Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church

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Prayer of Confession. Loving Creator,. We name you as eternal, ever-present, and boundless in love. Yet there are times
Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church Asheville, North Carolina www.gcpcusa.org

September 24, 2017 – 10:30 am







I do not at all understand the mystery of grace – only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us. ~ Anne Lamott

Prelude Meditation on Matthew 20:16 Philip Young * Call to Worship (adapted from Psalm 105) O, give thanks to the Lord! Speak of God’s deeds with great joy. O, give thanks to the Lord! Sing praises for all of God’s wondrous works. O, give thanks to the Lord! Let our hearts rejoice for the One who sets us free.

* Hymn 36 For the Fruit of All Creation AR HYD Y NOS * Call to Reconciliation * Prayer of Confession Loving Creator, We name you as eternal, ever-present, and boundless in love. Yet there are times when we fail to see you at work in our daily lives. Sometimes guilt clenches tightly around our hearts, and we hide our true feelings. Sometimes fear makes us small, and we miss the chance to speak of your powerful grace. Sometimes doubt invades our hopefulness, and we don’t trust our faith. Forgive us and free us. Help us to recognize you in every moment and serve you with glad hearts. Amen.

* Assurance of Forgiveness * Response



* Passing of the Peace The Peace of Christ be with you. And also with you. Faith Sharing with Children Our Life Together (Please sign the pad located in your pew) Prayer for Illumination Hebrew Scripture Jonah 3:10-4:11 The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God! Anthem True Light Keith Hampton Gospel Reading Matthew 20:1-16 The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God! Sermon “Getting in Line” Samantha Gonzalez-Block * Hymn 435 There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy IN BABILONE



* Affirmation of Faith (adapted from The Confession of Belhar) We believe in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who gathers, protects and cares for the church. We believe the church is one worldwide communion of saints, called from the entire human family. We believe that through the working of God’s Spirit, unity is a binding force and also that we must seek this unity, which must become visible to the world.



We believe that the sin of division, separation and hatred between people and groups has been conquered by Christ. We commit ourselves to protecting the unity of the church universal. We pledge to make this unity active in all of our words, thoughts and deeds.



Offering (Please place prayer cards in the offering plate for the Prayers of the People) Offertory Amazing Grace Pam Gervais





* Doxology



* Prayer of Dedication God of hope, may these generous gifts offered in your name be used to help guide our hands to do your sacred work this day and every day. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Prayers of the People Each section of the prayer will conclude: “God, in your grace”



Please respond: “Hear our prayer”

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 debts, as we forgive our debtors; 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 757



Today We All Are Called to Be Disciples



KINGSFOLD



* Charge & Benediction

* Postlude

Bourée Ludwig van Beethoven ------------------------------------------------- (For some, the Postlude serves as festive music to accompany their going back out into the world. Others prefer to remain seated and listen. Please be mindful of these different needs as you depart. Thank you!)

* Please Stand in Body or Spirit.



We gather to worship God who is larger than all our imaginations! We encourage all persons to sing the gender nouns and pronouns they prefer in referring to God.



Our Life Together…





Thank You! Head Usher: Paul Tescione | Liturgist: John Curry

Deacon of the Week: John Mount Shoop, email: [email protected]

Thank you to Jeannette Williams for the flowers that decorate the sanctuary this morning given to the glory of God and with good wishes for the GCPC family on the start of a new liturgical year. Celebration Team - Worship Collaboration | Sun., Oct. 1 | 11:45 AM | Sanctuary It's Celebration Team time again! This pop-up team comes together to dream and collaborate about worship as we plan for our seasons of waiting and preparation in the church year. Together we explore how to bring the arts, creativity, and multisensory aspects into our worship. So come with your ideas, your hopes, and your creativity and spirit of play and joy. Jeff and Marcia look forward to what wonderful things emerge in our work together this fall in preparation for Advent. Everyone and anyone interested is welcome to join the fun! WANTED! - GCPC Nursery Volunteers! This is a church that supports young families in many ways and one of those ways is dependable and loving childcare. We still have two volunteer spots in the nursery that need to be filled for the upcoming school year. This is a commitment of only 6 Sundays a year! Please consider volunteering for this important ministry with our wonderful GCPC children!

Grow Bible Study | Wednesdays | 11 AM | Conference Room Join the pastoral staff to read and study our sermon texts for Sunday. No preparation needed, just come ready to open scripture and discuss. Wisdom in the Woods Retreat | October 19 – 22 | Boone/Blowing Rock | Registration Deadline: TOMORROW, September 25th Are you a woman who has a few decades under her belt? Do you remember bell bottoms or even poodle skirts? Introducing our first annual Wisdom in the Woods retreat! This will be a time for fellowship and also digging deeper into our faith together. The cost is $175 per person which covers room, most meals, and programming. Registration forms are available at the Information Station.

The Racial Justice Book Club | Thursday, Oct. 12 | 12:15 PM | Jerusalem Room This year, GCPC is committing to reading a book every month by an author of color who examines issues of race and justice. In the fall, we will be looking at racial justice from a systemic perspective. The book club will be meeting the second Thursday of every month. To begin, we will be holding a brownbag lunch discussion of Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. First appearing in 2010, Alexander's book has become the standard for understanding disparities in our prison system and the ways mass incarceration has been used to segregate and disenfranchise large portions of Black communities throughout our nation. Please contact Richard or Marcia for any questions.

Serve

Serve Committee Mission Grants The Serve Committee is accepting grant applications from community partners and nonprofits through October 6, 2017. 2017 Mission Grants will focus on supporting ways to build equitable opportunities and/or processes for those marginalized in Asheville by race, gender, economic position and/or residency status. *If you have any questions about this process, please contact Kate Shem at [email protected] or 980-230-9264. To access the grant application, visit the Serve (Outreach) page of the church website. VRQ—BBQ Cook Team | First Tuesday of Month | Next cook date: October 3rd If you would like to join this list of Veteran Restoration Quarter’s cooks and servers please email Anna Louise, [email protected] . By joining you will receive a notification each month. If it fits your schedule that month, you will come at 4:15 to cook or 5:45 to serve the evening meal. This mission service has a long history and we would love for you to be a part of the service and camaraderie. Questions? Contact Bill Neeriemer, [email protected].



Care Salsa Dancing & Lesson (to support hurricane disaster relief) | Monday, October 2 | 7:00 - 8:30 PM | Habitat Tavern and Commons (174 Broadway) Come dance for a good cause! Enjoy an evening of beginner Salsa lessons, led by Samantha Gonzalez-Block and open dancing for all ages and levels. Any donations collected will go towards hurricane disaster relief in the Caribbean. All are welcome to come socialize and enjoy. Nos vemos! See you there!

SOS ~ Save Our Sanity | 7:00 PM | Meets first Monday of the month A social, prayer, support group for mothers of young children! Come with an appetizer and choice of drink; leave the kids at home. Together, we’ll create the fun and support we need as we work to raise our little ones. To be added to list, email [email protected]. First Meeting: October 2 – Jessica Graham’s home.

PNO ~ Parents’ Night Out | 5:00 – 8:15 PM | Meets one Saturday a month Leave your children at the church for childcare, and let’s all go out on the town! Contact the church to reserve childcare the Monday prior to our outing Saturday. Drop your child and $10 at the church on the night of the event. Carpool or meet us wherever we are to gather! Email [email protected] to be added to the list.

Prayer List [Concerns will stay on this list for a month unless we hear otherwise. Please keep us updated.]

Jerusalem Church congregation; Linda Parker (Anna Jarvis’ sister-in-law); JoAnne Hewett and family (Allison McLamb’s co-worker); Betsy Needle (Robin Gaiser’s friend); Sherry Harcke (Les and Susan Stradley’s friend); David Bartlett (Anna Louise Murchison’s friend); Cecelia deMattos (Molly deMattos’ mom); Nikita Norris, Regina Hunter & family (Habitat for Humanity partner family); Denise, Betty and David Whitt (Mary Ellen Horne’s partner & her family); Roy Hicks (Melissa Hicks’ father); Glen Russell (Robin Gaiser’s brother); Ronda Latrella (Susie Churchfield’s friend); Betty Weller (sister of Lucy Reiley and Margaret Peery); Family of Saralyn Griffith; Virginia Bradley; Hettie Lou Garland; Dot Holladay; Jerry Bleckley; Teresa Stern; Cindy Egerer; Florence Riedesel; Gerry Simons; Cory Hartbarger; Pat Cheffins; Esther Colton

Youth News Presbytery Youth Rally | TODAY!, September 24 | 2:00 - 6:45 PM | Montreat (Meet/pick up at Grace Covenant parking lot) We are excited to meet and have fun with youth from across our presbytery (co-led by GCPC's own PYC youth). There is no cost or meal provided, so please bring a snack and water bottle. Contact Samantha [email protected] in order to sign up or offer carpooling. If you are meeting at Montreat, arrive to Upper Anderson at 2:50pm and pick up at 6:15pm. It is sure to be an unforgettable time!

Register by this Tuesday, September 26th for: AYM/Creation Care Mission Earth Service Day | Saturday, October 14th | 12:00 - 6:30 PM | Meet/pick up at Grace Covenant parking lot Asheville Youth Mission & Creation Care Alliance are hosting a youth service day focused on caring for Gods creation. We will be doing service projects outside and meeting youth from across the area. Wear clothes that can get dirty (long pants, sturdy shoes) and bring a water bottle. GCPC will cover the cost for participants. Dinner and t-shirt provided. To register, contact Samantha [email protected].

Next Sunday’s Education for All Ages | 9:15 AM





Digging In: Creation Care & Scripture | Atrium Over the nine weeks of this course we will look at Scripture in relation to contemporary concern for Creation Care. We will begin with a look at some ways Scripture has been said to be an obstacle for Creation Care, suggesting alternative readings of such “problematic” parts of the Bible. Then we will look at the implications of Scripture’s accounts of creation, covenant, redemption for humanity’s calling to care for creation. The class will conclude with a look at Scripture’s hints about the relation of humans to other animals and about God’s good future for all creation. Facilitator: Cam Murchison

The Improv: Boundaries | Jerusalem Room The Boundaries class will explore how to establish healthy boundaries with friends, parents, children, coworkers, self, and God. We will discuss when to say no and how to say yes, how to respond to individuals who don't recognize or respect personal boundaries, and why it is important to respect other people's boundaries without resentment. The reference for the class will be the Boundaries book by Dr Henry Cloud and Dr John Townsend. Although it is not required reading, books will be available for those interested. Reviews of the book's content include "this is THE most life-changing book I have ever read, apart from the Bible" and "provides a doorway of understanding and freedom for those of us who have allowed ourselves to be buried in the inability to say no." Join us for a discussion on how to incorporate boundaries into your life. Facilitators: Paul Rogers and Christi Mobley

Pressure Points: Religious Violence | Choir Room During the fall, we examine how misreadings of Biblical passages have been used to rationalize and even promote religious violence. Midrashic reading of Genesis stories foundational to Christianity, Judaism, and Islam help us gain new insight to sibling rivalry, dualism, scapegoats and more. "All the major figures of the first book of the Hebrew Bible are complex characters...Dividing the world into saints and sinners, the saved and the damned, the children of God and the children of the devil, is the first step down the road to violence in the name of God" according to Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, author of Not in God's Name: Confronting Religious Violence which will inform the study although reading it is not required for the weekly discussions. Facilitators: Keaton Hill and Denise Snodgrass

CHILDREN & YOUTH EDUCATION [Contact Samantha] Preschool/Kindergarten (ages 3-5) | anytime from 8:30–11:30 AM |Preschool Sunday School Room (downstairs, Children’s Center) Elementary (grades 1-5) | 9:10–10:10 AM |Temple Room (upstairs, Promise Zone)



Middle School (grades 6-8) | 9:15-10:10 AM | Middle School Classroom, PZ Senior Highs (grades 9-12) | 9:15-10:10 AM | Senior High Classroom, PZ



Next Sunday, October 1, 2017 Worship services at 8:30 & 10:30 AM Education Hour @ 9:15 AM Sermon: “The Wisdom of Emptiness” by Marcia Mount Shoop Scriptures: Psalm 25:1-9; Philippians 2:1-13



CALENDAR

Sept.

Sunday



24



Monday Tuesday Wednesday



25 26 27

Saturday Oct. Sunday



30 1





















8:30 AM 9:15 AM 10:30 AM 11:30 AM 2:00 PM 5:00 PM 5:30 PM 6:00 PM 9:00 AM 6:15 PM 11:00 AM 11:45 AM 5:30 PM 7:00 PM 9AM – 4PM 8:30 AM 9:15 AM 10:30 AM 5:00 PM 5:00 PM

PW Honorary Membership Award Worship Education Hour Worship Deacons GCPC Youth Group Rally Children’s Choirs Handbell Choir Finance Mtg. Prayer Group Session Mtg. Bible Study Sanctuary open for prayer Stewardship Mtg. Chancel Choir Chancel Choir Retreat World Communion Sunday Worship Education Hour Worship Youth Group Children’s Choirs