The Church on the Hill
Communion Service
September 8, 2013 11:00 A.M.
* All who are able, please stand.
Please turn off your cellphones. Thank you.
PRELUDE: Baroques Suite Seth Bingham
WELCOME
* CELEBRATION OF FRIENDSHIP
* Gloria Patri (pew card)
* CALL TO WORSHIP AND SALUTATION Dorien Day
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: 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 Creator, our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
* HYMN No. 50 Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above
* 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
ANTHEM: If Ye Love Me Keep My Commandments Thomas Tallis
If ye love me, keep My commandments, and I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever. Ev'n the Spirit of the truth, that He may abide with you forever, Ev'n the Spirit of the truth.
SCRIPTURE LESSONS
Philemon 1: 1-21, Pew Bible, page 970
Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and co-worker, to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus. I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ. I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother.
For this reason, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do your duty, yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love—and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful both to you and to me. I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. I wanted to keep him with me, so that he might be of service to me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel; but I preferred to do nothing without your consent, in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not something forced.Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother—especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it. I say nothing about your owing me even your own self. Yes, brother, let me have this benefit from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ. Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.
Luke 14: 25-33, Pew Bible, page 850
Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.
THE SERMON The Cost of Discipleship Rev. Doug Estella
WORSHIP OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS
Offering
Offertory: Let the Mountains Shout for Joy Evan Stephens
Let the mountains shout for joy! Let the valley sing and the hills rejoice, let them all break forth into song. Let them shout and sing and be glad before the Lord. For the wilderness has blossomed as a rose, and the barren desert is a fruitful field. Joy and gladness now are found therein – thanksgiving and the voice of melody. Let the mountains shout for joy!
* The Doxology (pew card)
* Prayer of Dedication
* AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
* Apostles’ Creed (pew card)
SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION
Remembering with Love and Hope (pew card)
Invitation
Communion Prayer
Sanctus (pew card)
Mystery of the Faith (unison)
Christ has Died, Christ is Risen, Christ will come again.
Words of Institution
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING & INTERCESSION
Lord’s Prayer (pew card)
Prayer response George Whelpton
Hear our prayer, O Lord; incline thine ear to us, and grant us thy peace. Amen.
* HYMN No.661 Be Strong in the Lord
* BENEDICTION
Response Harold W. Friedell
Day by day, Dear Lord, of thee three things I pray: to see thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, follow thee more nearly, day by day.
POSTLUDE: Voluntary Seth Bingham
WE WELCOME Rev. Doug Estella to the pulpit. Rev. Estella, an Elmhurst, native, is an ordained minister in the RCA. He served as pastor of the Sunnyside Reformed Church from 2000 to 2006. For the past seven years, Doug has served as a teacher at the Academy of Urban Planning, a public high school in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn where he teaches English as Second Language. During that period, he continues to assist churches with regular pulpit supply. Doug and his wife, Janet, live in Sunnyside with their daughter, Renee.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
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 the Sunday before. See Donna if you have any questions. Many thanks in advance for your help.
OUR APPRECIATION FOR TODAY’S VOLUNTEERS:
Van Drivers: Gina Lombardo
Coffee Hour Hosts: Dina Antonucci, Irma Shubert, Carol Stark
Greeters: Nina and Bill Proschel, Dorothea Zelnick
Ushers: Ginny and Hong Chan, Judie and Buck Kellaway, Jeanne and Steve Sarran, Adriene and Bill Toy; Head Usher: Jerry Good
LARGE PRINT BULLETINS are available. Please ask an usher if you want one.
WOMEN’S CHRISTIAN CIRCLE LUNCHEON, September 21, 2013, 1-3 PM Bring your own sandwich. Dessert and beverage provided. A planning meeting for the Harvest Festival.
VAN SERVICE for Sunday worship, call Gina Lombardo at (917) 767-2923.
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: Ruth Bailey, Letty Delgado, Ed Diercks, Dombrowski Family, Edythe Durney, Alfred Gessner, Lisa Gessner, Robert Keller, Ann Martin, John Molino, Josephine Rivera, Gloria Scrivano, Janice Serra, Mary Wainwright.