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Gathering Music                                                    Polly Dunford                                                                                          

Welcome and Announcements                             DuPre Calhoun                             

Call to Worship

Leader:   In times when systems falter and people grow weary,
we gather to remember the strength that lives within us and among us.

People:   We come to restore courage,

      to lift one another when the work feels too heavy.

Leader:   When fear whispers that the task is too great—
when resources are thin and hope feels delayed—
let us look to one another for perseverance.

People:   Together we will build what matters:
justice, compassion, and community that endures.

Leader:   Come, friends. Let this hour steady our hearts and remind us:
even in uncertainty, the work of Divine love continues.

All:  We gather to find strength for the work that is before us. 

Opening Hymn “Here in This Place - Gather Us In”   Hymnal #401

1)  Here in this place the new light is streaming; now is the darkness vanished away;

see in this space our fears and our dreamings brought here to you in the light of this day.

Gather us in, the lost and forsaken; gather us in, the blind and the lame;

call to us now, and we shall awaken; we shall arise at the sound of our name.

2)  We are the young, our lives are a mystery.  We are the old who yearn for your face.

We have been sung throughout all of history, called to be light to the whole human race.

Gather us in, the rich and the haughty; gather us in, the proud and the strong;

give us a heart, so meek and so lowly; give us the courage to enter the song.

3)  Here we will take the wine and the water; here we will take the bread of new birth.

Here you shall call your sons and your daughters, call us anew to be salt for the earth.

Give us to drink the wine of compassion; give us to eat the bread that is you;

nourish us well, and teach us to fashion lives that are holy and hearts that are true.

4)  Not in the dark of buildings confining, not in some heaven, light years away:

here in this place the new light is shining; now is the kingdom, and now is the day.

Gather us in and hold us forever; gather us in and make us your own;

gather us in, all peoples together, fire of love in our flesh and our bone.                                     

Scripture Lesson            Haggai 1:15b-2:9            

Sermon                     “Persevering When the System Breaks”              Dr. Keith Ray

Thoughts to Ponder: When everything around us feels uncertain—the government at a standstill, families without food assistance, neighbors living in fear of deportation—we might wonder how to keep going.

The ancient prophet Haggai spoke to a people who also faced exhaustion and loss, urging them to persevere and to realign their priorities toward what truly matters.

This week we find strength in community, to rebuild hope amid disruption, and to trust that the Divine presence still moves among those who refuse to give up.

Joys and Concerns 

Prayers of the People 

Closing Hymn and Offertory   Hymnal #765

“May the God of Hope Go with Us - Song of Hope”                                                                                                                          May the God of hope go with us every day,

filling all our lives with love and joy and peace.

May the God of justice speed us on our way,

bringing light and hope to every land and race.

Praying, let us work for peace; singing, share our joy with all;                                                                                                    working for a world that’s new, faithful when we hear Christ’s call.

Benediction

Discussion 

Shalom  (meaning - “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.                       *************************************************************************************

Calendar of Service -  

November 16 - Dr. Keith Ray

November 23 - Rev. Deb Richardson-Moore

November 30 - Rev. Tricia Lytle

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The Red Dress Run will be held at Conostee Park on Sunday, November 9 from 9-2.

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GAMAC’s Clash of the Titans concert will be held on Sunday, November 16.  For tickets and information, visit ww.gamac.org or call 864-231-6147.

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Join in the Thanksgiving Potluck at Andi Nelson’s farm, Rabbit Hill Farm, on Thursday, November 27 at 1:00 pm.  Bring a dish to share and a chair.

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Christmas is coming.  That means Christmas Concerts are coming.  The Carolina Bronze Clemson Christmas Concert will be at 7 PM on Friday, December 5 at Clemson United Methodist Church.  To those copied who have never heard this choir:  you are in a for a treat.  To those who know their performance quality:  Mark your calendars!

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Meet & Eat gathering will be Wednesday, December 10 at J. Peters at 5:30 pm.

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Seasonal choir practice continues through November and most of December until Christmas Eve. Practices begin at 9:25 AM.  Contact Polly at (864) 940-0640 with questions.

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Bible Study meets on Mondays at 6:30 pm through Zoom.  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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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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