Kinderhook Reformed Church Worship Service
Route 9 & Church Street, Kinderhook, NY
10:00 a.m. August 14, 2011
“To Know Christ and to Make Him Known”
Rev. Rudy Visser, Pastor
A WARM WELCOME TO VISITORS
You are invited to sign our Guest Book at the church entrance and to fill out a pew card and place it in the offering plate. We would like to get to know you better, and we invite you to fellowship with us and enjoy refreshments served by Sara Schubert at our Lemonade Stand on the front lawn of the church following today’s Worship Service.
Ushers: Jim Dunham, Gary Leggett, Bruce and Matt Moore
Greeter(s): John and Sara Schubert
Preschool Nursery is available downstairs, Heather Donahue supervising.
Flowers today are from the garden of Barbara Vosburgh.
Order of Worship
PRELUDE
WELCOME, SILENT PRAYER, and PREPARATION FOR WORSHIP
VOTUM and GOD’S GREETING
Boldly Approaching Our God
CALL TO WORSHIP (Responsive)
PASTOR: Come, people of God,
leave the cares of your day and the concerns of your life.
ELDER: Come and be filled with the presence of God.
PEOPLE: We will rejoice and be glad in God's presence.
PASTOR: Gather together, people of God,
for God has set aside this moment for refreshment of your spirits.
PEOPLE: We will rejoice and give thanks for God's care.
ELDER: Give thanks, people of God, your Savior is doing
a new thing in your lives, and the power to receive it is in your hands.
ALL: We will rejoice and celebrate for the love of our God.
*HYMN OF PRAISE #26 Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven
CALL TO CONFESSION - Exodus 20
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
I have broken more commandments than I have kept. I have fallen short of what I know you would have me do on an hourly basis. I so often treat with disrespect those whom I claim to hold most dear. Help me, O Lord, to reorient my own life and values so they are in line with Yours. Help me make strides every day for Your name’s sake. I pray that the power of Your transforming love in my life will move me to reach out to others, to reconcile, forgive, and set free as You did. Help me to strive to pray often, willingly read Your scriptures, passionately serve with kindness, and eagerly worship You. Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON - Joel 2:12-13
"Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning." Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity.
In Him I am set free – Hallelujah, Amen.
PRAISE SONGS Let His Glorious Light So Shine - We Want to Be Just Like You
We Come before God’s Opened Word
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
SCRIPTURE LESSON Matthew 5:1-12 (p. 683)
MESSAGE “Beatitude People – Living by a Different Code”
PRAYER OF BLESSING
Celebrating God
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH - Based on Psalm 16
PASTOR: In God we take refuge. We proclaim loudly, "You are our Lord; apart from You we have no good thing.
PEOPLE: "Lord, You alone are our portion and our cup; You make our lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for us in pleasant places; surely we have a delightful inheritance. We will praise the Lord, who counsels us; even at night our hearts instruct us. We keep our eyes always on the Lord. With God, we will not be shaken. Therefore our hearts are glad and our tongues rejoice; we will rest secure because You will not abandon us. You make known to us the path of life; You will fill us with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand. Amen.
PRESENTATION OF OUR TITHES and OFFERINGS/OFFERTORY
*DOXOLOGY and OFFERTORY PRAYER (Unison)
Holy Lord God, it is with joy that we respond to Your presence in our lives. We ask that You receive these gifts and offerings as our “thank you.” Thank you for choosing us as your own. Thank You for the privilege of serving You. Thank You for Your love. Amen.
ANNOUNCEMENTS CONCERNING THE FAMILY OF GOD
PASTORAL PRAYER
*HYMN #477 O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus
*BENEDICTION and BLESSING
*HYMN OF RESPONSE – My Friends, May You Grow in Grace
My friends, may you grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior.
My friends, may you grow in grace, and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
To God be the glory, now and forever, now and forever, amen.
To God be the glory, now and forever, now and forever, amen.
POSTLUDE
Contribution Statements for 1-1-2011 through 6-30-2011 are now available for pick-up at the back table. Envelopes are alphabetical.
TO THOSE IN THE KRC FAMILY CELEBRATING AUGUST BIRTHDAYS:
Jessica Alessi, Alan Dick, James Dunham, Eric Herrmann,
John Herrmann, Erika Johnson, Suzanne Nieman, Dolly Petith
KRC’s 300th YEAR ANNIVERSARY COMMITTEE
The first steps have been taken by members of the Consistory, Stewardship Ministry, and the congregation toward building a committee for the KRC 300th Anniversary Celebration. We have met on two occasions and are moving forward with great ideas for numerous celebratory events. Your help is needed! You’re also invited to join us and be a member of our 300th Anniversary Committee. Our next meeting is Monday, August 15, at 7:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall. And please pray that God will continue to bless this church and its congregation as we head into 2010, our 300th year! Any questions, please contact Pastor Rudy or the members of the Consistory and Stewardship.
As we approach the 2012 celebration of KRC’s 300th anniversary, you are invited to share your personal memories of the church and her journey so they can be included in the celebratory book of KRC’s history now being researched for publication. Author Geoff Benton will be in the KRC Fellowship room THIS EVENING BETWEEN 6 AND 9 p.m. to record your stories, experiences, and vignettes, and you are encouraged to attend and participate. Light refreshments will be served.
Many thanks to all who donated toward the purchase of the new refrigerator which was installed Wednesday in the church kitchen and is working well!
A huge thanks from the youth group to all who brought in school supplies for the Capital City Rescue Mission. We were able to support CCRM’s back-to-school backpack project for needy kids by contributing 194 pens, 298 pencils, 12 pocket folders, 25 notebooks, 2 binders, 13 packs of loose leaf paper, 15 boxes of crayons, 10 boxes of colored pencils, 8 boxes of markers, 6 pencil sharpeners, 6 highlighters, 105 erasers, 6 rulers, 13 pairs of scissors, 6 calculators, 6 tubes of glues & 12 glue sticks!
Note of Appreciation from Capital City Rescue Mission
Thank you so much for your generosity and partnership in caring for the homeless and needy. You are making a difference one soul at a time.
God bless you,
Sue Jones, Director of Development, CCRM
KRC’s VBS begins Monday, August 22, and runs from 9 a.m. to noon each day through Friday, August 26. Forms are available on the back table to pre-register your children for this year’s exciting program. If you are willing to lend a helping hand during VBS week, please contact Patti Varga.
AANNUAL KRC PICNICC
Plan to enjoy the good food and fellowship at KRC’s Church Family Picnic starting at noon SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, at the home of Dawn and Ted Tuttle. BEVERAGES WILL BE PROVIDED, BUT FOOD ITEMS ARE NEEDED TO ROUND OUT THE MENU. PLEASE SIGN UP AT THE BACK TABLE.
FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK
Don’t Drop In.
Dropping in for a visit used to be common practice, but today we don’t expect it — in fact, we don’t want it. How differently a particular story would have ended if the Samaritan hadn’t been willing to drop by and lend a hand.
A farm boy accidentally overturned his wagonload of wheat on the road. The farmer who lived nearby came to investigate.
“Hey, Willis,” he called out, “forget your troubles for a while and come and have dinner with us. Then I’ll help you set your wagon upright again.”
“That’s very nice of you,” Willis answered, “but I don't think Dad would like me to.”
“Aw, come on, son!” the farmer insisted.
“Well, okay,” the boy finally agreed, “but Dad won’t like it.”
After a hearty dinner, Willis thanked the host. “I feel a lot better now, but I know Dad’s going to be real upset.”
“Don’t be silly!” said the neighbor. “By the way, where is he?”
“Under the wagon,” replied Willis.
Willis and the Good Samaritan farmer lived in a different era than we do today. While we all want to be good neighbors, it surely seems that the meaning of “neighborliness” for the most part has changed. People don’t drop by or drop in like they used to — and, what’s more, we don’t want them to!
This reminds me of the Bible telling us about three people who “dropped in” on a robbed and wounded man. (Luke 10:25-37) Their misunderstanding of what is important, of what matters, actually gets in the way of their compassion, their humanity and their faith. We know that the robbed and wounded man was Jewish. So was the priest; likewise, the Levite. This means they were of the same community. It’s as if an American traveling in exotic Kazakhstan meets another American in trouble, refuses to offer help because of a hateful, irrational prejudice, and later learns that a Shiite Muslim, discovering the plight of the one in trouble, opened his heart and his wallet to take care of the emergency.
God’s response to someone in desperate need reaching out for His help does not depend on whether they are a Republican from Montana or a Democrat from Missouri, Reformed or Baptist, friend or stranger, American or Mid-Eastern. What matters to God, what’s really important to Him is, simply, one of his needy creatures is reaching out to Him; and because He is a God of infinite love, mercy, and compassion, He never turns away. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus carries us, whoever we are, just as we are, to safety - not to an inn, but to the Community of Saints, the Holy Christian Church. It is here, among the saints, that the Holy Spirit applies the comforting message of the Gospel. It is here, among other victims rescued by our Good Samaritan, that we continue to recover and become enabled through the gifts of the Spirit to aid in the lives of others. And just as the Good Samaritan told the innkeeper, "Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back," so also Jesus Christ tells us, "Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Jesus Christ has given us a blank check signed in His blood.
The Samaritan represents the most unexpected source of mercy. After all, Luke places this story immediately after the one about Jesus and His disciples being cast out of a Samaritan village. It's the story where hotheaded James and John, "Sons of Thunder," want to call down fire from heaven and consume all the people who had not shown hospitality to them. And then Jesus turns right around and makes a Samaritan the hero of his story! There's a time for talking and there's a time for doing, especially when it comes to love. Don't talk about when it needs to be done; or offer irrational excuses for not doing it; just do it. The last words Jesus spoke to the lawyer were, "Go and do likewise." "Go and do." And then, that's exactly what Jesus did. That's exactly what He did... all the way to Golgotha.
Dare to drop in! Have a great, “just-do-it” August!
Pastor Rudy
~YOUTH GROUP ASSISTANT NEEDED~
Youth Group will be in recess for the remainder of the summer, but Christian Ed is in need of an assistant youth leader, or multiple rotating assistants, for KRC’s youth meetings beginning in the fall. The group will meet every Tuesday evening from 7 - 8:30, and Loren Speer, who has been assisting, will no longer be available due to scheduling conflicts. You are encouraged to pray about being a part of this truly rewarding outreach ministry! If you feel led to assist, please speak to Patti Varga.
Missions Ministry’s recent "Drop-in-the-Bucket" campaign raised a total of $405. The money will be sent to the Reformed Church of America's Disaster Relief Program to support our tornado-ravaged states. Many thanks for your kind and generous donations, which will make a difference for those in need.
MUCH APPRECIATION TO THE KRC FAMILY FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF THE VALATIE FOOD PANTRY. The Pantry served 79 families in June, including 124 adults & 123 children. Non-perishable boxed/canned foods are always in demand, however the Pantry is currently overstocked on spaghetti and pasta. Collection containers may be found in the front and side entryways of the church for your food donations.
CLOTHING BARN
The North Chatham United Methodist Church’s Clothing Barn, offering good, used clothing at reasonable prices, is open the second and fourth Saturday of each month through September. It will close with the Lord’s Acre Auction on October 15. Donations of good used clothing are always welcome – call 766-3925 for information.
Remember To Thank & Praise God for
• All who serve KRC Ministries by meeting regularly, setting goals, preparing recommendations, & working together to complete projects and responsibilities
• His blessing of a wonderful, caring, Spirit-filled pastor of vision such as Pastor Rudy
• Haley Hickman’s great European tour and safe return home – many thanks for prayers
• The success and enjoyment that Jake Mooney, son of Maureen Mooney, is experiencing in his internship at McEnroe Organic Farm, Millerton, NY, and at Union Square Market in Manhattan where he serves up samples of and sells McEnroe vegetable products each Friday
• The good news that Clinton Neal has miraculously recovered from a near-fatal heart attack and is now back to work – many thanks for your prayer support
• A good report from Gordie Van Buren’s doctors that he is healing well from his broken hip and other previous surgeries
• The good news that Mark Van Buren is recovering slowly but surely following recent major surgery
• The good report that Mike and Ashley's twin daughters, Sophia and Lily, born prematurely with congenital heart problems, are at home and steadily improving
• The good report that Angie Maycole continues to improve daily following a serious infection and two hospitalizations
• The wonderful ways God shows his love to us, especially during difficult times
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• Those men and women who have served or are now serving our country, & those who have sacrificed their well-being and lives for the peace & liberties we enjoy
Regular reports are needed on the progress or condition of all individuals on our prayer and praise lists. If you have updated information, especially regarding individuals whose names appear in bold print, please call the church office.
Remember to Pray for
• Those who do not know Christ, have turned their back on God, or are struggling in their faith
• KRC’s Consistory members and administrative ministries
• KRC programs & projects and those implementing and administering them: Natural Church Development; church restoration; KRC’s 300th birthday celebration
• Leaders and those attending KRC’s Vacation Bible School, Youth Group, Adult Bible Study; Community Prayer Group; small group ministry
• Our state and national leaders, that God will grant them the leadership skills, wisdom, and the personal protection needed to govern effectively and safely
• A speedy end to the violence and unrest in the Middle East
• Our missionaries and our children sponsored through Compassion or other agencies
• Families and friends grieving the loss of loved ones
• Those, especially children in the Horn of Africa, victimized by famine and other natural disasters, abuses of war and violence, exploitation, neglect, family hostility
• Morgan Hickman, diagnosed with a painful but treatable kidney ailment; pray for speedy healing for Morgan who may be facing additional testing in 2 weeks
• Emese, Patti Varga's sister-in-law, as she consults with doctors about her lung cancer – because of her Lupus, PET scans cannot be used to determine her cancer's progress; please pray for an appropriate assessment, effective treatment, and healing for Emese
• Betty, sister of Sally Heimroth, now at home dealing with life-threatening health issues; pray also for Sally as she travels to be with Betty and assist her for several days
• Please pray for speedy healing and continued relief from pain for Mark Van Buren, son of Gordie Van Buren, now at home recovering from a recent difficult surgery
• Gordie Van Buren, in rehab at to Barnwell – pray for continued healing, strength, and uplifted spirits and outlook; visits from his KRC family and friends would be good
• Those dealing with cancer: Donna Scalera; Ginger; Joann Marvin; Rick; Matt; Tom Saulpaugh
• Those awaiting test results or surgery; recovering from surgery, injury, or illness; chronically ill; or in hospice care: Ryan; Tammy; Florence Kern; Doris Schmieder; Clare; Rachael Beaudoin; Al Austin; Angie Rivera Maycole; Paul Zietsman, Sr; Twin babies of Ashley and Mike; Dawn VanBuren; Priscilla Frisbee; Florence Rivera; Ron Stockhoff; Ken Smith; Merrill & Erika Johnson; George Clowe; Kathy Schneider’s father in Barnwell; Paul Varga
• Those facing challenges, conflicts, difficult decisions: caregivers of children with health/developmental issues; those with employment/economic troubles; those suffering discouragement, depression, despair, or other mental health issues; those struggling with substance abuse, especially Greg L, Rachael, and Martin; those dealing with family relationships; young people challenged by the demands of schooling, looking for jobs, dealing with the many temptations confronting young adults
• God’s blessing on those recently engaged/married, expecting babies, new/first-time parents: Derick Latorre and Heather Donahue, recently engaged; Gary and Sarah (Hubel) March, recently married; first-time parents, Brad and Kelly Ennis Babic, expecting a baby girl in early September, Nicole (Baby Arianna), and Ryan & Jennifer (Deane) Anderson (Baby Grace); new parents, Leré & Anina Visagie (Baby Luke), and
• Those caring for the elderly, displaced, disabled, or ill, especially Diane Morgan
• Those who are traveling, especially John and Isabelle Bosquet-Morra, traveling in Spain for a month, and Stacey Baker traveling and studying in France until August 25
• Our residence-bound members: Murray Leonardson, Mike Rivera
• Our military men and women, especially Courtney Hemmert; Will Ryan; Matt Plescia; and Spencer Moore - that they may know God’s presence and protection
• Families and friends of our military troops, and victims of warfare & violence worldwide - that they may be blessed with God’s peace and reassurance;
• The power of the peace & love of Christ to subdue everywhere the spirits of hatred, hostility, unforgiveness, cruelty, vengeance, and warfare
KRC OFFICE, EMAIL,WEBSITE, AND FAX INFORMATION
Email Address – krc@fairpoint.net
Website Address – kinderhookreformedchurch.com
Rev. Rudy is scheduled to be in his church office
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings.
If you wish to meet with Pastor during these times,
please call ahead for an appointment.
Evenings have been set aside for meetings, pastoral visitations,
and counseling.
For assistance on Fridays, please call or 859-4158
Church Phone 758-6401 Church Fax 758-6402
Phone messages are picked up several times daily.
If you need immediate assistance anytime, please call 859-4158.
KRC 2011-2012 CONSISTORY
Pastor Rev. Rudy Visser, President of Consistory, Classis Delegate
Deacons
Margaret Herrmann, Stewardship – ’12 758-6175
Laura Rafferty, Property – ’12 828-7189
Dawn Tuttle, Church Family, Clerk of Consistory, Cemetery – ’11 758-6031
Barbara Vosburgh, Missions, Church Treasurer – ’11 758-6512
Elders
Dave Ennis ’12 784-9656
Maureen Mooney, Evangelism – ’12 210-6079
Dawn VanBuren, Consistory Vice-President, Worship,
Pastoral Relations, Personnel – ’11 758-7564
Patti Varga, Christian Education – ‘12 392-4771
KRC STAFF
KRC Secretary Cemetery Supervisor/KRC Sexton
Paul Clause – 859-4158 Greg Clause – 369-8472, 758-1338
COMING EVENTS
Today, August 14
10:00 am Worship
11:15 am Adult Bible Study, main floor conference room
6 – 8 pm Sharing memories of KRC with author, Geoff Benton
KRC Fellowship Room
Mon., August 15 – 7:00 pm 300-Year Celebration Committee meets
Thur., August 18
10:00 am Community Prayer Group meets @KRC
Saturdays through October 8
10 am – Noon - Historic Tours of KRC
Mon., August 22 – 26 9 am – Noon daily – KRC Vacation Bible School
Sun., September 4
10:00 am Worship, Rev. McCrossan preaching
11:15 am Adult Bible Study, main floor conference room
Sun., September 11
10:00 am Communion Worship
11:15 am Adult Bible Study, main floor conference room
12 Noon – Annual Church Picnic at Dawn Tuttle’s home
Mon., September 12
7:00 pm Consistory meets
Servers Next Sunday, August 21, 2011
Ushers: Jim Dunham, Gary Leggett, Bruce and Matt Moore
Greeter(s): Dawn Tuttle
Nursery: Laura Rafferty
Lemonade Stand: Jane Deane
