Round Hill Community Church

ORDER OF SERVICE November 8, 2015

Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost

PRELUDE Air Purcell Rondeau Purcell

WORDS OF WELCOME

INTROIT

CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: We have gathered here together this morning to worship God.All: We have come seeking comfort, inspiration, community and

insight.Leader: We have come to open ourselves to the power of God’s presence

in our midst.All: We have come to offer up the seasons and the turnings in our

lives, and to ask God’s guidance in our learning and in our growing.

*HYMN Praise with Joy the World’s Creator (see previous page)

*The congregation is invited to stand

*OPENING PRAYER Holy God, whose name is not honored where the needy are not served,and the powerless are treated with contempt;may we embrace our neighborwith the same tendernessthat we ourselves require;so your justice may be fulfilled in love,through Jesus Christ, Amen.

*THE LORD’S PRAYER Our Father who art in heaven,hallowed be thy name.Thy kingdom come.Thy will be doneon earth as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread,and forgive us our trespasses,as we forgive those who trespass against us,and lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from evil.For Thine is the kingdom,and the power, and the glory,forever and ever. Amen.

*GLORIA PATRIGlory be to the Father, and to the Son,and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning,is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE The Rev. Dan HaughChildren may now leave for Church School.

ANTHEM The Heavens Are Telling (Creation) Haydn Risa Renae Harman, Soprano

Patrick Hogan, Tenor Scott Tomlinson, Bass

SCRIPTURE LESSON Genesis 1:1 – 2:4

Leader: In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

All: And God said, “Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

Leader: And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were

gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so.

The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

All: And God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

Leader: And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.” So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

All: And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good.

Leader: Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”

All: So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Leader: Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work

that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.

SERMON Good Enough The Rev. Dr. Ed Horstmann

*HYMN No. 62 Creator God, Creating Still

OFFERING

InvitationAnthem Speak to One Another Berger*Doxology Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise him,

all creatures here below; praise him above, ye heavenly host: Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

*Hymn My Country, ‘Tis of Thee (verse 4)Our fathers’ God, to thee, author of liberty, to thee we sing;

long may our land be bright with freedom’s holy light; protect us by thy might, Great God, our King.

PASTORAL PRAYER

*HYMN No. 61 All Things Bright and Beautiful

CHURCH PRAYEROur Heavenly Father, shed forth thy blessed spirit upon all our lives. Make each one of us an instrument in thy hands for good. Purify our hearts, strengthen our minds and bodies, fill us with Christian love. Let no pride, no self-conceit, no rivalry, no ill-will ever spring up among us. Make us earnest and true, wise and prudent, giving no just cause for offense and may thy holy peace

rest upon us this day and every day throughout the coming week, sweetening our trials, cheering us in our work, and keeping us faithful to the end, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

BENEDICTION AND CHORAL RESPONSE

POSTLUDE Sinfonia Purcell

ROUND HILL COMMUNITY CHURCH MISSION STATEMENTWe, the members of the Round Hill Community Church, a self-governing, non-denominational body, seek to foster a community of faith where people of all ages and backgrounds pursue spiritual growth; where God is worshipped in Word and praised in music; where friends are made and hurts are healed. We seek to be a community where individuals commit their time and resources to education, fellowship, and to helping those in need among our Church family and in the broader world. We are a church where faith, hope, justice and love are valued, and above all, Jesus is Lord.

ROUND HILL COMMUNITY CHURCH CREEDI believe in God, the one universal Father of all mankind, revealed supremely in Jesus Christ, our Lord, and present with us to guide, comfort and inspire in the Holy Spirit. I believe in the Kingdom of God; and in the mission of the Christian Church to proclaim the Gospel to all the world, exalting the worship of the Lord our God, and laboring for the progress of knowledge, the promotion of righteousness, the reign of peace, and the realization of human brotherhood. United in Christian love, we pray and labor for the coming of the Kingdom, the triumph of righteousness and the life everlasting. Amen.

CHURCH NEWS

Thank you to Janet and Joe Huley for ushering during today’s service.

Thank you to Dick and Jean Bergstresser for hosting today’s Coffee Hour. Please join them in the parlor following the service for fellowship.

Please join the Rev. Ed Horstmann for another Round Table Pulpit today at 11:30 a.m. This is an opportunity to meaningfully engage with Rev. Horstmann as he strives to make his sermon preparation process a more social activity. The group will discuss and explore texts and stories from which he will preach on an upcoming Sunday.

The Church School children have begun a collection of Pop Tops (a.k.a soda can pull-tabs) to support the work of Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe in Uganda. Please consider helping them in their effort by bringing in as many pop tops as you have at home! The children are holding their first collection today and hope to collect approximately once a month hereafter. Reminders will go out and all are encouraged to participate!

On Friday, November 13th, the Inspirica Young Professionals Group will host a social event at Sign of the Whale in Stamford from 6:30 – 8:00pm. It will be an evening of networking, getting to know Inspirica, and learning about the exciting volunteer opportunities they have to offer around the holidays. We invite all young members of our congregation to attend! There is a $20 cover charge which provides an open bar during the event. Please contact Rev. Dan Haugh for information or to RSVP. https://www.facebook.com/events/134217050269959/

All single women of the Round Hill Community Church and their single friends are invited to our November 14 meeting from 12:00-2:00 p.m. in the church parlor. Plan to bring your own lunch. Our discussion topic will be "Gratitude." Please contact the Church Office at 203-869-1091 or church@roundhillcommunitychurch.org if you plan to attend.

Our next installment in the Bible Study Series: People of the Book will take place on Sunday, November 15 following worship. On this day, we will explore the lives of Abraham, Isaac and Sarah. Please register by emailing the Church Office or adding your name to the signup sheet in the Parlor, and sign out a copy of the reference book Talking About Genesis: A Resource Guide by Bill Moyers. 

Join the fun at our annual Advent Workshop on Sunday, November 29 at 4:00 pm. Families and friends gather at the Round Hill Community House to celebrate the beginning of the Advent season. One of the highlights of the event is decorating gingerbread houses; participants also can build their own Advent Wreath from materials we supply. A light supper is served and the evening ends with the singing of carols. The event is free and everyone is welcome. To insure that we have enough gingerbread houses, please contact the Church Office at 203-869-1091 or church@roundhillcommunitychurch.org to make a reservation.

During this month of thanksgiving for the graces and bounty that we’ve enjoyed all year long, let’s us also remember those who struggle to provide basic necessities for their families. Our friends at Neighbor to Neighbor have identified a special need this month for dried beans and rice. Please be generous and leave donations in the food wagon located in the Narthex.

The Spirit may be moving our burgeoning youth ministry in mysterious ways....but what we really need is a PEOPLE-MOVER!! As our youth ministry develops and grows, we want to be able to offer safe, reliable and cost-effective transportation to and from Church-organized group outings.  If you have a 7-10 person vehicle in good working condition that you would be willing to lend or donate for Church Youth Ministry excursions, please reach out to Rev. Dan Haugh – dan@roundhillcommunitychurch.org . Thank you!!

The Meditation/Stress Reduction Group meets every other Thursday in the Church Meeting Room, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. All are welcome!

Help wanted!! We are seeking a Church School Assistant to work with the Church School Coordinator in teaching children, implementing curriculum, organizing childcare and helping expand the Church School program for our congregation and community. Please contact Rev. Dan Haugh for more info or to submit your resume.

The Annual Meeting of the Round Hill Community Church will take place after the Music Sunday service on November 22. The Nominating committee will present the list of Trustees and Committee Chairs proposed for 2016, which will be voted on by the members of the congregation. We will also talk about plans for addressing the initiatives that were outlined in the Strategic Plan for Growth, which was approved by the Trustees in October. All are encouraged to attend this meeting!!

A Thanksgiving Celebration Sunday, November 22, 10:00 AM Music Sunday

A program of American music, readings, and poetry with the RHCC choir, soloists and chamber orchestra

under the direction of Christopher Kabala

REFLECTION

“If you think about it, we are the latecomers to creation, we sixth day creatures, who remain the youngest children on the face of the earth. In Carl Sagan’s famous example, if we could squeeze the creation of the cosmos into a single year, then the Big Bang happened on January 1. The sun and the planets came into existence on September 10. Human beings arrived on the scene at ten minutes before midnight on December 31. Seconds ago, really, compared to algae, bats, dinosaurs and salamanders.”

Barbara Brown Taylor

Cover Art: Ephiphany©

Artist: Jan Campbell, from her blog The Painted Prayerbook

Senior Pastor: The Rev. Dr. Edward G. HorstmannAssociate Pastor: The Rev. Dan Haugh

Minister Emeritus: The Rev. Dr. Ralph AhlbergMinister of Music: Christopher Kabala

Church School Coordinator: Connie Blunden

Round Hill Community Church395 Round Hill Road, Greenwich, CT 06831

203.869.1091 roundhillcommunitychurch.org