a permanent minister is in place.  

Church-wide BAR-B-QUE immediately after the service.  All are invited.  

CROP HUNGER WALK – Ending hunger one step at a time.

Proceeds go to Church World Service and the Greenpoint Reformed Church Hunger Program in Brooklyn, New York.

1:30 PM – Registration for CROP Walk
2:00 PM – Walk to Bowne Park
4:00 PM – Return to COTH for light refreshments

World Communion Sunday is October 6, 2013. We are looking for volunteers to help with the service.  If you can read/speak another language, we would love for you to help with the readings and prayers for that day.  There is a sign up sheet in Gessner Hall. All material will be assigned/handed out next Sunday.  See Donna if you have any questions. Thank you.

OUR APPRECIATION FOR TODAY’S VOLUNTEERS:

Van Drivers: Jorge Alamilla (AM), Marion Durney (PM)
Greeters: Carol Stark and Joan Werbel
Children and Worship: Michael Iovale and Sharon Rivilli

VAN GROCERY SHOPPING resumes this Tuesday, September 24th at 1:00 PM.  If you wish to join this ministry, speak with Gina Lombardo at (917) 767-2923. 

CHILDCARE during the worship hour 

Infants thru age 3 in the Educational Building, 1st floor, in Room 1A.

Children ages three to seven are invited to share in the service through the Junior Sermon, then go to Room 2E for the Children and Worship Program.

COFFEE HOUR VOLUNTEERS NEEDED – Please pick a date on the Sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in Gessner Hall or see Rhoda Jabbour.

PRAYER REQUESTS:  Ruth Bailey, Letty Delgado, Ed Diercks, Dombrowski Family, Edythe Durney, Alfred Gessner, Lisa Gessner, Robert Keller, Fritz Kunisch, Ann Martin, John Molino, Josephine Rivera, Gloria Scrivano, Janice Serra, Mary Wainwright.