KINDERHOOK REFORMED CHURCH WORSHIP SERVICES June 28, 2015

 “To Know Christ and to Make Him Known”

Rev. Rudy Visser, Pastor

A warm welcome to visitors.  We invite you to sign our Guest Book

 in the entranceway  and fill out a 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

  Scripture                                                                                       Colossians 1:10-20 (p. 833)

  Message                                                    “The Son of God Who Holds All Things Together”

  Prayer of Thanks

  Offering and Prayer of Blessing

  Intercessory Prayer

*Closing Hymn and Benediction

10 A.M. CELEBRATION OF WORSHIP

  All are invited to refreshments and fellowship downstairs today following worship.

  Ushers:  Pat Calhoun, Max DiOrio, Merrill Johnson, Dick Van Alstyne

  Greeter(s):                         Preschool Nursery available downstairs.

  Prelude 

  Announcements

  Welcome and God’s Greeting

  Drawing Near To God

  Call to Worship (Responsive)  Based on the hymn, We Will Glorify

We have come to glorify Christ, the King of kings,

the Lord Jehovah, the Lord of lords, who reigns in majesty.

Let us glorify Christ, the Lamb.  Let us bow before his throne

and worship him alone, in righteousness.

We have come to honor Christ, the Lord and creator of heaven,

the Lord and creator of earth and of all who live.

Let us sing hallelujah to Christ the Lord, who is above the universe.

Let us shout hallelujah to Christ, the great I AM!

*Hymn Praise #92                                                                    Crown Him with Many Crowns

Allowing God to Shape Us

  Call to Confession

In truth, we know that we have not been the faithful servants that or Lord, Jesus Christ, has called us to be, but have turned in disobedience away from him and his will for our lives.  Let us turn to him now in confession.

  Prayer of Confession (Unison)

Merciful Christ, we confess that we have frequently disregarded your sovereign lordship over all things, including our individual personal lives.  Instead of seeking after and following your perfect will and purpose, we have often pursued our own self-centered agendas.  Forgive us for our arrogance in choosing our own ways over yours.  In humility, we yield ourselves anew to your benevolent authority. We acknowledge the awesome blessing of your power to sustain all creation, and we submit to your supremacy in everything, through which we are made right with God.  

  Assurance of Pardon  (Responsive)

Chronicles 30, verse 9 reads, “The LORD your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him."      

Thanks be to Christ, who has reconciled us to God. Amen.

Coming before God’s Open Word

  Prayer for Illumination

  Scripture                                                                                        Colossians 1:10-20 (p. 833)

  Message                                               “The Son of God Who Holds All Things Together”

[Moment of Silent Reflection]

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

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

  Prayer of Thanks

    Celebrating God

  Offering and Offertory

  Offertory Prayer  (Unison)  Based on 1 Chronicles 29:10-13

Praise be to you, O Christ, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours is the greatness, the power, the glory, the majesty, and the splendor; for everything in heaven and earth is yours.  Wealth and honor come from you; in your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, Lord Jesus, we thank you for these gifts that have been offered, and praise your glorious name. Amen.

  Prayer Requests, Pastoral Prayer, and The Lord’s Prayer 

*Hymn of Exultation #262                                                                Rejoice, the Lord Is King!

*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

KRC family and friends are encouraged to volunteer as front-door greeters for our 9 a.m. combined summer worship service.  A sign-up sheet for this purpose may be found on the back table of the sanctuary, and your willingness to participate in this important ministry is much appreciated.

For those of you who would like to donate flower arrangements for the pulpit in memory of loved ones or in celebration of special occasions, please contact Dawn Van Buren.

STONE HOUSE DAY

Please look over the brochures on the back table inviting us to the 65^th Annual Stone House Day, rain or shine, 10 am – 4 pm Saturday, July 11, sponsored by the Hurley Reformed Church in Hurley, NY.  This is an opportunity to enjoy guided tours of several of America’s oldest homes (one of which was the temporary capitol of New York State), militia reenactments, homemade food, craft demonstrations, and much more. If you have never attended Stone House Day, this is a family event you will enjoy, especially if you have an interest in history.

HAPPY JUNE BIRTHDAY!

Jeff Barmen (2^nd), Edward Bailey (2^nd), Sally Heimroth (3^rd), Virginia Rothermel (3^rd),

Patrice Lyons (5^th), Jay Rippel, (6^th), Will Ferguson (7^th), Haley Hickman (12^th,)

 Dick Van Alstyne (13^th), Ted Tuttle (18^th), Edward Arnold (26^th), Glenn Warren (26^th), Carien Zietsman (28^th), Patti Varga ^th)

CLASSIS ASSEMENT 2015

KRC’s share of support this year is $5,633.28 for services and resources to be provided for us by the Reformed Church in
America at the local, regional, and national levels. EACH MEMBER’S SHARE OF THIS YEAR’S CLASSIS ASSESSMENT HAS BEEN
SET AT $88.02.  All who are able to do so are encouraged to offer, over and above regular giving, their share of this support.  T
he full share does not have to be given at one time, but may be given in as many increments as are convenient. If offered weekly,
that’s just over $3.25 weekly for the remaining weeks in this year. All contributions made for this purpose should be designated,
“Classis Assessment.” 

FORGIVENESS IN CHARLESTON - LIGHT SHINING IN DARKNESS

       Today, we felt compelled to talk about the [recent] horrific killing of nine people at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina.  Why? Because we're seeing in those events how light overcomes darkness. How love overcomes hate.

       As you almost undoubtedly know, on June 17, a man described as “white, with sandy-blond hair, around 21 years old and 5 feet 9 inches in height, wearing a gray sweatshirt and jeans” entered Emanuel and participated in a Bible study led by the Church’s pastor, Clementa C. Pinckney.

       At about 9 pm, the man, subsequently identified as Dylann Roof, opened fire killing nine people, including Pastor Pinckney. Scarcely had the news broken than pundits [on all sides] started using the shooting to further pet causes, from banning the Confederate flag to permitting people to carry guns in church.           
       But, remarkably, the people of Emanuel wanted to talk about something far more important: grace and forgiveness. In an interview with the BBC, the children of Sharonda Singleton, one of the victims, told the reporter, “We already forgive [Dylann Roof] and there's nothing but love from our side of the family.”

       And they weren’t alone. Stephen Singleton, Emanuel’s former pastor, told NPR, “We’re people of faith, and people of faith know that we heal. God helps us heal. This doesn’t drive us away from God. This drives us to God, and that’s why I’m here now.” When asked what his former parishioners had told him, he continued, “There are a lot of broken hearts, a lot of sorrow, and a lot of healing to be done. And that’s what we’re going to work on, and that’s what we’re going to focus on, because if we get bitter and angry, we just make a bad situation worse.”

      A relative of another victim, Myra Thompson, said, “I forgive him and my family forgives him. But we would like him to take this opportunity to repent” and “give [his] life to the one who matters most: Christ.”

       Senator Tim Scott, appearing on Face the Nation, said that while Roof may have intended to ignite a war between the races, he brought the people of Charleston closer together.

       And that’s because the people of Emanuel have responded in a way that is distinctly, if not uniquely, Christian: loving those who hate you, forgiving those who sin against you, and blessing those who would persecute you. Christian ideas may no longer have power in our culture that they once had. But to paraphrase the Apostle Paul, against the kind of grace on display in Charleston there is no argument.
We even saw it on display in Roof’s capture. A North Carolina woman, at great personal risk, followed Roof's car until she was sure it was him and then called the police. When asked why, she replied, “I had been praying for those people on my way to work . . . I was in the right place at the right time that the Lord puts you.”
       This was so reminiscent of the horrific event from years ago, the murder of five Amish girls in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania. The members of the Amish community forgave the murderer. The families of the victims reached out to the widow of the perpetrator. And on this program then, Chuck Colson asked questions we should ask again today: “How are we working in our own communities to build cultures of grace? Are we teaching our children to forgive? Are we actively working to restore offenders and reach out in aid to victims? Are we overcoming evil in the world by good, as we are commanded to do?”  And I would add, “If evil and tragedy come our way, are we ready to respond in love the same way our brothers and sisters in Charleston have?”
       What happened in Charleston is a tragic reminder of the great darkness in the world. But in the aftermath we see the truth that the “light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it.”

John Stonestreet

BreakPoint Daily Radio Commentaries

June 23, 2015

REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR

• those who do not know Christ or who are struggling in their faith,
• KRC programs & projects and those planning & administering them: adult and children’s VBS; KRC’s youth; small group ministries; adult Bible studies; Community Prayer Group; outreach programs. 
• KRC’s Consistory members and administrative ministries, chairpersons, and supporting members.
• our military men & women, their families, and friends, that they may know God’s presence, protection, and peace, especially Tom Eastman, fulfilling a tour of military duty in Afghanistan. Pray for Tom's safety, and for his family’s peace & reassurance.
• survivors of warfare, terrorism, violence, and natural and other disasters worldwide.
• our state, national, and world leaders, that God will grant them the leadership skills, wisdom, and the personal protection needed to govern effectively and safely.
• those, especially children, suffering poverty and hunger; abuse; exploitation; neglect; family hostility.
• families and friends grieving the death of loved ones, especially the families and friends of the nine people shot to death in the AME (African Methodist Episcopal) church massacre in Charleston, South Carolina this past Wednesday; Carol Zincio and family and friends grieving the recent loss of Carol’s mother, Lois Gorts; Mark Van Buren and family and friends grieving the recent death of Mark’s father, Gordie Van Buren.
• Susan Lamont, hospitalized recently following a seizure.
• those in hospice care or battling or recovering from cancer:  Diane, friend of Cricket Warren; Jack; Bob Mellott; Joan Kennedy; Donna Scalera; Marlene; Daniel; Zoe Covey; Andy; Lucy B. and Rodrigo; Jean; 2-year-old Logan; Sandy; Charlie Ropollo. 
• those awaiting test results or surgery; recovering from surgery, injury, or illness; or chronically ill: Bill, brother of Tana Thompson; Bruce Hawver; Bill Van Alstyne; Merrill Johnson; Jean Skipper; Florence Rivera; Steve Shpur; Carley Rippel; Stacey Baker; Harriet Stockhoff; John Bowen; Floyd Haber; Art Gross; Alan Dick; Paul Varga; Jane Smith; Blanche Rogers; Liz Carroll; Ruth Edge; Laurie Maul.
• those facing challenges, stressful circumstances, and difficult decisions:  Caleb; Vince Beaudoin; Libby Little; Jean and Evangelique, sponsored Compassion International Children of John & Isabelle Bosquet-Morra; Susan Lamont and her children; Bill and Abby; Greg L; Craig Johnson; those facing the challenges of graduation, beginning a higher level of education, or seeking a career - pray that God will bless them with wisdom in all of the many choices and decisions they face.
• those who are traveling
• reassurance, peace, and dignity for our loved ones who are nearing the close of this life, especially Faity Tuttle, who will be 104 in July; those caring for the elderly, displaced, disabled, or ill.
• Residence-bound members Murray Leonardson, Doris Schmieder, Joan Van Alstyne.

Regular updates are needed on the progress or condition of all individuals on our prayer and praise lists, especially those whose names are in bold type.  Please forward this information, as well as new praise and prayer requests, to krc@fairpoint.net or call Paul at 859-4158. 

REMEMBER TO THANK & PRAISE GOD FOR  

• Pastor Rudy Visser, our Spirit-filled minister and leader of vision.
• those men and women who have served or are now serving our country, and those who have sacrificed their well-being and lives for the peace & liberties we enjoy.
• all His provisions for our basic life needs, and the wonderful ways God shows His love to us, especially during difficult times.
• the many dedicated and hard-working friends and members of the Kinderhook Reformed Church Family who serve on Consistory, church ministries, and committees; teach Sunday School; lead Youth Group, Bible studies, and prayer group; organize and carry out special church events; prepare food, serve, and clean up for coffee hours, receptions, and dinners; and who are always ready to offer whatever help and support they can to those in need.

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