Round Hill Community Church

ORDER OF SERVICE May 29, 2016

Second Sunday after Pentecost

PRELUDE Three Early American Voluntaries

WORDS OF WELCOME INTROIT Simple Gifts Copland

CALL TO WORSHIP

Leader: God’s truth shines in the light of a new dayAll: We come wanting God’s truth to be our guide.Leader: God’s truth leads us to a place of holiness and light.All: We come wanting God’s truth to be our home.Leader: God’s truth lives in songs of praise and joy!All: We come wanting God’s truth to be our feast.Leader: God’s truth deepens our life as our thirst for God deepens.All: We come thirsty for God’s truth. We come thirsty for God.

We come thankfully to drink from the well of God’s grace, that God’s truth may live in us.

*HYMN No. 637 For All the SaintsVerse 1 – allVerse 2 – choirVerse 3 – menVerse 4 – womenVerse 5 – all

*The congregation is invited to stand*OPENING PRAYER

O God, our source of life and energy and wealth, strengthen us to care for planet earth. Teach us to conserve and not squander the riches of nature, to use aright the heritage of former generations, and to plan for the well being of children’s children. Renew our wonder, awaken our concern, and make us better stewards of the world that you have given us as our home. Hear us, O Lord, our creator and redeemer, in the name of Christ. Amen.

*THE LORD’S PRAYER Our Father who art in heaven,hallowed be Thy name.Thy kingdom come,Thy will be done,on 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 Haugh

Children may now leave for Church School.ANTHEM How Can I Keep From Singing? Shaker Tune

SCRIPTURE LESSON Luke 7: 1-10After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy of having you do this for him, for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.” And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it.” When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

SERMON Back to the Future The Rev. Dr. Ed Horstmann

HYMN No. 658 Restless Weaver

OFFERINGInvitationAnthem The Road Not Taken Randall ThompsonTwo roads diverged in a yellow wood,And sorry I could not travel bothAnd be one traveler, long I stoodAnd looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,And having perhaps the better claim,Because it was grassy and wanted wear;Though as for that the passing thereHad worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally layIn leaves no step had trodden black.Oh, I kept the first for another day!Yet knowing how way leads on to way,I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sighSomewhere ages and ages hence:Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the difference.

*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 bythy might, Great God, our King.

PASTORAL PRAYER

*Hymn No. 668 For the Healing of the Nations

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

CHORAL RESPONSE

POSTLUDE Fugue in C J.S. Bach

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.

ROUND HILL COMMUNITY CHURCH MISSON STATEMENT

We, 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.

CHURCH NEWSThank you to Craig and Caroline Lazzara for ushering this morning.

Thank you to Jill Cassill and Laura Stuart for hosting coffee hour today. Please join them in the Parlor following the service.

Keep in mind that fresh flowers for Sunday services are possible due to your generous contributions. If you would like to make a gift to the 2016 Flower Fund, please contact the Church office at 203-869-1091.

Music

Christopher Kabala will give his final concert at the RHCC on Friday, June 3. He will present “A Musical Feast,” a varied program of works by Haydn, Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann, Ives, and Ravel. The two major works to be featured will be Beethoven’s Sonata in F minor, and Maurice Ravel’s Gaspard de la nuit. The program will also include some gentle works of calming nature to give a bit of repose to the audience’s ears and the pianist's fingers. Tickets are $25/adult and $5/student, and can be purchased through the Church’s website – www.roundhillcommunitychurch.org.

Outreach

Mark your calendar for Beach Day 2016 which will be July 27 (rain date July 28). More details will be provided as the date draws closer but if you have any questions or would like to sign up to help, please see Rev. Dan Haugh or Caroline Lazzara, Outreach Committee Chair.

Interfaith Blood Drive, June 25, 8:00 am – 1:15 pm at First Presbyterian Church, Greenwich – More than one million new people are diagnosed with cancer each year. Many of them will need blood, sometimes daily during their chemotherapy treatment. If you meet the height and weight requirement, and are in generally good health, you may be able to be a lifesaving blood donor. To make an appointment to donate, please see Caroline Lazzara at coffee hour. If you are not eligible, please consider recruiting someone who is eligible or volunteer the day of the drive to be a greeter! RHCC is joining with First United Methodist, First Baptist, Congregation Shir Ami and First Presbyterian for this special blood drive.

Neighbor to Neighbor has identified their May special collection and are asking, specifically, for donations of dry pasta and all variety of jarred pasta sauces. A food wagon and giving envelopes are located in the Narthex.

Fellowship

On Sunday, June 5, we will meet in the Community House following the service for a festive farewell brunch to honor and celebrate the many years of musical enrichment Christopher Kabala has given us during his twenty years as Minister of Music. There will be a time for sharing special memories, so those who would like to chime in should contact Sandy Motland (sandymotland@gmail.com). Reservations are being accepted through the church office – 203-869-1091. 

Les Beaux Arts Gallery is exhibiting Chinese Brush Paintings by Bob Seaver. The show will run through June 9th. Special note: several of Bob’s unframed Chinese brush pieces are available for purchase in the gallery. For details, contact Linda Seaver at linda.seaver@gmail.com.

REFLECTIONS

“Keep your eyes open. Make sure you stay on the bridge, right. But for God’s sake, don’t miss the view.”

“Looking ahead, you tended to lose courage. But looking back, it was impossible to deny, the length of road already traveled.”

“Once in one’s life, just once, you should have enough faith in something to risk everything for it.”

Andre Brink, A Dry White Season

Cover Photograph: by Susan Horstmann, 2016

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 BlundenRound Hill Community Church

395 Round Hill Road, Greenwich, CT 06831203.869.1091 roundhillcommunitychurch.org