Announcements
Tuesday, August 18
Life Line Screening – 9:00 a.m.
Thursday, August 20
Amity Knit Wits -10:00 a.m.
Genesis/Koran Study – 6:15 p.m.
Saturday, August 22
Seekers – (Knights game)
Amity Presbyterian Church
Pastor Betsy is on vacation until August 22nd. If you have pastoral care needs,
please contact the Church Office (704-537-3484) or Ken Hutchins.
We welcome Carol Edwards to our pulpit today. Along with her husband Bill, Carol is
a member of Amity. Carol's and Bill’s daughters, Karen Edwards and Kirstin Gelinas,
are also members of Amity. They are also proud grandparents of June. Carol is a
lifelong Presbyterian, an Elder, and a Certified Lay Pastor in the Presbyterian Church.
Special music today is provided by Dr. Art Bolz, cellist. He is a retired physician,
specializing in eye, ear, nose and throat. He is a member of the Charlotte Civic
Orchestra and Sardis Presbyterian Church. Welcome to Amity!
The Youth will meet today following worship.
We have a family in need of a chest of drawers. If you have one you would like to
donate, please contact the church office. We will arrange to have it picked up.
The books for Betsy’s Book Club are available in the Church Office.
Interested in joining Amity Presbyterian Church? Please speak with Pastor Betsy
about a new member class.
Joys and Concerns: Remember with prayers and/or cards Karen Edwards, Andy
Culpepper (DeBoers’ grandson), Emmett Marion (Peak Resources), Carolyn Hudspeth
(home), Jamie Beck, Penny Mills, Fred Holder, Ken Tedder (Nancy Smaragdis’ brother),
Norma Messer, Will Wright, Angela Olsen (Vickie Michael’s daughter), Gloria Barkley,
Addie Yandle, Margaret McManus, Bill Panther, Tom Downs (Bett Downs’ son), Evelyn
Seaborn (Unlimited Possibilities), Reid Johnston and our Amity family members who
are in assisted living or homebound.
Extended Session: Debi and Mike McClintock
Extended Session Next Sunday: Cheryl Foster, Stephanie Polonyfis
Lawn Maintenance: George Foster, Dick Houston
Glorifying Christ Always Loving, Serving & Growing
Twenty Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 16, 2015 11:00 a.m.
“’When we break the bread, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? When we
give thanks over the cup, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ?’ These are
words spoken as a minister takes the loaf, breaks it in half in full view of the
congregation, and then pours the fruit of the vine into the cup. The bread and
the cup are gifts of God for the people of God.”
From When We Gather by James G. Kirk
Pastor: Rev. Betsy Williamson
Elder Assistant: Donna Dobson
Director of Music: Ken DeBoer
Organist: Sharon DeBoer
MINISTRY OF MUSIC
We Gather Around The Word
Meditation
Chaminade
Dr. Art Bolz, cello
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRELUDE
SCRIPTURE READING
Arioso
Bach
Dr. Art Bolz, cello
Leader: Praise the LORD. I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the assembly.
People: Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight
in them.
Leader: The LORD is gracious and compassionate. He provided redemption for his
people.
People: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his
precepts have good understanding.
All:
We praise and worship God!
*HYMN NO. 485
To God Be the Glory
TO GOD BE THE GLORY
PRAYER OF CONFESSION (unison)
O God, we sometimes think that we have nothing to confess. We haven’t done
any “bad” things this week and we praise ourselves for our virtue. But you called
us to love others as fully as we love ourselves, and there are many ways we have
failed to keep that command. We have passed by people in need. We have
allowed old hurts and grudges to sour our relationships with others. We have
been selfish. We have consumed more than our fair share of the world’s goods.
God, forgive our blindness to our own failures. Help us to confess the ways we
have not been the kind of people you want us to be and, by your grace, forgive
us. Then help us to live in love and wisdom. Amen.
(Silent prayers of confession)
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
Leader:
People:
Leader:
All:
SERMON
By grace we are saved, through faith.
Not by works lest anyone should boast.
Christ died for our sins
and, believing in Him, we are forgiven! Hallelujah! Amen!
Children of the Heavenly Father
SWEDISH FOLK TUNE
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH: abridged from A Brief Statement of Faith
In life and death we belong to God..... We trust in Jesus Christ, Fully human, fully
God. Jesus proclaimed the reign of God: preaching good news to the poor and
release to the captives, teaching by word and deed and blessing the children,
healing the sick and binding up the brokenhearted, eating with outcasts, forgiving
sinners, and calling all to repent and believe the gospel. Unjustly condemned for
blasphemy and sedition, Jesus was crucified,.... giving his life for the sins of the
world. God raised Jesus from the dead, vindicating his sinless life, breaking the power
of sin and evil, delivering us from death to life eternal..... In gratitude to God,
empowered by the Spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks and to live
holy and joyful lives, even as we watch for God's new heaven and new earth, praying,
Come, Lord Jesus! With believers in every time and place, we rejoice that nothing
in life or in death can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.
JOYS AND CONCERNS OF THE CHURCH
Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer (“debts” and “debtors”)
THE GIVING OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS
Offertory
O God of Mercy
Cherwien
*DOXOLOGY (page 592 in Hymnbook)
*PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING AND DEDICATION
We Follow The Word Into The World
*HYMN NO. 369
I’m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me
*POSTLUDE
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE – Carol Edwards
Carol Edwards
We Respond To The Word
*GLORIA PATRI (page 579 in The Hymnbook)
We Proclaim The Word
Page 1819 in Pew Bible
“Wise Up, Children of God!”
*HYMN (insert)
*CALL TO WORSHIP (from Psalm 111)
Ephesians 5:15-21
*All those able, please stand
Allegro Maestoso
I’M GONNA LIVE
Handel