Wilbraham United Church 500 Main Street Wilbraham MA 01095 Phone: 596-2511 x 100 Fax: 596-2512 Email: admin@wilbrahamunitedchurch.org Website: www.wilbrahamunitedchurch.org Reformation Sunday October 26, 2014 _ 10:00 A.M PRELUDE: “Prelude on Hymn Tune” Fedak “O God, Our Help in Ages Past” # 117 GREETINGS & ANNOUNCEMENTS INTROIT **GATHERING HYMN: CALL TO WORSHIP: (Adapted from Romans 5) Leader: In the name of Jesus, I have Good News for you on this Reformation Sunday! People: Let all the people receive this Word! Leader: We have proof of God's unconditional love for us: People: For while we were still sinning, Christ died for us. Leader: Rarely will anyone die for a good, deserving person: People: But Jesus died for us then and lives for us now. Hallelujah! Paul Nesbit GATHERING PRAYER & OUR LORD’S PRAYER (trespasses) 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. (The children are dismissed to their Sunday School Classes.) PSALTER: Psalm 90 SONG OF PRAISE: (Please join the choir in the sung response ) “Majesty, Worship His Majesty” pg. 809 # 176 PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE Prayer Requests Pastoral Prayer Prayer Response OFFERING OF OUR GIFTS AND SELVES Invitation to Give Offertory Anthem: “Just As I Am” Bradbury/Carter; Doxology* “Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow” Blessing the Gifts Connie Stiefel - flute # 94 SCRIPTURE LESSON: Matthew 22:34-46 NRSV When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: “What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” He said to them, “How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”’? If David then calls him Lord, how can he be his son?” No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions. Leader: Our God is still speaking. **HYMN: People: Thanks be to God. “Pass It On” SERMON: # 572 “Brushing Up on the Great Commandment” **HYMN OF PARTING: “Jesu, Jesu” # 432 **WORDS OF DISMISSAL Choral Response POSTLUDE: “ A Mighty Fortress Is Our God ” Luther/Held **All, who wish to do so, may stand. The altar flowers this morning are given to the Glory of God in memory of loved ones. PLEASE REMEMBER TO TURN OFF YOUR CELL PHONE BEFORE THE SERVICE. In case of an emergency, please follow usher’s/head usher's directions to exit the sanctuary The Wilbraham United Church monthly newsletter, The Branch-Line, is always available on our website: www.wilbrahamunitedchurch.org and copies are also available in the Narthex near the Outreach bulletin board, in the rack to the left of the main entry and in the lobby of Fellowship Hall. MINISTERING TO YOU TODAY Pastor: The Rev. Dr. Charles C. Close Organist: Mark Jacobson Dir. Of Christian Education: Jeanne Westcott Head Usher: Tom Toman Ushers: Gus Hoffmann, Nancy and Paul Krawczynski, Norma Hill Greeters: Marilyn and Ray Heiney Nursery Care: Amy Crocker, Nan O’Connor Attention Visitors! Is this your first visit to United Church? We bid you a very warm welcome and invite you to sign our Guest Pad located in the Narthex. ♦ Please continue down the central hallway and join us for fellowship and coffee in our Fellowship Hall immediately after the service. Hosting today, Parish Life Commission. Wilbraham United Church, UCC & UMC “News for the Pews” for the week of October 26, 2014 Ed Schenk, David Birkhaeuser, Jean Callahan (NH) Our President and Congress, Our country and our world Our Armed Forces, Our First Responders and all their Families Last Week’s Statistics Last week’s Attendance: Last week’s Offerings: 96 $3,428. Total Offerings to date: $163,206. Where we would like to be budget-wise: $193,038. Thank you for your continued generosity. In addition, for your convenience, our Universal Missions envelopes are in each pew every Sunday for your opportunity to donate to your favorite cause. Pick your envelope, write your name and donation, then check off which mission you would like to support. It’s that simple! Thank you!! The PieceMakers next meetings: Mon. Nov. 3 & 17; Dec. 1 & 8 - 10am, Bliss Rm. Dress A Girl next meeting: Mon., Oct. 27, 7-9pm, Bliss Rm. Proposed 2014-2015 Multi-Church Youth Fellowship program If you are youth in grades 9-12, or are a young adult interested in YF leadership, age 18-21, and are affiliated with Wilbraham United Church, Christ the King Lutheran Church, Church of the Epiphany Episcopal, Hampden Federated or any other area church, please bring your adult to United Church TONIGHT, October 26,, from 6-8pm to meet youth facilitators and find out more! ### Middle School YF has already met to begin to establish the current program. If you missed that meeting and would like to know more, please contact Jeanne Westcott at 596-2511 x 105 or at wucyouthfellowship@gmail.com BLOOD DRIVE ON HALLOWEEN FRI., OCT. 31, 9 AM—2 PM IN FELLOWSHIP HALL All presenting donors will receive a buy 1, get 1 free ticket for any Springfield Symphony Orchestra concert this season (through April). Call 800-733-2767 or visit RedCrossBlood.org Walk-Ins welcome! Bring positive ID Our very successful THRIFT SHOP is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. Always needed: gently used items and we always need volunteers!! If you would like to learn how to volunteer in the shop, please contact Dianne Lyons at diannejbl@aol.com Volunteers generally run the register, wrap & bag purchases. Proceeds from this on-going, successful shop go towards the Outreach missions and the church budget. Won’t you help with its success??? Our services are videotaped and broadcast on Wilbraham Public Access television, Channel 5, your computer at your own convenience by going to the Wilbraham Public Access website, normally at 8 PM on Mondays and 8 AM on Tuesdays. You may also view certain selections on your computer at www.wilbraham-ma.gov/ select: Public Access Schedule, then pick: WPA Video on Demand, scroll down and select: RELIGION, from: selections included Pick We always need more volunteers – please see the bulletin boards to see what is involved, or call Tom Toman at 599-1810. The Habitat-Circle of Faith, local church folk, helping seniors and handicapped with home repairs, painting, etc. Labor is free, homeowners pay for materials. Saturday work schedule – anyone is invited to help on any date. No skills or tools needed. Please call Pete Ablondi at 596.6700 or Wayne Thresher at 626.2930 for details. If you are a senior or handicapped and need help with repairs, applications are in our church office. Confirmation Class Begins Today In cooperstion with the Hampden Federated Community Church and their pastor, the Rev. Todd Farnsworth, we will be offering a joint Confirmation Class for all 11th graders. This is a special time when our young people consider what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ and a member of the church. We will be meeting once a month, sharing with mentors, going on retreat and offering confirmation to our youth on Easter morning. Post cards have been sent to all those who are eligible for the class. Our first class is TODAY, from12:00 noon to 1:30, in the Youth Room. The meeting is for parents and students. We will meet each other and the teachers, discuss the classes, answer questions and prepare for an exciting year of confirmation studies! ## Have YOU purchased your weekly grocery shopping cards this week?? 11:15 am Fellowship & Coffee – F. Hall 12:00 noon Confirmation Class – Youth Rm 1:00 pm WUP rehearsals – Howard Room 6:00 pm Al Anon – 1G 6 – 8 pm Senior High YF - Fellowship Hall (First meeting of the Multi-Church Youth Grp) Monday – 10/27: 9:15 am Yoga – Disc. Room 4:45 pm Meditation – Discovery Room 7:00 pm WUP– Fellowship Hall 7:00 pm Holly Fair – Zeckhausen Room 7:00 pm Dress A Girl – Bliss Room Tuesday – 10/28: 5:30 pm SIA Support Group – 1G 5:30 pm Kung Fu – Discovery Room 6:00 pm Jr. Girl Scouts – Howard Room 7:00 pm Yoga – Discovery Room 7:00 pm WUP – Fellowship Hall 7:30 pm WEF – Zeckhausen Room Wednesday – 10/29: 4:45 pm Yoga – Discovery Rm 6:00 pm Al Anon – 1G 6:00 pm Cub Scouts – Fellowship Hall 6:15 pm Yoga Class – Discovery Room 7:00 pm Visioning Comm. - Library FALL Back to Eastern Standard Time NEXT Sunday, 2 am, Nov. 2nd. Thursday – 10/30: 4:00 pm Prayer Study – Zeck. Rm. 5:30 pm Kung Fu – Discovery Room 6:00 pm Al Anon –1G; Al A-Teen 7:00 pm Bells rehearsal – Choir Rm 7:45 pm Sr. Choir rehearsal – Choir Rm Friday – 10/31: 9am – 2pm Blood Drive – Fellowship Hall 9:30–12:30 Thrift Shop – Rooms 8 & 10B Saturday – 11/01: 9:00 am Set Build – Fellowship Hall 9:30 am – 12:30 pm Thrift Shop – 8 & 10B 9:30 am Kung Fu – Discovery Rm This Week at Wilbraham United TODAY: 10:00 am Sunday Morning Worship Sunday – 11/02: 2 am FALL BACK 1 HOUR 10:00 am Sunday Worship 11:15 am Coffee and Fellowship 1:00 pm – Crop Walk at Christ the King 1:00 pm WUP set bld. – Fellowship Hall 6:00 pm Al Anon – 1G