GRACE COVENANT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

April 29, 2012

Loving God & Our Neighbors in the Heart of the City

WELCOME TO GRACE COVENANT!

We are an historic Presbyterian congregation offering traditional worship and multiple ministries for persons of all ages. Please join us after worship for fellowship in the Social Room.
Thank you for turning off your cell phones, pagers, cameras, and other electronic devices during worship, and for leaving food and beverages outside the sanctuary. Interim Pastor: Director of Music: Administrative Assistant: Bookkeeper: Temporary Sexton: Child Development Center Director: Student Assistant for Christian Ed: Brint Keyes Christopher Martin Vanessa Strait Martha Rubin James Greene Nicole Williams Christopher Tweel

1627 Monument Avenue Richmond, VA 23220 Phone: 804.359.2463 Fax: 804.278.6298 www.grace-covenant.org info@grace-covenant.org

Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Radio: WLES 590 AM www.wlesradio.com

Hearing Aids, Large Print Hymnals, and Bulletins are available each week from the ushers.

PREPARATION FOR WORSHIP

But you, O Bethlehem Eph'rathah, who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in travail has brought forth; then the rest of his brethren shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. - Micah 5:2-4 (RSV) On the morrow their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, By what power or by what name did you do this? - Acts 4:5-7 (RSV) And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. - 1 John 3:23 (RSV)

A SERVICE OF WORSHIP
April 29, 2012 Fourth Sunday of Easter 10:55 a.m.

WE GATHER TO GLORIFY GOD

WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS Please fill out the communication card and place it in the offering plate during the offertory. PRELUDE Sheep May Safely Graze Johann Sebastian Bach

arr. Virgil Fox (1912-1980)

Please stand for these parts of the service.

CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: People: Leader: People: Leader: People: Leader: People: Leader: People: All:

from Psalm 23

The LORD is our shepherd; We shall not want. He makes us to lie down in green pastures; He leads us beside still waters; He restores our soul. He leads us in paths of righteousness For His names sake. Praised be the name of the LORD! By His name we are saved! The LORD is risen! He is risen, indeed! HALLELUJAH!
All Hail the Power of Jesus Name!

HYMN 132 (Red Hymnal)

Coronation

PRAYER OF CONFESSION Almighty and heavenly Father, in Christ Jesus You bore the burden of our sin, suffering the pain of death, and rising from the dead to new life. But we confess that we have taken Your grace for granted. We rejoice in Your Resurrection, but divert our eyes from the Cross. We proclaim the mercy of Your forgiveness, but disregard its cost to You. We celebrate the blessing of new life in Christ, but continue old habits that keep our Selves on the throne. Lord, have mercy upon us, and forgive us our sins, we pray. Melt our hard hearts with the brilliance of Your glory; open our eyes to the sins we ignore; and spark in us a longing for holiness; that we may truly repent of self-serving ways, and seek to serve You in newness of life; through the power of Your Holy Spirit, and in the name of Jesus, Your risen Son, we pray. Amen. ASSURANCE OF PARDON EASTERTIDE ALLELUIA

Alleluia, music by William Monk, 1823-1889, 1986 by G.I.A. Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Reprinted under OneLicense.net #A-715262.

WE GIVE THANKS TO GOD

PRESENTATION OF TITHES, OFFERINGS, AND GIFTS ANTHEM The Lord Is My Shepherd
Kelsey Snyder, soprano

Thomas Matthews (1915-1999)

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his names sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. To all the nations is gone forth the sound of their words, throughout all the lands their glad tidings.
- Psalm 23

DOXOLOGY 592 (Blue Hymnal) 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 THANKSGIVING

Old Hundredth

Dana McKnight

WE HEAR THE WORD OF GOD

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION Dana McKnight

OLD TESTAMENT READING

Micah 5:1-4

Holy Bible, p. 818 OT

Leader: This is the Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God. CHILDRENS SERMON EPISTLE READING NEW TESTAMENT READING 1 John 3:16-24 Acts 4:5-12 Christof Meyer Holy Bible, p. 230 NT Holy Bible, p. 116 NT

Leader: This is the Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God. SERMON HYMN 148 (Blue Hymnal) The Risen Christ: Jesus Name
At the Name of Jesus

B. Brinton P. Keyes
Kings Weston

COMMISSIONING OF THE PASTOR NOMINATING COMMITTEE AFFIRMATION OF FAITH The Apostles Creed

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

GLORIA PATRI 579 (Blue Hymnal) Glory 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, Amen. PASTORAL PRAYER AND THE LORDS 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.

Greatorex

WE GO FORTH IN GODS NAME

HYMN 346 (Blue Hymnal) BENEDICTION CHORAL RESPONSE POSTLUDE Bless the Lord, O My Soul In Thee Is Joy (Orgelbchlein) Traditional Johann Sebastian Bach Christ, You Are the Fullness Arirang

Please join us in the Social Room following worship for refreshments and fellowship. The flowers are given to the glory of God and in loving memory of Samuel and Winnie Ritchie, by their daughter, Evelyn Tower.

Give thanks for: Healing for Charles Suttons foot Continue to pray for: Willie Alford, at home recuperating from surgery; Ben Gordon, for health, and his mother Alice, undergoing chemo; Ann Pais daughter-in-law Jane, with cancer, and nephew Paul, with ALS; Juliette Harriman White; Susan Farrells grandmother, Mary Lou (Uh Oh) and father, Jim; Svetlana Chicus mother, Estera, with lymphoma; Evelyn Turner; Peter Albertis; Rosie and George Turner; Nela Bostian Our Christianity Explored outreach that began April 18, and this summers Vacation Bible School, that God would use both to plant and nurture seeds of faith Erika Tabor and Carlos Juara, facing vocational challenges; and Leslie Hartmans community garden ministry Our Session, that they may faithfully lead us by humbly following Gods Word; and our Pastor Nominating Committee, that they might seek faithfully and listen patiently to discern the pastor whom God is calling to Grace Covenant Beth Lloyd Daniel Reas, Stuart Chapman, William Bridenstine, David Russell, Chris Pais, and Mike Child, serving in our nations Armed Forces The people of Egypt, Libya and Syria, as they seek peaceful ways forward for their countries; the governments of Iran and Israel, that they may pursue peaceful coexistence rather than mutual aggression; and the people of Haiti and the Midwest US, as they continue to recover from natural disasters Missionaries we support: Elizabeth Gee back in US from Indonesia (fighting cancer); Valentin and Svetlana Chicu in Moldova; The Zobule family in the Solomon Islands, facing employment uncertainty; Beth Baleke in Uganda For the Spirit of Resurrection in Metropolitan Richmond: For spiritual renewal, leading to prayer and care for all regardless of race, national origin, religion, income, or neighborhood.

Johann Sebastian Bach composed over twenty secular cantatas including the Hunt Cantata (No. 208) which contains the famous aria Sheep May Safely Graze. The aria is sung by a soloist and accompanied by a pair of recorders or flutes. Although secular in character, the words describe how well a faithful shepherd keeps watch over his flock and hence has obvious allusions to the teachings of the Christian church. Todays prelude is an arrangement by Virgil Fox who was known for pushing the limits of the instruments available to him, rather than requiring that they, or his playing, be authentic to the era of the music. Despite (or perhaps because of) his controversial approach to organ music, Virgil Fox attained a celebrity status not unlike that of Leonard Bernstein, Liberace, and Glenn Gould. The New York Times said of him, twenty years after his death, "Fox could play the pipe organ like nobody's business, but that is not all that made him unforgettable to so many people across the country. He made classical organ music appeal even to audiences that normally wouldn't be expected to sit still for it." Thomas Matthews (1915-1999) was longtime organist, choirmaster, and resident composer at Trinity Episcopal Church, Tulsa. His music is beloved by church choirs and congregations around the world. His most celebrated choral anthem, The Lord Is My Shepherd, has sold over a million copies of sheet music. Todays postlude comes from J. S. Bachs Orgelbchlein ("Little Organ Book"), which is a collection of forty-six chorale preludes for organ. The collection was originally planned as a set of 164 chorale preludes spanning the whole liturgical year. The chorale preludes form the first of Bach's masterpieces for organ with a mature compositional style in marked contrast to his previous compositions for the instrument. Instead of an organ chorale, In Thee Is Joy is more in the style of a short fantasy. The chorale melody is played in motifs in the upper three voices while the pedals play the following repeating theme:

The Junior Choir (grades 1-5) will have their final rehearsal for the season Wednesday, May 9, at 5:00 p.m., with a pizza and ice cream party at 5:30 p.m. in the Vanguard Room. The Junior Choir will sing for the last time this season on Mothers Day (May 13). Chancel Choir rehearsals continue through Wednesday, May 16. The Chancel Choirs last Sunday for the season is June 10.

Vacation Bible School:

Save the date!! Vacation Bible School this year will take place June 24 (Sunday) - June 28 (Thursday). This is the week after the week of Father's Day. Mark the date now on your calendars; more information will follow. If you can be of help to any part of this ministry, please contact Christopher Tweel at christopher.tweel@upsem.edu or call 304-4881610. Thanks!

Older Adult Sunday May 6

One week from this Sunday, on May 6, we will be recognizing and giving thanks for those among us whose faithfulness in ministry has spanned the decades, and upon whose shoulders the Church stands. If you would like to be involved in leading or assisting in worship, please contact Charles Sutton at 200-1401. We will also be celebrating the sacrament of the Lords Supper that Sunday, so please plan to join us.

Stewardship of our Buildings

While our sexton Willie Alford is on sick leave, the Property Committee has hired James Greene to handle many of Willies duties. He is here on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays; please introduce yourself if you see him and welcome him to Grace Covenant. The committee has also asked Wayne Casey to coordinate our temporary janitorial work with church volunteers and cleaning duties at the church. If you have any questions, concerns or requests, please contact Wayne at 804-222-3468 or by email at caseywt1@verizon.net. Thank you.

Sunday Mornings
CLASS
(all begin at 9:30am)

TOPIC

TEACHER

Forum (Room B-7) Grace Bible (Room 212) Vanguard (Room B-4) Connections (Room 303)

Did Jesus Really Have to Die? The Gospel of John The Book of Galatians (no information)

Tom Miller Bill Stuart Matt Johnson

Sunday Afternoons
DISCIPLE BIBLE STUDY is a 34-week in-depth Bible
study for small groups. Led by a trained facilitator, the study includes 30 minutes of daily reading and a weekly 2 1/2 hour seminar. If the curriculum looks appealing, then youre invited to consider signing up for the next class. Here are the topics for the coming week: Week 15: Suffering When Trouble Comes
Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday: Saturday: Scan pages 108 and 112 in this manual to get an idea of what you should watch for as you read. Job 1 10 (prologue, Job, Eliphaz, and Bildad) Job 11 19 (Job and all three friends) Job 20 31 (Job and all three friends, inaccessible wisdom) Job 32 37 (Elihu speaks) Job 38 42 (Job and God, epilogue) Read and respond to The Bible Teaching and Marks of Discipleship.

Wednesday Evenings
Join us this Wednesday, May 2, at 6:00 p.m. Menu: Meat loaf, macaroni and cheese, broccoli, salad, rolls and lemon custard cake. This weeks program is the third session of our seven-week series on the curriculum Christianity Explored. More information can be found at www.christianityexplored.org.

PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN: The Presbyterian Women's

Salad Supper is scheduled for THIS Tuesday, May 1, at 6:00 p.m. The Presbyterian Women's Birthday Offering will be received, and all are welcome. The Coordinating Team will meet at 5:00 p.m.

GCPC Softball Team:

The Biblical Batters do not have any softball games this week but will be playing on May 1, 2012, at 8:40 p.m. at Parker Field. Parker Field is located one block east of the Diamond Stadium.

Honduras Mission Yard Sale BenefitJune 9

SPRING CLEANING? Once again, a collaborative yard sale will be held to benefit the Honduras Mission. Immanuel Episcopal Church in Old Church, Grace Covenant's partner in this important mission, has once again agreed to host the event and to supply all the manpower. We are looking for "STUFF!" In anticipation of the yard sale on SATURDAY MORNING, JUNE 9, please begin to set aside items for donation. Watch for further announcements concerning where and when your donations will be picked up. Many thanks! Ron David and Susan Pillsbury David can be reached at 804-328-2207 or by email at clwturtle@aol.com

THIS WEEK AT GRACE COVENANT

Sunday, April 29 9:15 a.m. 9:30 a.m. 10:55 a.m. 12:00 noon 12:30 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. Monday, April 30 12:00 noon Tuesday, May 1 Prayer Social Room Sunday School Various Rooms Worship Service Sanctuary Fellowship Hour Social Room Lunch for Disciple & Community Group Fellowship Hall Disciple Bible Study Room 303 Community Group Discussion Fellowship Hall

Mens Luncheon

Vanguard Room

10:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m.

Staff Meeting Room 213 Care Team Meeting Pastors Office Presbyterian Women Coordinating Team Vanguard Room Presbyterian Women Salad Supper Fellowship Hall

Wednesday, May 2 5:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. 7:15 p.m. Thursday, May 3 9:30 a.m. Sunday, May 5 9:15 a.m. 9:30 a.m. 10:55 a.m. 12:00 noon 12:30 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m.

Junior Choir (grades 1-5) rehearsal Wednesday Night Live Chancel Choir rehearsal

Choir Room Fellowship Hall Choir Room

Mothers Together

Fellowship Hall

OLDER ADULT SUNDAY Prayer Social Room Sunday School Various Rooms Worship Service Sanctuary Fellowship Hour Social Room Lunch for Disciple & Community Group Fellowship Hall Disciple Bible Study Room 303 Community Group Discussion Fellowship Hall

2012 Officers
Our Elders serve the church as leaders. Our Deacons lead the church in service. Please feel free to approach them with any questions or feedback about Grace Covenants ministries. CLERK OF SESSION: Everett Reveley

ELDERS: Jordan Ball (14) - Nominating (M); Finance Kent Cardwell (12) - Fellowship (M) Matt Hartman (13) - Mission (M) Virginia Hudson (14) - Evangelism (M) Cheryl Jacobs (12) - Worship (M); Fellowship Katie McCullough (13) - Administration (M) Dana McKnight (14) - Finance, Worship Christof Meyer (12) - Christian Ed (M), CDC (M) Tom Miller (12) - Christian Education Joy Nevin (14) - Administration Everett Reveley (12) - Finance (M) Robert Rosebro (13) - Property (M) Rob Turner (14) - Worship, Nominating DEACONS: Pat Ball (12) - Flowers Cherry Corley (12) - Communication Cards Susan Farrell (12) - Transportation, Care Team Nikki Hazlegrove (13) - Vice-Moderator - Meals Jan Kessel (14) - Care Team Jim McCullough (13) - Deacons Fund, Nominating Ann Pais (14) - Care Team Erika Tabor (14) - Secretary - Communication Cards Judy Waldron (14) - Moderator - Cards Dawson Watkins (13) - Care Team Carol Wood (13) - Prayer, Communication Cards Sid Yates (12) - Ushering

WORSHIP SUPPORT FOR TODAY (April 29): Opener Kent Cardwell; Greeters Bob Copeland; Nursery Worker needed; Elementary Sunday School Janet Chenoweth/Drama; Worship Kits Judy Waldron

WORSHIP SUPPORT FOR NEXT SUNDAY (May 6): Opener Rick Nochta; Greeters ; Nursery Worker Ann Hubbard; Elementary Sunday School Katherine Baird/Big Tent; Worship Kits

SERMON NOTES
The Risen Christ: Jesus Name B. BRINTON P. KEYES