Sunday Morning Worship Service
September 11, 2005
TO OUR GUESTS, we extend a warm welcome. We invite you to participate in signing our Friendship Folder, adding your address and phone number if you'd like to receive our church newsletter or a pastoral call. When we pray the Lord's Prayer at Bethel, we say "sins...sin against us" rather than "debts..." or "trespasses..."; during "a time for sharing" we welcome prayer requests from the congregation. On first Sundays each month, all who put their trust in Christ and who have received baptism in any Christian church are invited to share his sacred meal. We are glad you are with us. Please come again.
Bethel Presbyterian Church
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 11, 2005
GREETING, WORDS OF WELCOME, RITUAL OF FRIENDSHIP AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
This is the day that the Lord has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
PRELUDE
CALL TO WORSHIP
God is my strength and my might.
Praise God for all God’s greatness and power.
God is majestic in holiness and awesome in splendor.
Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall give praise to God.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
*HYMN #457 For the Beauty of the Earth Dix
*CALL TO CONFESSION
*UNISON CONFESSION OF SIN
God of love, we come to you now to confess our sins. We confess that we have been selfish and wasteful in the use of the gifts and talents you have given us. Like the servant, we tend to hoard things, lacking faith that enough will be provided. We give in to temptations we encounter and take for granted the blessings you give. We get carried away with our getting and spending, and forget about giving and sharing. Forgive us our selfishness. Forgive us our squandering. Forgive us our petty grudges which we carry endlessly. Restore us now in courage and faith and help us to love each other as Christ has taught. In his name we pray, Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting. I declare to you, in the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. May the God of mercy, who forgives you all your sins, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life.
Thanks be to God! In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!
*CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE Gloria Patri Hymn #579
OLD TESTAMENT Genesis 50:15-21
A TIME WITH THE CHILDREN
MINUTE FOR MISSION Third Century Campaign
ANTHEM Ninety and Nine Quartet:
Julie Bunch, Jim Condon, Mary Ann Hensley & Phil Walsh
NEW TESTAMENT Matthew 18:21-35
SERMON Keeping Score? Rev. Marc Sherrod, ThD
*HYMN #100 When I Survey the Wondrous Cross Rockingham
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
Who are we? We are neither good nor bad, we are both; and because God loves us we will love ourselves with healthy, unselfish love. We are neither guilty nor innocent, we are both; and because God forgives us we will forgive ourselves and forget past sins. We are neither loving nor hateful, we are both; and because God loves us, we will try to overcome hatred with love even for the people we dislike. We are neither pure nor impure, we are both; and because God accepts us through grace, we will accept ourselves and let God make something beautiful of us. We are neither bound nor free, we are both; and because God is freeing us daily, we will trust God’s power to deliver us as we boldly proclaim this good news. Who are we? We are God’s adopted children, the “good news” people, who have been raised from death to life. Thanks be to God! Amen.
SHARING OF PRAYER CONCERNS
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND LORD’S PRAYER
DEDICATION OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS
*DOXOLOGY Hymn #592
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
*HYMN #376 Love Divine, All Loves Excelling Hyfrydol
*CHARGE AND BLESSING
*POSTLUDE
*All who are able may stand.
Bethel offers Sunday school for children and four educational opportunities for adults at 9:45 A.M.
Childcare for babies and preschool age children is offered at 11:00 A.M.
Restrooms are located in our Educational Building on the first floor and the lower level.
Ushers can provide activity sheets for children and large print hymnals if needed.
The Liturgist today is Danny Holloway.
The Ushers today are Bill & Marianne Shadden.
The flowers are given by Ted and Lil Walton in memory of their daughter, Sharon McGill.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Please sign up for our upcoming trip to the Cumberland County Playhouse to see "Ain't Misbehavin'" on Sunday, October 9th at 2:30 p.m. We will carpool from Bethel leaving the parking lot at 2:00 p.m. A sign-up sheet is on the bulletin board in the back of the church. You may also call Alicia in the church office to sign up. The deadline for registration is tomorrow, September 12.
Commitment Cards for Bethel's Capital Funds Campaign are in the pews. Please prayerfully consider what your pledge will be and use an envelope when you place your card in the offering plate or send it to the church office.
|
Pledges to date
|
40 |
$ 339,009 |
| Funds on hand |
|
$ 200,000 |
| Total |
|
$539,009 |
Meet Gary Griffith at the front of the sanctuary following the service today if you wish to have a tour of the building to observe areas of concern with regard to safety issues.
Please mark your calendars for a Congregational Meeting on Sunday, September 18, when we will hear recommendations concerning a building program.
Congratulations to Sarah Young and Danny Thomas who were married Saturday in Clanton, Alabama. Sarah is the granddaughter of Marian Shields.
We recently had family photographs taken for our new pictorial directory. Some of you chose to have your complimentary 8X10 portrait sent to the church. A box of portraits has arrived and is on the counter in the narthex. Please stop by this morning and pick up your portrait. If your portrait is not in this box, it will arrive shortly. Please check again at next week’s service.
Prayer Concerns
Tom Roostee and his family in the death of his brother, Peter Roostee.
Doris Barber, Sue Carter, Al & Dot Davis,
Dannise McKinney, Madge Mounger, Duie Swicegood,
Justin Trivette, Margaret True, Evelyn Waldrup
Would you be willing to give an hour and fifteen minutes each Wednesday afternoon from 3:45 – 5:00 p.m. to a child? There are children who need extra help in their school work. An informational meeting for L3 volunteers is on Wednesday, September 14 at 7 p.m. at the Mission Center at Kingston United Methodist Church. For more information call Pat Rowan at 376-2071 or Daly Rogers at 376-6292.
Be sure to check the Lost and Found Box for any items you may have left behind.
We have a new exercise program that next week. Exercise with Bill will be lead by our own Bill Shenk, beginning September 19. It will run for a 6 week trial period on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 – 10 a.m. Be sure to watch future bulletins for more information.
The Mission Outreach Committee is collecting clothes for all seasons, household items and toys to take to Sunset Gap. Please place all donations in the designated area in the Choir Room.
What a wonderful response we have had for the Hurricane Katrina Victims! We have collected $1695 so far in addition to medical supplies, small stuffed animals, crayons, and paper. If you haven’t had a chance to make a donation, please prayerfully consider helping out in any way you can. We are still collecting medical supplies. Anything you find in your medicine cabinet or a first aid kit is welcome. Here are a few ideas:
|
4 X 4 Bandages
|
2 X 2 Bandages |
Ace Bandages |
| Kling Wrap |
Neosporin |
Alcohol |
| Hydrogen Peroxide |
Aspirin |
Tylenol |
| Advil |
Q-tips |
Cotton Balls |
| Facial Cloths |
Baby Wipes |
Chapstick |
The South Alabama Presbytery office is up and running and they have agreed to help with this coordination. The Executive is Samford Turner. He has asked for the following: Work crews to remove trees and debris from roads and yards so that people could get into their homes. These work crews are needed now and they need to be self-sufficient, i.e., bring water, food and maybe even tents to sleep in.
So far, here at Bethel, we have a team of eleven volunteers who have agreed to go to the disaster area as part of our response team with the Presbytery of East Tennessee. Additionally, ten homes have been offered to house evacuees, if needed. Additional volunteers will certainly be needed to help with local transportation, food, etc.
For more information or if you wish to volunteer, please call Deb Hyder, Marc Sherrod or Alicia Webb in the church office at 376-6340.
THIS WEEK'S EVENTS
|
Sunday
|
Sep 11 |
Session Meeting |
6:00 P.M.
|
| Monday |
Sep 12 |
Headstart Policy Meeting
Boy Scout Meeting
|
9:00 A.M.
7:00 P.M.
|
| Tuesday |
Sep 13 |
Fun Lunch |
12:00 P.M. |
| Wednesday |
Sep 14 |
Handbell Practice
Choir Practice
|
5:45 P.M.
7:15 P.M.
|
| Sunday |
Sep 18 |
Congregational Meeting |
11:30 P.M. |
Attendance Last Week – 123
Average Attendance in 2005 – 111
| Undesignated Offering |
$ 5,809.80 |
| Parish Nurse |
$40.00 |
| Rental Property |
$750.00 |
| Hurricane Katrina Relief |
$1,695.00 |
| Miss Dot Hunger Fund |
$20.00 |
| H.O.M.E. |
$25.00 |
| Building Fund |
$3,512.00 |
| TOTAL |
$11,851.80 |
|
