THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF NEW CANAAN
BAPTISM OFTHELORDJANUARY 7,2018
* ALL WHO ARE ABLE ARE INVITED TO STAND.
GATHERING
Please prayerfully allow the silent, sacred space of the sanctuary
and the quiet stirrings of the Spirit to prepare your heart and mind for worship.
PRELUDE“Slavonic Dance, Op 46,No.2”AntoninDvorak
*CALLTOWORSHIPRev. Paul E.Gilmore
Minister: On that first day, when the time was right:
People: You gave birth to creation; light danced through the darkness; the waters of hope flowed free and clear.
Minister: On that first day at the Jordan, when redemption drew near:
People: You spoke of life for all your children, as your beloved Child stepped into the waters of forgiveness, dancing in hope with his cousin, John.
Minister: On this first day of the week, when we begin anew:
People: call us to faithfulness, open our hearts and our ears, that we may hear your voice claiming us as your own.
*PROCESSIONAL HYMN No. 288 “I Sing the Mighty PowerofGod”ELLACOMBE
PRAYER OFCONFESSION(unison)Rev. Kathryn KibbieLaird Timeless God, you cast Light into sin’s dark places and call us your Beloved. Forgive us: when we still linger in the shadows; when we treat others in hurtful ways; when we speak ill of your friends. As he knelt in the waters of the Jordan, you proclaimed Jesus as your Child, pointing to him as the way to you. Forgive us: when we put ourselves ahead of him; when we think he is no longer needed; when we fail to see him in the brokenness of our world. Baptized and blessed in your living waters, you would have us be your servants in our time. Forgive us: when we fail to welcome the stranger; when we refuse to forgive as we should; when we believe we are too good to kneel down and tie the shoes of the lost, the least, the last, and thelittle.
TIME OF SILENT CONFESSION…
KYRIEELEISONJamesMacMillan
DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS
*CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE No. 492 (vs. 2) “Baptizedin Water”BUNESSAN
Baptized in water, sealed by the Spirit, Dead in the tomb with Christ, our King; One with His rising, freed and forgiven, Thankfully now God’s praises we sing.
SHARING OUR LIFE AND MINISTRY
Please sign the card and pass it to your neighbor. As you pass it back to the center, take note of who ishere so we can become better acquainted. Visitors, please give your address, telephone, and e-mailinformation.
TIME WITH CHILDREN/CENTS-ABILITY COLLECTION – New Canaan Food Pantry
& Presbyterian Hunger Program
THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY BAPTISM
Justin and Kate Wingate present their son, Grant Michael Wingate for baptism.
WELCOME
With joy and thanksgiving, we welcome Grant Michael Wingate into Christ’s church to share with us in his ministry, for we are all one in Christ.
CHILDREN ARE INVITED TO SUNDAY’S COOL ROTATION
T H E W O R D
PRAYER FORILLUMINATION(unison)RuthLaird Creating Spirit, who hovered over the waters at creation’s birth, who descended in the form of a dove at Jesus’ baptism, who was poured out under the signs of fire and wind at Pentecost: come to us, open our hearts and minds, so that we may hear your Word of life, be renewed by your power, and live into our baptism. In Christ’s name, we pray.Amen.
FIRST LESSONGenesis 1:1-5 (OT page1)
Minister: Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
People: Thanks be to God.
ANTHEM“When Jesus Went toJordan’sStream”AlecWyton When Jesus the Lord Came down to our earth, He meanly was clad, And low was His birth: Though Lord of creation, And Ruler above, He chose in a station Most humble to move. His life was all toil When with us below, Diseases He cured, And softened our woe: A friend to the friendless He ever was found; His blessings were endless To sinners around. The lepers He cleansed, The deaf heard His voice, The dumb spoke His praise, And were made to rejoice: The dead Jesus raised To life from the grave; His name then be praised, Whose end was tosave.
SECONDLESSONMark 1:9-11 (NT page34)
Minister: Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
People: Thanks be to God.
SERMON“Blessing”Rev. Paul E.Gilmore
R E S P O N D I N G T O T H E W O R D
*HYMN(insert)“At the Font We Start OurJourney”
PRESENTATION OF TITHES, OFFERINGS AND OURSELVES
OFFERTORY“As With Gladness MenofOld”Jacob B.Weber As with gladness men of old Did the guiding star behold; As with joy they hailed its light, Leading onward, beaming bright, So, most gracious Lord, may we Evermore be led by Thee! As with joyful steps they sped, Savior, to Thy lowly bed, There to bend the knee before Thee whom heaven and earth adore, So may we with willing feet Ever seek Thy mercy-seat! As they offered gifts most rare At Thy cradle, rude and bare, So may we with holy joy, Pure and free from sin's alloy, All our costliest treasures bring, Christ, to Thee, our heavenly King! Holy Jesus, every day Keep us in the narrow way; And when earthly things arepast.
Bring our ransomed souls at last Where they need no star to guide, Where no clouds Thy glory hide. In the heavenly country bright Need they no created light; Thou its Light, its Joy, its Crown, Thou its Sun which goes not down. There forever may we sing Alleluias to our King!
*DOXOLOGYOLDHUNDREDTH
Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise God all creatures here below; Praise God above ye heavenly host; Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORD’S SUPPER INVITATION TO THE LORD’S TABLE PRAYER OF GREAT THANKSGIVING
Minister:The Lord be withyou.
People:And also with you. Minister:Lift up your hearts. People:We lift them to theLord.
Minister:Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. People:It is right to give our thanks andpraise. Minister: It is truly right and our greatestjoy...
The whole congregation sings:
LORD’S PRAYER (unison)
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 debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION COMMUNION OF THE PEOPLE
Communion will be served by intinction in which the bread is dipped into the cup. The wine is served in two chalices: the larger chalice contains wine, the smaller, grape juice. Gluten- free crackers are available on each plate. “Thanks be to God,” is a proper response to the receiving of communion.
We will begin with people in the back rows and work our way to the front.
COMMUNIONMUSIC“PriereduMatin”JosephJongen
COMMUNION PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, you have come to us, you have put your life into our hands; now we put our lives into yours. Take us, renew and remake us. What we have been is past; what we shall be, through you, still awaits us. Lead us on in the way of your beloved Son. Amen.
S E N D I N G
*HYMNNo.495“We Know That ChristIsRaised”ENGELBERG
*CHARGE AND BLESSING (Please be seated for the Choral Response & the Ringing of the Church Bell) CHORALRESPONSE “O Morning Star, How FairandBright” Wie schönleuchtet RINGING THE CHURCHBELL
*POSTLUDE“How Brightly Shines theMorningStar”SigfridKarg-Ele
TODAY AT FIRST PRESBYTERIAN
Welcome to the Service of Worship for the Lord’s Day. Parents of infants through age four are encouraged to take their children to the Nursery School classrooms during our services. Students in preK-7 should follow their teachers to class.
Today in Sunday's Cool we will learn about Jesus and John the Baptist by playing games. The younger grades will sing “John was Hairy” and play “Locust, Locust, Honey” to reiterate how John the Baptist said “Come and see Jesus!”. The older grades will play Hungry John and Message Mess as they learn that “John was the
messenger; Jesus was the message”. Please bring your buck and a can and join us. In the Barn, our Tweens will worship God, the Creator of new beginnings by exploring Genesis 1:1-5 in the context of the manifestation of God with us. Teachers assisting with preK-4th grade Spark Rotations today – Lindsay Tucker, Whitney Childs, Megan Wunderlich; 5-7th grade in the Barn for Feasting on the Word with Lauren Tate.
Greeters: The Ferguson family; Worship Coordinator: Jim Ely; Ushers: Cindy Graziano, Paul Martin, Anne Palmer, Bob Spangler; Cross Bearer: Peter Flournoy; Lay Reader: Nancy Flournoy; Communion Preparers: Linda Martin and Denise Riehl; Communion Officers: Peg Bull and Peggy Hooker; Musicians: First Presbyterian Church Choir; guest pianists: Virginia and Jeffrey Leeman.
Congratulations to Justin and Kate Wingate on the baptism of their son, Grant, brother of Everett and Brooks.
Flowers today are in loving memory of Astrid Rasmussen, from her daughter, Jenny Dellaripa and her family.
Let us keep in our thoughts and prayers: Continued concerns: Neil Coakley; Ann Depuy; Graham Harden; Vince Lombardi; Jim Mierendorf; Nancy Russell; Alanna Ruszkowski; The Stricos family (friends of Joe and Diana Ruszkowski); John Voorhies. The Abo Noktah family (our Syrian refugees): Khaldoun (father), Khawla Alzob (mother), daughters Hanin and Zain, and sons Yaman and Ahmed.
Flower Memorials: If you wish to have flowers in the sanctuary to celebrate an anniversary, a baptism, a birthday, or to memorialize a loved family member or friend please call Barbara Wentzel, Flower Coordinator, at 203-966-5402 or email at .
No Gift Too Small! The Bell Tower Society welcomes gifts and bequests of all sizes. Every dollar given makes a difference in serving the long-term welfare of our church. If you have questions about remembering the church in your estate plans, please contact Peter Flournoy in the churchoffice.
Cents-ability: On December 3, we collected $127. Our total collection since we began Cents-ability at our church in November 2011 is $18,390. Thank you for your awareness and generous response to hunger. If you would like more information on Cents-ability or need a Cents-ability cup, please see Robin Lewis. Remember to fill up your Cents-ability cup ‘til it runneth over! Our next collection is February 4.
New Canaan Food Pantry: Items in need now due to low/no stock are Mayonnaise, Herbal Tea, Crackers, Cookies, Canned Tuna, Canned Chicken, Coffee – Regular & Decaf, Cereal, Pancake Mix – Add water only. Nobeans or soup are needed now. Please drop these items in the shopping cart at the back of the Sanctuary and Robin Lewis will make sure they are delivered to the New Canaan Food Pantry.
Giving Up the Organ for Lent: It’s a little early for Lent, actually. But due to the new roof being put on the sanctuary, we will be without the beautiful sounds of the organ for a few months. It is necessary to cover the organ console and certain pipes during the roof project so dust cannot damage more sensitive pipes. We will still present beautiful music with piano accompaniment and a capella anthems, which we are already accustomed to. The organ should be in use by Sunday, March 18th, in time for the choir's presentation of Gabriel Fauré's Requiem with Round Hill Community Church, Greenwich.
THIS WEEK AT FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
178 Oenoke Ridge, New Canaan, CT 06840 Tel.: 203-966-0002 //
Church Office Hours are Monday-Friday 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM
SUNDAY, JANUARY 7: Baptism of the Lord Sunday 8:30 AMSpecial Called Session Meeting 10:00 AM HolyCommunion
Sacrament of Baptism: Grant Wingate
10:15 AMSunday’s Cool for Grades preK-7 11:15 AMCoffee Hour
11:15 AMCherub Choir
MONDAY, JANUARY 8
2:00PMMeditationGroup
6:30PMPurple HeatherDancers
TUESDAY, JANUARY 9
9:30AMLeadership Team 8:00PMMen’sA.A.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10
9:30AMMusic Librarians 5:00PMCarol Choir
5:00PMCherub Choir
5:00PMConfirmationClass
THURSDAY, JANUARY 11
3:30 PMSpecial Church
7:30 PMFPCChoir
SATURDAY, JANUARY 13
9:15AMA.A. (closeddiscussion) 10:30AMA.A. (opendiscussion)
SUNDAY, JANUARY 14: Martin Luther King Sunday
10:00 / AM / WorshipRev. Paul E. Gilmore preaching
10:15 / AM / Sunday’s Cool for Grades preK-7
11:15 / AM / Cherub Choir
11:15 / AM / Farewell Reception for Paul and Jeannick
5:00 / PM / HSYG – meet at Starbuck’s
Please join us on Sunday, January 14th, for a Farewell Reception in honor of The Reverend Paul E. Gilmore, as he prepares to depart for his new calling in Chicago. There will be a light catered lunch by Chris Bondor. We hope you will join us as we wish him Godspeed.
Thank you, Dove Participants!
The following people took White Doves, bought food, gift-wrapped boxes and bags and delivered them to the church. Because of you all, people in need over the holidays had Christmas dinner. A huge thank you goes out to you for your kindness and for opening your hearts, especially at Christmas. Green Doves flew off the tree also. The people who took them made a direct financial contribution to Person to Person for either the Emergency Assistance Fund or for the Scholarship Fund.
The recipients of the Dove boxes and bags at Chester Addison, Optimus and Family Centers, all in Stamford, shared their lavish thanks and praise, going to great lengths to have us understand how important the Dove boxes are to them.
White Doves: people filled boxes or bags with requested food by P2P Barbara & Jim BeallPatricia & George Benington Catherine Biddle
Bob & Joan Caird Alissa Colella Laurel Carlson
Kip & Mike Farrell The Ferguson Family The Gargiulo Family The Gifford Family
Tindlley & HuwGilbert Serena Gillespie (2) The Godina Family Cindy & Len Graziano JenniferGulden
The Gurley Family Kerry & Mark Hanson Karen Hanson
Ruth Laird
Janet & John Lanaway Anna Petite Lee
Brian & Natasha Lombardi Audrey Magnusen
Layla Magnusen Michelle McBride Paige McInerney The McIntire Family
The Mierendorf Family Sandy Mills
JoAnn Nerenburg
Anne & Howard Palmer Meredith Petitjean (2) / Marlene Powers
Joanne & Rudy Prechter The Reeves Family
The Roddy Family The Rodgers Family
John & Kathleen Servidea Nell & Roger Smith
Bob Spangler
Tom & Ann Spilker Wendy Stahl Elizabeth Stuart
The Sulkowski Family Lauren & Chris Tate Melissa Tate
Sherry Tate Carol Taylor Rev. Mary Thies
Kevin & Christina Thomson Lindsay Tucker (2)
The Turpin Family
Jen & Steve Van de Graaf Lynne & Homero Villarreal The Volanakis Family
The Wagner family Megan Wunderlich
Green Doves: supporting P2P with a financial contribution: Carol Barbour
Dede Bartlett Evelyn Bergstrom Marion Blose Gloria Bridgman Anne Brownley Peg Bull / George & Charlotte Conner Joan Dionne
Dooley Family Mimi Findlay Ted Foster
Elizabeth Granfield Laurie & Howard Greene Cindy Hagopian
Nancy Helle Elsbeth Johnson
William & Audrey Knobloch Dinny Lawrence
Mary Lee Lesko Connie Musa George Post
Bob & Belinda Reany Diana & Joe Ruszkowski Judy Schurman
Carolyn Scott Sue Sherwood Dennis Swanson Joan Taylor
Steve Van de Graaf Gretchen Watkins Barbara Wentzel
Thank you, Drivers!
Scott Beyer Randy Ferguson Glenn Mierendorf Steve Rodgers Bob Spangler Back-up drivers: Len Graziano Armin Thies
DEACONS’ FUND: Special envelopes are enclosed today, as they are on every Communion Sunday, for the Deacons’ Fund. These may be placed in the offering plates. The Deacons’ Fund enables the church, on a confidential basis, to help individuals in our congregation who are in special need. Please let the ministers know of any who might now be helped by this Fund. Various specific needs are great at this moment, so do give generously.
OUR MINISTERS
The Entire Congregation
OUR PASTORS
The Rev. Paul E. Gilmore, Pastor
The Rev. Kathryn Kibbie Laird, Associate Pastor for Children, Youth and Families
OUR STAFF
Victoria Shields, Director of Music / Sherry Tate, Cherub Choir director Peter Flournoy, Interim Church Administrator / Tina St. Armand, Office Manager
Erika Hagan, Administrative Assistant to Children and Youth Ministries
Kuky and Andres Pereira, Operations/Security Managers / Edgar Torres, Day Sexton
THE SESSION
Our Pastors
Scott Beyer, Clerk of Session
George Benington, Bell Tower Society Sue Benko, Communications
Laurel Carlson, Youth Ministries Carole Clarkson, Worship, Music and Arts
Linda Ferguson, Nominating Lisa Gifford, CongregationalLife Jennifer Gulden,Personnel
Julie Hoffman, Member-At-Large Freia Mierendorf, Co-Youth Glenn Mierendorf, Outreach Dede McEvoy, StrategicPlanning Andy Petitjean,Finance
Lynn Quinn, Adult Education Julie Reeves, Membership Involvement Kevin Thomson, Advisory Committee
Spencer Reeves, Co-Youth Jenny Volanakis, Children'sMinistries
Barbara Wentzel, Stewardship
THE DEACONS
Jen and Steve Van de Graaf, Co-Moderators
Carson Allsteadt, Co-Youth Erica Bergmans, Inspirica Mary Jane Bolin, Senior Lunch Peg Bull, Flock Program William Dooley, Co-Youth Cindy Hagopian, Inspirica
Karen Hanson, Memorial Services and Receptions
Beth Hersam, Flowers and Cards Chris Kniffin, Member-At-Large Nichole LaBadie, Co-Youth
Linda Martin, Baptisms; Flock Program Sarah Robinson, Pastoral Care Team Kristen Rodgers, Cards and Flowers Kathleen Servidea, Cards and Flowers
Elizabeth Stuart, Flowers and Cards, Treasurer
Ashley Walker, Co-Youth
Rev. T. Guthrie Speers, Jr., Pastor Emeritus - Mrs. Marilyn J. Ballantine, Minister of Music Emerita