First Presbyterian Church Cookstown (founded 1646)

of The

in the Presbytery of Tyrone

gathered to worship on

Sunday 20 March 2016 PALM SUNDAY

11.30 am & 7.00 pm

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Before any Service, speak to God; During the Service, let God speak to you;

After the Service, speak to one another! MISSION is every believer’s responsibility!

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MORNING Holy Scripture: Antiphonal Psalm 118:19-24 (page 616) Isaiah 49:1-7 (page 735) Luke 19:28-44 (page 1054) THE “TOO LATE” TEARS Praise: IPH 403 Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest (Tuttle) IPH 397 (ii) Children of Jerusalem (Children’s Praise) CH4 366 Come, follow Jesus (Jesus loves me) IPH 399 From Heaven You came, helpless babe (Kendrick)

EVENING Holy Scripture: Luke 19:41-44 (page 1054); 22:39-46; 23:26-28 THE TEARS OF JESUS, BUT WHAT ABOUT OUR TEARS? Praise: Metrical Psalm 118:19-23, 28-29 Southwark (123) IPH 66 How glad are those with peace of mind (Winchester) IPH 414 Man of Sorrows! What a name…(Gethsemane) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Deaths: Dr Mavis Thompson née Cousley (87 years), Cookstown Road, Moneymore, died peacefully in Antrim Area Hospital on Saturday 12 March 2016. After a service in First last Tuesday, interment took place in First Presbyterian Moneymore graveyard. To her family and family circle we extend our deepest sympathy. Mavis’s husband, Dr Ian, died in 2003.

Welcome!

Please take this

Bulletin

home with you.

—————————— Strive for peace with

all your heart—

Christ Himself

is our peace

Psalm 34:14b; Ephesians 2:14

Remember: www.firstcookstown.co.uk You can access this Bulletin, listen to service

recordings, and contribute news and updates, along with much more information.

Stanley Faulkner (75 years), Grange Road, Cookstown, died peacefully last Tuesday in his home after a few days in Antrim Area Hospital. After a service in his home on Thursday, interment took place in Grange Graveyard. To his sister, Mrs Esther Gourley and his family and the wider family circle, we extend our deepest sympathy. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This week 11.30 am Revd Dr Isaac Thompson—all age service 7.00 pm Revd Dr Isaac Thompson 8.00 pm Youth Fellowship in The Loft (for those Year 8 to age 24) until 9.30 pm. Monday 6.00 pm NO Squirrels until 11 April 7.00 pm NO Beavers until 11 April Tuesday 10.15 am Prayer Cell in The Minister’s Room—all welcome. 7.45 pm Bowling Club in The Main Hall—all welcome. Wednesday 10.30 am NO Bible Study in The Loft. Studies on Service and Outreach, “Positively Different”. Study

5 (I Peter 4:1-19) resumes on 6 April 7.30 pm Kirk Session in The Morrison Room 8.15 pm Congregational Committee in The Morrison Room: minutes for Committee members are

available in the Morrison Room after the Sunday morning service. Thursday 8.00 pm Prayer Cell in The Minister’s Room—all welcome. Friday 8.00 pm Joint Good Friday Service with Molesworth in First Next Sunday Easter Sunday 2.00 am Clocks go FORWARD one hour to British Summer Time. 7.00 am Dawn Service at Slieve Gallion 10.30 am Elders’ Monthly Prayer time in The Morrison Room until 11.00 am 11.30 am Revd Dr Isaac Thompson 7.00 pm Revd Dr Isaac Thompson—joint service with Molesworth in First April 2016 Friday 8 Spring Concert by Dungannon Choral Society in The Burnavon at 8.00 pm. Tickets

available from The Burnavon Saturday 9 A family occasion for grandparents, parents and children: Come along and try your hand

at bowling in The Main Hall! 10.00 am—12 noon Tuesday 12 Annual Bowling Dinner and Prizegiving in The Royal Hotel at 7.30 pm. Book with Linda

Donaghy (8676 5805) - all welcome. Thursday 14 Annual elevenses@first lunch in The Main Hall at 12.30 pm. Cost £10. Booking is

essential…contact either Margaret Crooks (8676 4153) or Anne McGuffin (8676 2965) - all welcome.

Saturday 23 ‘Kids Big Day Out’ Sunday School event in Wellington Presbyterian Church, Ballymena. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Indifference, by GA Studdert Kennedy When Jesus came to Golgotha, they hanged Him on a tree,

They drove great nails through hands and feet, and made a Calvary; They crowned Him with a crown of thorns, red were His wounds and deep,

For those were crude and cruel days, and human flesh was cheap.

When Jesus came to Birmingham*, they simply passed Him by. They would not hurt a hair of Him, they only let Him die;

For men had grown more tender, and they would not give Him pain, They only just passed down the street, and left Him in the rain.

Still Jesus cried, ‘Forgive them, for they know not what they do,’ And still it rained the winter rain that drenched Him through and through;

The crowds went home and left the streets without a soul to see, And Jesus crouched against a wall, and cried for Calvary.

Revd Geoffrey Anketell Studdert Kennedy, MC (1883-1929) was a Chaplain to the Forces in WWI. He was born in Leeds to Irish parents and studied theology at Trinity College, Dublin. He was nicknamed “Woodbine Willie”. (* for “Birmingham” read “Cookstown”!) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ROTAS—read through them carefully! F.W.O. TEAM ROTA

This Week ................................................................. Austin Burnett, Hazel Johnston, May Faulkner, Noel Crooks Next Week ........................................................................... Iris Black, George Black, Noel Johnston, Derek Short

COLLECTION ROTA Manse side (March) ........................................................................................... George Black, Christopher Leitch Gallery (March) ......................................................................... Glen Faulkner, Peter McIlwaine, Norman Wilson Town side (March) ................................................................................................... Jim Rutherford, John Topping Manse side (April) ................................................................................................... Thomas Dripps, Ian McMullan Gallery (April) ........................................................................................ Austin Burnett, Chris Kerr, Ted McKinney Town side (April) ....................................................................................................... Sandra Rea, Clive Richardson

SOUND DESK ROTA This Morning ................................ Andrew Johnston Next Sunday ........................................ Stephen Park

FLOWER ROTA Today .................................................................................................................................................... Anonymous Next Sunday ................................................................................................................ In memory of Helen Mayne

CAR PARK ROTA Today ...................................... Jim & Pat Rutherford Next Sunday ....................................... Ian Allingham

CHURCH STEWARDING ROTA March ............................................................................................................... Keith Gilmour, Margaret Hamilton April ............................................................................................................................... Bob Agnew, Gordon Black

JUNIOR CHURCH ROTA Today ................................................................................................................................................ All-age service Next Sunday ................................................................... Eileen Richardson, Naomi Ferguson, Rosemary Gilmour

CRÈCHE ROTA Today ............................................................................................... Judith McGeown, Ruth Mayne, Zac Johnston Next Sunday ...................................................................................................................................................... TBC

SUNDAY SCHOOL SUPERVISION ROTA Next Sunday ................................................................................................................... Colin Rea, Tony Patterson 3 April .................................................................................................................................. Alison Bell, Derek Reid ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PRAYER FOCUS THE BEREAVED Norman, Molly & Sidney Faulkner and families (nephew, Bobby Faulkner, Scotland) PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND PRAYERLINE: (edited) For full versions, visit: www.presbyterianireland.org Home: The Moderator: Rt Revd Dr Ian McNie, preaching this morning in Annalong Presbyterian Church, and this evening, speaking at the PW service in Burnside Presbyterian Church, Portstewart. Sadie McCullough – Deaconess serving in Whiteabbey Presbyterian Church: one day Easter ‘Eggsplained’ Holiday Bible Club on Good Friday. Also, pray for their Café Church, that it will continue to be well attended, and that people will be reconnected with church and know that God loves them and wants a relationship with them. John McCandless – Community Outreach Worker serving in Mersey Street and Mountpottinger Presbyterian Churches, Belfast: Give thanks for encouraging numbers and responses in both parent and toddlers groups. The diversity of the cultures in east Belfast are reflected in these organisations. Give thanks for

‘Mountpottinger Mens’ Meet-up and Lunch’ – which seeks to bring men together sharing with them a relevant thought for today from God’s Word; also the Mersey Street’s ‘Fun Factory’ – a meeting for boys and girls after school with creative activities. Pray that as the leaders work with them, the children will get to know and love the creator of their lives. Overseas: Syria: Thankfully the ceasefire between government forces and some opposition groups continues to be largely holding. Pray for world leaders and governments to work together for peace in Syria and to seek to resolve the growing refugee crisis in Europe. Pray for our partner church – the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon (NESSL); pray for its leaders and members and for their efforts to help those in need. Kenya: Stephen Cowan sends the following prayer requests from Tuum: Give thanks for the new girls’ dormitory in Seren, where 58 girls are now staying, and being encouraged in the Word of God. Pray for the matron at Seren, for Kasoni as she works in the wider community, and for Samuel as he meets some groups for Bible teaching. Pray for plans for the April youth camps which a team from Park Road Fellowship in Nairobi will lead. Pray for Paul and Elizabeth Davis from Magheramason Presbyterian Church, who are due to visit for three weeks, due to arrive on Thursday last, and travel the very long road journey out to Tuum from Nairobi with the Cowan children coming back to Tuum for the Easter school holidays. South Sudan: The leadership of the Presbyterian Church in South Sudan has requested prayer and humanitarian support due to the continued violence there. Christian Aid and Tearfund are currently working through their local partners to respond to humanitarian needs in South Sudan. For more information on this or to donate, go to: www.christianaid.org.uk/emergencies/ or www.tearfund.org/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A potential disaster of Biblical proportions? The Mosul dam, in northern Iraq, holds back more than 12m cubic metres of water from the River Tigris. Completed by Saddam Hussein in 1986, and having been built on soluble gypsum, it was never the most stable of structures, requiring continuous grouting to maintain its integrity. But when Islamic State captured the dam in 2014, they ran off with all the grouting equipment. And even though the Kurdish Peshmerga (meaning “one who faces death”, the official title of the military forces of Kurdistan) retook the dam some six weeks later, it is still close to the Isis front line, and the Kurds have been busy fighting, not grouting. Three weeks ago the US Embassy in Baghdad issued a warning that the risk of the dam failing is now “serious and unprecedented”. And if the dam was to burst, a 14 metre-high wall of water would be unleashed downstream that could drown over a million people and displace several million more. “The dam is in a very dangerous situation now,” said Dr Nasrat Adamo, the dam’s former chief engineer. “The coming floods in March and April will definitely raise the water to alarming levels. My feeling is the dam will fail sometime in the future.” It was on the outskirts of the city of Mosul, just a few miles from where the dam now creaks under the pressure of water, that in 1844 the young English explorer Austen Henry Layard first discovered the ruins of the lost city of Nineveh and its magnificent library of clay tablets. Back then, no one could read their curious markings and they were shipped back to the British Museum for scholars to study. Human civilisation first flourished between the fertile banks of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. This is where the first cities were founded. This is where writing itself began. These days, the scholarly consensus is that, as Professor Walter Brueggemann has put it, “the Old Testament in its final form is a product of and a response to the Babylonian exile” – that is, to the period following 597BC when many Jews were carted off to captivity in Babylon, then the largest city in the world (and now squashed by a US military base, Camp Alpha). “By the rivers of Babylon, we sat down and wept,” wrote the psalmist (Psalm 137). Within four hours of the dam bursting, the people of Mosul would be underwater. Within 77 hours, Baghdad would be swamped. You don’t have to be interested in the Bible to recognise this as a potential disaster of Biblical proportions!

Announcements for inclusion in the bulletin must be with: Paul Ferguson (paulferguson@firstcookstown.co.uk or 028 8644 8601)

no later than 12 noon on Friday of this week.