Palm Sunday: March 29, 2015

Please Note: When following links to the hymns, it may be easier to click on the "full text" tab after the link loads. 


Prelude 

Welcome and Announcements

“Call to Worship          

Leader: HOSANNA

People: Hosanna in the highest heavens!

L: Blessed is he who comes 
in the name of the LORD!

P: Hosanna! 
Hosanna in the highest heavens!
For he is none other 
than Christ our King!

*Processional          #192

“All Glory, Laud and Honor"

*Asking for God’s Blessing

Call to Offering

Moment with Children

Offertory           

*Doxology

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.  A-men

*Dedicating the Offering to God         

We Give Joy to God

Prayer Song         #572

"TakeTime to be Holy"

Prayers of the People

We Hear God’s Word for Our Lives

Anthem          “Go Into The World”

The Word Read     

Matthew 21:1-9

(Children k-2nd grade are invited to go to Children's Worship Today)

Prayer of Illumination           

“Open my eyes Lord, 

I want to see Jesus.
To reach out and touch Him 
and say that I love Him.
Open my ears Lord 
and help me to listen,
Open my eyes Lord, 
I want to see Jesus.”

Sermon      

“Ironic and Ambiguous”

We Share in the Gift of God’s Grace

*Song of Commitment          #612

“Oh Jesus, I Have Promised”

Invitation to the Lord’s Table   

Song for the Table          #404

“A Hymn of Joy We Sing”    

Words of Institution          
L. For I received from the Lord 
what I also delivered to you, 
that the Lord Jesus on the night 
he was betrayed took bread,
and when he had given thanks, 
he broke it and said,
R: This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
L: In the same way also the cup, after supper saying,
R: This cup is the new covenant in my blood.  Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
L: For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 

Prayer to Bless the Loaf and Cup

Sharing of the Elements

(All who believe that Jesus Christ 
is Lord are welcome to His table.
Please partake as the elements are passed to you.)

Prayer of Thanksgiving          

(ending in the Lord's Prayer):

Our God who is in heaven,

holy is your name.

Your Kingdom come.

Your will be done

in earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our sins

as we forgive those 
who sin against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For Your's in the Kingdom

and the power, and the glory,

for ever and ever.

Amen

     

*Benediction      

“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.
A-men. A-men

March 22, 2015

Please Note: When following links to the hymns, it may be easier to click on the "full text" tab after the link loads. 


Prelude 

Welcome and Announcements

Centering Time     

To the Glory of God”

      

“To the glory of God 
let us lift our voices,

Let us sing from our hearts, 

Sing out our praise.

To the glory of God let us sing.

“Call to Worship          #745

Psalm 95;     Responsive Reading

*Song of Praise          #27  vs 1,2,4,5

“O Worship the King"

*Asking for God’s Blessing

Call to Offering

Moment with Children

Offertory           

*Doxology

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.  A-men

*Dedicating the Offering to God         

We Give Joy to God

Prayer Song         Youth Hand Bells

"Whisper A Prayer"

Prayers of the People

We Hear God’s Word for Our Lives

Anthem          “Go Into The World”

The Word Read     

Philippians 4:1-9

(Children k-2nd grade are invited to go to Children's Worship Today)

Prayer of Illumination           

“Open my eyes Lord, 

I want to see Jesus.
To reach out and touch Him 
and say that I love Him.
Open my ears Lord 
and help me to listen,
Open my eyes Lord, 
I want to see Jesus.”

Sermon      

“What You Have Heard, Do”

We Share in the Gift of God’s Grace

*Song of Commitment          #613

“Stand up, Stand Up for Jesus”

Invitation to the Lord’s Table   

Song for the Table          #408

“Standing on the Promices”    

Words of Institution          
L. For I received from the Lord 
what I also delivered to you, 
that the Lord Jesus on the night 
he was betrayed took bread,
and when he had given thanks, 
he broke it and said,
R: This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
L: In the same way also the cup, after supper saying,
R: This cup is the new covenant in my blood.  Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
L: For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 

Prayer to Bless the Loaf and Cup

Sharing of the Elements

(All who believe that Jesus Christ 
is Lord are welcome to His table.
Please partake as the elements are passed to you.)

Prayer of Thanksgiving          

(ending in the Lord's Prayer):

Our God who is in heaven,

holy is your name.

Your Kingdom come.

Your will be done

in earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our sins

as we forgive those 
who sin against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For Your's in the Kingdom

and the power, and the glory,

for ever and ever.

Amen

     

*Benediction      

“Change my heart O God”

Change my heart O God, 
Make it ever true 
Change my heart O God, 
May I be like You
Your are the Potter, I am the clay
Mold me and make me, 
This is what I pray.
Change my heart O God, 
Make it ever true
Change my heart O God, 
May I be like You.

March 15, 2015

Please Note: When following links to the hymns, it may be easier to click on the "full text" tab after the link loads. 




Prelude 

Welcome and Announcements

Centering Time     

To the Glory of God”

      

“To the glory of God 
let us lift our voices,

Let us sing from our hearts, 

Sing out our praise.

To the glory of God let us sing.

“Call to Worship          #745

Psalm 84;     Responsive Reading

*Song of Praise                    #277

“Christians, We Have Met to Worship"

*Asking for God’s Blessing

Call to Offering

Offertory           

*Doxology

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.  A-men

*Dedicating the Offering to God         

We Give Joy to God

Announcement          Rock of Ages

Prayer Song               #628

"Precious Lord, Take My Hand"

Prayers of the People

We Hear God’s Word for Our Lives

Anthem          “You Raise Me Up /
                        Be Still My Soul”

The Word Read     

Romans 5:1-5 and 
II Corinthians 4:8-9

(Children k-2nd grade are invited to go to Children's Worship Today)

Prayer of Illumination           

“Open my eyes Lord, 

I want to see Jesus.
To reach out and touch Him 
and say that I love Him.
Open my ears Lord 
and help me to listen,
Open my eyes Lord, 
I want to see Jesus.”

Sermon      

“Reject the Rejection”

We Share in the Gift of God’s Grace

*Song of Commitment          #613

“Stand up, Stand Up for Jesus”

Invitation to the Lord’s Table   

Song for the Table          #408

“Come, Share the Lord”    

Words of Institution          
L. For I received from the Lord 
what I also delivered to you, 
that the Lord Jesus on the night 
he was betrayed took bread,
and when he had given thanks, 
he broke it and said,
R: This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
L: In the same way also the cup, after supper saying,
R: This cup is the new covenant in my blood.  Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
L: For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 

Prayer to Bless the Loaf and Cup

Sharing of the Elements

(All who believe that Jesus Christ 
is Lord are welcome to His table.
Please partake as the elements are passed to you.)

Prayer of Thanksgiving          

(ending in the Lord's Prayer):

Our God who is in heaven,

holy is your name.

Your Kingdom come.

Your will be done

in earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our sins

as we forgive those 
who sin against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For Your's in the Kingdom

and the power, and the glory,

for ever and ever.

Amen

     

*Benediction      

“Change my heart O God”

Change my heart O God, 
Make it ever true 
Change my heart O God, 
May I be like You
Your are the Potter, I am the clay
Mold me and make me, 
This is what I pray.
Change my heart O God, 
Make it ever true
Change my heart O God, 
May I be like You.

Rejcted Failures 2

Here are another set of famous people who failed or were rejected before they found success:

Oprah Winfrey: Oprah endured a rough and abusive childhood, as well as multiple career setbacks including being fired from her job as a television reporter because she was "unfit for tv."

Jerry Seinfeld: The first time the young comedian walked on stage at a comedy club, he looked out at the audience, froze and was eventually jeered and booed off of the stage. Seinfeld knew he could do it, so he went back the next night, completed his set to laughter and applause, and the rest is history.

Vincent Van Gogh:  During his lifetime, Van Gogh sold only one painting, and this was to a friend and only for a very small amount of money. While Van Gogh was never a success during his life, he plugged on with painting, sometimes starving to complete his over 800 known works. Today, they bring in hundreds of millions.

Steven Spielberg: He was rejected from the University of Southern California School of Theater, Film and Television three times. He eventually attended school at another location, only to drop out to become a director before finishing. Thirty-five years after starting his degree, Spielberg returned to school in 2002 to finally complete his work and earn his BA.

The Beatles: When they were just starting out, a recording company told them no. The were told "we don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out," two things the rest of the world couldn't have disagreed with more.

Click here for source.

Rejected Failures 1

As offering is collected, look through some of these famous people who failed or were rejected before they made it big:

Micheal Jordan: Most people wouldn't believe that a man often lauded as the best basketball player of all time was actually cut from his high school basketball team. Luckily, Jordan didn't let this setback stop him from playing the game and he has stated, "I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot, and I missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."

Stephen King: The first book by this author, the iconic thriller Carrie, received 30 rejections, finally causing King to give up and throw it in the trash. His wife fished it out and encouraged him to resubmit it, and the rest is history, with King now having hundreds of books published the distinction of being one of the best-selling authors of all time.

Charlie Chaplin: His act was initially rejected by Hollywood studio chiefs because they felt it was a little too nonsensical to ever sell.

Walt Disney: He was fired by a newspaper editor because, "he lacked imagination and had no good ideas." After that, Disney started a number of businesses that didn't last too long and ended with bankruptcy and failure. He kept plugging along, however, and eventually found a recipe for success that worked.

Thomas Edison: In his early years, teachers told Edison he was "too stupid to learn anything." Work was no better, as he was fired from his first two jobs for not being productive enough. Even as an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. Of course, all those unsuccessful attempts finally resulted in the design that worked.


Click here for source.

Come, Share the Lord

We gather here, 
     in Jesus' name,
his love is burning in our hearts 
     like living flame; 
for through the loving Son
     the Father makes us one:
Come, take the bread,
     come, drink the wine,
          come, share the Lord.
No one is a stranger here,
     Everyone belongs;
finding our forgiveness here,
     we in turn forgive all wrongs

He joins us here, 
     he breaks the bread,
the Lord who pours the cup is risen
     from the dead;
the one we love the most
     is now our gracious host:
Come, take the bread,
     come, drink the wine,
          come, share the Lord.
We are now a familly
     of which the Lord is head;
through unseen he meets us here
     in the breaking of the bread.

We'll gather soon
     where angels sing;
we'll see the glory of our Lord
     and coming King;
now we anticipate
     the feast for which we wait:
Come, take the bread,
     come, drink the wine,
          come, share the Lord.

Precious Lord, Take My Hand

Precious Lord, take my hand,
     lead me on, let me stand,
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn;
through the storm, through the night,
     lead me on to the light:
Take my Hand, precious Lord, lead me home.

When my way grows drear,
     precious Lord, linger near,
when my life is almost gone,
hear my cry, hear my call,
     hold my hand lest I fall:
Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.

When the darkness appears
     and the night draws near,
and the day is past and gone,
at the river I stand,
     guide my fee, hold my hand:
Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.

Psalm 95 Responsive Reading

O come, let us sing to the LORD;
     let us make a joyful noise
          to the Rock of our salvation!
Let us come into God's presence with thanksgiving;
     let us make a joyful noise
          to God with songs of praise!
For the LORD is a great God,
    and a great Ruler above all gods.
In God's hand are the depths of the earth;
     the heights of the mountains are God's also.
The sea belongs to God who made it,
     and the dry land, which God's hands have formed.

O come, let us worship and bow down,
     let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!
For the LORD is our God,
     and we are the people of God's pasture
     and the sheep of God's hand.

Communion - Quick Hits

At First Christian Church we take Communion every Sunday.

The most important thing to remember is that this table represents all the love and grace that God has for us. This love and grace is given by God to everyone. Therefore ALL who believe in Christ are welcome to partake in communion

How we take communion:

The deacons will pass 2 trays down each pew. In the first tray there are small pieces of bread. These represent the broken body of Christ. Take one of these small pieces of bread and eat it as you pass the tray to the next person.

The second tray contains little cups filled with grape juice. These represent the spilled blood of Christ. Take one of these small cups of juice and drink it. Place the empty cup back into the tray before passing it to the next person.

This page is designed to be a short description of HOW we take communion. If you would like to know more about WHY we take communion and some of our beliefs about communion please click on the following link:

Some of our beliefs about communion.

Our Beliefs About Communion

At FCC we partake in communion each and every time we gather for worship. For those unfamiliar with our church this can be a new experience. This page will have 2 parts: first is a “How To” section describing the ins and outs of taking communion this morning. The second section describes why we take communion and what it means to some of our Elders.

The most important thing to remember is that this table represents all the love and grace that God has for us. This love and grace is given by God to everyone. Therefore ALL who believe in Christ are welcome to partake in communion

HOW TO take communion:

The deacons will pass 2 trays down each pew. In the first tray there are small pieces of bread. These represent the broken body of Christ. Take one of these small pieces of bread and eat it as you pass the tray to the next person.

The second tray contains little cups filled with grape juice. These represent the spilled blood of Christ. Take one of these small cups of juice and drink it, placing the empty cup back into the tray before passing it to the next person.

Communion is usually a quiet time during our service. Like the Words of Institution (that we speak each week as a part of our communion service) remind us: Jesus tells us to eat this bread and drink this cup to remember his broken body and blood shed on the cross. It is through his life, death, and resurrection that we have eternal life. Many worshipers use this quiet time to reflect on their week and how this promise has effected them.

The Elders are the individuals who stand at the table and lead the congregation in communion. Outside of worship they also have an important spiritual role in the life of the church. Therefore I have asked them for some of their thoughts on communion as a way to help us all understand it better.

What does the communion table represent to you?
“The coming together for all Christians, not necessarily physically, but spiritually.”
“Incredible love, forgiveness and life after death.:
“The act of grace that Jesus did for me personally by taking my sins upon himself and the atoning act of sacrifice that reconciles my relationship to God.”


Why do we as a collective congregation take communion?
“It is important for us to collective focus on the source of our salvation.”
“We take communion together just like the scriptures says the early church did.”
“We partake as a community of faith to be reminded of the universality of God’s love and grace.”

Why do you personally take communion?
“I need this spiritual food & time to let what I'm doing “digest."
“I partake of communion whenever it is offered as an opportunity to be reminded of this act of grace.”
“I need to remember every week in worship just what our creator God and Jesus did for me and show my gratitude for those incredible gifts. Communion gives me that opportunity, when I can, for a brief 5 minutes or so, shut out the world and thank them both wholeheartedly”

Why is it important to take Communion?
“To acknowledge to God that we know He will be with us and to thank Him for sending his Son to show us the way.”
“The importance of taking communion is where I re-energize my Christian faith through the actual partaking of the bread and the juice. When I don't do this every week, I miss it and long for that fellowship with my Christian comrades and with God.”

What is the most important part of communion?
“That we take it with our family, both our biological family that may be present, but even more so our church family.”
“The most important part of communion for me is the quiet time, after we've read the Words of Institution and the elements are being passed. That's when my strongest connection to God, in the entire service, occurs.”
“The most important is to be reminded that these are the words of Jesus to me ..... “take and eat...drink from the cup.”
“the community of faith that is sharing this spiritual food with me”
“That all are welcome, not just members of the church”

Feel free to leave your own thoughts or questions regarding communion down in the comments. I would also love some of your answers to these questions!

March 8th, 2015

Please Note: When following links to the hymn, it may be easier to click on the "full text" tab after the link loads. 

If you want a personal contact - 
text your name to (765)-363-0450.

Prelude 

Welcome and Announcements

Centering Time     

To the Glory of God”

      

“To the glory of God 
let us lift our voices,

Let us sing from our hearts, 

Sing out our praise.

To the glory of God let us sing.

“Call to Worship 

*Song of Praise                    #595

“Be Thou My Vision"

*Asking for God’s Blessing

Call to Offering

Offertory        

*Doxology

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.  A-men

*Dedicating the Offering to God         

We Give Joy to God

Prayer Song               #585

"What A Friend We Have in Jesus"

Prayers of the People

We Hear God’s Word for Our Lives

Anthem          “He is Here”

The Word Read     

1 John 4:7-16 and Romans 8:9-13

(Children k-2nd grade are invited to go to Children's Worship Today)

Prayer of Illumination           

“Open my eyes Lord, 

I want to see Jesus.
To reach out and touch Him 
and say that I love Him.
Open my ears Lord 
and help me to listen,
Open my eyes Lord, 
I want to see Jesus.”

Sermon      

“Christ in Us, Us in Christ”

We Share in the Gift of God’s Grace

*Song of Commitment          #349

“My Jesus, I Love Thee”

Invitation to the Lord’s Table   

Song for the Table          #398

“Be Known to Us in Breaking Bread”    

Words of Institution          
L. For I received from the Lord 
what I also delivered to you, 
that the Lord Jesus on the night 
he was betrayed took bread,
and when he had given thanks, 
he broke it and said,
R: This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
L: In the same way also the cup, after supper saying,
R: This cup is the new covenant in my blood.  Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
L: For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 

Prayer to Bless the Loaf and Cup

Sharing of the Elements

(All who believe that Jesus Christ 
is Lord are welcome to His table.
Please partake as the elements are passed to you.)

Prayer of Thanksgiving          

(ending in the Lord's Prayer):

Our God who is in heaven,

holy is your name.

Your Kingdom come.

Your will be done

in earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our sins

as we forgive those 
who sin against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For Your's in the Kingdom

and the power, and the glory,

for ever and ever.

Amen

     

*Benediction      

“Change my heart O God”

Change my heart O God, 
Make it ever true 
Change my heart O God, 
May I be like You
Your are the Potter, I am the clay
Mold me and make me, 
This is what I pray.
Change my heart O God, 
Make it ever true
Change my heart O God, 
May I be like You.

Announcements in the Life of the Church

Every Sunday: 
Worship Services at 9:22 and 10:40
Sunday School at 9:30


TODAY
Bell practice:
Adults immediately after church
Children grades 1 – 7 - 4:30 – 5:15.

Reading the Psalms - A new Bible Study continues at FCCPsalms.blogspot.com. 
Read 4 Psalms per day.  Join Peter Harper as he blogs his thoughts and feel welcome to add your comments.   


Tues. Mar. 31^st -
Knitting Ministry - 1pm – Parlor 

Wed. April  1^st -
LOGOS Celebration Banquet
Choir - 7pm

Thurs. April 2^nd – 
Scripture & Salsa – 6pm at Little 
Mexico     Bring your Bible

Good Friday Service:
April 3rd at 7:30 pm;
This is a community service with Christ Lutheran

Prayer Vigil:
Good Friday starting at 9:00 pm until dawn Easter Sunday

EASTER SUNDAY!!! 

Good News Cafe @ 9am
Easter Egg Hunt @ 10am
10:40 Service