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 live stream.  Bring a chair.  Join us!   

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Gathering Music                                    Polly Dunford                                                                                        

Welcome and Announcements                                     Ann Miller                                  

Call to Worship

Leader:  We gather to celebrate the God of wonder and majesty!

People:  Awesome God, help us to worship you in spirit and in truth.

Leader:  We gather to celebrate Jesus Christ, who was dead and buried, and now risen indeed!

People:  Jesus, renew our hope in your great power and love.

Leader:  We gather to celebrate the Holy Spirit, our promised comforter and guide!

People:  Come Holy Spirit!  Fill us with your presence and peace.

Leader:  We gather to celebrate the ancient hope of Christians:

People:  God is with us and will never let us go. 

Opening Hymn                                    “God Is Here!”                                          Handout

Text by Fred Pratt Green;  Music by Cyril Vincent Taylor

Text copyright 1979; music copyright 1942, renewal 1970 by Hope Publishing.

All rights reserved.

1)  God is here!  As we your people meet to offer praise and prayer,

may we find in fuller measure what it is in Christ we share.

Here, as in the world around us, all our varied skills and arts

wait the coming of the Spirit into open minds and hearts.

2)  Here are symbols to remind us of our lifelong need of grace;

here are table, font, and pulpit; here the cross has central place.

Here in honesty of preaching, here in silence, as in speech,

here, in newness and renewal, God the Spirit comes to each.

3)  Here our children find a welcome in the Shepherd’s flock and fold;

here as bread and wine are taken, Christ sustains us as of old.

Here the servants of the Servant seek in worship to explore

what it means in daily living to believe and to adore.

4)  Lord of all, of church and kingdom, in an age of change and doubt

keep us faithful to the gospel; help us work your purpose out.

Here, in this day’s dedication, all we have to give, receive:

we, who cannot live without you, we adore you!  We believe!

 

Scripture Reading     Revelation 21: 1-7; 22

 

Sermon       “A City named The Lord Is There ”         Rev. Deb Richardson-Moore

Joys and Concerns

Prayers of the People

 

Closing Hymn and Offertory   “Crown with Your Richest Crowns”  (v. 1,2,4)    Handout

Text by Matthew Bridges and Godfrey Thring; Adapted by Thomas H. Troeger

Music by George J. Elvey.  All rights reserved.

1)  Crown with your richest crowns the Lamb upon the throne;

Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own.

Awake, my soul, and sing of Christ who died for you,

And to your risen Savior bring your thanks for life made new.

2)  Crown Christ whose love has flowed down hands and feet and side.

Look past the peak of Calvary’s road to Christ the glorified.

The sun that lights the sky is pale before that sight.

At prayer we glimpse then turn the eye from mysteries so bright.

4)  Crown Christ who rules in peace, whose power a scepter sways

From pole to pole, that wars may cease, and all be prayer and praise:

Christ’s reign shall have no end, for ‘round those wounded feet a

fragrant garden shall extend forever green and sweet.

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.                 *************************************************************************************

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

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Calendar of Service -

May 17 - Rev. Michael Erwin; Ordination and Installation of New Elder; Session meets

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  

Peace Church is continuing a sermon series examining Christian Nationalism – what it is, where it comes from, and why it matters for people of faith right now.  This isn’t a series about partisan politics; it’s an honest look at how religious identity gets weaponized, and what the Gospel actually has to say about power, belonging, and the common good.

Join us Sundays at 4:00 PM on May 10 and 24 at First Baptist Church of Pendleton. All are welcome, and we’d love to have friends from other congregations with us.

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On Tuesday, 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.

Cynthia Warner is purchasing a table for the event and will have those spaces available for anyone who would like to buy a seat and attend the celebration.

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On Thursday, May 14, the PFLAG group will meet at North Anderson at 7:00 pm.  Everyone is welcome!

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On Saturday, May 30, from 8:00 am to 12 noon, there will be a joint yard sale with PFLAG and NACCP!   If you have some good yard sale items, please bring them on Sundays.  Our last date to contribute any items is Sunday, May 24.  There is also a sign-up sheet in the church entry hall for volunteers to help price and sort items, and later to monitor an area/table on sale day.  All proceeds will be contributed to the Shower Fund.

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Looking ahead to the next gathering of the Meet and Eat group, they will get together on Wednesday, June 3, at 5:30 pm at Doolittle’s Restaurant in downtown Anderson.  All are welcome to join!

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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 $5,932 so far!  If you have not yet made a contribution or want to do more, please consider joining us to raise about $1,168 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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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:  Bill Bailey; 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.