Round Hill Community Church

ORDER OF SERVICE September 27, 2015

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

PRELUDE Allegretto Franck Berceuse Franck

WORDS OF WELCOME

INTROIT

CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: Blessed be the name of God from this time on and forevermore. All: From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of God is

to be praised.Leader: It is good to give thanks to God, to sing praises to your name, O

Most High;All: to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your

faithfulness by night.

*HYMN No. 560 Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

*The congregation is invited to stand

*OPENING PRAYER

Christ, whose insistent call disturbs our settled lives,give us discernment to hear your word,grace to relinquish our tasks,and courage to follow emptyhandedwherever you may lead;that the voice of your gospelmay reach to the ends of the earth. 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 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. Amen.

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE The Rev. Dan Haugh

SACRAMENT OF HOLY BAPTISM

Sloane Tomte Griesmeyer

Daughter of Lindsay and Roger Griesmeyer

Goddaughter of Daniel Griesmeyer and Keira McClain

HYMN Child of Blessing, Child of Promise

Children may now leave for Church School.

ANTHEM O God of Abraham Praise Leoni

SCRIPTURE LESSONS Genesis 12: 1-9

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot, and all the possessions that they had gathered, and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. And Abram journeyed on by stages toward the Negeb.

Matthew 9: 9-13As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him.

And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”

SERMON Blessed Beginnings…For All Ages The Rev. Dr. Ed Horstmann

*HYMN Bless Now, O God, the Journey

First Stanza – sung by choirBless now, O God, the journey that all your people make,the path through noise and silence, the way of give and take. The trail is found in desert and winds the mountain round, then leads beside still waters, the road where faith is found.

Second stanza – sung by allBless sojourners and pilgrims who share this winding way,whose hope burns through the terrors, whose love sustains the day.We yearn for holy freedom while often we are bound.Together we are seeking the road where faith is found.

Third Stanza – sung by allDivine Eternal Lover, you meet us on the road.We wait for lands of promise where milk and honey flow.But waiting not for places, you meet us all around.Our covenant is written on roads, as faith is found.

OFFERING Invitation Offertory Prayer

Anthem Jubilate Deo BrittenO be joyful in the Lord all ye lands;serve the Lord with gladnessand come before his presence with a song.Be ye sure that the Lord he is God;it is he that hath made us and not we ourselves;we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.

O go your way into his gates with thanksgivingand into his courts with praise;be thankful unto him and speak good of his Name.For the Lord is gracious; his mercy is everlasting;and his truth endureth from generation to generation.

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.

*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.439 God, Dismiss Us with Your Blessing

CHURCH PRAYER Our 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

Following the benediction, we invite you to remain seated during the postlude to enjoy the special music as a time for reflection, prayer or

meditation.

POSTLUDE Emperor’s Fanfare Soler

ROUND HILL COMMUNITY CHURCH MISSION STATEMENT We, the members of the Round Hill Community Church, a self-gov-erning, non-denominational body, seek to foster a community of faith

where people of all ages and backgrounds pursue spiritual growth; where God is worshiped 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 CREED I believe in God, the one universal Father of all mankind, revealed su-premely in Jesus Christ, our Lord, and present with us to guide, com-fort 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 Bill Herrick and Lloyd Hull for ushering today.

We thank Mary Bell and George Case for hosting Coffee Hour today. Please join them in the parlor following worship.

All are invited to attend the Strategic Plan Forum in the Sanctuary today after coffee hour. The plan is a culmination of work completed over the past year and will serve as a vital roadmap for ensuring our growth and viability

for years to come. The Executive Committee will be available to answer any questions you may have during the forum. Please plan to stay and join us.

Please join us for the Installation Service for The Rev. Dan Haugh, Associate Pastor of Round Hill Community Church, on Sunday, October 4 at 3:00 p.m. in the Church Sanctuary. The Rev. Dr. Scott Herr, Senior Pastor of The American Church in Paris, will be the guest preacher. A reception will follow the service in the Round Hill Community House. Everyone is welcome to attend this special service.

Our Minister of Music, Christopher Kabala, invites you to a lecture on the importance of the music of J.S. Bach, often called the “gold standard,” in the history of western classical music. A wine and cheese reception will follow. The event will take place on October 6th at 7pm in the meeting room. Please come, and invite your friends!

All single women and their friends are invited to the October brown-bag luncheon of the RHCC Single Women’s Group on October 10th from noon till 2pm in the church parlor. A discussion will be held on the topic “Home Alone. Now What?” Please RSVP to church@roundhillcommunitychurch.org or call the church office at 203-869-1091 if you plan to attend.

Greenwich Emergency Medical Service [GEMS] will be offering a CPR certification class at RHCC on Sunday October 18 at 11:30AM. This program typically runs for approximately two hours and does involve a measure of physical activity. To reserve your space in this class, please sign up at the Welcome table in the parlor.

Annual Harvest Supper

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

6:30-9:30 PMRound Hill Community House

397 Round Hill Road, Greenwich, CT 06831

$10 per adult/ $5 per child(Please make checks payable to the

Round Hill Community Church)

There will be holiday items on sale from the

Round Hill Craft Studio

For further information:203-869-1091 or www.roundhillcommunitychurch.org

Space is limited. Please RSVP by October 16.

We welcome all to come and join us for this festive fall feast!!!

Please review your experience with us on Yelp!

http://www.yelp.com/biz/round-hill-community-church-greenwich

REFLECTIONS

We are challenged to unlearn helplessness and replace it with a soaring sense of sacred empowerment. How ready are you to pick up your freedom and power? How willing are you to accept God’s invitation to you, to imagine and create an awesome life? How much are you able to trust that what God wants is for you to want, to earnestly desire and design your own divine purpose, in sacrifice and delight, for the healing of our world?

Kirk Byron Jones, Holy Play: The Joyful Adventure of Unleashing Divine Purpose

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