April 17, 2016
Fourth Sunday of Easter
ALLELUIA
Disciples in Service Today
GOD’S WORD IS PROCLAIMED
TIME WITH OUR CHILDREN
WE GATHER TO PRAISE GOD
ANTHEM
PRELUDE & LIGHTING THE CANDLES
SCRIPTURE
Announcements, Joys and Concerns
SERMON
Matt. 25:25-26
Overcoming Fear of Failure
*OPENING HYMN #67 Blessed Assurance
*CALL TO WORSHIP
Arise, people of God, to greet the one who calls us:
Come alive to the Spirit’s energy among us.
God awakens us and restores our souls.
Surely God’s goodness and mercy are with us here.
The shepherd is calling us to new ventures.
We are invited to a higher quality of life.
We will not fear to walk through shadowed valleys.
God’s love in Christ is with us everywhere.
Come to drink from springs of living water.
Gather to find comfort and blessing here.
Surely God will guide our search for truth.
We seek eternal values within our daily walks.
READING #85 Song of Ascent
*GLORIA PATRI (In back of hymnals)
Zion: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen,
Amen, Amen.
* PASSING THE PEACE OF CHRIST
Lector: The Peace of Christ be always with you!
People: And also with you!
Lector: Greet your neighbors with the Peace of Christ!
Pastor: The Rev. Dr. Jim Henniger
Organists: Peggy Ott, Debbie Adams and Penny Regula
Lector for Zion: Ralph Miller
Lector for Renner’s: Jackie Elmore
Consistory Leaders: Doris Smith (Z); Dale Schlarb (R)
Acolytes: Megan Krebs (Z); Hunter Garettson (R)
WE RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD
PRAYERS OF PETITION AND INTERCESSION
THE LORD'S PRAYER (Using “Trespasses”)
OFFERTORY
OFFERING INVITATION (Sung, in unison)
Bring a gift of love, bring a gift of love, bring a gift of
love today. Bring an offering to our Lord and King; tell
the world He is the way. Bring a gift of love, bring a gift
of love, bring a gift of love today. In this quiet hour of
worship, bring a gift of love.
COLLECTING THE OFFERING
*DOXOLOGY
*PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Make these moments a feast of dedication to your
purposes among us, loving God. May we serve you night
and day, wherever we are, in all we do. Blessing, glory,
wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to
our God forever and ever! Amen.
*HYMN OF PARTING #92 The Solid Rock
*BENEDICTION
*POSTLUDE & EXTINGUISHING THE CANDLES
GOOD MORNING!
No matter who you are
or where you are on your life’s journey,
YOU ARE WELCOME HERE!
We pray that God’s love will bless and transform you
as we worship together.
For we believe that in our worship together,
GOD IS STILL SPEAKING!
Please take a moment to sign our guest book.
Prayer Concerns
Norma Schlarb, Arletta Reed,
Joan Wilcoxon,
Liz McIntire & Gene Walters
Larry Rauschenbach
Katie Schmuker
Dates to Remember
Today: We are still collecting for the One Great Hour of
Sharing special UCC offering. Envelopes are next to the
bulletins.
Tuesday: Community Aide at Baltic Village Hall, 12:30-4
The Zion contact person for April is Melanie Archer.
Jobina will be out of town the 20th-23rd. Please have all
your bulletin information in the office by 9:00 AM on the
18th.
Zion Friends & Family, May 1st. Spread the word, tell all
your friends to join us! Lunch will be provided after
worship.
From the Pastor’s Desk . . .
Been to the doctor lately? Don’t you just love the part
where he says, “Open wide,” and then crams an ironing
board down your throat to a point just past the vocal cords?
It’s enough to make me wish I was a blue whale.
Perhaps I’d better explain. The blue whale is the largest
animal on the earth, and therefore has, not surprisingly, the
largest tongue on the earth. Of course, I’ve never checked
the matter out personally, but they tell me that the tongue of
a blue whale weighs as much as a full grown elephant! I’d
hate to be the doctor who told one of those creatures to say
“ah.”
Our tongues are smaller, a few ounces at the most, but
much more dangerous in their own way. They don’t weigh
as much as an elephant, but they can tell lies twice that size.
They cannot physically crush someone but can destroy him
just as certainly by malicious gossip. James says the tongue
is a fire, and that the source of heat is hell itself.
The only thing that rivals the tongue’s capacity for evil
is its potential for good. It can speak an encouraging word
to the downhearted, comfort the grieving and tell a lost man
how to be saved. It cannot match the blue whale for sheer
size, but it can be a whale of a comfort to men in sin.
The fascinating thing is that the same tongue is capable
of both of these things. It all depends on the operator. Give
your tongue to the devil, and you can destroy lives; give it
to Christ, and you can save them. The choice is entirely
yours.
Resolve to use your tongue for Jesus today. Speak a
kind word to a stranger. Communicate the gospel to a lost
friend. Sing the praises of God. Remember, you may not be
a blue whale, but you can talk a blue streak, and all to the
glory of the Father.
BALTIC PARISH
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
PO Box 249
203 North Butler St.
Baltic, OH 43804
330-897-6855
[email protected]
www.balticparish.org
Renner’s St. Paul UCC
Fresno, OH
Sunday School at 9:30 AM
Worship at 10:30 AM
Zion UCC
Baltic, OH
Worship at 9:00 AM
Sunday School at 10:15 AM
Tongue in Cheek,
Pastor Jim
Rev. Dr. Jim Henniger
Cell Phone: 760-296-7565
Home: 330-477-3855
[email protected]