Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church

Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church Asheville, North Carolina www.gcpcusa.org

June 4, 2017 – 10:30 am Pentecost Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper







To yield the heat of the flame, To grudge not, but to give Whatever we have of strength, That one more flame may live. ~ from "Fire" by Dorothea Mackeller

(Children interested in decorating the font for Pentecost, join Heather in the narthex at 10:25)

Prelude

Trumpet Jubilation









Richard Frey

Vidi Aquam

Kevin Padworski



Introit











I saw water coming forth from the temple on the right side, alleluia: and all those to whom this water came were saved, and shall say, alleluia, alleluia.























* Call to Worship (adapted from Psalm 104) O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all When you send forth your spirit, they are created; And you renew the face of the ground. Bless the LORD, O my soul. Praise the LORD!



* Hymn 280 Come, O Spirit, Dwell Among Us * Call to Reconciliation

EBENEZER

* Prayer of Confession God our Sustainer, Pour your Spirit into our community and into our lives. We confess our avoidance of hard truths like our complicity in systems of oppression and our failure to care for creation. We lay down the burdens of fearing failure and feeling helpless. We confess our struggle to trust that your grace is sufficient for us. Come Holy Spirit. Fill us with your merciful love. Amen. * Assurance of Forgiveness * Response Hymn 48 Rain Down RAIN DOWN * Passing of the Peace The Peace of Christ be with you. And also with you.









Our Life Together (Please sign the pad located in your pew) Prayer for Illumination New Testament The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God!

Gospel Reading

The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God!











Acts 2:1-21





John 20:19-23







Homily * Hymn 292

“Together in One Place”



As the Wind Song







Marcia Mount Shoop



WAIRUA TAPU



Sacrament of the Lord's Supper

Invitation to The Table

Prayer of Thanksgiving The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give God thanks and praise! The Lord’s Prayer (Feel free to pray in a language close to your heart) 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 debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, And the glory, forever. Amen. The Bread And The Cup Communion is by intinction. Come to one of the stations as directed by ushers. Return to your pew by the outside aisles. You may also be served in your pew. All bread is gluten-free.



Anthem During Communion View Me Lord, a Work of Thine Jackson Berkey

Prayer After Communion

Offering (Please place prayer cards in the offering plate. Staff will pray for them this week.) Offertory Anthem He Never Failed Me Yet Robert Ray

* Doxology





* Prayer of Dedication Sustaining God, thank you for all the ways you give us what we need. Fill us with your generous spirit, and bless these gifts for your healing purposes. Receive these gifts as expressions of our gratitude and our faith in you. Amen.



* Hymn 298



Lord, You Give the Great Commission

ABBOT’S LEIGH



* Charge and Benediction

Postlude Come, Holy Ghost, Our Souls Inspire -------------------------------------------------

David Cherwien

Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying. Ken Medema. (c) 1973 Hope Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted with permission OneLicense.Net A 724337

(For some, the Postlude serves as festive music to accompany their going back out into the world. Others prefer to remain seated and listen. Please be mindful of these different needs as you depart. Thank you!)



* Please Stand in Body or Spirit. We gather to worship God who is larger than all our imaginations! We encourage all persons to sing the gender nouns and pronouns they prefer in referring to God.

WORSHIP NOTE:

Today we welcome the Blair Children's Chorus to our worship service. This choir was founded in 1988 as a part of the pre-college division of the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University. The choir is lead by Mary Biddlecombe, Artistic Director, and Lauryn Mood is the Assistant Director and accompanist. We are grateful for their leadership in our service today.





Our Life Together…





Thank You! Head Usher: Betsy Wilson | Liturgist: Ray Shem

The flowers that decorate the sanctuary this morning given to the glory of God and in loving memory of Robert Miller by Nancy Miller and family.

Deacon of the Week: Sergio Fernandez, email: [email protected]

Today’s Courtyard Fellowship is provided by the Prayer Shawl Ministry. Come enjoy lemonade and snacks and learn more about this important work of the church.

The Session has voted to collect a special offering for Pisgah Legal Services. They need $5000 to assist in the hiring of a new immigration attorney. Please indicate on the memo line that it is for Pisgah. We will be collecting today through June 15th.

APNC Update Upon the unanimous recommendation from the Associate Pastor Nominating Committee (APNC), the Session has called a congregational meeting immediately following worship on Sunday, June 11, 2017 to hear a report from the APNC and vote on its nominee for Associate Pastor.

GCPC Earth Team Meeting | Sunday, June 4 | 9:30 AM | Conference Room Join us as we plan for Earth Day (6/18), discuss solar panels, plan for GCPC's showing of Leo diCaprio's “Before the Flood” on 6/22, plan a clean-up/maintenance day at Grace Covenant, hear about scheduled GCPC hikes and birding trips. We need your help! Come join us! Contact Susan Presson at 828-450-4145 for questions/comments.

Serve

Cabbage Harvesting for GCPC Youth & Children | Sunday, June 4 | GCPC Garden Please join Buzz and Heather in the garden immediately following worship. Adults are welcome to join us for harvesting.

VRQ—BBQ Cook Team | First Tuesday of each Month | Next cook date: June 6 If you would like to join the list of Veteran Restoration Quarter’s cooks and servers please email [email protected] . By joining you will receive a monthly notification. If it fits your schedule for that date, you will come at 4:15 to cook or 5:45 to serve the evening meal. This mission service has a long history and we would love for you to be a part of the camaraderie and fellowship. Questions? Contact Bill Neeriemer at [email protected].

Wednesday, June 7 | Staff Service @ ABCCM | 10:30 AM – 12 PM The staff has three service outings planned during the summer. Feel free to join us and learn more about what happens at three of our ministry partners (July – 12 Baskets; August – GCPC garden). Time for PRITCHARD PARK | Sunday, June 18th Sign-ups for the next Pritchard Park are in the Narthex today, June 4 and Sunday, June 11. Food donations and volunteers are needed. Questions? Please contact David Bailey at 777-3990 or email him at [email protected]. Avenue M - 12 Baskets Brunch Donations | Sundays | June 11 – July 16 Support Grace Covenant's mission partner 12 Baskets by eating at Avenue M after church. 15% of what you pay for Sunday brunch will be donated to Asheville Poverty Initiative's 12 Baskets Cafe. Pick up a card in the narthex after church to present at Avenue M to ensure the donation. *Reservations are recommended. Sanctuary Engagement and Volunteer planning | Wednesday, June 14 | 6:30 PM | Conference Room Do you want to get involved in expanding a culture of sanctuary at Grace Covenant? Do you know of volunteer opportunities with immigrant communities? Please join us for a discussion of how we can participate in engagement and volunteer opportunities. Contact Kathy Meacham at [email protected] or Kate Shem at [email protected] if you are interested but can't attend. Seeking volunteer(s) to help coordinate a new International Missions Outreach team: Do you have a passion for Grace Covenant's role in the greater world? The Serve Committee is looking for one or two enthusiastic people to take a coordinating role with our international outreach partnerships in Haiti and Guatemala. While this role only requires a few hours a month, it will help to raise a larger awareness of our partnership in the congregation. Please prayerfully consider and contact Buzz Durham at [email protected] or Bonnie Parker at [email protected] to learn more.

Grow Dementia Series @ GCPC | Sundays | June 4, 11, 18 | 6 PM | Sanctuary With our growing aging population, and without a cure anywhere on the horizon, we are called to learn all we can about a condition that will likely affect at least 50% of us. Join us for this 3-part series that will help you better understand the challenges of this disease and how you can reach out to families in your community who are already living with dementia. Class led by Mary Donnelly. Sponsored by the Deacons of GCPC.

Summer Women’s Memoir Series | Tuesday, June 6 | 7:00 PM | Jerusalem Rm Join us for a series of book talks focusing on memoirs written by people of faith. Hosted by Heather Gast and Samantha Gonzalez-Block and open to all women of the church. June 6 | A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea: The Journey of Doaa Al Zamel | Melissa Flemming



Wild Goose Festival | July 13-16 | Hot Springs, NC The Wild Goose Festival is an art, music and story-driven transformative experience grounded in faith-inspired social justice. This is a great opportunity for all ages and right in our back yard! Speakers this year include Nadia Bolz-Weber (House for All Sinners & Saints - ELCA, Denver), Rev. William Barber (NAACP-NC and Moral Monday movement) Diana Butler Bass, Dr. Otis Moss III (Trinity UCC in Chicago), William Paul Young (author of The Shack), Jim Wallis (Sojourners). For more information and registration, please visit wildgoosefestival.org. GCPC has a special discount code, which will get you the best rate to attend the festival. Use “GRACE” code when registering. This is valid until July 7th.



Care GCPC Goes to the Ballpark | Friday, June 23 | 7 PM | Tourists' Game Join us for the ballgame! Grace Covenant has reserved 100 seats. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for children (12 and under) and seniors. Please call the church office or email Sherrie to reserve your tickets. Make checks payable to GCPC. Annual Blood Drive | TODAY, June 4 | 8:30 AM – 1:30 PM The Blood Drive is being held in the Atrium outside of Fellowship Hall this morning from 8:30-1:30. If you are not involved in the Blood Drive, please avoid using the Atrium if at all possible. Persons willing to donate who are not pre-registered can still be accommodated by checking for open appointments at the registration desk. Welcome back, Juanita! Our beloved, Juanita Schneider, who is on childcare staff for the Preschool room, returns to us this Sunday (today)! We are so glad you are feeling better! Prayer List [We are happy to pray for anyone who is in need. Concerns will stay on this list for a month unless we hear otherwise. Please keep us updated.]

Jerusalem Church congregation; Natalie DeVito (Karen Rohl’s daughter); Bobbie Whitener (Les and Susan Stradley’s friend); Sherry Harcke (Les and Susan Stradley’s friend); Elizabeth Nealon (Susan Mims’ friend); Irene Roop (Laura Ross’ grandmother); Kathy Robrecht (Beth Robrecht’s sister-in-law); Linda Parker (Anna Jarvis’ sister-in-law); JoAnne Hewett and family (Allison McLamb’s co-worker); Glenn Russell (Robin Gaiser’s brother); Thomas Hughes (Debbie Vance’s father); Loucien Veilleux (Jim Veilleux’s father); Bill and Darlene Graser (Donna Robertson’s cousins); Nedra and Larry Queen (Bob Walther’s cousins); The Dey Family (Esther Colton’s friends); Daniel Siegfried (Marilyn Schmidt’s friend); Barrett & Ali Payne; Virginia Bradley; Hettie Lou Garland; Dot Holladay; Sheryl Aikman & family; Jerry Bleckley; Teresa Stern; Eve Rollins; Ray Dean; Linda Stirk

A Service of Witness to the Resurrection and Thanksgiving for the Life of Mimi Aldridge will be held at Grace Covenant today, June 4th at 3:00 PM.

Next Sunday, June 11, 2017

Worship at 8:30 & 10:30 AM Courtyard Fellowship at 11:30 AM





Homily: “It Takes Three” by Marcia Mount Shoop Scriptures: Psalm 8; Matthew 28:16-20

CALENDAR











Sunday Tuesday Wednesday Sunday

4 6 7 11

8:30 AM 8:30 AM 9:30 AM 10:30 AM 11:30 AM 11:30 AM 3:00 PM 6:00 PM 9:00 AM 4:30 PM 7:00 PM 11:30 AM 11:45 AM 7:00 PM 8:30 AM 10:30 AM 6:00 PM

GCPC Blood Drive Worship Earth Team Mtg. Worship Nominating Comm. Mtg. Cabbage Harvesting Memorial Service Series on Dementia Prayer Group VRQ Dinner Summer Memoir Series Staff Service @ ABCCM Sanctuary open for prayer Choir Senior High Montreat Conference Worship Worship Series on Dementia