this week's bulletin - Saint Matthew United Methodist

*GLORIA PATRI
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
And to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be;
World without end. Amen. Amen.
Order of Worship
December 28, 2014
First Sunday After Christmas
We are glad you are here to worship this morning. An asterisk (*) indicates the
congregation stands, if able. Please see an usher if a hearing device would be helpful.
PRELUDE
The Fifers
Dandrieu
CHIMING OF THE HOUR
*PROCESSIONAL HYMN
O Come, All Ye Faithful
234
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Creative God, you make all things new in heaven and on earth.
We come to you in a new year with new desires and old fears,
new decisions and old weaknesses. Because you are a God of
hope, we know that you create all the possibilities of the future.
Because you are a God of love, we know that you accept all the
mistakes of the past. Because you are a God of our faith, we
enter your gates with thanksgiving and praise, we come into your
presence with gladness and a joyful noise, and we serve and bless
you. Amen.
GREETINGS AND CONCERNS OF THE CHURCH
6
CHILDREN’S TIME
Cari Treece
(Following the Prayer and during the hymn, 3K-1st Grade age children
may go to sanctuary entrance to be led to Children’s Church on the second
floor of the Education Building. If escorted by a parent, children
younger than three may be taken to the to the nursery on the first floor
of the Education Building.)
RESPONSIVE READING
Isaiah 55: 6-11
Psalm 98
p. 818
PASTORAL PRAYER AND THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in
heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us
our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against
us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from
evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
forever. Amen.
*HYMN OF PREPARATION Good Christian Friends Rejoice
CONFESSION OF FAITH: NO. 181
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord;
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead and buried;
the third day he rose from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
OFFERTORY
“Seek the LORD while he may be found,
call upon him while he is near;
7
let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the LORD, that he may have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
9
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and return not thither but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11
so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
224
Galatians 4:3-7
Candlelight Carol
Rutter
*DOXOLOGY
95
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures here below;
Praise God, above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
*SCRIPTURE LESSON
Leader: The Word of God for the people of God
People: Thanks be to God
Galatians 4: 3-7
Marc Murphy
SERMON
“Good, Old-Fashioned Discipline”
*CLOSING HYMN
I Am Thine, O Lord
BENEDICTION
May The Peace Of God Go With You
POSTLUDE
SCRIPTURES
Isaiah 55:6-11
OFFERTORY PRAYER
*PASSING OF THE PEACE
*SCRIPTURE LESSON
Leader: The Word of God for the people of God
People: Thanks be to God
70
Fugue on the “Kyrie”
419
Hopson
Couperin
3
So with us; when we were children, we were
slaves to the elemental spirits of the universe. 4 But when the time had fully come, God
sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under
the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the
law, so that we might receive adoption as
sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent
the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying,
“Abba! Father!” 7 So through God you are no
longer a slave but a son, and if a son then an heir.
Opportunities and Announcements
Liturgist
Children’s Church Assistant
Crucifer
Acolytes
CHURCH CALENDAR
Sunday, December 28
8:45 am
Day by Day Service
10:00 am
Sunday School
11:00 am
Traditional Service
5:00 pm
Sr. Boys (Bizell) Basketball
6:00 pm
UMYF
Ushers
Altar Guild
Pew Angels
Sunday, January 4
5:00 pm Youth Council Mtg.-Fellowship Hall
Help Others to
EAT MORE CHICKEN!
Join us in providing meals to
GAIHN families.
For every meal purchased for
GAIHN,
Laurens Road Chick-fil-A will
also provide a meal!
To participate just let any
cashier know that you wish to
purchase a GAIHN Meal!
Sunday, January 11
5:30 pm Ski Trip Meeting-Fellowship Hall
Greenville
Area
Interfaith
Hospitality
Network
PRAYER CONCERNS
Those In Need Of Prayer
Bill Cox
Parker Gaillard
Art Eberly
June Gaillard
Gage Hood
Margaret Huskey
Eugenia Keck
Eric & Teri Lockwood
Alvin McCall
Tom Pizzolato
Ethel Sherrill
Ellen Slatton
Dick Young
The Homebound
Georgia Clarke
Miles Day
Serving Our County
Evan Childers
Chad Cunningham
Tom Jordan
Jeffrey Van Camp, Jr.
Kris Welanetz
Jay Meredith, Garrett Brown, Betty Davis,
Mark Murphy, Chris Taylor
Laura Bridgeman, Carrie Johnson, Lillian
Darby, Jennie Carrington, Adelaide Johnson
Gay Davis, Helen Graben
of Laurens Road
Upcoming Youth Events
(Anna Cobb’s daughter-in-law
Kyle Brady
Ethan Treece
Evans Easler
John Cree & Ben Treece
Serving This Month
Monday, December 29
Tuesday, December 30
7:00 pm
Men’s Marital Group
7:30 pm
CMA Group
Wednesday, December 31
CHURCH OFFICES CLOSED
Thursday, January 1
CHURCH OFFICES CLOSED
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Friday, January 2
7:00 am
Men’s Breakfast
6:30 pm
NA meeting
Saturday, January 3
8:30 am
Youth Basketball Games
3:30 pm Early Service Setup
Judy Cochran
Ashley Cobb
Serving This Sunday
Doris Fisher
Jim Gibbs
Mary Walker Morris
Lois Smith
Mildred Thompson
Out of Town Prayers
Bradley Pugh (Olivia Pugh’s grandson)
Ann Shock (Helen’s Mom)
Bill Niver (brother of Elinor DeYoung)
St. Matthew
United Methodist Church
701 Cleveland Street
Greenville, SC 29601
www.stmatthewumc.net
Office: 864-242-1966
M-Th 8:30 - 5:00
F
8:30 - 12:30
Preschool: 864-242-2880
Ministers
The Congregation
Senior Pastor
Rev. Steven Brown
864-242-1966
Director of Christian Education
Cari Treece
864-242-1966
[email protected]
Church Office
Administrator
Susan Woods
864-242-1966
[email protected]
Director of Preschool
Christina Via
864-242-1966
[email protected]
Organist
Sam Taylor
Day by Day Service
[email protected]
Our Mission
To continue Christ’s work in the
world.
Our Vision
To be a congregation of disciples that
values children, youth and families, and
communicates the story of faith to
them in creative ways. To build the
Christian community by increasing our
ministry to all ages through a variety of
activities and worship approaches that
reach out to others with the lifetransforming message of the gospel.
Church Custodian
Pam Worthy
[email protected]
Youth Director
Clint Henderson
864-430-0861
[email protected]
Children’s Choir Director
Jody Webb
864-640-2832.
[email protected]
Facilities Manager
Michael Craig
God’s Hands & Feet Ministry
864-242-1966
Nursery
Tekeisha Adams
Sandra Niven
Valerie Gray
Jessie Zettler
Beverly Hawkins
Consider . . .
In the twenty-fifth day of the month of December;
In the year two-thousand and fifty-one from the birth of Abraham;
In the year one-thousand five-hundred and ten from the going
forth of the people of Egypt under Moses;
In the year one-thousand and thirty-two from the anointing of
David as king;
In the sixty-fifth week according to the prophecy of Daniel;
In the one-hundred and ninety-fourth Olympiad;
In the year seven-hundred and fifty-two from the foundation of
the city of Rome;
In the forty-second year of the reign of the Emperor Octavian
Augustus;
In the sixth age of the world, while the whole earth was at peace;
Jesus Christ, eternal God and the Son of the eternal Father,
willing to consecrate the world by His gracious coming, having
been conceived of the Holy Spirit, and the nine months of His
conception being now accomplished, was born in Bethlehem of
Judea of the Virgin Mary. This is the birthday of our Lord Jesus
Christ, according to the flesh.
(From the Roman Martyrology www.catholicculture.org)
It did, indeed, come to pass that the promised Messiah came to
ransom captive Israel and captive humanity. Though we might
quibble over the reckoning of some periods of time, God did what
He said. He kept His promise made across the years.
And so we wait again. We who celebrated Christmas this week
now wait again. For Christ has promised He will come again — if
not in 2015 then in some time beyond. The passing of time can go
so slowly, especially when we have to wait. Yet the pile of calendars
at our feet does not deter His coming nor void His promise. The
One who waited from eternity past to be born in the manger did
come at right time. And He will come again at the right time.
We begin, again, to tell the story of Jesus Christ this year,
reminding ourselves of seasons and times through the church
calendar. It starts with Advent and will end with Christ the King
Sunday as we live in the light of His promise to return as King.
And so we who live in the interim wait and watch, preparing our
lives in hope and grace, and rejoicing in Him “who was, and is, and is
to come'" (Revelation 1:8).
With Joy, Steve