The

First Baptist Church Henderson, North Carolina

At Worship

SUNDAY MORNING September 20, 2020 ELEVEN O’CLOCK AM

Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost Celebration of Believer’s Baptism

The liturgical color today is green.

Green is the color of growth while the church is on mission during the season of Pentecost.

THE GREETING Amy Russell THE CHIMING OF THE TRINITY THE INVOCATION Mary Austell THE PRELUDE Prelude on “All Things Bright and Beautiful” Neil Harmon THE CALL TO WORSHIP Mary Austell

By grace, our hearts are called together; to breathe life into dry bones; to raise the faces of those cast down; to illumine injustice hidden by the ways of the world; so that all may follow in the way of Jesus who we worship today.

Praise for God’s abundant goodness! Let us worship God together!

THE HYMN OF PRAISE All Things Bright and Beautiful ROYAL OAK

THE PSALTER LESSON: Psalm 145:1-8 Tammy Hight

1I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. 2Every day I will bless you, and praise your name forever and ever.

3Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable. 4One generation shall laud your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. 5On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. 6The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed, and I will declare your greatness.

7They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness, and shall sing aloud of your righteousness. 8The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

THE CALL TO CONFESSION Kari Martin The autumn air provides relief from the summer sun just as grace provides relief from

the yoke of perfection. We are not perfect and so we must continue to come back seeking forgiveness from our Creator. By grace we keep trying, keep loving, keep following after our Savior. We keep confessing in the hopes that our hearts will be open to how we might serve God better. Let us pray together.

THE PRAYER OF CONFESSION

God of all creation, we confess that at times our spirits are troubled when we consider the expansiveness of your steadfast love. Like Jonah, we wallow in our discomfort, afraid of what your mercy will ask of us. We confess we are jealous of your grace, prone to build boundaries, make rules, demand fairness when you welcome your followers whenever and however they may come to you. Forgive our jealous hearts and unsettled spirits. Let us embrace grace for all people. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

THE ASSURANCE OF PARDON

Jonah laments that God is a gracious God, merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, ready to relent from punishing. But we rejoice for we are the continual recipients of God grace and steadfast love. Thanks be to God we are forgiven. Amen.

THE PROPHETIC LESSON: Jonah 3:10-4:11 David Allen

10When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.

4But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry. 2He prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing. 3And now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4And the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

5Then Jonah went out of the city and sat down east of the city, and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, waiting to see what would become of the city. 6The Lord God appointed a bush, and made it come up over Jonah, to give shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort; so Jonah was very happy about the bush. 7But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the bush, so that it withered. 8When the sun rose, God prepared a sultry east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint and asked that he might die. He said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”

9But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?” And he said,

“Yes, angry enough to die.” 10Then the Lord said, “You are concerned about the bush, for

which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night.11And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?”

THE GLORIA WESTMINSTER ABBEY

THE GOSPEL LESSON: Matthew 20:1-16

1“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard.3When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; 4and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. 5When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. 6And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ 7They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ 8When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ 9When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. 10Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. 11And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 12saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? 14Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. 15Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

THE SERMON Eyes of Grace Ronald Cava THE CELEBRATION OF BELIEVER’S BAPTISM A CALL TO OBSERVANCE AND PRAYER OF PREPARATION Amy Russell THE MUSIC FOR WORSHIP Borning Cry John Ylvisaker

I was there to hear your borning cry, I’ll be there when you are old. I rejoiced the day you were baptized, to see your life unfold.

I was there when you were but a child, with a faith to suit you well; I’ll be there in case you wander off to find where demons dwell. When you heard the wonder of the word I was there to cheer you on; You were raised to praise the living God, to whom you now belong.

If you find someone to share your time and you join your hearts as one, I’ll be there to make your verses rhyme from dusk till rising sun. In the middle ages of your life, not too old, no longer young, I’ll be there to guide you through the night, complete what I’ve begun.

When the evening gently closes in and you shut your weary eyes, I’ll be there as I have always been with just one more surprise.

THE NEW TESTAMENT LESSON: Acts 10:44-48 Christian Bean THE CELEBRATION OF BELIEVER’S BAPTISM

I take God as my Father, Christ as my Savior,

the Spirit as my guide… this I do freely, completely, and forever.

THE PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING AND COMMISSIONING Tammy Hight

THE HYMN OF RESPONSE We Bless the Name of Christ the Lord CANONBURY

THE BENEDICTION Amy Russell THE POSTLUDE And on earth, peace François Couperin

The candidate for believers’ baptism is Levi Bean, son of Mike and Ashley Bean, and grandson of Rick and Trish Bean and Fran Cawthorne. Assisting with worship leadership today is Deacon of the Week Mary Austell. Music for this morning’s service is offered by Noah Bean and choral singers Maggie Clark, Cindy Clark, Andy Dickerson, and David Cole. The flowers which beautify the sanctuary this morning are given to the glory of God and in loving memory of Channing Falkner and Chuck Lewis by Alice and Art Falkner.

The First Baptist Church Henderson, North Carolina Ronald S. Cava, Senior Minister

Amy S. Russell, Associate Minister Mark L. Hopper, Minister of Music and Organist

David Cole, Associate Minister of Music and Organist Tammy C. Hight, Director of Childhood Discipleship

Kaitlyn Burton, Pastoral Intern Linda O’Brien, Financial Secretary

Tammy Manning, Ministry Support Coordinator Amber Jones, Administrative Support Coordinator

Robert Snow, Custodian Marion D. Lark, Senior Minister Emeritus Philip M. Young, Composer-in-Residence

Telephone (252) 438-3172 Fax (252) 438-3710

www.fbchenderson.net fbchurch@fbchenderson.net

Opportunities for Worship and Service

SUNDAY

9:00 AM Virtual Sunday School 10:00 Virtual Sunday School for 1st-5th Graders

11:00 Morning Worship Recording Posted on Facebook and Link Sent via Email

11:00 Previous Sunday’s Worship Service Aired on Spectrum Channel 24

5:35 PM Worship Service Aired on WIZS – 100.1 FM and 1450 AM 6:30 Churchwide Virtual Game Night

MONDAY 11:00 AM 7:00 PM

Phillips Labyrinth Available in Jeffcoat Room until 1pm Deacons Meeting

WEDNESDAY 10:00 AM Sacred Reading Weekly Video Call 11:00 Phillips Labyrinth Available in Jeffcoat Room until 1pm

THURSDAY 10:00 AM Brotherhood of the Traveling Bible Study