Psalm

January 18, 2015

PRELUDE:

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, Johann Sebastian Bach
Amazing Grace, arr. Gilbert M. Martin

WELCOME
* CELEBRATION OF FRIENDSHIP
* SANCTUS (pew card)             

* CALL TO WORSHIP, Sue Nicholas     

Leader:    Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise God’s holy name.
People:    Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.
Leader:    Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding.
People:    Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you the servants who do his will.
Leader:    Praise the LORD, all the works everywhere in his dominion.
People:    Praise the LORD, O my soul.

* SALUTATION

* HYMN No. 9: Sing Praise to the Father

* PRAYER OF CONFESSION  (unison)

Holy and merciful God, in your presence we confess our sinfulness, our shortcomings, and our offenses against you and one another. You alone know how often we have sinned in wandering from your ways, in wasting your gifts, in forgetting your love. Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we are sorry for all we have done to displease you and to harm our neighbor. Forgive our sins, and help us to live in your light and walk in your ways. Amen.

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

JUNIOR SERMON

ANTHEM: Soon and Very Soon, Andrae Crouch

Soon and very soon we are going to see the King; Hallelujah!  We're going to see the King. No more dying there, we are going to see the King;  Hallelujah!  We're going to see the King.

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. 451: Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy

SCRIPTURE READINGS

Psalm 91:1-6, 9-12, Pew Bible, page 477

You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.”
For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence; he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
You will not fear the terror of the night, or the arrow that flies by day, or the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or the destruction that wastes at noonday.
Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.

Matthew 4:1-17, Pew Bible, page 785

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’” Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.” From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

THE SERMON: Human Navigation, Rev. Blaine D. Crawford

WORSHIP OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS
    Offering
    Offertory: I Shall Not Be Moved, arr. Alice Parker

Glory Hallelujah, I shall not be moved, Anchored in Jehovah I shall not be moved, just like a tree that's planted by the waters, I shall not be moved.
In His love abiding, I shall not be moved, and in Him confiding, I shall not be moved, just like a tree that's planted by the waters, I shall not be moved.
Though all Hell assail me, I shall not be moved.  Jesus will not fail me, I shall not be moved, just like a tree that's planted by the waters, I shall not be moved.
Though the tempest rages, I shall not be moved, On the Rock of Ages, I shall not be moved, just like a tree that's planted by the waters, I shall not be moved.

    * The Doxology  (pew card)
    * Prayer of Dedication

* AFFIRMATION OF FAITH: Apostles’ Creed (pew card)

* HYMN No. 502: Amazing Grace!  How Sweet the Sound

* BENEDICTION 
    * Response: Sevenfold Amen, John Stainer

POSTLUDE: Work for the Night is Coming, arr. H. Alexander Matthews

ANNOUNCEMENTS
JANUARY 18, 2015

WE WELCOME Rev. Blaine Crawford and his wife Brittnee to the Church on the Hill.  If you wish to contact the pastor, you may call him at the church (718) 358-3671, the parsonage (718) 353-1960 or email him at pastor_at_churchonthehill.org.

The Service of Installation for Pastor Blaine will be held on Sunday, February 8, 2015 at 5:00 PM.  All are invited to attend.

OUR COFFEE HOUR is given by Marion and Ray Durney in appreciation of the Auction Volunteers.  After the service, all are invited downstairs to Gessner Hall for a time of fellowship. 

OUR FLOWERS are given by the Auction Committee in appreciation of Marion and Ray Durney and Glenda and Jorge Alamilla.

SOUPER BOWL SUNDAY – FEBRUARY 1, 2015: The Sunday School will again participate in the national “Souper Bowl of Caring” campaign on Super Bowl Sunday.  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 Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen.

OUR APPRECIATION FOR TODAY’S VOLUNTEERS:

Van Drivers: Jean & Gerry Mendler (am), Bill Proschel & Gerry Mendler (PM)
Greeters: Nancy Gessner, Eva Munoz
Ushers: Judie Kellaway, Jean Mendler, Debra Rossi and Irma Schubert

LARGE PRINT BULLETINS are available.  Ask an usher if you need one.

2015 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).  

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.   

PRAYER REQUESTS: Jorel Andaluz, Grace Attanasio, Marilyn Cooney, Letty Delgardo, Ed Diercks, Dombrowski Family, Edythe Durney, Jenny Hampton, Richard Holm, Robert Keller, 1st Lt. Alexandra Knese (in Liberia), Karen Krieg, Fritz Kunisch, Ann McCaffrey-Amalfitano, Nora McCarthy, Rev. John H. Meyer, John Molino, Marge Renstrom, Josephine Rivera, Janice Serra

October 19, 2014

PRELUDE

Prelude and Fugue in a minor, Johann Sebastians Bach
If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee, Johann Sebastians Bach

WELCOME
* CELEBRATION OF FRIENDSHIP
* SANCTUS (pew card)             

* CALL TO WORSHIP AND SALUTATION, Nancy Gessner

Leader:     Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; sing the glory of God’s name.
People:     How awesome are your deeds, O God! We sing praises to your name.
Leader:     Come and see what God has done: turning the sea into dry land; bringing us across the river Jordan.
People:     How awesome are your deeds, O God! We sing praises to your name. 
Leader:     Grace and peace to you from God our Creator, our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

-- adapted from Psalm 66

* HYMN No. 29:  O Worship the King

* PRAYER OF CONFESSION  (unison)     

God, we are blessed because You do not count our sins against us. When we acknowledge our sins, You forgive us and we are guilty no more. When we acknowledge our sins, You become our hiding place and surround us with songs of deliverance. Free us now from the trappings of our sin. Give us hearts that yearn for You instead of hearts filled with rebellion. Remind us that dwelling with You and Your purpose for our lives is far better than any temptation we face. Thank You for Your great grace and unfailing compassion.  In Jesus’ Name we pray.  Amen.

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

ANTHEM:  The First Song of Isaiah, Jack Noble White

The Chancel and Junior Choirs

Surely, it is God who saves me; I will trust in him and not be afraid. For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense, and he will be my Savior.
Therefore you shall draw water with rejoicing from the springs of salvation.  And on that day you shall say, Give thanks to the Lord, and call upon his Name.
Make his deeds known among the peoples; see that they remember that his Name is exalted.  Sing the praises of the Lord, for he has done great things, and this is known in all the world.
Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy, for the great one in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel.

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. 224: Ask Ye What Great Thing I Know

SCRIPTURE READING

Hebrews 1: 1-4, Pew Bible, page 970

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

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

THE SERMON:  The Superiority of Jesus Christ!, Rev. Donteena Edwards

WORSHIP OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS
    Offering
   Offertory:  My Eternal King, Jane Marshall

My God, I love Thee; not because I hope for heaven thereby, Nor yet because who love Thee not must die eternally. Thou, O my Jesus, Thou didst me Upon the cross embrace; For me didst bear the nails, the nails and spear, And manifold disgrace.
Why, then why, O blessed Jesus Christ, Should I not love thee well? Not for the hope of winning heaven, Or of escaping hell. Not with the hope of gaining aught, Not seeking a reward; But as Thyself hast loved me, O everlasting Lord!
E’en so I love Thee, and will love, And in Thy praise will sing; Solely because Thou art my God, And my Eternal King.

    * The Doxology  (pew card)
    * Prayer of Dedication

* AFFIRMATION OF FAITH 
    * Apostles’ Creed (pew card)        

* HYMN No. 211:  Lead Me to Calvary

* BENEDICTION 
    Response, Théodore Dubois

Thee we adore, O Saviour, bless Thee and praise Thee for ever, for on Thy holy cross Thou has the world from sin redeemed.

POSTLUDE:  Chaccone, Louis Couperin

ANNOUNCEMENTS

WE WELCOME BACK TO OUR PULPIT the Rev. Dr. Donteena Edwards, a former student intern at The Church on the Hill.  Donteena received her Doctor of Ministry from New Brunswick Theological Seminary.  Her doctoral thesis was “Aging in Church and in Community”, which speaks to her interest in the elderly.  Currently, she is the academic dean and one of the instructors at Westbury Bethel Bible Institute.

TODAY’S COFFEE HOUR is hosted by the Congregational Care Committee in honor of the October birthdays.  Please join us in this time of fellowship.

THE FLOWERS are given by Reeta and Ted Dombrowski in celebration of their 15th Wedding Anniversary.

SYNODICAL ASSESSMENT:  If you have not given a special offering for your assessment ($95.00 per member), please help us by making the payment.  The Synodical and Classical Assessment is the amount we owe Reformed Church in America for your membership.  

SAVE THE DATE:  ANNUAL AUCTION – Saturday, January 10, 2015

LOOKING AHEAD – Mark your calendars!

  • Sun. Oct. 26    9:30 AM    Men’s Communion Breakfast (insert)
  • Sat. Nov. 15    10:00 AM    HARVEST FESTIVAL (inserts)

OUR APPRECIATION FOR TODAY’S VOLUNTEERS:

Van Drivers: Gary LiBert (AM), Bill Proschel (PM)
Greeters: Nina and Bill Proschel, Dorothea Zelnick
Ushers: Wai and Richard Chu, Cathy and Tom Doyle
Children and Worship: Kathy Bracken and Sarah White

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).  

COFFEE HOUR VOLUNTEERS NEEDED – To host a coffee hour, put your name on the sign-up sheet in Gessner Hall or speak with Rhoda Jabbour.

PRAYER REQUESTS: Grace Attanasio, Ruth Bailey, Kenneth Cornwell, Letty Delgardo, Ed Diercks, Dombrowski Family, Edythe Durney, Jenny Hampton, Robert Keller, Karen Krieg, Fritz Kunisch, Harvey Moder, John Molino, Marge Renstrom, Josephine Rivera, Janice Serra, Evelyn Stuedly

Also, pray for 1st Lt. Alexandra Knese, U.S. Army and a daughter of this congregation, who will be deployed to Liberia, Africa on November 1.

July 20, 2014 - Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

PRELUDE:

Prelude and Fugue in e minor, Johann Sebastian Bach
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, Johann Sebastian Bach

WELCOME
* CELEBRATION OF FRIENDSHIP
* SANCTUS (pew card)             

* CALL TO WORSHIP AND SALUTATION, Emerson Chen

Leader:     O come, let us sing to the Lord;
People:     Let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation!
Leader:     Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
People:     Let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
Leader:     O come, let us worship and bow down,
People:     Let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
Leader:     For he is our God,
People:     And we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
Leader:     Grace and peace to you from God our Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.   
ALL:     Amen. 

– Psalm 95: 1-2, 6-7

* HYMN No. 34:  Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart

* 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

ACT OF PRAISE:  Hear My Prayer, O Lord, Antonín Dvořák

Emerson Chen, baritone

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

* HYMN No. 311:  God Has Spoken by His Prophets

SCRIPTURE READINGS

Psalm 100, Pew Bible, page 481

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing.
Know that the Lord is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name.
For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Acts 17: 1- 28, Pew Bible, page 901

After Paul and Silas had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three sabbath days argued with them from the scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This is the Messiah, Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you.” Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. But the Jews became jealous, and with the help of some ruffians in the marketplaces they formed a mob and set the city in an uproar. While they were searching for Paul and Silas to bring them out to the assembly, they attacked Jason’s house. When they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some believers before the city authorities, shouting, “These people who have been turning the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has entertained them as guests. They are all acting contrary to the decrees of the emperor, saying that there is another king named Jesus.” The people and the city officials were disturbed when they heard this, and after they had taken bail from Jason and the others, they let them go.
That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas off to Beroea; and when they arrived, they went to the Jewish synagogue. These Jews were more receptive than those in Thessalonica, for they welcomed the message very eagerly and examined the scriptures every day to see whether these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, including not a few Greek women and men of high standing. But when the Jews of Thessalonica learned that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Beroea as well, they came there too, to stir up and incite the crowds.Then the believers immediately sent Paul away to the coast, but Silas and Timothy remained behind. Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and after receiving instructions to have Silas and Timothy join him as soon as possible, they left him.
While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he argued in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and also in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. Also some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers debated with him. Some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign divinities.” (This was because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.) So they took him and brought him to the Areopagus and asked him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? It sounds rather strange to us, so we would like to know what it means.” Now all the Athenians and the foreigners living there would spend their time in nothing but telling or hearing something new.
Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, “Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us. For ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’

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

THE SERMON:  Why Worship?, Rev. Douglas Estella

WORSHIP OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS
    Offering
   Offertory:  The Beatitudes, Albert Hay Malotte

    * The Doxology  (pew card)
    * Prayer of Dedication

* AFFIRMATION OF FAITH 
    * Apostles’ Creed (pew card)

* HYMN No. 543:  Christ Beside Me 

* BENEDICTION 
      Response

POSTLUDE:  Trumpet Tune, Henry Purcell

ANNOUNCEMENTS

WE WELCOME BACK THE REV. DOUGLAS ESTELLA TO THE PULPIT.  Rev. Estella previously served as pastor of the Sunnyside Reformed Church and currently teaches ESL at the Academy of Urban Planning. 

APPRECIATIONS: We thank Emerson Chen for sharing his musical talents to enhance our worship service.

OUR WORSHIP HOURS will continue at the 10:00 AM hour through Labor Day Sunday, August 31, 2014.

2014 VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

Weird Animals – Where Jesus’ Love Is One-of-a-Kind

August 11- 15, 9:30 AM- 12:30 PM; Fee: $40 per child
Registration taken thru July 31; Forms at the back of the church

VAN SERVICE for worship service will not be available during the summer but will resume on September 7th.

CROP WALK September 21, 2014 – Donation envelopes are available at the back of the sanctuary.

FINANCE – Please remember to submit your pledge cards for 2014.  If you have already done so, thank you.  If you need a pledge card, speak to an usher or call the church office.

YEAR-ROUND COLLECTIONS – 

  • Donations for the Food for Kids Ministry should be brought to the Church office.  During the school year, 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: Grace Attanasio, Ruth Bailey, Letty Delgardo, Ed Diercks, Dombrowski Family, Edythe Durney, Jenny Hampton, Robert Keller, Fritz Kunisch, Gina Lombardo, John Molino, Josephine Rivera, Janice Serra, Evelyn Stuedly

March 9, 2014 - First Sunday in Lent

PRELUDE

Prelude and Fugue in e minor, J.S. Bach
Prelude on “Rhosymedre”, R. Vaughan-Williams

WELCOME
* CELEBRATION OF FRIENDSHIP
* SANCTUS (pew card)

* CALL TO WORSHIP AND SALUTATION, Christina Schaub

Leader:  Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
People:  Happy are those to whom the LORD imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
Leader:  Therefore let all who are faithful offer prayer to you; at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them.
People:  You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with glad cries of deliverance. 
Leader:  Grace and peace to you from God our Father, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.  
ALL:  Amen. 

– from Psalm 32:1-2, 6-7

* HYMN No. 200:  Lord, Who Throughout

* 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:  Forty Days, Dave Brubeck

Forty days alone in the desert, days and nights of constant prayer, seeking in the wailing wind an answer to despair, forty days of questioning: Why was he there? In the desert, in the lonely desert Forty days of fasting and prayer, searching for his destined role, thirsting after righteousness and nourishing his soul, seeking inward miracles to reach his goal.  In the desert, in the lonely desert, after forty days in the desert, He and God became as One.  Jesus found within Himself the Father's will is done.  He must prove to doubting man: He is the Son.  In the desert, in the lonely desert.

(Mark 1:12-13)

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. 192:  O Sing a Song of Bethlehem

SCRIPTURE READINGS

Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7, Pew Bible, page 2

The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.

And the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.”

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.’ “But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.

Matthew 4:1-11, Pew Bible, page 785

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’” Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

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

THE SERMON:  Dealing with Temptation: Whom Do You Trust?, Rev. Douglas Estella

WORSHIP OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS
    Offering
   Offertory:  When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, arr. Gilbert M. Martin

When I survey the wondrous cross, On which the Prince of glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, save in the death of Christ, my God! All the vain things that charm me most I sacrifice them to his blood. See from His head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down! Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown? Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small. Love, so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all!  Amen.

    * The Doxology (pew card)
    * Prayer of Dedication

* AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
    The Apostles’ Creed (pew card)

* HYMN No. 194:  Jesus Came, the Heavens Adoring

* BENEDICTION 
    Response, Théodore Dubois

Thee we adore, O Saviour, bless Thee and praise Thee for ever, for on Thy holy cross Thou has the world from sin redeemed.

POSTLUDE:  Prelude on “Hyfrydol”, R. Vaughan-Williams

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.

OUR APPRECIATION FOR TODAY’S VOLUNTEERS:

Van Driver: Jorge Alamilla
Coffee Hour Host: Rhoda Jabbour
Greeters: Virginia Andrews and Debra Rossi
Ushers: Mary and Andy Bow, Wai and Matthew Chu and Jerry Good
Children and Worship: Judie Kellaway and Yessenia Iovale-Perez

LARGE PRINT BULLETINS are available.  Ask an usher if you need one.

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).

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 – 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: Grace Attanasio, Ruth Bailey, Letty Delgardo, 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