Kinderhook Reformed Church Celebration of Worship, February 18, 2018

“To Know Christ and to Make Him Known”

Rev. Rudy Visser, Pastor

Welcome visitors! Please fill out a visitor’s pew card and place it in the offering plate.

8:30 A.M.  CELEBRATION OF WORSHIP

  Announcements, The Lord’s Greeting, and Morning Prayer

*Morning Praise

  Prayer for Illumination and Scripture Texts                                                     Mark 1:9-15 

  Message                                    “Are We Really Called to Follow Jesus into the Desert?”

  Prayer of Thanks

  Offering and Prayer of Blessing

  Intercessory Prayer

*Closing Hymn and Benediction

10:00 A.M.  CELEBRATION OF WORSHIP

Following worship, all are invited downstairs for refreshment and fellowship.

Thanks to today’s ushers, Ted Call, Jerry Flansburg, Glenn Warren.

Thanks to today’s greeters.                              Nursery facility available downstairs.

Guest Organist, David Smith

  Prelude                                             Duetto, op. 156/6                                Josef Rheinberger

  Welcome and Announcements

  The Lord's Greeting

  Drawing Near to God

  Call to Worship  (Responsive)  Based on Psalm 147

Let us Praise the Lord!
       How good it is to sing praises to our God!
How great is our God! His power is absolute!

His understanding is beyond our comprehension.
       How good it is to sing praises to our God!
The Lord delights in those who honor him,

who put their hope in his unfailing love
       How good it is to sing praises to our God!
All: Gladly we come to Praise the Lord!

*Hymn #50                                                                    Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above

  Allowing God to Shape Us

  Call to Confession

The Lord is a good and faithful God, yet we doubt and question God’s plans and intentions toward us. Let us confess our sins, that we might be reconciled to Christ and one another.

  Prayer of Confession  (Unison)

Merciful Savior, we confess that what we say we believe and the beliefs our lives profess frequently aren’t the same. We say that you are good, yet we’re quick to blame you when discomfort, turmoil or distress arises. We say that you love us, but we act as if your will for our lives cannot be trusted. We proclaim that we are forgiven, yet we continue to carry the burdensome baggage of our past. We profess that you are a faithful God, yet we’re riddled with anxiety, fear and impatience. Forgive us, Lord. Give us the courage to look honestly at the disparity between what we say we believe and the truth that our actions and attitudes tell. We pray for the grace to close the gap between the two. Amen.

  Assurance of Pardon

Friends, the mercy of Jesus Christ covers all your sin and is from everlasting to everlasting. Know that you are forgiven and be at peace. Amen. 

Coming before God’s Open Word

  Prayer of Blessing upon Our Children (Unison), and Invitation to Sunday School

All-knowing and faithful God, lead our children along paths of righteousness into the places and purposes that you have planned for their lives. May they trust always in your promise and power to guide and direct them in serving you and in bringing blessing to others.

  Prayer for Illumination and Scripture Texts                                                     Mark 1:9-15 

  Message                                    “Are We Really Called to Follow Jesus into the Desert?”

  Prayer of Blessing

Silent Prayer for Those Seeking to Accept Christ as Their Savior:

"Dear Jesus, I confess that I'm a sinner, and not right with you. I repent and ask forgiveness.  I believe that you died on the cross to take my punishment and to pay the price for my sins.  I believe that you rose from death to give me new life. Wash me clean from all sin, shame, and guilt, and come into my heart as my Lord and Savior.  In your name I pray.  Amen."

*Hymn #748                                                                                       Onward Christian Soldiers

Celebrating God, His Care, and His Abundance

  Offering/Offertory                                 Elevazione                                      Oreste Ravanello

*Doxology #809                                                   Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow

*Offertory Prayer  (Unison)

God of the desert, God of the garden, by offering these gifts we proclaim: “One does not live by bread alone;” “Do not put the Lord your God to the test;” “Worship the Lord your God and serve only God.” Let us witness to these truths, O Lord, in all that we say and do as members of the Body of Christ. Amen. 

  Prayer requests and Pastoral Prayer 

*Hymn #95                                                                            All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name

*Benediction, Blessing, and Response Hymn            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. (2x)

  Postlude                                         Passacaglia, op. 156/11              Josef Rheinberger

       On the next six Wednesdays - February 21 and 28, and March 7, 14, 21, and 28 - KRC will host a series of Lenten Bible-Study Meals at 7 pm each Wednesday. “On the menu” will be soup, bread, coffee, and a healthy portion of the series theme, "RESTORED - Finding Redemption in Our Mess." The Bible study will be offered at the same time the meal is being shared in community by those attending, and we are prayerfully expecting a blessed, meaningful experience for all.

A LITTLE ABOUT DANEN . . .

Hailing from Appleton, WI, Danen Kane was a basketball-playing prelaw student in college who detoured into music and found his life’s calling. Shortly after picking up a guitar for the first time to lead worship at his university’s chapter of Campus Crusade for Christ, Danen began performing in small coffee shops and at church gigs, all the while establishing a large local following. Before he knew it, his independent recordings were generating strong regional buzz. He began touring heavily, routinely performing 175 - 200 dates a year, sometimes headlining and other times opening for acts like Building 429, Chris August, Sara Groves, Hawk Nelson, For King And Country, Unspoken, and The Afters. To date, Kane has self-booked more than 2,000 shows, and his music has been streamed over a million times worldwide. All are welcome to attend! Refreshments to follow the concert hosted by Christian Community Church, Kinderhook Reformed Church, St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, and Trinity United Methodist Church. A free-will offering will be taken to benefit the youth from the host churches attending the REACH 2018 Mission Trip.

Music and the Progression of Life:

Schumann’s Kinderszenen and Schubert’s Winterreise

4:00 PM NEXT SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24,

Van Buren Hall, 6 Chatham Street, Kinderhook, NY

CITV offers two memorably expressive commentaries on youth and maturity. Robert Schumann’s Kinderszenen cycle for piano (1838) presents 13 brief “imaginings,” each distilling a powerful emotion from the early years of life. Pianist Noah Palmer (CITV Musical Assistant) brings his impressive talents to these exquisite keyboard works. Following intermission, tenor Jon Morrell and pianist David Smith (CITV Artistic Director) bring their own extensive experience to bear on Franz Schubert’s haunting Winterreise (1823), regarded by many as the most important and challenging song cycle ever written. In Schubert’s intense sequence of songs, performers and listeners alike will experience an unforgettable “winter journey,” a remarkable passage through maturity.

French Music from the early 20^th century:

Vocal and Instrumental Works of

Lili Boulanger, Nadia Boulanger, Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy

4:00 pm Saturday, March 24, Van Buren Hall, 6 Chatham Street, Kinderhook, NY

Preview talk by David Smith and others:  4:00 pm, Saturday, March 17^th

Kinderhook Memorial Library, 18 Hudson Street, Kinderhook, NY 12106; 518-758-6192

CITV celebrates an especially beautiful and critical evolutionary period in music history, while also recognizing two centennials: the untimely deaths of Lili Boulanger (1893-1918) and Claude Debussy (1862-1918). Eight outstanding musicians are brought together for performances of richly-textured vocal and instrumental works, some well-known, others less so. The exceptionally precocious Lili Boulanger, at 19 the first woman to win the prestigious Grand Prix de Rome, will be represented by eight pieces, including four songs from her colorful, but not often performed song cycle, Clairières dans le ciel, written at the age of 20. Lili’s older and better-known sister, Nadia, is regarded by many as the most important musical pedagogue of the 20^th century. Unfortunately, her talent as a composer has been largely overlooked. When Nadia Boulanger decided to cease composing, about 1922, Gabriel Fauré and other luminaries regarded this decision as a significant loss. In CITV’s program she is represented by seven dramatic, but virtually unknown songs (1906-1922), and the especially clever Trois Pièces for cello and piano (1914). Following intermission, Maurice Ravel’s exotic, forward-looking  Chansons madécasses  (1925-26) for soprano, flute, cello and piano, wondrously capturing the spirit of Madagascar, has a rare performance. The program concludes with Debussy’s last major work, the virtuosic Sonata for Violin and Piano (1916-17). Performers include sopranos Amanda Boyd and Andrea Bargabos, tenor Jon Morrell, violinist Elizabeth Silver (Concertmaster, Broad Street Orchestra), cellist Jay Shulman, flutist Elizabeth Chinery, and pianists Noah Palmer (CITV Musical Assistant) and David Smith (CITV Artistic Director).

A $20 donation is suggested from those attending either of the above concerts.

REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR

• those who do not know Christ or who are struggling in their faith journey. Pray also that God will provide opportunities for us to witness for Jesus, and give us the courage and winsome words needed to make the most of these opportunities.
• Pastor Rudy, as he fulfills his ministerial duties.
• KRC ministries, programs & projects and those planning & administering them: KRC’s Consistory, especially newly installed officers, Jane Deane, Jean Hacker; Susan Patterson, and Deborah Spaulding; KRC’s administrative ministries, KRC’s Youth Group; Sunday School; KRC’s small group ministries and Bible studies; Community Prayer Group; 1st Friday; and other outreach programs.
• our state, national, and world leaders, especially President Donald Trump and all of the government officials now in office, that God will grant them the leadership skills, wisdom, and the personal protection needed to govern effectively and safely.
• our military men & women, their families, and friends, that they may know God’s presence, protection, and peace, especially Jason Lansing serving in S. Korea.
• victims world-wide suffering natural and other hardships and tragedies, especially those caught in the California mudslides who have lost loved ones and homes; those suffering economic instability; poverty, hunger, and poor health; political oppression, unrest, terrorism, war, displacement.
• those grieving the death of loved ones, especially family and friends grieving the loss this past Wednesday of Mark McIntosh following his 8-year battle with lung cancer.
• those who, even after many years, still hurt from the void left by loved ones who have passed on from this world.
• reassurance, peace, and dignity for those nearing the close of this life, especially John Lewis.
• Fred Borrelli, nephew of Jane Deane, dealing with procedures needed to regulate his heart functions following recent heart-valve replacement surgery. Pray for a speedy and full recovery for Fred.
• Jean Hacker, diagnosed recently with breast cancer, and facing additional tests, surgery, and possible follow-up treatment.  Pray for God's strength, reassurance, and complete healing for Jean, and pray also for her family as they support her during this trying time. 
• others battling or recovering from cancer or in hospice care: Charles Roppolo; Terri; Christine; Michael, brother of Mary Jane Haywood; Connie Witkowski; Michael; Don Morse; Jill; J.B.; Jen; Bill, Janet Smith's brother; Ronny; Carol Nel; Jeff Peter; Mark; Ann; Steve.
• those awaiting test results or surgery; recovering from surgery, injury, or illness; or chronically ill: Amy Deweerd; Noreen Kennedy, mother of Maureen Mooney; Ann, close friend of Ruth Edge; Merrill Johnson; Bill Lansing, father of Carol Zincio; Virginia Rothermel.                       
• those facing challenges, stressful circumstances, and difficult decisions: Caleb L, youth group teen, suffering severe depression; Merrill Johnson, dealing with unspoken issues; our students as they deal with challenges of higher levels of education in this school year, career choices, and job searches; Greg Clause Jr.; Libby Little-Saxton, working with Afghan refugees; the epidemic of addiction to life-threatening drugs.
• God’s protection for travelers.
• residence-bound KRC family, George Clowe, and those caring for the elderly, displaced, disabled, or ill.

REMEMBER TO THANK & PRAISE GOD FOR

• Pastor Rudy Visser, our Spirit-filled minister and leader of vision, and for the Christ-centered messages God gives to Pastor each and every Sunday for the spiritual nourishment and growth of our church family. 
• the inspirational ministries of our guest preachers, Perry Jones, Tom McCrossan, John Bowen, Derek DeJager, and others who lead KRC worship from time to time.
• the good news that Merrill Johnson’s shoulder pain and mobility are improving, and that Merrill will not be needing shoulder replacement surgery. Please continue to pray for his complete healing.
• those men and women who have served or are now serving our country, and those who have sacrificed their wellbeing and lives for the peace & liberty we enjoy.
• all those of KRC's family and friends who volunteer their time, talent, and energy so generously and so selflessly to the various ministries and programs of our church, and who often do this quietly behind-the-scenes with little notice or recognition.

     The Stuyvesant Reformed Church “Stitchers” will be meeting the third Saturday of every month from 10 am to 12 pm.  They will be prepared to do any light mending -buttons, hems, torn seams, patching, etc. - that members of the community may need done.  Free-will donations will be accepted in lieu of payment.

     On the fourth Saturday of every month, from 4:30 – 6 pm, SRC will offer a soup-and-sandwich light supper consisting of a limited number of soups and a limited number of sandwiches.  Free-will donations will also be accepted. 

Non-perishable foods always popular at the Pantry are evaporated milk; coffee; sugar; boxed cereals; pancake mix; syrup; jelly; canned meats, fruits, and vegetables; spaghetti/spaghetti sauce; mac & cheese; dinner helpers; apple sauce; juice; cake and brownie mixes. Donations may be placed in the collection containers available in the entryways of the church. Although we have collected empty egg cartons in the past, the Pantry is no longer in need of these items.

x

KRC 2018 CONSISTORY

Pastor Rev. Rudy Visser, President of Consistory

                                 Deacons

  Noreen Dick – ’18   Church Family. . . . . . . .     518-758-6640  noreend122@twc.com

  Susan Patterson – ’19  Property. . . . . . . . . .   518-755-4909  patterss@strose.edu

  Beth Anne Rippel – ’18  Stewardship. . . . . . 518-392-5044  barippel@yahoo.com

  Deborah Spaulding – ’19  Outreach. . . . . . .   518-758-7316  ber00519@fairpoint.net 

                                                                  Elders

  Jane Deane – ’19  Christian Ed., Cemetery. . 518-758-7051  jdeane1943@gmail.com

  Jean Hacker – ’19  Outreach . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518-758-9412  jch9412@aol.com

  Merrill Johnson – ’18   Worship. . . . . . . . . . . 518-828-6726  docjohnson36@gmail.com

  Dawn Van Buren – ’18  Consistory Vice-President, Cemetery, Pastoral Relations,       

                                             Personnel. . . . . . . . .  518-758-7564  dawnandleo@fairpoint.net

Clerk of Consistory

Patti Varga – 518-755-3054  patvarga66@gmail.com

KRC TREASURER

Derick LaTorre – 518-376-1882  derick.latorre@gmail.com

                                                                         KRC STAFF

            KRC Office Manager                          KRC Office Assistant

     Paul Clause – 518-859-4158         Courtney Wood – 518-852-7172

                            KRC Sexton                            KRC Cemetery Supervisor        

           Steven Green – 518-505-4918           Greg Clause – 518-369-8472

COMING EVENTS

Today, February 18 

       8:30 am  Early Worship Service   

     10:00 am  Worship Service and Children’s Sunday School

       6:30 pm  Danen Kane concert @KRC

Tues,  February 20

       7:00 pm  KRC Youth Group meets 

Wed,  February 21, 28; March 7, 14,  21, and 28

       7:00 pm  KRC hosts a series of Lenten Bible-Study Meals:

            "RESTORED - Finding Redemption in Our Mess."

Thur, February 22

       9:00 am  Small Group Bible study @KRC.

            Group continues its study, Grace, by Max Lucado – Please join us!

     10:00 am  Community Prayer Group @KRC

Sat,   February  24

       4:00 pm  CITV Concert - Van Buren Hall, 6 Chatham Street, Kinderhook  

                                      Music and the Progression of Life:

                     Schumann’s Kinderszenen and Schubert’s Winterreise

Sat - Sun,  February 24 - 25

       Schoharie Reformed Church Rededication Weekend

Sun,   February 25 

       8:30 am  Early Worship Service   

     10:00 am  Worship Service and Children’s Sunday School

Fri,   March   2

       6:00 pm  First Friday free community dinner.  Doors open at 5:30.

Servers Next Sunday, February 25, 2018

Ushers: Ted Call, Jerry Flansburg, Glenn Warren

Greeter(s):