Service Bulletin

Sunday, February 26, 2023 at 10:15 a.m. Church Gathering with Dr. Keith Ray

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Sunday

Today’s service may be viewed on Facebook Live Stream at this link:  https://fb.me/e/5xMdMSk6Y?mibextid=RQdjqZ, hear it in the church parking lot at 107.1 FM, or join us in person. 

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Gathering Music                         Polly Dunford                                

Welcome and Announcements      Rosie Thompson     

Call to Worship 

One: God of the Sahara and the Amazon, Maker of dry places and wetlands.

Many: We come before you with parched hearts for living in this world has made them so.

One: Holy One, your ability to renew us is unmatched.

Many: You renew us from within and without.

One: Ancient of Days, you held us in the beginning, and you are holding us now.

Many: We reach out to you and draw as close as we can.

Opening Hymn     “I Danced in the Morning (Lord of the Dance” Hymnal #157

Words by Sydney Carter; Music is American Shaker melody

1963. Hope Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

1) I danced in the morning when the world was begun,

and I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun,

and I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth.

At Bethlehem I had my birth.

Refrain:  Dance, then, wherever you may be;

I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,

and I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be, 

and I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.

2)  I danced for the scribe and the Pharisee,

but they would not dance and they would not follow me.

I danced for the fishermen, for James and John.

They came with me and the dance went on. Refrain

3)  I danced on the Sabbath and I cured the lame.

The holy people said it was a shame.

They whipped and they stripped and they hung me high,

and left me there on a cross to die. Refrain

4)  I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black.

It’s hard to dance with the devil on your back.

They buried my body and they thought I’d gone,

but I am the dance and I still go on. Refrain

5)  They cut me down and I leapt up high.

I am the life that will never, never die.

I’ll live in you if you’ll live in me,

I am the Lord of the Dance, said he. Refrain 

Scripture Lesson         Matthew 4:1-11

Sermon            “The Temptation of Christ/Us”      Dr. Keith Ray

Fred Craddock says, “Jesus' response to [temptation] was to refuse to try to be like God or to be God.  As Paul put it, he ‘did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant’ (Phil. 2:6-7).

He did not use the power of the spirit to claim exemption or to avoid the painful difficulties of the path of service.  He did not use God to claim something for himself.  And it was this serving, suffering, dying Jesus whom God vindicated by raising him from the dead.”  We, too, are sometimes called to suffer on behalf of God’s love in a broken world.

Prayers of the People

Closing Hymn/ Offertory     “The Lord Now Sends Us Forth” Hymnal #747

        Words by Jose Aguiar; Music by Pedro Infante

1998 (English translation); 2003 (Music arrangement) Augsburg Fortress.  All rights reserved

The Lord now sends us forth with hands to serve and give,

to make of all the earth a better place to live.

The Lord now sends us forth with hands to serve and give,

to make of all the earth a better place to live.

The angels are not sent into our world of pain

To do what we were meant to do in Jesus’ name;

that falls to you and me and all who are made free.

Help us, O Lord we pray, to do your will today.

The angels are not sent into our world of pain

To do what we were meant to do in Jesus’ name;

that falls to you and me and all who are made free.

Help us, O Lord we pray, to do your will today.

Benediction  

Discussion

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

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

                            Till we meet again, Till we meet again, Shalom, Shalom

One License licensing permission.  Reprinted with permission under One License #A-625711.

All rights reserved.

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Calendar of Service    

March 5 - Keith Ray and Sarah Shumpert lead conversation about the church;

1st Sunday Potluck meal

March 12 - Keith Ray

March 19 - Steve Morgan

March 26 - Keith Ray

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The love and sympathy of North Anderson Community Church is extended to Michael Little-Bell and family in the passing of Tim Little-Bell on Friday, January 13, 2023.  Tim’s memorial service will be Saturday, February 25, at 3:00 pm at North Anderson Community Church. 

There will be a potluck meal following the service.  Meats and tea will be provided.  Please bring a side dish or dessert.

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Are you interested in becoming a member of NACCP?  Would you like to make this community your spiritual home?  Please contact Keith at keithdray@gmail.com or at 864-508-1530.

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The GAMAC Anderson’s Got Talent event will be held on Sunday, February 26 at 3:00 pm in the Rainey Fine Arts Center at Anderson University. Tickets are available at http://www.gamac.org.

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It’s time for Undie Sundays! We are collecting socks, men’s underwear (great need for Small men’s underwear) and women’s underwear and bras of all sizes for South Main Chapel and Mercy Center.  Bring your items between now and May 28 when we have our next turn serving lunch at South Main.

Additionally, South Main is currently experiencing a bottled water shortage. Donations welcomed at the South Main facility!

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Sarah Shumpert shared the Westside Community Center needs a new roof. They are asking folks to donate $40 in honor of the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King Day being signed into legislation as a national holiday. Donations can be made online through the United Way of Anderson County.  Use the “Donation Description” box to designate your donation for the Westside Community Center roof.

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Several of the church hymnals seem to have left the building. If you took a hymnal home for a walk (since they don’t have legs of their own), don’t forget to walk it back to church!

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Remember in prayer: Rob Gentry; Patti Pitts; Michael Little-Bell and Family; Violet Taylor (Kristin Cascio’s granddaughter); Glennie Burns; Mary Alice Mundy; Tawny Booth (friend of Vicki Conrad-Wright); Jason Harding; Linda McFall; Mike Johnston; Whitney and Taylor Bishop (Whitney’s niece); Jackie Moore;; Latha and Cheryl Semones; Immigrant families; Victims of all violence, oppression, and injustice; People of Ukraine.

NACCP is an inclusive Faith Community that values questions

and the journey to the answers.

Ministry Leader: Dr. Keith Ray

Pianist and Choir Director: Polly Dunford

Mailing address: P.O. Box 4346, Anderson, SC 29622

Phone: 864-225-3575

Website:  naccpchurch.org

Church News:  naccpnews@yahoo.com

Instagram:  northandersonccp

Facebook:  NorthAndersonCommunityChurchPresbyterian