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SCRIPTURES
Order of Worship
November 16, 2014
23rd Sunday After Pentecost
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
Andante Con Motto
Mendelssohn
All Who Hunger
TFWS 2126
CHIMING OF THE HOUR
*PROCESSIONAL HYMN
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Lord Jesus Christ, giver of the bread and giver of the cup, this
day we celebrate afresh this meal of remembrance your great
gifts of grace. Remind us of the gift of salvation and the gift of
eternal life you have given us. Remind us of your love, and
remind us of your forgiveness. Remind us we have been made
acceptable to God and included in God’s family. Lord, in this
service and at your table, help us to remember who you are, who
we are, and whose we are – now and forever. In your name we
pray and remember this day. Amen.
GREETINGS AND CONCERNS OF THE CHURCH
*PASSING OF THE PEACE
*SCRIPTURE READING
Romans 5:6-10
Reader: The Word of God for the people of God
People: Thanks be to God
(Following the Scripture Reading, children ages 3K-5K 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 nursery on the first floor of the Education Building.)
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
Jesus, The Very Thought Of Thee
OFFERTORY PRAYER
175
OFFERTORY
Beethoven/Clatterbuck
Hold Lord We Glorify Thy Name
*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. Amen.
*SCRIPTURE LESSON
Leader: The Word of God for the people of God
People: Thanks be to God
John 3:16-21
SERMON
Rev. Brown
“For God So Loves You”
INVITATION: Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him,
who earnestly repent of their sin and seek to live
in peace with one another. Therefore, let us confess
our sin before God and one another.
CONFESSION:
Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved
you with our whole heart. We have failed to be
an obedient church. We have not done your will,
we have broken your law, we have rebelled
against your love, we have not loved our neighbors
and we have not heard the cry of the needy.
Forgive us, we pray. Free us for joyful obedience,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hear the good news:
Christ died for us while we were yet sinners;
that proves God’s love toward us.
In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!
In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!
GREAT THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNION
COMMUNION ANTHEM
When I Survey The Wondrous Cross
*CLOSING HYMN
BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE
Fairest Lord Jesus
O, Blessed Be The Lord
Rejoice My Soul
13-15
Romans 5:6-10
6
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for
the ungodly. 7 Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous
person — though perhaps for a good person someone might
actually dare to die. 8 But God proves his love for us in that while
we still were sinners Christ died for us. 9 Much more surely then,
now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved
through him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were
enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his
Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved
by his life.
John 3:16-21
16
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so
that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have
eternal life.
17
“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to
condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved
through him. 18 Those who believe in him are not condemned; but
those who do not believe are condemned already, because they
have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this
is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and
people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were
evil. 20 For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the
light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21 But those who do
what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that
their deeds have been done in God.”
John 1:10-12
10
He was in the world, and the world came into being through
him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his
own, and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who
received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to
become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of
the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
Prayer Concerns
Hunnicutt
189
Arr.
Bach
Those In Need Of Prayer
Judy Cochran
Ashley Cobb
(Anna Cobb’s daughter-in-law)
Bill Cox
Parker Dempsey
Art Eberly
Georgia Clarke
Miles Day
June Gaillard
Gage Hood
Eugenia Keck
Eric & Teri Lockwood
Alvin McCall
Tom Pizzolato
The Homebound
Bruce Richmond
Ethel Sherrill
Ellen Slatton
Jim Taylor
Dick Young
Doris Fisher
Lois Smith
Jim Gibbs
Mildred Thompson
Mary Walker Morris
Serving Our Country
Out Of Town Prayers
Evan Childers
Ann Shock
Chad Cunningham
Tom Jordan
(Helen’s Mom)
Jeffrey Van Camp, Jr.
Kris Welanetz
Parker Gaillard
Opportunities and Announcements
Thanksgiving Grace
Church Calendar
Sunday, November 16
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
Monday, November 17
6:00 pm Sr Basketball Games
Tuesday, November 18
6:00 pm
I-Mites Basketball Practice
7:00 pm
Men’s Marital Group
7:30 pm
CMA Group
Wednesday, November 19
5:00 pm Retreat Committee Meeting
5:45 pm Wonderful Wed. meal
6:15 pm Younger Children’s Choir
6:20 pm Handbells
6:30 pm Bible study Fellowship Hall
6:35 pm Older Children’s Choir
7:00 pm Adult Choir Practice
7:30 pm Sr Boys (Brown/Anderson)
Basketball Practice
Thursday, November 20
11:30 am Meanderers Lunch at
Blockhouse Restaurant
no bus available
7:15 pm International Folkdance
Friday, November 21
7:00 am Men's Breakfast/Bible Study
6:30 pm NA meeting
Saturday, November 22
8:30 am Youth Basketball Games
3:30 pm Early Service Setup
St. Matthew works with other
churches during this time of year to
bless families that are broken. On the
Saturday before Thanksgiving (22nd),
during lunchtime, we offer
thanksgiving food and fellowship to
children living in foster care and to
their birth families. The parents are
often working through addictions or
significant pain to regain their family
unit. Half of them will succeed. We
offer grace, so the child can better
enjoy a very stressful holiday season.
This family-friendly event is held
off-campus. If interested in decorating,
serving, or fellowship, please engage
David White of Fostering Great Ideas
at [email protected] or 567-5216.
God’s Hands and Feet
is looking for a few
good men and women who are
looking to serve others.
Contact Keith Cook or Gary Groff
if you are interested. Thank you!
PLEASE CHECK YOUR COAT CLOSETS!
The message below came out from United Ministries, and the Missions Committee
is bringing it to the attention of St. Matthew to see if we can help this effort. No
need to buy anything, just please check your closets for any seldom-worn or
no-longer-ever-worn-coats, hats, gloves, socks and scarves! (You are welcome to
buy new items if you’d prefer!) Make sure the items are clean and then bring them
to St. Matthew and leave them in the Missions Collection Bins in the Narthex or
Church Office by December 7. The Missions Committee will see to it that these
donations make it to United Ministries in time for the Coat Distribution Day.
Thank you so much! Please read below the message from United Ministries:
“United Ministries Coat Drive - You Can Help
Each December United Ministries sponsors a Coat Give-away. We do this one
morning in December. Our participants come, try on and pick a coat that fits
them that they like. We also give away gloves, hats, and socks. We are asking for
clean coats in all sizes, but particularly men’s and women’s large, XL and XXL.
Please do not wrap the coats as we hang them on a rack so that they can be easily
seen. We can also use knitted hats, gloves and socks. Many thanks…!
To order a poinsettia in honor or in memory of a loved one
please complete this form and place it with a check payable
to Saint Matthew UMC in the offering plate. The cost of
each plant is $11.50. Deadline for ordering is Monday,
December 8. The flowers will adorn the sanctuary in
December.
In memory/honor of:
By:
(Please circle memory or honor)
Serving This Sunday
Liturgist
Jacob Cree
Children’s Church Assistant
Ethan Treece
Crucifer
Kate Geedie
Acolytes
John Cree & Gray Geddie
Serving This Month
Ushers
Jay Meredith, Jason Lynch, Lee Geddie,
Mike Shull, Anna Cobb
Altar Guild
Mary Douglas Hirsch, Julie Hair
Pew Angels
Karen Brown & Sarah Jane Tollison
Have you visited St Matthew’s
Facebook Page recently?
Don’t forget to “Like” us!
Account:
http://on.fb.me/1uispkd
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
Church Office
Administrator
Susan Woods
864-242-1966
[email protected]
Senior Pastor
Rev. Steven Brown
864-242-1966
Director of Preschool
Christina Via
864-242-1966
[email protected]
Organist
Sam Taylor
Day by Day Service
[email protected]
Church Custodian
Pam Worthy
[email protected]
Follow us on Twitter to keep up with
exciting news and learn about what’s
going on at St Matthew UMC!
Account: StMattUMC
Just type this link and
you can follow us:
https://twitter.com/StMattUMC
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.
Youth Director
Clint Henderson
864-430-0861
[email protected]
Children’s Choir Director
Jody Webb
864-640-2832.
[email protected]
Interim Children’s Ministry
Director
Nancy Moseley
864-384-8451
[email protected]
Facilities Manager
Michael Craig
God’s Hands & Feet Ministry
864-242-1966
Nursery
Valerie Gray
Sandra Niven
Katelyn Kirkpatrick Jessie Zettler
Beverly Hawkins
November 16, 2014
23rd Sunday After Pentecost
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
(John 3:16)
For God so love the world . . . that the He rolled some dirt into a
ball, spun it on His finger a few times, and set it out into space. He
turned on the sun to keep it warm, set the moon in place to raise
the tides, and filled the night sky with stars to sparkle and shine. He
planted trees and bushes and grass and dandelions, filling the earth
with flowers and fauna vast enough to cover the landscape and
different enough to fill encyclopedias. He created lions and tigers
and bears (oh, my!) for the jungles, bass and trout for the rivers,
whales and dolphins and sea turtles for the oceans, and cows and
horses and chickens for the farms, wrens and sparrows and
monkeys for the trees, and all the other animals, fish, birds,
reptiles, and even bugs that fill the earth, sky and seas.
For God so loved the world . . . that He knelt down and scooped
up a pile of dirt and shaped it into a man that looked a little bit like
Him. Then, He drew him close and kissed him, breathing into him
the breath of life. Later, while the man was taking a nap, He would
take a rib, and fashion it and shape it, adding hair and pretty eyes,
until she looked like Him, and gave the woman to the man and the
man to the woman and out of His love they became lovers and
husband and wife. And they were fruitful and multiplied, and there
became more people for God to love.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son . . .
that on the first Christmas He gave the gift of His Presence, not
placing it under a tree but in a manger in Bethlehem. There was no
“White Christmas” or “Rudolph” on the radio but there were
angels to sing glory to God in the highest. God had come to the
world He so loves, to live and to teach, to serve and to bless.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son . . .
on a hill called Golgotha, on a cross made of wood, between two
thieves, surrounded by those who mocked and who scorned him,
beaten and bloodied, God gave His Son. In letters blood-red,
written by hands pierced by nails on that cross for all to see and for
all to read. Jesus died for all people in all places at all times and,
most importantly, for you and me, dying our death as His death
in our place.
Why? Because God so loved then and still loves so much now.
God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
With Joy, Steve