Round Hill Community Church

ORDER OF SERVICENovember 6, 2016 All Saints’ Sunday

Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost

PRELUDE Soliloquy D. Conte WORDS OF WELCOME

INTROIT How Lovely, Lord, How Lovely H.H. Hopson CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: Exuberant Spirit of God, bursting with the brightness of flame

into the coldness of our lives to warm us with a passion for justice and beauty,

All: we praise you.Leader: Exuberant Spirit of God, sweeping us out of the dusty corners of

our apathy to breathe vitality into our struggles for change,All: we praise you.Leader: Exuberant Spirit of God, speaking words that leap over barriers

of mistrust to convey messages of truth and new understanding,All: we praise you.Leader: Exuberant Spirit of God,

flame…wind…speech,burn, breathe, speak in us;

All: fill your world with justice and with joy.

*HYMN No. 637 For All the Saints Verse 3 – choir only

*The congregation is invited to stand

*OPENING PRAYER Eternal God, you are the light of the minds that know you,the joy of the hearts that love you, andthe strength of the wills that serve you.Grant us so to know you we may truly love you, andso to love you that we may fully serve you,whom to serve is perfect freedom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

*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 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 PATRIGlory 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 HaughChildren may now leave for Church School.

CHILDREN’S SENDING SONG

SCRIPTURE LESSON Jeremiah 6:16Thus says the Lord: Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.

Deuteronomy 6: 4-9Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

ANTHEM Goin’ Home A. Dvorák, arr. R. Lehman

SCRIPTURE LESSON Ephesians 1: 15-19I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you

come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.

SERMON “Heritage and Hope” Helen O’Malley, Ronald Kistler, Mary Ann Debnar, Nancy Mazzoli

*HYMN No. 606 God, Whose Giving Knows No Ending

OFFERINGInvitationAnthem I Saw Down Under His Shadow E.

Bairstow*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 bythy might, Great God, our King.

PASTORAL PRAYER

*HYMN No. 611 Rise Up, O Saints of God

CHURCH PRAYEROur 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 The Lord Bless You and Keep You P. Lutkin

CHORAL RESPONSE

POSTLUDE Toccata from Ten Pieces E. Gigout

ROUND HILL COMMUNITY CHURCH MISSION STATEMENTWe, the members of the Round Hill Community Church, a self-governing, non-denominational body, seek to foster a community of faith where people of all ages and backgrounds pursue spiritual growth; where God is worshipped 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 CREEDI believe in God, the one universal Father of all mankind, revealed supremely in Jesus Christ, our Lord, and present with us to guide, comfort 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 Jan and Dru Kudrnac for ushering today.

Please join us after the service for a continuation of the Celebration of Gratitude. Each committee has displays of their work as well as, information on their exciting plans for the coming year. As we start the season of stewardship, we hope this Celebration will give you a greater knowledge of all the work your donations support. Refreshments will be served both in the parlor and in the meeting room.

We invite you to join us in the Community House today at 4pm for our First Sunday service. Our new Director of Music, Leslie Smith, will lead us in a casual and family-friendly service of worship. A communal supper will follow, along with the chance to introduce yourself to Leslie and welcome her to the RHCC community of faith. All are invited…bring a friend!!

On Sunday, November 13, we will hold our Annual Meeting, following the worship service, in the Sanctuary. The Nominating Committee will announce the slate for 2017 Board of Trustees and Committee Chairs, to be voted on by the Membership of the Church. There will also be an update on the state of the Church by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

OutreachThanksgiving is upon us and our friends at Neighbor to Neighbor have asked for donations of stuffing mix, canned veggies, canned cranberry sauce, gravy, boxed potatoes/rice, pie fillings, cookie, cake, biscuit and muffin mixes. Items can be left in the food wagon located near the front entrance.

MusicToday, we welcome our new Director of Music, Leslie Smith, to Round Hill Community Church! Below is her first installment in a weekly section that she will include in the bulletin to further enhance our musically-inspired worship:

Leslie’s Notes: Dvorák's theme from the Largo of his New World Symphony (No. 9) was adapted into the spiritual-like song "Goin' Home" by Dvorák's pupil, William Arms Fisher, who wrote the lyrics in 1922. Dvorák himself may have modeled the tune on the spirituals written by composer Harry Burleigh, whom he met during his sojourn in America. Robert Lehman, former organist of Washington National Cathedral, made the arrangement that we are using this morning, set the rich four-part choral texture against a beautiful soprano solo.

Les Beaux Arts GalleryHazel Jarvis, the darling artist of Greenwich, is currently showing her latest collection of paintings “Terra Nova” at Les Beaux Arts Gallery through Wednesday, November 30, 2016. 

Faith FormationThe Round Hill Prayer Circle meets on the last Sunday of each month at 11:30am in the Rev. Dan Haugh’s office. All are welcome to join this new ministry of our congregation. The first part of each meeting includes the offering of prayers for those in our congregation and beyond. You may request prayers in person when the Prayer Circle meets, or by writing to Jill Cassill: jillphoenix1948@aol.com. The remainder of our time together is devoted to the sharing of resources, practical guidance, and practices that can enhance our experience of prayer and spiritual growth. All are welcome!

Youth & Children’s MinistriesSome important information for families: As our children's ministry grows, we encourage you to start Sundays

in service as a family.  After the Children's Message all children that

would like to participate in Children's Worship will be dismissed into classrooms following the special sending song.  

For parents with little ones birth up to age 3, our childcare room is available 9:45am-11:15am.  It opens 15 minutes before service and childcare workers stay until 15 minutes past service.

Please know all members of our church family, even the youngest, are always welcome at coffee hour!

Middle and high school students should note our monthly RHCC Youth schedule. All are always welcome to participate and bring a friend!

1st Sundays - “First Sundays at Round Hill” casual, interactive Worship Service 4:00pm

2nd Sundays – “Youth Sunday” (youth serve as ushers, acolytes, liturgists)

3rd Fridays – “Friday Night Live” 6-8pm in the Community House 3rd Sundays – “Youth Fellowship” - food, faith and fellowship

4th Sundays - Youth “Service Sunday,” in partnership with local organizations to help neighbors in need.

REFLECTION

Hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them space where change can take place. It is not to bring men and women over to our side, but to offer freedom not disturbed by dividing lines. It is not to lead our neighbor into a corner where there are no alternatives left, but to open a wide spectrum of options for choice and commitment.

Henri Nouveau

CHILDREN’S CORNER

Most everyone knows that as the weather starts to get colder the trees get ready for winter by dropping their leaves - and in the case of some trees, dropping their seeds all over the ground. Let’s think about what happens when a plant's seeds get scattered. Every year when my favorite tree drops its seeds it helps to make new trees. And so what started as one tree in my yard has become four! Every year we seem to have more. What a waste it would be if that tree never dropped its seeds.

Jesus once told a story about a man who gave money to three of his servants. Two of them went out and used that money to buy and trade things and ended up making even more money (kind of like the tree uses its seeds to make more trees). But the third was so worried about losing the money he was given that he went and buried it to keep it safe. He didn't lose any of the money - but he also wasn't able to use it to make any more. Like many of Jesus' stories, he tells this one to help teach us a lesson: God doesn't want us to hide our gifts and blessings. Instead he wants us to use them to spread his love and his message in the world. When we do, we help inspire others to do the same.

Each year, the adults in our church make a commitment to share their financial resources to support the work the church does for the good of God and for the good of our community. Just like the tree who drops its’ seeds in the fall, they are planting seeds that keep growing more and more of God's works in the world. This makes us good stewards of God’s love and promises to us. Stewardship means taking care of what you have and making good use of it. It also means using what you have for the good of others as well as for your own good. As kids, we may not be able to give financially, but we can use our talents to help others and spread God’s love. Here are a few ways to do that:

- Help teachers in Sunday School- Babysit younger brother/ sister- Wash dishes/set the table

- Shovel snow/rake/mow - Organize a walk-a-thon, read-a-thon or toy and clothing drives

Below, is a commitment card for you to fill out, just like the ones the adults will complete during our Stewardship campaign this fall. Commit your special talent and become a good steward of your God-given ability to be a blessing in someone’s life. Return this card after you’ve completed your service and you will receive a special Certificate of Completion as well as, be entered into a fun raffle!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Stewardship Commitment Card for Children and Youth

Name: _____________________

This is the talent I have discovered that God has given me: _____________________________________________________________

I promise to share my talent so that others can be blessed in the following ways:

1) ________________________________________2) ________________________________________3) ________________________________________

This is when I will do it:_________________________________________

Signed: __________________________ Dated: __________________

Senior Pastor: The Rev. Dr. Edward G. HorstmannAssociate Pastor: The Rev. Dan Haugh

Director of Music: Leslie SmithDirector of Children’s Ministries: Jenny Byxbee

Minister Emeritus: The Rev. Dr. Ralph AhlbergRound Hill Community Church

395 Round Hill Road, Greenwich, CT 06831 203.869.1091 roundhillcommunitychurch.org