Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

World Communion Day

Today’s service will be held indoors in the sanctuary. This will be an in-person service and also live streamed at this link.

Join us!   

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Gathering Music                                          Polly Dunford

Welcome and Announcements                Sharon Fowler              

Call to Worship — from Cameroon, West Africa

It is Sunday! It is Sunday!

Get awake!  Don’t sit, don't!  Come to this good thing that won’t come to you unless you come to it!

Come to Sunday Meeting, everybody!

Come all!  Don’t just sit in your town today!

The words of God have arrived!  Come and hear them!

No one else can hear them for you!  You must come!  It is Sunday!  Sunday!

Opening Hymn     “This Is My Song”           Hymnal #340

1)  This is my song, O God of all the nations,

a song of peace for lands afar and mine.

This is my home, the country where my heart is;

here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine;

but other hearts in other lands are beating

with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

2)  My country’s skies are bluer than the ocean,

and sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine.

But other lands have sunlight too, and clover,

and skies are everywhere as blue as mine.

So hear my song, O God of all the nations,

a song of peace for their land and for mine.

 

Opening Prayer   — from Poland

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Let us pray.

We ask you, O Lord, for the gifts of your Spirit.  Enable us to penetrate the depth of the whole truth, and grant that we may share with others the goods you have put at our disposal.  Teach us to overcome divisions.  Send us your Spirit to lead to full unity your sons and daughters in full charity, in obedience to your will; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Scripture Lesson            Mark 10:2-16

 

Sermon                             Dr. Keith Ray

There are things recorded in the Gospels that I wish Jesus had not said. Today we deal with one of those texts. While it is Worldwide Communion Sunday, and we celebrate our connection with the global community, we also recognize that all of us, no matter where we are from, live in relationships of imperfect love.

Having just returned from Rome and the seat of the Roman Catholic Church, I am aware of both the blessing and the judgment that comes from the Church when thinking about human relationships, especially marriage.

Let’s consider where we find the love and presence of the Holy when relationships do not work out.  Is there room for failure in the Church of Jesus?

Communion Hymn    “Come to the Table of Grace”      Hymnal #507

1)  Come to the table of grace.  Come to the table of grace.

This is God’s table; it’s not yours or mine.  Come to the table of grace.

2)  Come to the table of peace . . .

3)  Come to the table of love . . .

4)  Come to the table of hope . . .

5)  Come to the table of joy . . .

 

Communion    Invitation to the Table       Rev. Nancy Blakely

The Great Thanksgiving

The Breaking of the Bread

Prayer after Communion

 

Prayers of the People

Closing Hymn and Offertory                      “Bim Bom”               Handout

  Music is Traditional Hebrew; Arranged by Jim Strathdee

Desert Flower Music; All rights reserved.

Bim bom, bim bim bim bom, bim  bim bim bim bim bom.

Bim bom, bim bim bim bom, bim  bim bim bim bim bom.

Shabat shalom, (clap)  shabat shalom, (clap)  shabat, shabat, shabat, shabat shalom. (clap)

Shabat shalom, (clap)  shabat shalom, (clap)  shabat, shabat, shabat, shabat shalom. (clap)

Shabat, shabat, shabat, shabat shalom.  Shabat, shabat, shabat, shabat shalom.

Shabat shalom, (clap)  shabat shalom, (clap)  shabat, shabat, shabat, shabat shalom. (clap)

 

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.

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

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Please join us for our 1st Sunday Potluck Meal following worship service.

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Calendar of Service -

October 13 - Dr. Keith Ray; Blessing of the Animals

October 20 - Dr. Keith Ray

October 27 - Service at South Main Chapel and Mercy Center

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PFLAG meets the second Thursday of the month - October 10 - at NACCP at 7 pm.
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Church Clean-up day is the 2^nd Saturday of the month at 9:30 am and usually takes no more than 90 minutes. The sign-up sheet is in the church.

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Don’t miss the upcoming performances of  The Rocky Horror Show at Market Theatre October 11 – November 2.
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The Imani Milele Choir from Uganda will be performing at Presbyterian College on November 13 at 7 pm. Learn more at https://www.campfellowship.org/imani2024
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Please join Presbyterian Earth Care (PEC) for this unique monthly opportunity for community and meaningful Bible study!  The study will run for 75 minutes each session. Dates: Oct. 27th, Nov. 24th, Dec. 22nd, Jan. 26th, Feb. 23rd, Mar. 23rd, Apr. 28th, May 26^th all at 7 pm. Study Leaders: Rev. M. Courtenay Willcox and Rev. Lucy Youngblood. For more info and Zoom link: https://presbyearthcare.org/bible-study-pw-2024-2025/
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Sarah Shumpert, AIM Board member, shares this update about the AIM Food Pantry: given the increased need in the community, AIM has increased the number of food boxes distributed to 55 per day (this is up from around 35 per day prior to COVID).  The increase in distribution means that the pantry empties much faster than it used to.  Please keep that in mind as you bring in food items. Also, the pantry is completely out of peanut butter and they would love to restock this item!
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You can go to scvotes.gov to look at a sample ballot, register to vote, and more. In addition to registering to vote online, you can also register to vote in person at your county board of voter registration. The deadline to register to vote in person is October 4. You can register online, by fax, or email by October 6 or by mail by October 7. Early voting is from October 21 - November 2 from 8:30 - 6:00 and the general election is on November 5 from 7:00 - 7:00.
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We are collecting underwear items for Undie Sunday to be delivered to South Main when we take lunch again on October 27. Candy donations are also greatly appreciated so that we can make treat bags for the South Main lunch.  Please bring in candy donations and put in the kitchen on the long counter.
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The Prayer Flag project is under way for World Communion Day in October.  Materials are set out in the serving area by the kitchen, and directions are posted.  Please take a moment to create your own prayer flag.

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Adult Children of Alcoholics & Dysfunctional Families Support Group meets each Thursday from 6:00-7:00 p.m. at Mt. Zion Presbyterian Church, 1501 Sandy Springs Rd., Sandy Springs, SC. This is a 12-formatted program.

For more information, call 864-844-7137. Please share this with anyone who may benefit from this group.

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Bible Study meets on Monday’s at 6:30 pm through Zoom and has begun the study of the book of Deuteronomy.  Contact Cynthia Warner at cynthiakwarner@mac.com or Dave Johnson at ampaw2t@gmail.com

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You may have noticed the new glass “tip jar” on the piano at church that serendipitously came about when someone didn’t claim a flower vase. Feel free to drop in a dollar or five when you like the music during the service. Dave and Polly will donate the “tips” to a cause related to music, such as bringing music to schools.
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If you would like to donate to the family of Eric Childs, who was tragically killed in a car accident, please use this link: https://gofund.me/6340eb47.  Eric’s wife Jessicka Spearman heads the PFLAG group that meets at NACCP.

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Women’s clothing is needed for women coming out of incarceration. Good, gently used items please. All sizes.
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Doug Booth encourages everyone to volunteer at PAWS – there is something for everyone, from socializing with the dogs on-site to taking a dog to lunch to hosting weekend visits. There are many dogs at the facility who crave human interaction.  Additionally, don’t forget to bring in any donations of blankets to the church.
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Karen highlighted that the Prayer Tree has been moved into the sanctuary. If you have a prayer request to add to the tree, write it on one of the provided tags and hang it on a branch.
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Joanne reminds us all to keep up the food donations for AIM (Anderson Interfaith Ministries)!  Bring your non-perishable items to the church.  This is an on-going need that can easily become part of everyone’s shopping routine.

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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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Remember in prayer:  Gloria Bennett and her family; Michael Little’s friend Becky; Shea Marsden; Linda McFall; Glennie Burns; Mary Alice Mundy; Latha and Cheryl Semones; Immigrant families; Victims of all violence, oppression, and injustice; People of Ukraine; People of Israel and Palestine.