The Church at Worship

July 21, 2019 10:30 A.M.

Sixth Sunday

after Pentecost

† Indicates the congregation shall stand.

We Gather To Meet God Chiming of the Hour 10:25 a.m. News of the Church Kati Everett Prelude Organ Service Prelude in C Major Eugene Thayer (1838-1889) † Greetings & Hymn of Praise No. 101 Kati Everett From All That Dwell Below the Skies DUKE STREET † Affirmation of Faith 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. * universal † Gloria Patri MEINEKE 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.

Prayers for the People Kati Everett Responsive Reading from Psalm 82 Leia Giddens God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment: “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked?

Give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk around in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. I say, “You are gods, children of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, you shall die like mortals, and fall like any prince.” Rise up, O God, judge the earth; for all the nations belong to you! † Offertory Hymn No. 398 Pastor Stan Jesus Calls Us GALILEE Offering of Our Tithes & Gifts Organ Trust and Obey Carlos Staszeski (b. 1935) † Doxology OLD 100th 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.

God Speaks Through His Word (Children Pre-K, Kindergarten & First Grades are invited to Children’s Church)

Scripture Reading Pastor Stan Jonah 1:17-2:9 Sermon Pastor Stan “Underwater Praying” We Respond To God’s Word † Closing Hymn No. 121 Pastor Stan There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy WELLESLEY Postlude Organ

Church Hats And Hair Bows

Please join us in the month of July for fellowship

with coffee and donuts at 10:00 am with one service

following at 10:30 am. Our competition this year will be

“Church Hats and Hair Bows”.

We will vote for the best hair bow and best

church hat every week!

We have been so blessed by the musical ministry of our church organist Richard Gress. Richard has wrapped

up his studies at Mercer and recently announced he will begin working on his masters at Yale in the fall.

August 4, 2019 will be Richard’s last service with us. I am appealing to our church families to express your

appreciation for Richard by participating in a special love offering during the month of July. We will present a check to

Richard in the 11:00 service on Sunday, August 4th.

First Love Kids

The Asbury class is taking donations to purchase

school uniforms & supplies for First Love Kids. If you

would like to make a donation please make the check

to the Asbury Class and specify it for First Love Kids.

They will be accepting donations until July 28.

Sunday, August 4

9:00 a.m. Worship - Chapel (Communion)

10:00 a.m. - Sunday School (Communion)

11:00 a.m. - Worship

Blessing of Backpacks

Promotion Sunday

12:00 p.m. Farewell Lunch for Richard Gress

Next week at Sandersville UMC Sunday, July 21 10:00 a.m. Fellowship 10:30 a.m. Worship - Sanctuary* Tuesday, July 23 10:00 a.m. Staff Meeting 6:00 p.m. Finance Committee Meeting 7:00 p.m. Foundation & Church Council Meeting *Nursery Provided Sandersville UMC Staff Rev. Dr. Stan Littleton Pastor slittleton@sandersvilleumc.org Felicia Glenn Administrative Secretary felicia@sandersvilleumc.org Eric Hindmon Minister to Children & Youth ehindmon@sandersvilleumc.org Jessalyn Alexander Choral Director jalexander@sandersvilleumc.org Richard Gress Organist rgress@sandersvilleumc.org Beverly Biggins and Saundera Haywood Nursery Workers Debbie Sanford Housekeeper Ricky Pinkston Custodian Assisting in Worship Worship Leader Kati Everett Lay Reader Leia Giddens Usher Captain Steve Joiner Acolytes Suzy Wilson Lillie McDonald Samantha Carter Children’s Church Lindsey Noggle Ella Andrews Infant Nursery Volunteer Lou Rudziensky Toddler Nursery Volunteer Sydney Barrett Oliver’s Outreach Peggie & Sid Cheatham and Emilee Jackson Sound Jon Moore Security Team Eric Gibbs Adam Lord Clay McDaniel Loren Noggle

In Our Prayers Our Church Family Edna Bailey Deborah Brazzell Ann Davis Roy Etheridge Billy Kay ECF Residents: Sue Durden Shirley Friedman James Goodman Home Bound: Carolyn Craft Heritage Inn: Idanne Buhler Sarah Wilson Tennille Assisted Living: Carol English Pruitt Magnolia Manor (Moultrie GA): JoAnn Marshall Friends & Family of the Church Mary Eleanor Wickersham Dianne Renfroe (Roy Etheridge’s friend) Kenny Waller Shannon Ethridge Whitton Eleanor Barksdale Jim Croome (Suzy Wilson’s brother) Otis Smith Debbie Johnson (Christy Wallace’s mom) Joe Meeks William Sheppard (Carolyn Sheppard’s son) Linda Vaughan (Emilee Jacksons’ niece) Betty Brett Shannon Everett Casey Ogden

Attendance & Stewardship July 14, 2019

10:30 a.m. Worship 77 Total Worship 77 Weekly Need: $ 10,851.72 Given This Week: $ 13,066.10 Year to Date Need: $ 303,848.16 Given Year to Date: $ 321,510.94 Total Budget $ 564,289.44

2019

South Georgia

Conference Theme

The Messenger Sandersville United Methodist Church

202 West Church Street P.O. Box 611

Sandersville, GA 31082 (478) 552-3374 (phone) www.sandersvilleumc.org

July 21, 2019

A Prayer Inside A Whale - Jonah 2 It’s probably one of the most unique settings for a prayer in all of Scripture and a place none of us would ever want to be. Jonah infamously is the prophet who lands himself inside of a whale (or at least a big fish, the Bible doesn’t specifically say). He’s made some bad choices, followed his head instead of the Holy Spirit, and finds himself on a boat to a place God did not tell him to go. The boat soon runs into bad weather and stormy seas. Jonah realizes his error in not obeying God’s command to go to Ninevah, the people he was sent to preach to. He knows if he is not on the boat, the rest of the crew will live. He’s thrown overboard and gets gulped up by the whale.

We know the story quite well. But have we seen a similar set of circumstances

played out in our lives? Here’s how it usually goes: 1. God gives us a command to do something 2. We do not want to follow “said command" 3. We decide we are not going to listen to God 4. God allows a crisis moment in our lives in which we cry out to Him 5. We ask for God’s forgiveness and the opportunity to be restored out of the mess we’ve made 6. God restores us and sets us on a right path once again 7. We understand His original command and follow through in obedience

If you’re like me, you’ve gone through steps 1-7 a time or two (or fifty) in your life. It’s the human condition we are all born into. We choose sin over Savior. We choose self over surrender. It’s ugly and it can lead to us being in some pretty nasty situations. Just look at Jonah: a man lying in the belly of a whale, seaweed wrapped around his neck, smelling who-knows-what inside of that beast…all because he chose to say no to God. There’s something in Jonah’s prayer for you today.

1. Jonah understands God is a God who is near From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry. Jonah 2:1 2. Jonah remembers that God is a God who restores

When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. Jonah 2:7

3. Jonah knows God is a God of hope Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them. Jonah 2:8

For some of you, this last point is hard because the situation you’ve found yourself in (or someone else) seems so hopeless. It seems beyond repair and beyond any level of restoration. And let me say, from our limited capability, everything is beyond repair. We have no means to fix our brokenness. We have no way to bridge the great chasm that lies between us and the Father. But praise God that Jesus was offered up for us! His death covers all our sin...all of it. We like to categorize and say some sin is bigger and some lesser. Some is easily forgiven and some cannot be. But to accept Christ’s work of salvation means to accept it at face value. Your sin is remembered no more. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. Psalm 103:12 -Derek Charles Johnson

Edna Lewis Theo McDonald Carolyn Sheppard Wendell Tompkins

Flowers for Worship

The flowers in the sanctuary are given to the glory of God and in memory

of our parents, Glenis and Cecil Cook and

Zelma and Red Avant by Cheryl & Carwin Avant.

In memory of Vera Mimbs

given by Joan & Mae Lee Averett

to the altar fund.

Please prayerfully consider making the adult choir part of your service to SUMC. It only takes two hours a week… an hour on Wednesday

(7:00-8:00) and an hour on Sunday morning. We are not

professionals. Most of us can’t even read music. We are just a family of believers that love to

fellowship, sing, and serve God. Come join the SUMC choir family!

Jessalyn