fpchw logo 2016

fpchw logo 2016

Worship Service

"No One Knows"

THE CELEBRATION OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD
first sunday of advent
november 27, 2022

  • In Person Sunday, November 27, 11 a.m. This Sunday, Pastor Matt Lang's sermon is "No One Knows"  
  • Worship Live Streaming at 11 a.m.  Click here for November 27 streaming of live service.   (If it is NOT blue "refresh" your page.)  
  • The Complete Bulletin is available below.
    After  the service, feel free to stay on Zoom for Heavenly Perks until 2:00 p.m., where we can see each other and visit just like we did at our Heavenly Perks coffee time (except you provide your own cuppa tea/coffee).

  • Perks Enter Image 3976

    gIVE -- electronically
    to contribute (ACTIVE link: a monetary offering) to first presbyterian church of homewood or you may also contribute by mail to:

    First Presbyterian Church of Homewood
    P.O. BOX 1519
    Homewood IL 60430 

  • Click on this Blue Link to Ask a Question or Leave a Comment

 

WE GATHER IN GOD’S NAME

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF HOMEWOOD
MISSION STATEMENT

Through the grace of God, faith in Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit, we prayerfully seek to discern God’s will for this congregation and to reach beyond ourselves to feed the hungry, body and soul. Adopted by Session 7/31/17

PRAYER FOR PEACE Scottish Blessing
If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in the character. If there is beauty in the character, there will be harmony in the home. If there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nation. If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world. So let it be.

PRELUDE ||| Seasonal Favorites Various Composers

LIGHTING OF THE ADVENT CANDLE
The world says, “All is lost.”
God says, “All is loved.”
The darkness says, “The light is dying.”
The light says, “The fire is catching.”
Fear says, “Cover your eyes and your ears.”
Hope says, “Wait, watch, and listen.”
As we light our first Advent candle,
we pray for holy hope of God.
Come now, O Child of Mary.
Come now, O Prince of Hope.

*CALL TO CONTINUING WORSHIP
Let us go into the house of the Lord!
Let us meet God with joy!
God builds us up like a great city.
May peace be within our walls.
Let us seek the goodness of God;
let us go into the house of the Lord!

*HYMN 82 ||| Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus ||| Hyfrydol

CALL TO CONFESSION
This is the time for us to wake from sleep; salvation is near to us. Let us then lay aside the tatters of sin, and put on the armor of righteousness, asking our Savior for forgiveness.

*PRAYER OF CONFESSION
O God, we are steeped in a world of violence. War is one of the first things we learn, and we let it work its way into our lives. Your promises of peace sound like impossible dreams, and we become accustomed to cruelty. Forgive us. Wrest our weapons from our hands, and show us how beautiful life can be when you forge them into instruments of peace.
(silent prayer)
Amen.

*DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS
Beloved, know this: the God of Presence, the God of Transformation, the God of Peace, hears our prayers and gives us power to love. Through Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!
Thanks be to God!

*THE GLORIA 581 
MOMENT WITH OUR CHILDREN ||| Rev. Matt Lang

WELCOME AND CHURCH COMMUNICATIONS

WE HEAR GOD’S WORD

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

FIRST SCRIPTURE READING ||| Isaiah 2:1-5
1The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. 3Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. 5O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD!

SPECIAL MUSIC

SECOND SCRIPTURE READING ||| Matthew 24:36-44
36“But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, or the Son, but only the Father. 37For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 39and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. 42Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God!

SERMON ||| "No One Knows" ||| Rev. Matt Lang

WE RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD

*HYMN 104 ||| O Lord, How Shall I Meet You ||| Valet Will Ich Dir Geben

*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH The Brief Statement of Faith 1983
In life and in death we belong to God. Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, we trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel, whom alone we worship and serve.

 
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND 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 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.

INVITATION TO OFFERING
Rejoicing in the Lord always, we give thanks for the Word made flesh. With grateful hearts let us offer our whole selves to God.

OFFERING OF OUR GIFTS

OFFERTORY

*DOXOLOGY 606 ||| Old Hundredth
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.

*PRAYER OF DEDICATION
You are the source of every good and perfect gift, O God. Use these tithes and offerings for your glory. Let your church be a spring whose waters never fail; and let your people be repairers of the breach and restorers of streets to live in. We pray in your name. Amen.

WE GO IN GOD’S NAME

*HYMN 105 ||| People, Look East ||| Besancon
 
BLESSING & CHARGE
May the God of peace make you holy and the power of the Spirit sustain you until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Alleluia!

Prepare the way of the Lord!
Amen.

POSTLUDE ||| "From Heaven to Earth I Come" ||| Gordon Young

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord! Thanks be to God!

Rev. Matt Lang, Pastor
Mrs. Mary Ann Wenzelman, Interim Organist/Pianist

Worship Liturgist: Melodee Leimnetzer
Usher: Laura Dillman

Web Techs: Shirley Armistead, Nancy Beaudoin, Phil Dillman, Kathie Hazlett

 
WELCOME –.A warm welcome to our visitors on this First Sunday of Advent. In this holy season, we remember that God keeps his promises. Rejoice with us in the covenant of God’s love. Please do stay awhile after worship and join us at “Heavenly Perks”, so that we may meet you. 

SCRIPTURES IN WORSHIP – Next Sunday we will be reading Isaiah 11:1-10 and Matthew 3:1-12. 

PRAYER CHAIN – If you want prayer requests included on the prayer chain, contact Shirley Armistead at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

Next ...

Calendar of Upcoming Virtual & in Person Meetings .... moving thru November to December

  • NOTE: SPECIAL ACTIVITIES
    MITTEN TREE – As the weather turns colder, let us remember our friends of all ages at the Jones Center in Chicago Heights in need of warm mittens, gloves, hats and scarves (Jones need items by Thursday, December 15th).  The mitten tree will be placed in the cloister throughout November.  Thanks for your generous donations!

  • FOOD PANTRIES are seeing more and more new clients now, and the food pantry at the Jones Memorial Center in Chicago Heights needs healthy cereals, spaghetti and spaghetti sauce.  Let’s help them again this year.  A box for collecting items will be in the Narthex through Sunday, December 18. We will deliver any non-perishable items you might want to donate.  Any cash donations will be used either to purchase more needed items or may be donated directly to the organization.  Questions can be directed to Shirley Armistead at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or text or phone Shirley at 630/712-4697.

  • MODIFIED POP-UP CHOIR REHEARSALS – Come one, come all and join in as we sing praises to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ this Christmas Eve on Saturday, December 24th.  All are welcome to join the combined choirs of First Presbyterian Church of Homewood (FPCHW) and Calvary United Protestant Church for this event.  The rehearsals are scheduled on Wednesdays, December 7th, 14th and 21st at 7:00 p.m. in our sanctuary.  Warm-up and rehearsal will also be held on Christmas Eve one half hour before performance (timeframe TBD) in Westminster Hall at FPCHW.  Please contact Mary Ann Wenzelman at 708/955-9433 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you are interested.

CURRENT AND ONGOING EVENTS

    • Tuesdays: 10:30 a.m. every Tuesday Morning  at a Zoom meeting.  We are thoroughly enjoying the book, "From Widows to Warriors: Women's Stories from the Old Testament". The author is Lynn Japinga.  November 29, we will begin in Chapter Three, p 56  Women Of The Promise Land, reading "Rahab".  Always a great conversation! Best book ever! There are many ways to order the new book.  If you have questions, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information. 
    • First Monday: Book Study | Kathleen O'Hanlon
      Zoom Link:  7 pm-8:30  Our next meeting is: December 5, 2022 
      FROM KATHLEEN: Just to remind us all, our next meeting will be Dec. 5 at 7 pm, for which we agreed to read up to and including Chapter 8 in Trevor Noah's Born A Crime.   Please remember to invite others to join us in learning and sharing about racism in our country and in others. Be Blessed! Kathleen
      REVIEW: NOVEMBER 6 FROM KATHLEEN O'HANLON:
      I've found Trevor Noah's book so engrossing that I've listened to six chapters already, rather than the three I suggested we read back in October, but we'll only discuss the chapters that all of us have finished. I can't recommend the audiobook highly enough because it's read by the author himself, whose mastery of accents, languages and expression is unique.  (Note from Kathie & Jerry: We have ordered the audio version from our local Library.)
    • Enjoy a gorgeous autumn.  Kathleen G. O'Hanlon (Click on this link)
    • Sunday: Worship with us in person or live streaming, (10 a.m. November 27) (Mask optional for all in live service. Streaming? no masks necessary)  
    • Tuesdays: | Tuesday Adult Education Class  | 7:00 pm Central Time | Tim VanNasdale
      Zoom Link for meeting:  Tuesdays, 7 pm (next class 11/29/22)    Moving on in our new study is the book, "So The Next Generation Will Know, Preparing Young Christians for a Challenging World" ...  Chapter 7.
      If  you are interested in participating in this book study, just join us  or please (click on the <--blue link) or let us know through email: the church office  or phone: 708-798-0490 so we can include you in the weekly email notification with the Zoom link.  Zoom link for meeting Tuesday at 7 pm Illinois time.  The book is by Sean McDowell and J. Warner Wallace 
    • Sundays: | SundayWorship Service  We are continuing to worship in the church building at 11 am on Sunday mornings.  Access to our Live Streaming Service can be found on the "Worship Page" | Post Sunday Streaming Worship Meet-up (aka Heavenly Perks) began, in person, on May 22. 
    • Healing & Wholeness Service date is: TBD.  We offer access to a Healing & Wholeness Service online  at any time.  This service is a time of reflection, prayer, and meditation.  This service can help us to experience anew God’s healing, peace-giving grace or refuel us for becoming agents of healing and reconciliation.  Taking time for this mimics a pattern for Jesus and his disciples.  They would be out in the thick of a clamoring multitude and then retreat to a quiet place to reconnect, recharge, and clarify their mission.  Our quiet place awaits us in this service online.  (Watch for an announcement for maybe private prayer time on Zoom after this service.) | Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for prayer needs request.

Looking forward | scripture readings for next sunday, December 4 -- Isaiah 11:1-10 and Matthew 3:1-12.

Isaiah 11:1-10 ||| New Revised Standard Version

A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. 2The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; 4but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. 5Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins. 6The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. 7The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. 9They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. 10On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.

Matthew 3:1-12 ||| New Revised Standard Version

In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” 4Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, 6and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 7But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Bear fruit worthy of repentance. 9Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11“I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

 

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