AN ORDER OF CHRISTIAN WORSHIP
February 17, 2019 | Sixth Sunday After the Epiphany
First United Methodist Church
John and Jennifer Collins, Co-Pastors
601 North Cedar, Abilene, Kansas 67410
785-263-2623 — http://www.abilenefirstumc.org
WELCOME TO THIS WORSHIP SERVICE
If you’re willing to fill one out, attendance inserts are available from the ushers.
Please note that bold type indicates congregational participation. An asterisk (*) indicates that you are invited to stand as you are able.
“H” stands for The United Methodist Hymnal, “F” stands for The Faith We Sing, and “W” stands for Worship and Song.
TO THOSE WITH SMALL CHILDREN
- Relax! God put the wiggle in children; don’t feel you have to suppress those wiggles in God’s house.
- Consider sitting toward the front where it is easier for your little ones to engage.
- Quietly explain the parts of the service and actions of the pastors, musicians, and leaders.
- Sing the hymns, pray and voice the responses. Children learn by mimicking you.
- If you have to leave the sanctuary with your child, feel free to do so, but please come back. As Jesus said, “Let the children come to me.”
TO THE CONGREGATION
- Remember that the presence of children is a gift of hope for the future.
- Remember that the way we welcome children in worship directly affects the way they think about the church, Christianity, and even God.
- Let children know that they are at home in God’s house.
- A smile of encouragement is always welcome to parents with small, active children.
FEEL FREE TO REMAIN SEATED
If, for any reason (health, comfort, personal preference, etc.), you need to or would prefer to remain seated during the hymns please do so. Don’t give into peer pressure. You be you!
Gathering of the Congregation
Greeting One Another
RE-GATHERING* — O God, Our Help in Ages Past — H-117
Announcements
Youth Bell Choir Prelude — All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name
CALL TO WORSHIP
Opening Prayer
Scripture Reading — Psalm 1 (NRSV)
1 Happy are those
who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread,
or sit in the seat of scoffers;
2 but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law they meditate day and night.
3 They are like trees
planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.4 The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
HYMN* — Deep In the Shadows of the Past — F-2246
Children’s Message
Choral Anthem [10:30] — My Song in the Night
Scripture Reading — Amos 5:18-24 (NRSV)
18 Alas for you who desire the day of the Lord!
Why do you want the day of the Lord?
It is darkness, not light;
19 as if someone fled from a lion,
and was met by a bear;
or went into the house and rested a hand against the wall,
and was bitten by a snake.
20 Is not the day of the Lord darkness, not light,
and gloom with no brightness in it?21 I hate, I despise your festivals,
and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain
offerings,
I will not accept them;
and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals
I will not look upon.
23 Take away from me the noise of your songs;
I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
24 But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
HYMN* — Blest Are They — F-2155
Scripture Reading — Luke 6:17-26 (NRSV)
17 He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. 18 They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19 And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.
20 Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 “Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
“Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.22 “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
24 “But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
25 “Woe to you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
“Woe to you who are laughing now,
for you will mourn and weep.26 “Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.
Sermon
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH — The Apostles’ Creed
I commit myself to God, the Father Almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.I set my heart upon 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, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and will come again to judge the living and the dead.I place my trust in the Holy Spirit,
the holy church universal,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body
and the life everlasting. Amen.
RESPONSE — Gloria Patri — H-71
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Holy and gracious God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
and missed your purpose for our lives.
Some of our sin is known to us—
the thoughts and deeds of which we are ashamed.
Some of our sin is known only to you.
In the name of Jesus Christ,
we ask for deliverance, forgiveness, and restoration
(From Prayers and Liturgies of Confession and Assurance by Kenneth H. Carter Jr.
Copyright © 2009 by Abingdon Press. Reproduced by permission.)
(A time of silent prayers of confession.)
Words of Assurance
If we say we have no sin,
we deceive ourselves.
But if we confess our sin,
God is faithful and just to forgive our sin
and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
A Stewardship Moment
Presentation of our Tithes and Offerings (If you are a guest this morning, please feel no obligation to give. This is simply one of the ways we worship God.)
RESPONSE* — Doxology — H-95
Prayer of Thanksgiving
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* — Lead On, O Cloud of Presence — F-2234
Dismissal with Blessing*
Postlude*
**Meaning Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.
PRAYER CONCERNS
Please note: prayer concerns will be listed in a bulletin for four (4) weeks unless the church office is notified otherwise.
FIRST UMC MEMBERS AND FRIENDS: Dwight Greenough, Lisa Page, Verl Eckman, Carol Fick, and those grieving the loss of Phyllis Newell and Wendell Gugler.
2019 CONFIRMATION CLASS: Blair Adams, Troy Boyd, Joy Clemence, Ava Crist, Megan Holmes, Jack Hunter, Carson Woodworth, and Jensen Woodworth.
COMMUNITY PRAYER CONCERNS: Peggy Meuli, Isaiah Johnson (son of Jeremiah Johnson), Maxine Smith (Wendy Fielder’s sister), Carolyn Gregg, Kim Goodman and Cody Breeden.
THOSE WORSHIPING FROM HOME: Ruth Alt, Velma Becker, Joe Clemence, Steve Crump, Daisy Dester, Ruth Dieter, Walt Hartman, Neva Heck, Helen Kappel, Robert Murnahan, Ray Power, Marla Rutz, Donna Smith, Martha Zutavern.
THOSE SERVING IN THE ARMED FORCES: Greg Austin, Tim Barns, Kayla Berven, Billy Brockman, Matthew Brinker, Ross Covington, Jessica and James Green, Gavin Hanna,
Cameron Hoskins, David Hoskins, Ryan Kriesch, Samuel Miller, Arthur Sprouse, and James L. Wise, Jr.
DISTRICT PRAYER CALENDAR: Today we pray for the Barnes United Methodist Church and their pastor: Daniel Norwood.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
GET OVER YOURSELF; GOD’S HERE! by John Collins
This Lent, Jenny and I want to invite you to join us for “a forty-day journey of repentance” as we read Get Over Yourself; God’s Here! by Kate Moorehead. The title is a pretty good alternative translation of “The kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe the gospel.” In this book, author Kate Moorehead deals with serious and weighty theological issues in a very approachable manner that combines wit, wisdom, and integrity. Also, the book has a picture of an ostrich on the cover, and you just can’t beat that. We’ve ordered 25 copies directly from the publisher, and they will be available for $10-$12.
VISITATION FOR WENDELL GUGLER
Wendell Gugler passed away Monday, February 11, 2019. There will be a visitation here at First United Methodist Church on Thursday, February 21, 2019 from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. There will be a Service of Death and Resurrection at a later date.
CHOIR MEMBERS WANTED by Clark Williamson
All interested singers are invited to join the Chancel Choir. We are an ensemble of varied levels of experience. Audition not required. All vocal parts are needed. Practices are Wednesday nights in Wright Hall at 6:15-7:15. It’s a fun, caring group of singers like a little family praising God through choral music! For more information contact me (Clark) after the 10:30 worship service.
POEM: I SAID A PRAYER FOR YOU TODAY No. 1 by Lisa Page
I asked the Lord to give you
strength, guidance, and wisdom.
I prayed he would fill your heart
With faith, love, hope, forgiveness,
And most of all his Spirit.
The Lord is your guide,
Let him lead the way.
I promise you, your eyes will see,
Your ears will hear and your heart
Will be overwhelmed with his presence.
Always remember and never forget:
Jesus Loves You!
Just wanted to say I prayed for you today.
DONATE DICKINSON COUNTY DAY
Share your love for the Church with future generations. On Friday, March 15, 2019, the Community Foundation of Dickinson County will double all donations made to the First UMC Endowment fund (up to $10,000). On May 15, you can give online at http://www.donatedickinson.com or take a check down to the Community Foundation Office in the old Astra Bank Building. If you want to give before then, you can bring or mail a check made out to “Community Foundation of Dickinson County” to the church office. Please contact John Collins for more information.
LOOKING FOR COFFEE HOSTS
This month (February) is one of the months when we look for volunteers from the congregation to host coffee and cookies after the 10:30 service, but I forgot to announce it last Sunday. Are you up to hosting? Please let John or Jenny know; or call the office and we’ll get you scheduled.
NURSERY
A nursery is provided for children during each service. It is located in Room 205 near the south entrance to the church. If you need assistance locating the nursery, our ushers and greeters will be happy to direct you.
INTERESTED IN MEMBERSHIP?
Are you interested in joining the Abilene First United Methodist Church as a member and making a formal commitment to God, the church, and yourself? If so, please talk to one of the pastors in person or using the pastoral contact information found in the bulletin.
EMAIL UPDATES
Jenny and John use a service called TinyLetter to send out blog posts by email every day or so. This way you can keep up with the blog simply by checking your email inbox. You can also reply with an email of your own and let us know what you think. You can sign up at tinyletter.com/jcollins11.
THANK YOU NOTES
A huge thank you to the congregation for your support of the Youth Group through your purchases of sub sandwiches. This was a banner year with 65 orders! Through sales and donations the Youth Group raised $793 for upcoming events! Your continued support is appreciated. — Wendy Robinson
During the last couple months of physical challenges, the church has held us in prayer. We will always be grateful for the care, consideration and thoughtfulness shown to both of us. We are blessed to be part of a faith community that cares for one another. Warm blessings to all. — Paul and Dorothy Lehman
Thank you to the FUMC Church Family; I just graduated from Washburn University in December with my Nursing Degree. I wanted to thank you for all of the support over the years, through scholarships and care packages. It was definitely appreciated. — Mallory Schardein
Thank you to the FUMC Youth Group for the finals care package. It made a stressful time a little bit easier. — Kyler J. Schardein
Thank you to the FUMC Youth Group for the finals care package. It was the highlight of the week. I appreciate all of the time and effort that goes in to them. Everything was very delicious! Food always helps with stress. — Mallory Schardein
CHURCH CALENDAR
Online Calendar at https://abilenefirstumc.org/calendar/
WELCOME TO THIS WORSHIP SERVICE
Please note that bold type indicates congregational participation. An asterisk (*) indicates that you are invited to stand as you are able. “H” stands for The United Methodist Hymnal, “F” stands for The Faith We Sing, and “W” stands for Worship and Song.
OUR VISION
A church of open hearts, open minds, and open doors.
OUR MISSION
To make disciples of Jesus Christ.
CLOSING CREDITS
Angie Hoerner, Accompanist
Baili Oakman and Eyler Holt, Acolytes
Holly Davis and Sandi Dutt, Liturgists
Mike Engle, Liz Collins, and Joy Clemence, Sound
Kristy Engle and Braden Adams, Slides
Lisa Divel, Ring Praise (Youth Bell Choir) Director
Clark Williamson, Director of Music Ministries
Wendy Robinson, Director of Children and Youth Ministries
CONTACT INFORMATION
John and Jennifer Collins, Pastors
Phone: 785-263-2623
Email: john@revcollins.com and jenny@revcollins.com
Wendy Fielder, Administrative Assistant
Phone: 785-263-2623 — Email: office@abilenefirstumc.org
