Earth Day Observance  

Today’s service will be held outdoors at the woods stage as an in-person service and also live streamed at this link.  Click on “live” for the live stream.                                        Bring a chair!   Join us!   

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Gathering Music                                    Polly Dunford                                                                                        

Welcome and Announcements           Karen Manley                  

Earth Day — The Canopy of Creation           Earth Care Team

 

Call to Worship

Leader:  Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us every day our daily bread,” source of all life.

People:  Help us to harness the wind, the water, the sun, and all renewable sources of power.

Leader:  Teach us to conserve, preserve, and use wisely the incredible treasures of our wealth-stored earth.

People:  Help us to share your bounty with those in need; help us not to misuse it, or squander it, lest we leave our children with a wasteland.

Leader:  You who are life and energy and blessing, teach us to revere and respect and rejoice in the world around us.

All:  Open our ears and eyes that we may hear and see the incredible splendor of life itself, and in doing so care for our common home.  Amen.

Opening Hymn                          “Touch the Earth Lightly”                            Hymnal #713

Words by Shirley Erena Murray. Music by Colin Gibson.

1992. Hope Publishing Company.  All rights reserved.

1)  Touch the earth lightly, use the earth gently,

nourish the life of the world in our care:

gift of great wonder, ours to surrender,

trust for the children tomorrow will bear.

 

2)  We who endanger, who create hunger,

agents of death for all creatures that live,

we who would foster clouds of disaster,

God of our planet, forestall and forgive!

 

3)  Let there be greening, birth from the burning,

water that blesses and air that is sweet,

health in God’s garden, hope in God’s children,

regeneration that peace will complete.

 

4)  God of all living, God of all loving,

God of the seedling, the snow, and the sun,

teach us, deflect us, Christ reconnect us,

using us gently and making us one.

   

Reading from the Christian Bible        Romans 12:1-2; 9-15      (NRSV, Updated Ed.)

“I appeal to you, therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect…

…Let love be genuine; hate what is evil; hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal; be ardent in spirit; serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; pursue hospitality to strangers.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be arrogant, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are.”

Sermon             Rev. David R. Gillespie

“Can We Live with Hope in a Time of Seeming Hopelessness?”

Synopsis: The answer to that question is a resounding yes!  But it’s not easy.  What might we find in the stories of the Hebrew Bible or the reflections of Paul, the first Christian writer from whom we have material, which might help us to live in genuine hope?  Do we just throw up our hands?  Do we try to distance ourselves from the world?  Or is there another avenue of response to the seeming hopelessness we might be faced with?

A Moment of Silent Reflection

Voicing our Joys and Concerns

Prayers of the People, followed by A Quaker Exercise  

 

Closing Hymn and Offertory                “Song of Hope”                         Handout

      Words and Music by Jim Strathdee.

1985. Desert Flower Music. All rights reserved.

1)  When the darkness overwhelms us to dim our sight and mind,

When all roads lead to confusion and hope’s impossible to find,

Free our minds for dreaming of a time when war shall ever cease,

Free our eyes for vision that leads us to the ways of peace.

 

2)  When the fear of war’s destruction paralyzes heart and breath,

When our songs and laughter vanish in terror of the sounds of death,

Free our hearts for loving this life so precious and so dear,

Free our voice for singing the songs that overcome our fear.

 

3)  When in weary isolation we’ve lost our courage to care,

When our captive spirits perish in the bondage of despair,

Free our arms for action reaching for another’s hand,

Free our feet for marching or to boldly make a stand.

 

4)  When our sisters are in slav’ry, when our brothers are in need,

When the cost is human mis’ry for the nation’s pow’r and greed,

When the ties are broken when we’ve lost our human soul,

Free our lives for serving to make the human fam’ly whole.

 

5)  Let the mountains ring with freedom, let the valleys sing with peace,

Let the rivers swell with justice, let our unity increase,

May the sun’s warm healing and the ocean’s mighty roar

Bring the day of justice when peace shall reign forevermore.

 

A Time of Discussion 

Blessing Each Other - Shalom (“May you be well and whole and in communion with all creation.”)

This Hebrew word, often translated “Peace,” is much deeper and more meaningful than simply a lack of conflict. It connotes well-being in all aspects of our lives and our communion with the world around us.

Shalom, my friends, Shalom, my friends, Shalom, Shalom.

Till we meet again, Till we meet again, Shalom, Shalom.                        *************************************************************************************

Reprinted with permission under One License #A-625711.  All rights reserved.

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Calendar of Service -

May 3 - Robert Gamble of This Child Here; Congregational Meeting; Potluck Meal

May 10 - Rev. Deb Richardson-Moore

May 17 - Rev. Michael Erwin

May 24 - Dr. Keith Ray

May 31 - David Johnson

June 7 - Rev. Beth Templeton; Potluck Meal

June 14 - Cordney Burgess, Upstate Fatherhood

June 21 - Dr. Keith Ray

June 28 - Rev. Dr. Steve Morgan  

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A Free Shred Day event in Anderson is scheduled for April 25, 2026, from 8 am to 12 pm.  It is hosted by Anderson County Solid Waste & Recycling at 1428 Pearman Dairy Road (this is the old Ryobi plant, and currently Anderson County Admin Offices) and allows residents to securely dispose of sensitive documents with a limit of 5 boxes or bags.

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Vicki reminded us that the Anderson Soiree will be held on April 24-25.  Volunteers will work in the Kids’ Kingdom on Saturday, April 25, 9:30-11:30 am.

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The next AFPT (Anderson Forum for Progressive Theology) event is on Sunday, May 3, 2026 at 3:00 pm at North Anderson Community Church, Presbyterian.  The speaker is Dr. Jerry R. Wright, a Jungian Psychoanalyst who lives in Flat Rock, NC.  He is a senior training analyst with the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts, a retreat leader and teacher, and author.  Dr. Wright’s talk is entitled “Welcoming Our Gods Back Home: The Wisdom of Psychological Mysticism.”

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Enjoy another GAMAC concert is “Happy 250th, USA!” presented by the Anderson Symphony on May 3 at 3:00.  This will be in the Rainey Fine Arts Center at Anderson University. Tickets can be purchased at GAMAC.org, at (864) 231-6147, or at the door. Children under 18 and students with ID are free.

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The next Meet & Eat is May 6th at 5:30 pm at The Pompous Pig located at 3320 North Main St., Anderson 29621.

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On May 12, Sarah Shumpert will be one of 3 honorees of the Cancer Association of Anderson at their annual “Heroes” celebration. Tickets available through the Cancer Association.

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On Saturday, May 30, there will be a joint yard sale with PFLAG and NACCP!  More details later.

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NACCP has received a Mary Hemphill grant of $3,500, facilitated by the Inspire Committee of the Synod of the South Atlantic, to partially fund the new shower in the handicap bathroom at the estimated total cost of $7,100.

We are SO grateful for a total of $4,832 so far!  If you have not yet made a contribution or want to do more, please consider joining us to raise about $2,268 more to make it happen!

If you choose to donate with a check, write it to NACCP, and make a note in memo for “Shower” or place cash in an envelope with a notation for the shower !

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Volunteers needed:  Consider giving a small amount of time to one of our groups using our church building.  1)  Every Saturday morning, Al-Anon meets at 9:30-10:30.  They need someone to unlock and lock the building.  You’re welcome to sit in with the group too.

2)  PFLAG meets on the 2nd Thursday every month at 7:00 pm.  They need the same unlocking service, and you’re welcome to sit in with their meeting too.

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Keep up with the latest news from Foothills Presbytery here.

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Bible Study meets on Mondays at 6:30 pm through Zoom.  The new topic is Apocalyptic Eschatology along with the Book of Revelation.  Dave says he will try to make sense of it!   If you’d like to be added to the Zoom invite list, contact Cynthia at cynthiakwarner@mac.com.

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Please remember to donate non-perishable food items to AIM (Anderson Interfaith Ministries).  An extra item when you shop is a great help to others in our community.

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Remember in prayer:  Jay Lyn Martin and Jerry Meehan; Mary Alice Mundy; Latha Semones; Immigrant families; Victims of all violence, oppression, and injustice; People of the World in ALL walks of life and strife.  

Special Prayer for the NACCP Search Committee as they are working to find our next minister.