Friday, August 29, 2014

First Congregational Church of North Collins, Sunday, August 31, 2014

First Congregational Church of North Collins
Conservative Congregational Christian Conference
10385 Main Street, North Collins, New York 14111
337-9811 Church Office / 337-4303 Parsonage
Pastor / Teacher Derek S. Yoder
Sunday, August 31, 2014    
 Family Worship Service 9:30 am
   Wait in Prayer                  Worship in Reverence             Depart to Serve



Prelude
Welcome and Announcements

Choral Introit ………………………………………… Come, Let Us Join with One Accord
*Call to Worship ………………………………………………………………………… Psalm 34:1-22
*Chorus of Adoration & Praise #2 …………………………………… O Worship The King
*Invocation

Worship Through Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs
Choral Anthem
*Hymn of the Month #662 ……………  As the Hart Longs for Flowing Streams
*Hymn #659 ……………………………………………………  Let Us Praise God Together
Scripture Lessons
Old Testament …………………………………… Nehemiah 8:9-18 (Pew Bible p. 762-763)
New Testament ………………………………………  Mark 5:21-43 (Pew Bible p. 1559-60)
Memory Verse……………………………………………………… Colossians 3:12-17 (see insert)

Fellowship of Welcome

Message
Sermon Text …………………………………………………………………  Ecclesiastes 2:1-11
Sermon …………………..………………………………………………………………… Derek Yoder

*Hymn of Faith #175 ………………………… A Wonderful Savior Is Jesus My Lord

Prayer Requests and Testimonies
Pastoral Prayer
Collection of Offerings
Offertory
*Doxology ……………………………………… Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow

*Benediction
Postlude                                                                *Congregation invited to stand

►  Get the most out of the service by asking about our special listening devices.  Pick up one in the back of see an usher for help.  If yours isn't working property, don’t be bashful about raising your hand to ask for assistance.

Announcements

Next Sunday we will celebrate the Lord’s Supper.  If you would like to participate but are unable to be here, see Derek or one of the Elders to arrange another time.  Don’t be shy about taking full advantage of this important gesture of unity with Christ and his body.  We ARE planning to have a fellowship meal following the service.

Don’t forget!  Next Sunday is Welcome Back Sunday.  We’ll meet upstairs at 9:30 for our Sunday School opener.  The children will be dismissed to their classes, and the high schoolers and adults will remain behind for our Fall Concert of Prayer.  Family worship begins at 10:45.

Calendar

Wednesday, September 3rd
Choir practice at the church at 6:00 pm.

Join us at the church for Bible study and prayer at 7:00 pm.  We’re making our way through the great themes of Genesis.  We’re in Chapter 2 and studying the significance of the 7th day (Sabbath) in redemptive history.

Sunday, September 28th

Our 3rd Sunday Night Out of the Summer!

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Sermon Notes
Ecclesiastes 2:1-11
The Gospel According to Solomon - Solomon may be the son of David, but he's still a son of Adam (and like Adam's other son, he's just as fleeting as the rest of us).

1.  Do you remember?  From last time, jot down brief answers to the following questions:
a)  What does the word Ecclesiastes mean?
b)  Who, according to tradition, wrote it?
c)  Which word best captures the spirit of the book?
d)  Which Bible character best illustrates it?  Why?
e)  Eccl belongs to which genre of Bible literature?

2.  Recall the alternating use of color and black-and-white, innovative for 1939, in the filming of The Wizard of Oz.  Why does it matter?

3.  What are some of the many connections between Gen and Eccl?  (Derek mentions at least eight!).

4.  Solomon many have been the son of __ __ __ __ __, but he's still a son of __ __ __ __;
and, like Adam's other son __ __ __ __, Solomon had to face the __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ nature of life as a consequence of God's curse against sin.

5.  Since we're sons of Adam, too, that makes Abel our brother, doesn't it?  Hmm.  What does this mean?

6.  Although most scholars find little organization in Eccl, what does the tentative outline (below) suggest about the book's main points?

7.  What?  Have a party? Isn't Eccl supposed to be about pessimism and hopeless despair?

8.  In what way does Solomon's authorship (though tentative) add a layer of richness to the book?

9.  How is Jesus greater than Solomon in terms of glory, wisdom, and temple-building?

10.  So, how does Eccl point to the gospel?

Ecclesiastes:  An Outline - a guide to life in the real world for all the Sons of Adam
____________________________________________________________________
"The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king of Jerusalem"  (1:1)
____________________________________________________________________
"Vanity of vanities,' says the Preacher, 'Vanity of vanities!  All is vanity'"  (1:2)
_____________________________________________________________________
POEM 1                      POEM 2                 POEM 3                PROVERB 4
"Toil in the           "Discerning the        "Choosing the          "Unintended
Soil"  (1:3-11)         Times" (3:1-9)         Better" (7:1-14)       Consequences" (10:1-20)

Royal Intro
(1:12-18)

Paradise Regained
(2:1-11)

Reflections on        Reflections on          Reflections on         Reflections on
Toil (2:12-23)         Discernment           the Better Part         Unintended Consequences
                            (3:10-5:17)                 (7:15-9:6)               (11:1-6)

Reprise                    Reprise                      Reprise                  Reprise
(2:24-26)                 (5:18-20)                     (9:7-9)                  (11:7-9)

Concluding vanity:    Concluding vanity:      Concluding vanity     Concluding vanity
"This too is vanity     (6:1-12)  "This too         (9:10-18)                (11:10)
and striving after      is futility & striving
the wind" (2:26)       after the wind" (6:9)

                                                                                            Paradise Lost (Again)
                                                                                             (12:1-7)
__________________________________________________________________________
"Vanity of vanities,' says the Preacher, 'All is vanity!'" (12:8)
__________________________________________________________________________
Royal Conclusion (12:9-14)
__________________________________________________________________________

Monday, August 25, 2014

First Congregational Church of North Collins, Sunday, August 24, 2014

First Congregational Church of North Collins
Conservative Congregational Christian Conference
10385 Main Street, North Collins, New York 14111
337-9811 Church Office / 337-4303 Parsonage
Pastor / Teacher Derek S. Yoder
Sunday, August 24, 2014    
 Family Worship Service 9:30 am
Wait in Prayer                  Worship in Reverence             Depart to Serve



Prelude
Welcome and Announcements

Choral Introit …………………………… Come, Let Us Join with One Accord
*Call to Worship ………………………………………………………… Psalm 33:1-22
*Chorus of Adoration & Praise #529 … Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
*Invocation

Worship Through Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs
Choral Anthem
*Hymn of the Month #662 ………  As the Hart Longs for Flowing Streams
*Hymn #131 …………………………………………  Children of the Heavenly Father

Scripture Lessons
Old Testament ………………………… Nehemiah 8:1-8 (Pew Bible p. 761-762)
New Testament ……………..………………  Mark 5:1-20 (Pew Bible p. 1558-59)
Memory Verse……………...………………………… Colossians 3:12-17 (see insert)

Fellowship of Welcome

Message
Sermon Text ……………………………………………………  Ecclesiastes 1:12-18
Sermon ……………………………………………………………………………… Derek Yoder
Ecclesiastes:  The Prequel
Solomon reflects on life under the Genesis curse
 – and points beyond it to new life in the gospel.

*Hymn of Faith #84 …………… Under the Care of My God, the Almighty

Prayer Requests and Testimonies
Pastoral Prayer
Collection of Offerings
Offertory
*Doxology …………………………… Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow

*Benediction
Postlude                                                                *Congregation invited to stand

►  Get the most out of the service by asking about our special listening devices.  Pick up one in the back of see an usher for help.  If yours isn’t working property, don’t be bashful about raising your hand to ask for assistance.

Announcements

Join us this afternoon at the Doles’ for our 2nd Sunday Night Out of the summer.  Plan to gather around 4:00 pm.  Hot dogs will be provided.

Calendar

Wednesday, August 27th
Choir practice at the church at 6:00 pm.

Join us at the church for Bible study and prayer at 7:00 pm.  We’re making our way through the great themes of Genesis.  Join us as we finish up providence and the image of God and move on in Chapter 2 to Sabbath.  It’s a great time to join us.

Sunday, September 28th
Please note the date change from 9/21 to 9/28 for our 3rd Sunday Night Out of the Summer!

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Sermon Outline
August 24, 2014
Ecclesiastes 1:12-18

Ecclesiastes:  The Prequel
Solomon reflects on life under the sun of the Genesis curses
– and he points beyond it to new life in the gospel.

1.       Do you remember?  As we continue to set up our new study in Ecclesiastes, recall our questions from last week:
a.       Question #1:  What does Ecclesiastes mean?
b.      Question #2:  Who is the “Preacher” of Ecclesiastes?
c.       Question #3:  What word, perhaps more than any other, captures the mood the book?  What’s the word in Hebrew?  Which Bible character bears it as his name?

2.       As we turn to today’s study, Question #4 is about genre.  What’s a genre and why does it matter?

3.       What are some of the literary genres in the Bible?  Why didn’t God reveal his word only in law-books, say, or stories or epistles?  What’s the point?

4.       In the Bible, what is wisdom literature?  What does it seek to do?  How does it function?

5.       When Derek says wisdom literature sometimes generalizes or exaggerates to make a point, what does he mean?  Can you think of examples?

6.       Question #5 has to do with the kind of world Solomon describes in Ecclesiastes.  How did things get this way in the first place?  That is, what’s the prequel to Ecclesiastes?

7.       In what way do the “curses” of Genesis 3 demonstrate God’s grace as much as his judgment against sin?

8.       What form do the curses take against family life?

9.       What form do they take against humanity’s dominion over creation?

1.   What form do they take against life with God?

1.   As I see it, Ecclesiastes is about the observations of Solomon in a world overshadowed by God’s judgment-curses … ruptured relationships, toilsome labor, and death.  Solomon may be a son of David, but like Hevel, he’s still a son of Adam.

Monday, August 18, 2014

First Congregational Church of North Collins, Sunday, August 17, 2014


First Congregational Church of North Collins
Conservative Congregational Christian Conference
337-9811 Church Office / 337-4303 Parsonage
Pastor / Teacher Derek S. Yoder
Sunday, August 17, 2014   
Summer Family Worship Service 9:30 am
Wait in Prayer                  Worship in Reverence                  Depart to Serve
 
Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
Choral Introit …………………………………… Come, Let Us Join With One Accord

*Call to Worship …………………………………………………………………… Psalm 32:1-11

*Hymn of Adoration & Praise #580 …………………………   Lead On, O King Eternal
*Invocation

Worship Through Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs
*Chorus #180 ………………………………………… Come, Let Us Worship and Bow Down
*Chorus #156…………………………………………………………………… The LORD Is My Light
*Chorus #100……..………………………………………………………………………… Create In Me

Scripture Lessons
Old Testament…………………………………………  Nehemiah 7:4-73 (Pew Bible pg 759-761)
New Testament …………………………………………  Mark 4:21-41 (Pew Bible pg 1557-1558)
Memory Verse …………………………………………………………  Colossians 3:12-27 (see insert)

Fellowship of Welcome

Sermon Text …………………………………………………………………………  Ecclesiastes 1:1-18
Sermon ……………………………………………………………………………………………  Derek Yoder
Vanity of Vanities?
Ecclesiastes offers a gritty view of the world.
True disciples look to Jesus Christ as the answer to the perplexities of life.
They know that in him, nothing is in vain.

*Hymn of Faith #655 …………………………………………………………………… O Safe to the Rock

Prayer Requests and Testimonies
Pastoral Prayer
Tithes and Offerings
Offertory
*Doxology …………………………………………… Praise God from Whom All Blessing Flow

*Benediction                                                            *Congregation invited to stand

                                                       Announcements

This is the week we order books!  If you want to be part of our summer reading and discussion group – we’ll be looking at David Powlison’s Speaking Truth in Love: Counsel in Community – let Derek know, and we’ll order a book for you.

As part of this year’s CCCC regional fall banquet (Oct 25th) a dramatic presentation is planned, called the “Living Last Supper”.  Here’s the catch:  local churches are called on to supply the actors, and we’ve been assigned the role of Peter.  “Peter” must memorize his lines (~300 words) and commit to three practices prior to the performance.  If you’re interested, see Derek.

 Calendar
Wednesday, August 20th
Choir practice at the church at 6:00 pm.

Join us at the church for Bible study and prayer at 7:00 pm.  We’re making our way through the great themes of Genesis.  We’re continuing on with providence and the image of God.  It’s a great time to join us.

Sunday, August 24th
Sunday Night Out at Garry & Kathy Dole’s pond.
   
Get the most out of the service by asking about our special listening devices. Pick up one in the back or see an usher for help. If yours isn't working properly, don’t be bashful about raising your hand to ask for assistance.
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Sermon Outline                                                                                                       August 17, 2014
Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

Vanity of Vanities?
Ecclesiastes offers a gritty view of the world.  True disciples look to Christ
 in the midst of life’s perplexities.  Nothing is vain in him!

1.        We begin by thinking about the charming 1995 movie Mr. Holland’s Opus.  Mr. Holland’s ambition was to compose a symphony, but real life kept getting in the way.  Can you relate?  (In the course of our study in Ecclesiastes, we’ll consider why this happens and how we can live Christianly when it does.)

2.        We’re organizing our study around three questions.  The 1st has to do with the book’s title.  ECCLESIASTES is a funny word.  What does it mean?

FYI – Around the 3rd century B.C., the writers of the Septuagint (the Greek version of the Hebrew Bible) translated the Hebrew word for Preacher/Teacher into Greek with the word Ecclesiastes.

3.       Our 2nd question has to do with the book’s author.  Who is the Preacher?  What did early Jewish and Christian scholars think?  On what evidence?

4.        Our 3rd question has to do with the book’s theme.  What does Solomon mean when he says everything is vain?  What are some other ways our English Bibles translate the Hebrew word for vanity – (hevel / hebel)?

5.        Which character in the Bible is actually called by the name Hevel?  Reflect on the prophetic/theological significance of such a name.

6.        The fleetingness of time and its wearying disappointments are facts of live.  According to the Bible, how do wise people respond?

7.        Over the course of our study, we’ll see how Jesus Christ “answers” the perplexities described in Ecclesiastes.  But for now, consider what the gospel says to a world such as ours.  Fill in the right side of the graph with gospel truth – words, phrases, or specific verses:
ECCLESIASTES
GOSPEL
All is vanity!

Life is short.

Life is empty.

Nothing is permanent.

Work is frustrating.


8.        Don’t forget:  Jesus offers wisdom for living as he offers himself.


Friday, August 1, 2014

First Congregational Church of North Collins, Sunday, August 3, 2014

First Congregational Church of North Collins
Conservative Congregational Christian Conference
10385 Main Street, North Collins, New York 14111
337-9811 Church Office / 337-4303 Parsonage
Pastor / Teacher Derek S. Yoder
Sunday, August 3, 2014    
 Family Worship Service 9:30 am
  Wait in Prayer                  Worship in Reverence             Depart to Serve



Prelude
Welcome and Announcements

*Call to Worship ……………………………………………………… Psalm 30:1-5
*Chorus of Adoration & Praise #55 …………………………… To God Be the Glory
*Invocation

Worship Through Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs
*Hymn of the Month #662 ……......………  As the Hart Longs for Flowing Streams 
*Hymn #468…………………………………  My Faith Has Found a Resting Place
*Hymn #498 …………….………………………  Jesus! What a Friend for Sinners!

Scripture Lessons
Old Testament …………………………………… Nehemiah 6:1-14 (Pew Bible p. 757-758)
New Testament ……………………………………  Mark 3:20-35 (Pew Bible p. 1556-1557)
Memory Verse………………………………………………… Colossians 3:12-17 (see insert)

Fellowship of Welcome

Message
Sermon ……………………………………………………………………… Tony Barone

*Hymn of Fai04 …………………………………………… I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus

Prayer Requests and Testimonies
Pastoral Prayer
Collection of Offerings
Offertory
*Doxology ………………………………………… Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow
  
*Benediction
Postlude                                                                                    *Congregation invited to stand

Announcements

 This morning, we are happy to welcome Tony Barone back to North Collins.  Retired from the Buffalo City Mission chaplaincy, Tony continues to keep a full schedule preaching and teaching around Western New York in local churches like ours.  Let’s give him our full attention as he brings a message from God’s word.

On August 17th, Derek is planning to begin a sermon series in the book of Ecclesiastes.  In preparation for that, you may want to read this intriguing book ahead of time, have its themes fresh in your mind, and be praying with Derek as we look forward to this enriching time of learning together.

If you’re looking to expand your reading horizons, consider joining our summer reading and discussion group.  We’ll be looking at David Powlison’s Speaking Truth in Love: Counsel in Community.  Unlike some of our past selections, this book has more of a counseling feel to it.  If you’d like to be part of the reading group, let Derek know, and a book will be ordered for you.

As part of this year’s CCCC regional fall banquet (Oct 25th) a dramatic presentation is planned, called the “Living Last Supper”.  Here’s the catch:  Local churches are called on to supply the actors, and we have assigned the role of Peter.  “Peter” must memorize his lines (~300 words) and commit to three practices prior to the performance.  If you’re interested, see Derek.


Calendar

Wednesday, August 6th

Join us for Bible study and prayer at the church at 7:00 pm.  We’ve begun a survey of the great themes of Genesis.  Derek will be away August 6th and 13th, but join us then for special times of teaching and prayer at the church.