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The Worship of God
Ann Caldwell, organist
Second Sunday of Christmas
Baptist Church
Prelude Cantabile on ‘Of the Father’s love Begotten Stipp
Welcome and Invocation Angela Blizzard
Meditation All Is Well arr. LarsonAll are encouraged to use this
time as intentional preparation for the worship of God.
Celebration of Baptism Bo and Emma Terry
Scripture Reading Mark 1:4-8 Charlie Whitehead
Hymn 561 Shall We Gather at the River hanson place
Shall we gather at the river,Where bright angel feet have
trod;
With its crystal tide foreverFlowing by the throne of God?
Yes, we’ll gather at the river,The beautiful, the beautiful
river;Gather with the saints at the riverThat flows by the throne
of God.
Ere we reach the shining river,Lay we ev’ry burden down;
Grace our spirits will deliver,And provide a robe and crown.
[Refrain]
Soon we’ll reach the shining river,Soon our pilgrimage will
cease;
Soon our happy hearts will quiverWith the melody of peace.
[Refrain]
Children’s Sermon Leigh Halverson
The Lord’s Prayer We invite everyone to stand as we all say
Lord’s Prayer together.
Ministry of Music We Three Kings John Fry, Sr. Angela
Blizzard
Pastoral Prayer Richard Kremer
Hymn of Responsive Reading led by Leigh HalversonLeader: Great
God, we sing Your mighty hand by which supported still we
stand;Congregation: The opening year Your mercy shows, that mercy
crowns it until its close.
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From the pastor
Leader: With grateful hearts the past we own; the future, all to
us unknown,Congregation: We to Your guardian care commit, And
peaceful leave before thy feet.
Leader: In scenes exalted or depressed, You are our joy, and You
our rest;Congregation: Your goodness all our hopes shall raise,
Adored through all our changing days.
Leader: May we walk faithfully each day of 2021, though we may
stumble,Congregation: As followers of Jesus Christ, keep us loving
and keep us humble.
Scripture Reading Mark 14:26-31 Richard Kremer
Sermon “What Everyone Will Do This Year” Richard Kremer
Hymn 641 Higher Ground higher groundI’m pressing on the upward
way,
New heights I’m gaining every day;Still praying as I onward
bound,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”
Lord, lift me up and let me stand,By faith, on Heaven’s
tableland,
A higher plane than I have found;Lord, plant my feet on higher
ground.
I want to live above the world,Though Satan’s darts at me are
hurled;For faith has caught the joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground. [Refrain]
I want to scale the utmost heightAnd catch a gleam of glory
bright;
But still I’ll pray till heav’n I’ve found,“Lord, lead me on to
higher ground.” [Refrain]
Celebrations and Concerns Richard Kremer
*Pastoral Benediction Richard Kremer *Postlude Tollite Hostias
(Christmas Oratorio) Saint-Saens
A Promise Kept
Welcome to the first Sunday of 2021! I hope everyone had a safe
and enjoyable holiday. I certainly enjoyed time with my family, and
held my grandson Sam for the first time. He is a true Kremer; he
loves to eat! Next Sunday we welcome you to a special treat. On
Sunday, December 13, we had planned to be blessed with a musical
“sermon in song,” presented by Angela Blizzard, some of our own
church musicians, and a gifted string quartet. They were to present
the Christmas cantata, Promise Keeper. As you know, one of our
church staff members contracted COVID-19, and the rest of the staff
was exposed, so we had to cancel the December 13 service. But now
we will celebrate Christmas in January, as we listen to the
Christmas cantata Promise Keeper next Sunday. I know you will
eagerly look forward to it. We also celebrate new life in Christ as
we witness the baptisms of Emma and Bo Terry this morning. Both
made their profes-sions of faith during our December 22 service,
and we are delighted to celebrate with them this important
spiritual milestone in their lives. I want to thank Emma and Bo, as
well as Laila and Robert Wilson, and Kate Blizzard, for taking part
in reading the Scripture during our Christmas Eve service. It was
perhaps the strangest Christmas Eve service in which I have ever
partici-pated, yet I found it beautiful and meaningful. I hope you
did as well. Thanks also go to Angela and Mary Kay Smith for their
moving presentation of O Holy Night, and we were all blessed by the
vocal talents of Dan Caldwell, Melissa Kremer, and
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singles bible study
The singles ministry will begin a study of the book of James on
Tuesday, January 19 at 7:30 pm. The location is TBD. To
participate, please contact Leigh Halverson by Monday, January
4.
A reminder that our outdoor choir rehearsal will be this
afternoon at 4:00 pm.
adult choir rehearsal
Benjamin and Matthew Smith, as they combined efforts to lead us
in singing Christmas carols. Of course, completing the theme of
family on this night, we were blessed by the musical talents of Ann
Caldwell and our audio-visual technicians, Todd Smith, John Fry
Jr., and Eric Blizzard. Thanks to you all! We enter now the two
dark and cold months of January and February, months when,
historically, the flu season it at its worst. Now we face the
threat COVID-19, too. We all must take every precaution during
these difficult months to ensure that we need-lessly do not expose
ourselves or our loved ones to this deadly virus.
As I drove to Birmingham on a frigid Christmas Eve, I reflected
on this strange yet significant season that was Advent 2020. I
remembered the thoughtful Christmas cards that many of you sent us
in response to our sending Christmas cards to you. I thought of the
joy I derived in giving a few small gifts like golf balls, tins of
cookies, and gift cards to the many of you who have fulfilled
important positions of church leadership throughout this year. I
thought of that wonderful moment when the Zoom chil-dren’s choir,
along with Angela, sang “Do You Hear What I Hear?” and of the
overall beauty of that Hanging of the Green ser-vice, and of the
many people who contributed to making it so. I thought of the
Advent Devotional booklets and how meaningful many of your entries
were. I thought of how an ostracized reindeer shared much in common
with a Savior who was born in an animal stall. And as the cold rain
and chilling wind buffeted our parking lot on Christmas Eve, I
thought of how glad I was that we had cancelled the outside service
that night and opted for a livestream service instead! I thought of
the homebound members in our fellowship who received little gifts
of appreciation and love from the Homebound Committee and from me,
and how sad I was that I wasn’t able to take communion to them.
Yes, this has been an Advent season like none other, but it was
still mean-ingful and certainly memorable. Thanks to everyone for
helping make it so. I still think that little Scrap Ladson’s
emphatic and ecstatic “Yeah!” uttered during the Hanging of the
Green service remains the best benediction upon our 2020 Advent
season.
But 2020 is now behind us. 2021 looms ahead. I have no idea when
we will be able to resume what we call “normalcy” in our lives, or
in our communal life at church. But I live and believe in the hope
that we will unite together to do all within our power to meet
whatever challenges confront us. Who knows what those challenges
will be? But let us trust that God will provide us the courage and
creativity and cooperative spirit to find solutions to whatever
questions we might face.
A word from your pastor, Dr. Richard Kremer
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A Convenient Option for Giving
The QR code can be scanned with your smartphone and it will
direct you to the VBC giving website.
Deacon of the Week
Stewardship Report as of December 27
STEWARDSHIP Budget Offering $12,423 Following Christ 2 (ytd)
$10,129 ytd Budget Contributions $737,684
The Deacon of the week is Don Kendrick. Next week is Scrap
Ladson.
Richard Kremer PastorAngela Blizzard Minister of Music &
YouthLeigh Halverson Minister to Family & EducationPeggy Jones
Financial AdministratorJody Thornton Administrative AssistantGinny
Ferguson ReceptionistSandra Head Music Ministry CoordinatorTonia
Boyd Weekday Morning SchoolKathy McCray Higher Life
Church Council Todd Smith 474-6333Deacon Ministry Peggy Hindsman
719-5203Grief Ministry Nell Jones 960-6195Homebound Ann Purser
477-7549Media Center Kay Defore 476-9986Men’s Ministry Todd Smith
474-6333Missions Claire Whitaker 955-7323 Senior Adults-XYZ Jackie
Odom 746-1716Sunday School Jeane Easom 719-1289
Our Lay Leadership
Our Staff
Our Morning School is in need of volunteers. If you would be
willing to help, please contact Tonya Boyd: [email protected] or
743-9366
Morning school volunteers
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor
principalities nor
powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor
depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate
us
from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39
