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
January 31, 2021
SCRIPTURE LESSON:
Micah 6:1-8, Matthew 5:1-12
MESSAGE:
"Wisdom's Choices: Earth or Dirt"
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Pastor Joel will be out of the office due to foot surgery from Monday, Jan. 25th until
Feb. 1st. If you need pastoral care during his absence, please contact Melinda Carlson at
(717) 792-9511 or (717) 891-4699. For any other assistance, please call the church office.
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Contents:
This Week
Online Giving
Sunday School News
Upcoming Events
COB Newsline
Birthdays
Notes from the Console
Last Week
Contacting the Pastor
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This week in worship, Melinda Carlson will lead us and give a message based on the Beatitudes, the "blessings" at the start of Jesus' "Sermon on the Mount" in Matthew 5. Michele Gibbel will offer a children's message as well as an offertory. Please plan to join together in worship as we do each Sunday, and may God continue to lead us in our walk together. |
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, January 31, 2021
Prelude ‘5. Prélude’ from “24 Pièces en Style Libre”
Welcome And Announcements
Call to Worship
Invocation
Hymn “This is my Father’s world”
Children's Time
GIFTS AND OFFERING
Offering Invitation
Offertory "My Cathedral"
Prayer of Blessing
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH
Call to Prayer
Joys and Concerns
Pastoral Prayer
RECEIVING GOD'S WORD
Scripture Lesson: Micah 6:1-8, Matthew 5:1-12
Message: "Wisdom's Choices: Earth or Dirt"
Hymn “Seek ye first the kingdom of God”
Benediction
Postlude “Partita on ‘ST. ANNE’”
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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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USHERS NEEDED
Ushers are needed during worship for the year 2021.
This would start when services are not restricted due to COVID.
If you are interested in serving the church this way please let John Gibble know.
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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. This week the class will welcome a special guest to share with us: John-Michael Cotignola-Pickens, who serves as an organizer for CeasefirePA, a gun violence prevention and advocacy group ceasefirepa.org. We will engage with the challenges of the pandemic of violence which threatens our communities, seeking ways to prevent and reduce such tragedy as a community of faith and as concerned citizens. Anyone is invited to join this session! Simply email Pastor Joel and he will send you the zoom link.
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 Luke2, Acts 2, and Acts 21m highlighting the importance of women as ones who speak for God. 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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2021 OFFERING ENVELOPES
Your box of 2021 Offering envelopes are available for pick up in the church lounge. Please pick yours up at your earliest convenience.
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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Messenger Information
It’s Messenger time again. Messenger is the official magazine of the Church of the Brethren. This is a one year subscription for $14.50. If you have a current subscription you wish to renew or if you would like to begin receiving Messenger, please do one of the following two options
Or
2. Drop off or send a check made payable to York First Church of the Brethren for $14.50 with Messenger written on the memo line.
If you currently receive Messenger and no longer wish to, please contact church.
The deadline for this is February 15. Thank you for your prompt response as we decided this is the best process for subscriptions this year.
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Saturday, January 30, 2021 - Funeral Service for Walter Thomas "Tom" Klinedinst, Jr. A public viewing will be held from 12:00 to 1:00 pm at
First Church of the Brethren,
2710 Kingston Rd., York. The service will be private for the family, but will be live streamed for all to join at
1:00 pm.
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Click the above link
shortly before the service begins at 1:00 pm
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SOUP KITCHEN - Friday, Feb. 12, 2021 - Sign up by calling Sandi Bowser at 717-825-7203 to make a casserole for the Soup Kitchen on Friday, Feb. 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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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.
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RENOVATIONS IN PROGRESS
WEEK OF JANUARY 25, 2021
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Newly painted wall behind the cross |
New glass balcony railing installed
(view from 1st floor of sanctuary)
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New glass balcony railing installed
(view from balcony)
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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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January/February
Church of the Brethren - Newsline Digest
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The Southern PA District Office has successfully moved
and has a physical location once again.
Their new information is as follows:
SO PA District Office Church of the Brethren
3375 Carlisle Road Suite A
Gardners, PA 17324
717-778-2264 is the office phone# (you will be prompted to select Carolyn or Bill).
717-778-2254 is Bill’s direct# if you want to by-pass the above.
There is no fax capability.
Email addresses remain the same.
For those not familiar with Gardners, the office building is located along Rt 34 between Biglerville and Mt. Holly Springs, in beautiful orchard country.
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2021 DIRECTORY
We need your help to update our 2021 church directory!
If you have any changes, please email them to the church secretary
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Expansion of Prayer Shawl Ministry
For anyone interested in crafting, we'll continue "manufacture" of prayer shawls with additional production of scarves, hats, crib blankets and squares or strips for assembly into larger size blankets. Donated yarn is available for all projects. Do you have leftover fabrics? Pre-made pieces for quilt tops will also be useful. I hope you are still interested in continuing this ministry. Contact Cathy Carson at 717-755-0968 or neverland1dc@hotmail.com All completed items will be donated to one of several local non-profits or safe houses.
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LOOK WHO'S
CELEBRATING
THIS MONTH
02 Lori Beuschlein
02 Christopher Jon Baldwin
04 Christina Snook
06 Becca Miller
08 Sidney Innerst
09 Calla Michelle Stehr
10 Darrell Gipe
14 Patricia Carey
16 Barry Hollinger
17 Joshua Kovacs
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If your birthday is in FEBRUARY and is not on the list below or is listed incorrectly, please call the church office.
18 Doris Plymire
21 Judy Yingling
22 Becky McCracken
23 Pat Trimmer
23 Justin Drawbaugh
23 Luca Ferro
25 Ruth Schmidt
26 Jayne Baldwin
26 Sandy Yeager
27 Owen Statler
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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 recorded and live streamed 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 not. 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.
No 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 2020 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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"Notes from the Console," Article 80, By Mike Frock
"Is Music Theory Racist" Part 13
The Prelude this week is ‘5. Prélude’ from “24 Pièces en Style Libre” by Louis Vierne. The Offertory, sung by Michele Gibble, is “My Cathedral” by Walter Blaufuss, Don McNeill, and W. R. Williams. The Postlude is “Partita on ‘ST. ANNE’” by William Croft and arranged by Robert J. Hughes.
My initial reaction to this debate over whether to implement racial quotas in orchestral hiring is that it should not be done. As a musician, I think the best musician should get the job, regardless of that person’s gender, race, or other non-musical criteria. When I hire musicians to play musicals for me, I try to hire the best. These articles were written about the New York Philharmonic, in particular. This is one of the best orchestras in the world, which regularly makes definitive recordings of pieces and whose members regularly are hired to record soundtracks for movies. I would want the absolute best possible musicians for such tasks. I also feel that it is not fair to the auditionees to work their whole lives, spend tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars on a musical education and training, only to be turned away because they are Asian or Caucasian and not African American or Hispanic.
However, the more I thought about this, my opinion changed slightly. If the orchestra’s mission was to be an outlet of community outreach, and not to play music at the highest level, then I could justify adding racial quotas. Another option, similar to racial quotas, was the suggestion of hiring a musician from a specific demographic, i.e. only a female, or only a person of color. An orchestra could also add diversity by playing more repertoire by people of color. Yet another suggestion is that major orchestras, which have full-time positions, might also redefine the role of a musician in the orchestra to include more than just playing. For example, a musician might also be hired to be an educator/teacher, a fund raiser, a public-facing community ambassador, etc. There is an argument that by having racial quotas, orchestras can be an engine for societal change without hurting the quality. The counterargument is that an orchestra might hurt the quality without affecting change. Would increasing diversity really change anything? Would it change society? Would it change how the orchestra is perceived in the community? Would it increase ticket sales? Maybe. Maybe not.
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SCRIPTURE LESSON:
Genesis 2:4b-25
MESSAGE:
“Another Account”
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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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