SUNDAY SCHEDULE
WORSHIP 10:30 AM
In the Sanctuary and Online
Please See Below for Sunday School Class Information
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THIS SUNDAY IN WORSHIP
February 21, 2021
SCRIPTURE LESSON:
Genesis 9:1-27
MESSAGE:
“Blessings and Curses”
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Contents:
This Week
Online Giving
Sunday School News
Upcoming Events
COB Newsline
Notes from the Console
Last Week
Contacting the Pastor
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Noah and his Sons: A Troubling Turn
This Sunday in worship we continue our journey through the first chapters of the book of Genesis, considering the story of Noah and his family, most notably the lesson in the often-ignored event that happened after the flood. Following a promise from God to "never again" destroy the earth, Noah goes on consume a bit too much wine, his son unfortunately witnessing him. There are blessings and curses that follow, ones which have had lasting effects in this world.
We'll examine this scripture and consider not only what the scriptures say but how we can best read them and learn from them. I hope that together we can grasp both the blessings and the horrors that have arisen from the stories found in Genesis and beyond. Come and join us in our ongoing quest to understand the faithfulness of God in light of our own troublesome behavior.
The present series examining Genesis will continue through the month of February, after which we will turn to the New Testament to examine how Christ addresses each of the problems that our studies in Genesis bring to light. I trust you are eager to continue seeking God's word for us as we journey together.
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Live Stream Continues!
Our worship services will be presented "live stream" through our YouTube channel. Click the link below shortly before the service begins at 10:30 AM on Sunday to join with us in worship.
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The video will be available to view after the worship hour in case you miss the 10:30 AM time or wish to watch it again.
*Please note: if anyone is unable to view the videos online, we have DVD copies of the services that can be picked up in the church lounge any weekday. Sermon manuscripts are also available upon request. We hope no one is missing out!
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ORDER OF SERVICE
10:30 AM, February 21, 2021
Prelude ‘II. Allegro’ from “Eleven Vesper Voluntaries”
Welcome And Announcements
Invocation Prayer
Hymn “We plow the fields and scatter”
Children's Time
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH
Call to Prayer
Joys and Concerns
Pastoral Prayer
GIFTS AND OFFERING
Offering Invitation
Offertory “Thank You Lord”
Prayer of Blessing
RECEIVING GOD'S WORD
Scripture Lesson: Genesis 9:1-27
Message: “Blessings and Curses”
Hymn “Great is thy faithfulness”
Sending Prayer
Postlude “Go Ye In Peace”
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**Note: Following the guidance of the church's Leadership Team, our church remains "open" to in-person gathering. However, due to present public health concerns, we encourage remaining at home as the most responsible option if you are willing and able to join in worship via live stream video.
So long as our attendance remains modest, we believe that some of us can gather safely, provided that face coverings are worn and distancing is observed. Thank you all for understanding and doing your part to mitigate risk of disease.**
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Sunday School News
Homebuilders Sunday School Class
The Homebuilders Class is continuing to meet on Sunday mornings from 9:00 am to 10:00 am by conference call. All are welcome to join. To be included, contact Mike Martin either by calling 717-840-4184 or by emailing Caretaker@TwinBrookFarm.com, leaving the phone number at which you would like to be called. You will receive a phone call in the vicinity of 9:00 am. The class continues to examine lessons from the "Guide for Biblical Studies" curriculum.
Lamplighters Sunday School Class
The Lamplighters Class meets on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 pm until 8:00 pm by zoom (video) conference. If you wish to be included and haven't received an email already, please contact Pastor Joel at pastor@yorkfirst.org, and he will forward you the link. The class will wrap up a series entitled "The Walk" led by Adam Hamilton.
Vine & Branches Sunday School Class
The Vine & Branches Class is continuing to meet on Sunday mornings from 9:00 am to 10:00 am by zoom (video) conference. If you wish to be included, please contact Pastor Joel at pastor@yorkfirst.org, and he will forward you the link. The class will be studying the "Guide for Biblical Studies" curriculum, "Call in the New Testament." This week the lesson comes from Acts 18, the story of a women named Priscilla and her call to ministry. Come and join us! Time for catching up and fellowship is always part of this class, in addition to the lesson.
Children's Sunday School Class
Children's Sunday School meets at 12:00 noon each Sunday via zoom, with a lesson lasting approximately 20 minutes. Parents may of course participate alongside, but the time will be tailored to children. For the zoom link and to be included, please contact Pastor Joel at pastor@yorkfirst.org. Thanks, and we look forward to this special time together!
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Click for Friends to Remember in Prayer
and Event Announcements
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Although in-person worship gatherings are small and events are suspended for a time, the church's ministry continues in many important ways. Please continue to give as you are so led, whether by mail or through online giving. Thank you.
For assistance setting up your account, call Donor Support at:
800-348-2886 – Option 2 – Online Giving
Questions? Contact Sheryl Leaman - Thank you for your support!!!!!
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THE FOLLOWING ITEMS CAN BE PICKED UP IN THE CHURCH LOUNGE: |
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2021 OFFERING ENVELOPES - If there are no envelopes with your name and you would like a set, contact the church office. A set will then be provided to you.
Please do not use your 2020 envelopes. Thank you!
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LENTEN DEVOTIONAL GUIDES are available to be picked up in the church lounge. “The Wild Way of Jesus” by Anna Lisa Gross. Devotions for Ash Wednesday through Easter. This Lent, walk with Jesus along his wilderness way. Look to birds in the air, taste mustard growing along the path, and greed people deemed outcasts. Follow Jesus through the world’s wild edges and experience life-giving good news. Please pick one up and use it during the season that is before us. From the author:
“I invite you to join me as we walk with Jesus. We will look to the birds, the lilies, the yeast, the playground, the person across the table, the people we’ve written off as worthless. We will look at backyards and front porches and wonder where the wild things grow, up through the cracks, between the rows, to tell life-giving good news.
*** NOTE: This Lenten devotional guide is available via email, as a PDF file that includes family activities in addition to the daily readings. We cannot simply make this "public" due to copyright, but we are willing offer it to church members by request. Send a note requesting it to Pastor Joel at pastor@yorkfirst.org and he will send you the guide by email.
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SOUP KITCHEN - Friday, March 12, 2021 - Sign up by calling Sandi Bowser at
717-825-7203 to make a casserole for the Soup Kitchen on Friday, March 12, 2021
(10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.) PLEASE contact Sandi to add your name and number of casseroles, so we can let the Soup Kitchen know how many casseroles to expect.
Due to renovations, the pans are now located in the church lounge. Thank you!
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DIRECTORY CHANGES:
Page 9: 2021 Witness Appointments - Soup Kitchen Coordinator: Sandi Bowser
Page 12: Loretta Bachman's new email address: lbachman2572@comcast.net
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Opportunities to Help Families in Need
In the past year York First COB has helped the Gibson family and the Winters family get into an apartment and we were able to fill their apartment with all the furnishings they needed.
We now have 2 families through the Lehman Center in the immediate pipe line for getting a place they can call home. One family is a mother with 2 school age boys and the other family is a mother with 3 special needs boys.
Things currently needed are:
3 boy twin sheets, twin bed spreads and mattress protector pad for allergies- the mattress we have are used.
5 bed pillows- new or like new
Baking sheets, and brownie/cake pans
Tupperware or any plastic food storage containers
Plastic cereal bowls
Measuring cups
Fry pan small and large
1 Dish drainer, and dish pan for washing dishes
If you have any of these items please put them in the Lounge and let Diane Gibble know.
If more items are donated than what these two families need I will stored them until another family gets a place.
Thank you for helping to meet the needs of these struggling families.
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Church of the Brethren Denominational News
Denominational news and information is always available by visiting brethren.org
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Denomination-wide online worship gathering titled ‘Venturing Forth Boldly as a Faith Family’ is set for
Feb. 27 - The Program and Arrangements Committee of the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference has announced a denomination-wide online worship gathering titled “Venturing Forth Boldly as a Faith Family,” scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 27, at 8 p.m. (Eastern time). In a season of disruption and despair, the service will assure us of what “God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9) and how we can faithfully respond.
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January/February
Church of the Brethren - Newsline Digest
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Concerning the COVID-19 pandemic and church operations:
Since video live-streaming is fully functional and despite COVID-19 cases rising in our area, we believe that we can responsibly continue worship gatherings, so long as they are small and well-distanced.
That said, staying home remains the safest option, and we commend doing so to prevent spread of contagious disease. Worship will be live streamed on our YouTube channel and recorded each Sunday morning at 10:30 AM whether anyone is in attendance or not. We remain a committed body of Christ's faithful disciples whether we gather in person or apart. We are simply allowing in-person attendance for those who desire to do so. Thank you all in advance for choosing wisely how and where you will worship.
Sunday School classes will not resume in person until a later date, and several elements of worship will be adjusted such as seating arrangements, no passing of offering plates, and restricted singing. Handshake greetings should be avoided and masks must be worn within the building. Please know that all of these measures are for our collective wellness.
We have every intention of continuing to provide worship, teaching, and encouragement while maintaining “physical distance” for the safety and well-being of the vulnerable among us. The pastor and secretary continue to be available and in the office most of the week, so please feel free to call or email as you wish. We discourage in-person visits, however. Visitation to nursing homes and hospitals continues to be restricted, and pastoral visits will be minimal.
Please recognize that your church will require funds to continue basic operation of property and facility, fulfill pledged outreach giving, and maintain staff who will continue to minister whether in-person gatherings happen or not. Online giving is a simple and easy way to support your church and those it serves during this time, and it is accessible through our church website www.yorkfirst.org. Mailing your gifts and offerings to the church office is also welcome. Thank you to all who have given generously! We have been able to maintain our many outreach commitments thus far this year, and for that we give thanks!
Look for other announcements on our website and facebook page, and as always you may read current and/or recent newsletters through our website for other updates (and past sermons if you have spare time). **Note that you do not even need a facebook account of you own to view the church's page there. If you do have a facebook account, please "like" our church's page to view updates there. The more you "like" and "comment" and "share" our content, the better it "travels" and will be seen by others. Do your part to freely spread our messages of ministry during this time. Thank you!!**
Concerning the spread of COVID-19, here is a good resource with helpful links to other sites as well: https://covid19.brethren.org/ Be careful to pay attention to public health experts, rather than every news headline or comment from your neighbors. We must act responsibly for the well-being of all, not merely ourselves. This disease is real and a genuine threat to the lives of many.
Thank you all for understanding and for your faithful participation in our life together. Stay apart from each other in body but close together in spirit. Talk to each other often, by phone especially. Please stay home and do your part to prevent the spread of contagious disease. That is how we can best love one another for the time being. God's comfort and peace be with you.
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Since 2011 our Witness Team has sponsored the Cash for Causes program by selling Giant & Weis gift cards. The church receives 5% of sales to support various ministries. For 2021 the gift card sales will support The Lehman Center (Children’s Aid Society), New Community Project, Carlisle Truck Stop Ministry, and LifePath Christian Ministries (formerly York Rescue Mission). You may purchase the cards in amounts of $100, $50, $25, or $10. The cards make great gifts, especially at holidays. Consider donating cards to the Food Pantry or using them yourself any time you shop at Giant or Weis.
I plan to attend our in-person worship services and will have the gift cards available for your purchase before or after the service. However, if you will not be attending our in-person worship services, I will continue to send cards in the mail if you want to support this outreach ministry. Send your check to Becky Wenger, 3011 Bedford Pl, York, PA 17408. The Giant or Weis cards will be mailed to you. Make your check out to York First Church.
Thank you for supporting this program - Becky Wenger, Cash for Causes representative
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ATTENTION CRAFTERS:
Donated yarn for individual projects is located in the lounge cabinet which formally contained completed prayer shawls. Feel free to help yourself. Sorry I forgot to mention this in last announcement. Contact Cathy Carson at 717-755-0968 or neverland1dc@hotmail.com
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Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College Kreider and Snowden Lectures via Zoom
Thursday, March 4, 2021 • 7:00 pm, Responding with Compassion to the Crisis in Northeastern Nigeria
Kreider Fellow Samuel Dali and Snowden Fellow Rebecca Dali will share stories of pain and hope from the Boko Haram crisis and the church’s response. Samuel Dali will offer an update on the situation of the Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (CoB in Nigeria) in the context of ongoing violence in northeastern Nigeria and reflect on the church’s constructive engagement around sociopolitical, economic, and environmental issues that contribute to the possibility of peace in the region. Rebecca Dali will review the recent humanitarian work of the Centre for Caring, Empowerment, and Peace Initiatives and discuss the suffering and resilience of women in situations of war and related trauma as refugees and internally displaced persons.
Samuel Dali led Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria during the years of greatest insurgency violence in northeastern Nigeria. He works at peacebuilding and advocacy with ecumenical, interfaith, and political entities in northeastern Nigeria. Rebecca Dali is the founder and executive director of the Centre for Caring, Empowerment, and Peace Initiatives. For further details and link to Zoom visit
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"Notes from the Console," Article 83, By Mike Frock
Edward Elgar: Part 1-Overview and Early Years
The Offertory this week, sung by Barry Hollinger, is “Thank You Lord” by Francis X. O’Neill and William J. Little. The Postlude is “Go Ye In Peace” by Stephen Otis. The Prelude is ‘II. Allegro’ from “Eleven Vesper Voluntaries” Op. 14 by Edward Elgar. I have been working my way through this set of pieces. While there are eleven pieces total, they are numbered strangely. They are numbered: Introduction, Movements 1-4, Intermezzo, Movements 5-8, and Coda. So, I am playing Movement 2 this week, but it is actually the third piece in the set. Also, some of the movements stand alone, while some of the movements flow from one right into the next, so there might be some weeks where I play two or three movements.
Sir Edward William Elgar (1857-1934) was an English composer, violinist, pianist, organist, and bassoonist. While he is largely remembered for a select few orchestral works, he also composed vocal music, chamber music, piano music, organ music, and a handful of miscellaneous works. His most famous works include the Pomp and Circumstance marches, the Enigma Variations, a Violin Concerto, a Cello Concerto, and two symphonies. “Salut d’Amour” was originally composed for violin and piano and has enjoyed success through various arrangements. In the world of organ literature, he is remembered mostly for the Eleven Vesper Voluntaries, a single organ sonata, and one or two other pieces. While Elgar received international fame, he is regarded as musical royalty in England.
Elgar was the fourth of seven children. His father was a professional violinist and organist. Elgar received violin and piano lessons as a child, and later he began performing on violin and organ. Elgar was an entirely self-taught composer who never went to a music school. However, he was inspired by the compositions of Schumann, Brahms, Rubinstein, and Wagner. He also was influenced by the works of Mendelssohn, Saint-Saëns, Dvorak, Liszt, Berlioz, Gounod, and Delibes. As a young adult, Elgar gained practical experience by conducting local ensembles and arranging pieces by Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven for them. He also played violin in orchestras, and he gave violin and piano lessons to supplement his income. He became a professor of violin at a small college, and he played violin in a professional orchestra for seven years, once playing under the baton of Dvorak.
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SCRIPTURE LESSON:
Genesis 4:1-26
MESSAGE:
"My Brother's Keeper"
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Pastor Joel Gibbel can be reached most mornings in the church office Monday - Friday from 9:00 AM to noon, and usually well into the afternoon as well. Afternoons and evenings may be set aside for visiting those in need, for meetings, and for other pastoral duties. Pastor Joel is also available for pastoral counseling by appointment. |
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If you need to reach the pastor outside of office hours, his home phone number is
(717)318-5442, and his cell number is (717)271-4888 . You can also email him at
pastor@yorkfirst.org. Note that laws prevent hospitals from contacting a pastor without your permission when you are admitted, so you will need to let hospital staff know that you would like the hospital to contact your pastor.
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Our Mission Statement:
“People dedicated to Spiritual Growth, Loving Relationship, and Sacrificial Service”
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Our Vision Statement:
“To become a community of committed Christians who Love God, Share Christ, and Serve the World”
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