Kinderhook Reformed Church
Route 9 & Church Street, Kinderhook, NY
Rev. Rudy Visser, Pastor
Worship Services for March 10, 2013
“To Know Christ and to Make Him Known”
A WARM WELCOME TO VISITORS
We would like to get to know you better, and 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
Welcome/Announcements
Morning Prayer
*Morning Praise Crown Him with Many Crowns
Prayer for Illumination
Scripture Lesson: Luke 6:27-38 (p. 729)
Message: "For even sinners love those who love them."
Prayer of Thanks
Offering and Prayer of Blessing
Intercessory Prayer
*Song of Devotion And Can It Be That I Should Gain
*Benediction
10 a.m. Celebration of Worship
All are invited to enjoy refreshments and fellowship
downstairs in the Fellowship Room following this Worship service.
Ushers: Alan Dick, Merrill Johnson, Bob Wildermuth, Paul Zietsman
Greeter(s): Joy Bertram
Preschool Nursery facility is available downstairs.
Prelude
Boldly Approaching Our God
Welcome and Announcements
*God's Greeting
Call to Worship (Responsive) Based on Psalm 108:1-5
Come now into God’s holy house to worship him
with joyful hearts and voices of praise.
Sing and make music with all your soul.
Awake, harp and lyre! Awaken the dawn!
Praise the Lord among the nations;
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
and let your glory be over all the earth.
Sing of the Lord among the peoples.
For great and unreserved is his love, higher than the heavens;
His faithfulness reaches to the skies.
*Hymn of Praise #77 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
Boldly Opening Our Hearts to God’s Grace and Forgiveness
Prayer of Confession and Assurance of Pardon (Responsive)
Our God of abundant love, grace, and mercy looks down from heaven to see if there are any who understand that they are sinful, to see if there are any who seek his face and forgiveness. Let us not turn away, but let us turn toward him, call upon his name, and confess our sins. (Continued on next page.)
Righteous God who will judge the living and the dead, we confess to our blind and ungodly pursuit of worldly pleasures and passions; and we acknowledge our need of your salvation. Purify us from all selfish wickedness. Renew our hearts with your holiness. Empower us through your Holy Spirit to be self-controlled and upright in this present age, eager to answer your call to love and serve you and each other.
[Silent Prayer of Confession]
Praise be to our God of absolute love,
who forgives us through faith in his Son, our Redeemer;
who keeps us pure and blameless - who sanctifies us body, soul, and spirit for his righteous purposes - until the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Hallelujah, Amen.
Praise Songs
Children's Blessing (Unison)
Father, bless these children with the knowledge that you have adopted them in love. Enable them to experience all the spiritual blessings they have in Christ Jesus, especially your measureless love. May they return this love to you, and share it unconditionally with one another. Amen.
Boldly before God’s Open Word So We May Be Filled
Prayer for Illumination
Scripture Lesson Luke 6:27-38 (p. 729)
Message "For even sinners love those who love them."
Prayer of Blessing
Boldly in His Kingdom We Love and Serve
Presentation of Our Tithes and Offerings/Offertory
*Doxology and Offertory Prayer
Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
*Closing Hymn #473 (vs. 1, 3, & 5) And Can It Be That I Should Gain
*Benediction
Hymn of Response By the Gift of God’s Grace
By the gift of God’s grace may your burdens be light
and your heart with his love be aglow.
May your spirit be glad, and your soul be at rest,
and may Christ grant you peace as you go. Amen.
Postlude
Donations for Easter lilies to decorate our pulpit area are now being accepted, and are greatly appreciated. Contributions may be placed directly in the offering plate clearly marked for this purpose.
We are updating our Church Directory. Lifetouch Studios will be coming to KRC on March 22nd and March 23rd to take family portraits. Each family who signs up will receive a complimentary 8 x 10 family portrait as well as a new directory. You can sign up on-line or call the office and Liz can sign you up. For more information, check out the back table. If you are unable to attend the portrait session, you may submit a photo to be used in the directory. Please place photo and family information in an envelope marked "Church Directory" and Liz will make sure it is submitted. If you have any questions, please contact the church office anytime. If you don't reach anyone in the church office, PLEASE leave a message on the machine and Liz will return your call as soon as possible.
HAPPY MARCH BIRTHDAY:
Doris Schmieder (1st), Maureen Mooney (5th), Kathy Schneider (5th), Priscilla Frisbee (6th), Stan Bertram (12th), Nancy Call (14th), Greg Clause (19th), Dave Ennis (30th), Paul Zietsman (31st). PRISCILLA FRISBEE, THE OLDEST MEMBER OF KRC, TURNED 95 LAST WEDNESDAY! If you wish to send a personal greeting, Priscilla’s address is P.O. Box 173, Stuyvesant Falls, NY 12174.
The Bible, a dramatic 10-hour miniseries which covers the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, continues at 8 p.m. today on the History Channel. According to many reviewers, The Bible is rich in story, vibrant in presentation, and may be one of the greatest miniseries ever presented by the History Channel. While sometimes violent, The Bible depicts well-known and beloved Biblical characters and events. Noah's Ark, the Exodus, Abraham, and the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ are among the Bible stories covered in the series. These remaining episodes of The Bible will air each Sunday for the next 4 weeks:
3/10 3/17 3/24 Easter Sunday
In the Beginning Homeland Mission Passion
Kingdom Survival Betrayal Courage
2013 LENTEN JOURNEY AT KRC
To aid us on our Lenten journey this year, a seven-week Bible study by Adam Hamilton, 24 Hours That Changed the World, will be part of our experience. We will begin the study at 7 p.m. NEXT WEDNESDAY February 20, and will continue each Wednesday through March 20, Maundy Thursday March 28, and Wednesday April 3. The following topics will be covered:
• Wednesday March 13 Jesus, Barabbas and Pilate
• Wednesday March 20 The Torture and Humiliation of the King
• Maundy Thursday March 28 The Crucifixion (Communion served!)
• Wednesday April 3 Christ the Victor
The Coffee Hour following our 10 a.m. Sunday Worship Service has grown into a well-attended, enjoyable, and very valuable time of fellowship for the KRC family and visitors. At this time, only a few dedicated individuals are providing and serving the refreshments and beverages and seeing to the work of clean-up afterward. VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED TO HELP OUT IN THIS MINISTRY, AND THE MARCH SIGN-UP SHEET IS AVAILABLE ON THE BACK TABLE IF YOU ARE WILLING TO HOST OR LEND A HAND WITH A COFFEE HOUR.
The spring session of Weight Watchers continues at 9 a.m. this coming Friday, March 15, in the Fellowship Room.
A special public screening of the film, Restless Heart - The Confessions of St. Augustine, sponsored by the Kinderhook Knights of Columbus, will be presented at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 23, at the Crandell Theatre in Chatham. Filmed in Italy, this production depicts Augustine (354 - 430 A.D.) as he searches for the meaning of truth, wrestles with challenging philosophical arguments, and eventually embraces Christianity. It also highlights the influence exerted on him by his mother, Monica, and by Ambrose, Bishop of Milan. Advance tickets may be purchased for $8 at Anderson Realty or from Aaron Pisacane, 518-965-4255. Tickets are $10 at the door.
The KRC Family will once again join forces to cook the free supper planned for TUESDAY, MARCH 26, at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, Valatie. Anyone willing to lend a hand to this ministry (cooking, serving, clean-up) please sign up on the sheet provided on the back table.
~A Quick Update from Libby Little~
March 2013
I have not knowledge, wisdom insight, thought, nor understanding,
fit to justify Thee in Thy work, O Perfect.
Thou hast brought me up to this, and lo, I cannot call it good.
But I can cry, “O Enemy! The Maker is not done!
One day thou shalt behold, and from the sight will run!”
George MacDonald, Scottish poet (1824-1905)
How true! God’s work is not done. With resurrection power, He takes the tragedies and hard places in life and weaves a redemptive story of His faithfulness.
Thank you for praying me through that great long trip! The conference and university talks went very well. It is humbling to see through our simple witness how powerfully God can speak and how convincingly the Holy Spirit can challenge us to trust God more. Seeing firsthand the Afghan Christian Media Production site was a foretaste of heaven! Reconnecting with supporting churches, praying friends, and meeting new friends along the way, has to be one of the best perks this job offers.
I have four days to unpack/pack/refocus before I fly off to Afghanistan on the 8th March. I know many of you will be praying, so if you would like to pray through the day-to-day itinerary, please let me know and I will email a copy to you in the next few days. Through prayer I believe God invites us to participate in His on-going redemptive process of working all things together for good.
Please pray:
for the (PBS) film crew, the interviews and meetings with
friends, coworkers, patients, and with government officials.
for good flights to other in-country locations, and for our
international flights.
for Dan’s wife and daughters back in the US.
for me and for my daughters, Molly, Nellika, Kate, and Kate’s
family while I am away.
I appreciate you. Thank you for sharing in this work in such tangible ways.
In His name and for His glory,
Libby
"THE OLDE DUTCH AND SUCH" CRAFTS GROUP HAS BEGUN MEETING AGAIN ON FRIDAYS AT 9:30 A.M. in the main floor classroom opposite the church office. We are creating new plans and new items for the 2013 KRC Bazaar, and we are very much in need of new members and new ideas. Last year’s preparation workshops were full of fun, laughter, and good fellowship, and the bazaar was a huge success. We warmly welcome you to join us in our efforts to make this year’s even better!
REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR
• those who do not know Christ, or are struggling in their faith or with other spiritual issues.
• KRC’s 2013 Consistory members, especially those recently reinstalled or ordained and serving for the first time.
• KRC’s administrative ministries, their chairpersons, and supporting members.
• KRC programs & projects and those administering them: adult and children’s Sunday School; KRC’s youth; church restoration; small group ministries; adult Bible studies; Community Prayer Group.
• our state and national leaders, that God will grant them the leadership skills, wisdom, and the personal protection needed to govern effectively and safely.
• our missionaries: Dave and Char Alexander; Perry Jones and Capital City Rescue Mission, Alex and Fran Knauss, Maureen Menard, Dick and Carolyn Otterness, Brian and Bea Post, Seth and Melissa Rogati, Betty Ann Stedwell.
• our children sponsored through Compassion or other agencies..
• our military men and women, that they may know God’s presence and protection.
• families and friends of our military troops and victims of warfare, terrorism, misunderstanding, and violence worldwide, that they may be blessed with God’s peace and the reassuring knowledge that he is in control.
• those, especially children, suffering natural disaster; the abuses of violence; exploitation; neglect; family hostility.
• families and friends grieving the loss of loved ones, especially: those grieving the death of Lisa Greene, friend of Isabelle Bosquet-Morra; the Bryant family grieving the loss of their mother; and Dave and Beth Ennis grieving the recent death of Dave’s father, Earl.
• Maureen Mooney, now recovering at home from a blood clot in a split artery that resulted in permanent damage to a small portion of one kidney. Praise God, the clot is in a place where it cannot travel, and the kidney is still functioning, but a stent placement may be done in the near future to completely close off the damaged artery. Please pray for a quick and complete recovery without complications for Maureen, and reassurance for her husband Dave, and sons Seth and Jake.
• Marthie, Elize Visser’s sister in South Africa, who had recent surgery for a hysterectomy and to remove several tumors. Pray for a speedy and complete recovery.
• Guinda (LaHaie) Derrico, former resident of Valatie and long-time friend and acquaintance of Patti Varga, the Clauses, and others of the KRC family. Guinda has been diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer, and will undergo major surgery in Florida on March 27 followed by a heavy regimen of chemotherapy. Remember also Guinda's husband, Joe, at this trying time.
• those awaiting test results or surgery; recovering from surgery, injury, or illness; chronically ill; or in hospice care: Glenn Wallace; Kathy Varga; Nancy Swinyard; Dolly Petith; Laurie (Dunham) Maul; Jan; Frank Vosburgh; Faity Tuttle; Tom Saulpaugh; Sara Schubert; Bert Beach; Bea Post; Ruth Edge; Blanche Rogers; Florence Rivera; Paul Varga.
• those battling or recovering from cancer, especially Jill Shpur; Rosanne & Connie; Helen Drumm; Sal Alessi; Donna Scalera.
• those facing challenges, conflicts, difficult decisions: Kristen Clause and her son, Greg; Olivia, that God will give her peace, strength, perseverance, safety, and His direction; Paul, that God will give him wisdom, determination, and peace in making and carrying out the difficult decisions that are challenging him; the Royce Family; the Schuberts attempting to sell John’s mother’s home in Troy; Libby Little.
• those travelling, especially Jane Deane as she travels to and from Hawaii.
• those caring for the elderly, displaced, disabled, or ill, especially Barbara Vosburgh and Diane Morgan
• our residence-bound members, Murray Leonardson, Mike Rivera, Gordie Van Buren.
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 forward this information, as well as new praise and prayer requests, to krc@fairpoint.net or call Paul at 859-4158. If you are not on our email prayer list, and would like to receive prayer and praise requests through email, contact Paul to have your address added. If you do not have email, contact Jane Smith, 758-6442, to be put on the phone prayer chain.
REMEMBER TO THANK & PRAISE GOD FOR
• Pastor Rudy Visser, a Spirit-filled preacher of the Word and leader of vision.
• the good report that Pastor rested well while he was fighting a severe bronchitis and is feeling much better.
• the Spirit-filled worship services led so beautifully by Consistory last Sunday in Pastor Rudy's absence.
• Eleanor, mother of Patrice Lyons, home after successful hip-replacement surgery and rehab.
• prayers answered. Rudy's sister, who had her baby at 28 weeks, is doing great. Little Savanna went home a little over a week ago, and she is doing really wonderful. All praise be to God for this little miracle!
• Dolly Petith’s presence with us in worship again following many weeks of battling a severe case of shingles.
• all of those from the KRC family who worked so diligently to help prepare and serve the free community dinner to 146 people who attended at St. Luke’s this past Tuesday evening.
• all who serve KRC Ministries by meeting regularly, setting goals, preparing recommendations, and working together to complete projects and responsibilities.
• safety for Kristen Clause following an apartment fire, and for son, Greg, following an auto accident totaling his car.
• the good news that Laurie Maul continues to do well following her recent surgical procedure. Your prayers are much appreciated by Jim, Bonnie, and Laurie and her family.
• safe travels for Dawn and Ted Tuttle and Maureen Mooney.
• the joy of blessing the students of our growing Sunday School each Sunday morning as they go to their classes.
• His blessings of family, friends, and all the provisions for our basic life needs and much more.
• the wonderful ways God shows his love to us, especially during difficult times.
• 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.
The Columbia County Family-to-Family Educators for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) are offering a free series of classes to help families and friends of adults with serious mental illness understand and cope with the challenges of this very difficult life experience. The course, which is not intended for individuals with mental illness, begins this coming Wednesday, March 13. For full details, please pick up one of the flyers available on the back table.
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 are set aside for meetings, pastoral visitations, and counseling.
For assistance on Fridays, please call 859-4158
Church Phone 758-6401 Church Fax 758-6402
Phone messages are picked up several times daily.
If you need immediate assistance anytime, call 859-4158.
COMING EVENTS
Today, March 10
8:30 am Early Worship Service
10:00 am Worship Service and Children’s Sunday School
11:15 am Adult Sunday School Classes:
1st John study group meets in the classroom opposite the office.
Romans study group meets in the main floor conference room.
Mon., March 11
6:30 pm Consistory meets
Tues., March 12
7:00 – 8:30 Middle School Youth, Grades 6 – 8, P.R.A.Y. #8 at KRC
Wed., March 13
7:00 pm Seven-week Lenten Bible study by Adam Hamilton
This week – “Jesus, Barabbas, and Pilate”
Thur, March 14
9:00 am Small Group meets @ KRC - Chip Ingram study,
Living on the Edge – Dare to Experience True Spirituality
10:00 am Community Prayer Group @ KRC
Fri., March 15
9:00 am Weight Watchers spring session begins, KRC Fellowship Room
9:30 am Olde Dutch and Such crafts group meets opposite KRC office
Sun., March 17
8:30 am Early Worship Service
10:00 am Worship Service and Children’s Sunday School
11:15 am Adult Sunday School Classes:
1st John study group meets in the classroom opposite the office.
Romans study group meets in the main floor conference room.
Tues., March 19 - No P.RA.Y. Meeting
Wed., March 20
7:00 pm Seven-week Lenten Bible study by Adam Hamilton
This week –" The Torture and Humiliation of the King"
Thur, March 21
9:00 am Small Group meets @ KRC - Chip Ingram study,
Living on the Edge – Dare to Experience True Spirituality
10:00 am Community Prayer Group @ KRC
Fri., March 22, 2 pm – 9 pm, and Sat., March 23, 10 am - 5 pm
KRC Directory photos taken
Sat., March 23
2:00 pm Film, Restless Heart – The Confessions of St. Augustine,
Crandell Theater, Chatham
Tues.,March 26 - KRC family cooks/serves free community supper, St. Luke’s
Thur, March 28
9:00 am Small Group meets @ KRC - Chip Ingram study continues
6:00 pm Maundy Thursday supper
7:00 pm Communion Worship and Lenten Bible Study
Servers Next Sunday, March 17, 2013
Ushers: Al Dick, Merrill Johnson, Bob Wildermuth, Paul Zietsman
Greeter(s): Mid Glass and Ruth Edge
