Round Hill Community Church

ORDER OF SERVICEMarch 13, 2016

5th Sunday in Lent

PRELUDE Adore Te Devote (plainsong meditation) D. Burton Prière Marc Delmas Esquisse Henriette Renié

Wendy Kerner Lucas, HarpistWORDS OF WELCOME

INTROIT

CALL TO WORSHIP

Leader: We come to worship with our sense of inadequate resources and fear for the future.

All: And God blesses our possibilities into amazing bounty.

Leader: We come to worship with sadness, grief, and worry about those dear to us.

All: God welcomes our intercession and strengthens those for whom we pray.

Leader: We come to worship with ourselves – imperfect, awkward, and unsure.

All: And we discover that God is waiting for us, longing for us, loving us and willing us to love ourselves.

*HYMN No. 6 Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above

*The congregation is invited to stand

*OPENING PRAYER God our father,you disarm our judgementwith your outrageous mercy.Open us to your love,and embrace our stubbornness,that we too may show such fatheringto an embittered world,through Jesus Christ, 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.

ANTHEM Cantique de Jean Racine      Faure

Verb equal to God, the Almighty, our only hope,Eternal day of the earth and heavens;

We break the silence of the peaceful night,Divine Saviour, look upon us!

Fan the fire of your powerful grace upon us,So that all Hell may flee at the sound of your voice;

Shake off the sleep of a languishing soul,Who has forgotten your laws!

O Christ, be kind to these faithful peopleWho have now gathered in thanks.

Listen to the chants they offer to your immortal glory,And may they come away fulfilled with your gifts!

SCRIPTURE LESSON Luke 15: 1-3; 11-32Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to Jesus and the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired

himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.

“Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’”

SERMON Finding Our Way Home…Again The Rev. Dr. Ed Horstmann

*HYMN No. 546 Amazing Grace

OFFERINGInvitationAnthem Agnus Dei       Durufle  

*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. 582 Come Down, O Love Divine

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 AND CHORAL RESPONSE

POSTLUDE Scherzetto     Jacques Ibert 

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 Helen and Hooker O’Malley for ushering during this morning’s service.

Thank you to Hadi Hajjar and Jan Kudrnac for hosting today’s Coffee Hour. Please join them in the parlor following the service.

Faith Formation

Our next installment of the People of the Book series will take place today following the service. The global population of refugees today exceeds 52 million people. And sadly, this reality has been part of life on planet earth for thousands of years. Even though Hagar and her son, Ishmael, were members of Abraham’s extended family, there came a time when Abraham’s wife, Sarah, could not abide their presence. They were cast into the wilderness as refugees; a fate that seemed to doom them to death. Yet God intervened to save them. Why? What can we learn from such a story? Join Rev. Ed Horstmann as we search their story for wisdom and hope.

Joyful expressions of music are being planned to accompany the glorious news of Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday, March 27th! Special Easter music will include the talented Dominic Derasse on trumpet, several members of the Brandenburg Concerti, including soloists Eugeny Fanuk

(flute), Slava Zlatchenii (oboe) and Gulia Gurevich (violin). Of course, our very own Patrick Hogan (tenor) and the RHCC choir will perform a variety of selections, concluding the service with Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus.” For further details, see our March newsletter!

Simply Smiles! The dates for our summer 2016 and winter 2017 service trips have been announced and registration is now open! We are hoping to develop a team of 20 from RHCC. Registration deadline is March 31 st. A sign-up sheet is on the Welcome table in the Parlor.

Outreach

Today, the Outreach Committee will be accepting your donations of clean, gently-used professional dress clothes for St. Ann’s. A rack is set up in the Narthex.

Fellowship

The Meditation/Stress Reduction Group meets every other Thursday in the Church Meeting Room, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Their next meeting is on March 17th. All are welcome!

Cover Image: The Return of the Prodigal Son, Rembrandt, c.1669

Easter is Sunday, March 27! Remember a loved one with commemorative flowers on Easter. To have a dedication included in the Order of Service on Easter morning, please complete the form below and return to the office with your donation by Sunday, March 20. Please make checks payable to RHCC.

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2016 Easter Flower Dedication FormDonor’s Name _________________________________________________

Phone __________________________________________________

Email Address ___________________________________________

Donation Amount $__________

Dedication to be listed in Easter Order of Service: (please note: this will be printed verbatim in the bulletin. Please write legibly.)_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

REFLECTION

God's forgiveness is unconditional; it comes from a heart that does not demand anything for itself, a heart that is completely empty of self-seeking. It is this divine forgiveness that I have to practice in my daily life. It calls me to keep stepping over all my arguments that say forgiveness is unwise, unhealthy, and impractical. It challenges me to step over all my needs for gratitude and compliments. Finally it demands of me that I step over that wounded part of my heart that feels hurt and wronged and that wants to stay in control and put a few conditions between me and the one who I am asked to forgive.

This "stepping over" is the authentic discipline of forgiveness. Maybe it is more "climbing over" than "stepping over." Often I have to climb over the wall of arguments and angry feelings that I have erected between myself and all those whom I love but who so often do not return that love. It is a wall of fear of being used or hurt again. It is a wall of pride, and the desire to stay in control. But every time that I can step or climb over that wall, I enter into the house where the Father dwells, and there touch my neighbor with genuine compassionate love.

Henri Nouwen, The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming

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 BlundenRound Hill Community Church

395 Round Hill Road, Greenwich, CT 06831

203.869.1091 roundhillcommunitychurch.org