Round Hill Community Church

ORDER OF SERVICE October 25, 2015

Stewardship SundayTwenty-second Sunday after Pentecost

PRELUDE Brother James Air Wright

Air Handel

WORDS OF WELCOME

INTROIT

CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: O holy God, open unto us light for our darkness, courage for

our fear, hope for our despair.All: O generous God, open our hearts to receive all your gifts.Leader: O loving God, open unto us wisdom for our confusion,

forgiveness for our sins, love for our hate.All: O generous God, open our hearts to receive all your gifts.Leader: O God of peace, open unto us peace for our turmoil, joy for our

sorrow, strength for our weakness.All: O generous God, open our hearts to receive all your gifts.

*HYMN No. 25 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

*The congregation is invited to stand

*OPENING PRAYER Loving God,open our heartsso that we may feel the breath and play of your Spirit.Unclench our handsso that we may reach out to one anotherand touch and be healed.Open our lipsthat we may drink in the delight and wonder of life.Open our earsto hear your agony in our humanity.Open our eyesso that we may see Christ in friend and stranger.Breathe your Spirit into usand touch our lives with the life of Christ. Amen.

*THE LORD’S PRAYER Our Father who art in heaven,hallowed be thy name.Thy kingdom come.Thy will be doneon 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 and ever. Amen.

*GLORIA PATRIGlory 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.

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE Pat MiloChildren may now leave for Church School.

SCRIPTURE LESSON Genesis 32: 22-32The same night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had. Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day is breaking.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then the man said, “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved.” The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.

ANTHEM Hallelujah Amen Handel

SCRIPTURE LESSON Matthew 14: 13-21Jesus withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus said to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

SERMON Blessed Beginnings…For a Whole New Day The Rev. Dr. Ed Horstmann

*HYMN No. 700 O Day of God, Draw Nigh

OFFERINGInvitationAnthem The Lord is a Mighty God Mendelssohn

*Doxology 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.

*Hymn My Country, ‘Tis of Thee (verse 4)Our fathers’ God, to thee, author of liberty, to thee we sing;

long may our land be bright with freedom’s holy light; protect us by thy might, Great God, our King.

PASTORAL PRAYER

*HYMN No. 606 God, Whose Giving Knows No Ending

CHURCH PRAYEROur Heavenly Father, shed forth thy blessed spirit upon all our lives. Make each one of us an instrument in thy hands for good. Purify our hearts, strengthen our minds and bodies, fill us with Christian love. Let no pride, no self-conceit, no rivalry, no ill-will ever spring up among us. Make us earnest and true, wise and prudent, giving no just cause for offense and may thy holy peace rest upon us this day and every day throughout the coming week, sweetening our trials, cheering us in our work, and keeping us faithful to the end, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

BENEDICTION

CHORAL RESPONSE Blessing Bart

POSTLUDE Now Thank We All Our God J.S. Bach

ROUND HILL COMMUNITY CHURCH MISSION STATEMENTWe, the members of the Round Hill Community Church, a self-governing, non-denominational body, seek to foster a community of faith where people of all ages and backgrounds pursue spiritual growth; where God is worshipped in Word and praised in music; where friends are made and hurts are healed. We seek to be a community where individuals commit their time and resources to education, fellowship, and to helping those in need among our Church family and in the broader world. We are a church where faith, hope, justice and love are valued, and above all, Jesus is Lord.

ROUND HILL COMMUNITY CHURCH CREEDI believe in God, the one universal Father of all mankind, revealed supremely in Jesus Christ, our Lord, and present with us to guide, comfort and inspire in the Holy Spirit. I believe in the Kingdom of God; and in the mission of the Christian Church to proclaim the Gospel to all the world, exalting the worship of the Lord our God, and laboring for the progress of knowledge, the promotion of righteousness, the reign of peace, and the realization of human brotherhood. United in Christian love, we pray and labor for the coming of the Kingdom, the triumph of righteousness and the life everlasting. Amen.

CHURCH NEWS

Thank you to Jan Kudrnac and Chuck Zoubek for ushering today.

Thank you to Corinta Kotula and Dee Lewis for hosting today’s extra special Halloween Coffee Hour. Please join them in the parlor following the service for fellowship.

Thank you to Suzy Simpson and to all the volunteers who worked tirelessly to create another hugely successful and festive Harvest Supper this past week. Your time and culinary talents were greatly appreciated!!

The Fall Women’s Gathering will take place this Friday, October 30 at 6pm. Featured guest will be Janeen Björk, who will speak on “A History of American Newspapers: Ben Franklin to Rupert Murdoch. All the News that’s Fit to Print – But Where do Women Fit In?” Please register your attendance with the main office.

We are updating the church directory with new photos of our members! On Sunday, November 1, beginning at 11 a.m., Arto Szabo will be in the meeting room with his tripod to take our pictures. If you don’t already have a photo in the directory, please sign up on the sheet in the parlor to reserve your time slot.

Round Table Pulpits will take place on November 4th from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., and on Sunday, November 8 from 11:30-12 p.m. Please join Ed Horstmann as he strives to make his sermon preparation process a more social activity. The group will discuss and explore texts and stories from which he will preach on an upcoming Sunday.

We welcome our newest exhibit to Les Beaux Arts Gallery entitiled “Cuba: Through My Lens” by Barbara O’Shea. Barbara’s collection of

photographs are the result of her recent visit to a newly rediscovered Cuba and her personal appreciation of the depth of its culture, and the honesty, strength and resilience of its people. The exhibit will run through November 24th.

Help wanted!! We are seeking a Church School Assistant to work with the Church School Coordinator in teaching children, implementing curriculum, organizing childcare and helping expand the Church School program for our congregation and community. Additional functions will include working with the pastoral team in leading the monthly second service and helping to organize family events for the community. Please contact Rev. Dan Haugh for more info or to submit your resume - dan@roundhillcommunitychurch.org

Welcome to First Sundays at Round Hill!! On Sunday, November 1, at 4pm, we will host our 'First Sundays at Round Hill', a contemporary worship service. This monthly second service will give us an opportunity to welcome people of all ages to our community of faith who are looking for a style and time for worship that are distinct from our current practice. Children will be welcomed and included in the service. There will be childcare for infants and toddlers. Following the service, everyone is invited to join us for a casual supper in the parlor.

On November 1st, Nick Page will be our guest song leader (nickmusic.com.) Nick directs the Mystic Chorale in Boston and has developed close ties over the years with public schools in Greenwich. He has enlisted local musicians to assist with the music that we will sing that day. We welcome your feedback, and your presence will help to make comfortable those who will be coming to our sanctuary for the first time. This is also a wonderful opportunity to ask a friend, family member or neighbor to join you!

REFLECTION

A Prayer for Shedding PretensesO God of a Thousand Faces,

who sees through all our pretensesto that silent, secret space withinwhere our true spirit sojourns,

prune away the duplicities that mask our best intentionsand all those quick defenses that disguise who we really are.

Open us up to you and to all who would touch the truth of our being,so all may see the integrity of lives given over to you,now and forever. Amen.

- Miriam Therese Winter, 20th century American Catholic missionary and liturgist, and professor at Hartford Seminary

Senior Pastor: The Rev. Dr. Edward G. HorstmannAssociate Pastor: The Rev. Dan Haugh

Minister Emeritus: The Rev. Dr. Ralph AhlbergMinister of Music: Christopher Kabala

Church School Coordinator: Connie Blunden

Round Hill Community Church395 Round Hill Road, Greenwich, CT 06831

203.869.1091 roundhillcommunitychurch.org