June 6 2021 - First Presbyterian Church Cedar Rapids

June 6 2021

PRELUDE

WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS

*Call to Worship

*HymN                              Guide My Feet                                      #534

call to confessioN                (10:15 service only)

prayer of Confession	 (10:15 service only)
 Holy God, we come to you not fully understanding the mystery of your workings in this
 world but knowing that throughout human history you have been made yourself known to
 us. Though we grow in new understandings, you are the same God who breathed life into
 us, who stirred over the waters of creation, who made the ever-expanding universe that we
 barely comprehend. We confess our short-sightedness, our misunderstandings, our tenden-
 cy to reduce your being into short, convenient phrases, our selfish ways that hold us back
 from a deeper knowledge that is present before us. Guide us into your ways of wisdom, so
 we might grow our hearts to love you and one another more deeply. In the name of Christ,
 we pray. Amen.

Assurance of forgiveness
   For nothing is impossible with God.
   There is no place you can go,
   no end of the earth you can run,
   where God cannot reach you.
   There is nothing on earth or beyond death
   that can separate you from the love of God
   in Christ Jesus our Lord.
   You are forgiven.
   You are loved.
   You are reconciled to God.
   Go and live with the love of God. Amen

*GLORIA PATRI	             (10:15 service only)
  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
  As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
  world without end. Amen, Amen.

*Passing of the Peace

Scripture
 In the beginning was the Word,
      And the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
  		                   Romans 8:28-30 (p983)
 For the Word of God in scripture, for the Word of God among us, for the Word of God within
 us,
      Thanks be to God!

children’s time

Sermon	                Half Truth: Everything Happens For a Reason         Pastor Heather Hayes

*HymN              For the Bread Which You Have Broken (10:15 only)                          #508

*affirmation of faith
  We believe in God, infinite in wisdom, power and love, whose mercy is over all his works,
  and whose will is ever directed to the good for all humanity and creation.
  We believe in Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of man, the gift of the God’s unfailing grace,
  the ground of our hope, and the promise of our deliverance from sin and death and into life
  abundant.
  We believe in the Holy Spirit as the divine presence in our lives, that prods us towards the
  way of Christ, and grants us strength and help in time of need.
  We believe that our faith, shared and nurtured in the community of the church, should
  manifest itself in the service of love as set forth in the example of Jesus, to the end that the
  kingdom of God may come upon the earth.
  Amen.

the offering                           (10:15 only)

offertory                       God’s Love Made Visible                   Dave and Iola Brubeck

*DOXOLOGY
  Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
  Praise God, all creatures here below;
  Praise God above, ye heavenly host;
  Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Celebration of the Lord’s Supper
Invitation to the Table

Prayer of Thanksgiving & Lord’s Prayer
 Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom
 come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day
 our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors;
 and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is
 the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

breaking of the bread

Communion of the People

Prayer After Communion
 We give you thanks, O Lord, for once again you have filled us with good things— not just
 bread and wine, but your very self. Now may this glimpse of your kingdom sustain us, and
 give us eyes to see you at work in every place, and strength to be your body in the world. As
 you have blessed the bread and broken it, you have blessed us and let light shine through
 the cracks. Make us your people, again and again, light for the world. In Jesus name. Amen.

*Hymn	                           When Peace Like a River                             see insert

*Benediction

*POSTLUDE

                                Leading in Worship
                                  Pastor - Heather Hayes
                                    Music - Fred Kiser
                                     Chancel Choir

Announcements
                           JOYS & CONCERNS
WHEN THEY CANNOT JOIN US, WE REMEMBER IN OUR PRAYERS: Margaret
Jackson, Tim Virden

RECENTLY HOSPITALIZED: If you or others are hospitalized, please let the office
know. Because of privacy laws the hospital is often not able to let us know.

BIRTHDAYS: 6/6 Simeon Jauhiainen, 6/7 Sue Edmondson, Barb Kean, 6/8 Evan Rosen-
bohm, 6/9 Carolyn Horton, 6/10 Karen Carver, Beth Smith, 6/11 Martha Booth, Chuck
Peters 6/12 Matthew Nelson, Katy Stolba

Anniversaries: 6/6 Don & Irene Hamous, 6/9 Paul Fiala & Kathy Gregory- Fiala,
6/10 Dave & Lisa Morris, Dan Ottemoeller & Kim Lanegran, Gerald & Nancy Shirk,
6/11 Darlene Elbert, 6/12 Charles & Marcia Jepsen, John & Sue Arthaud, Dave &
Betsy Kutter

                                      TODAY
Insight Adult Education
Today we heard Pastor Heather Hayes speak about First Presbyterian: Where Are We
Going?
Join us in person in Fellowship Hall or online next week for our new series Compassion,
Service & Love.
Christians have made a profound impact on history. What is the role of churches? How
can Christian churches – and First Presbyterian – make a difference today?

UPCOMING EVENTS
Regular Summer Schedule. June 6 - August 29
9:00 am Drive-in Worship in the parking lot. Much as we did all last summer, we will be
offering a time of gathering, worship and fellowship outdoors in our parking lot spaces.
Masks will be optional, but we ask that you respect others’ comfort with spacing and
contact.
10:15am Sanctuary Worship. This worship will be in the sanctuary with socially distant
seating and masks required. The choir will be back with plans to sing through June. This
service will be live-streamed to Youtube as has been our practice these past months.
Liturgist Season is Back!
Now that we are getting back to in-person services we will need liturgists for the up-
coming services. If you are able to offer your talents in this department, please contact
Laura Behrens.
Summer Events @ FPC
Wednesday Nights All Summer Long!
Prepare for a super summer at First Presbyterian! The Children’s Committee and CE Board
are planning a regular rhythm of activities through the summer months on Wednesday
nights. Beginning June 16th and running into the beginning of August, watch for a se-
ries of gatherings and meet-ups hosted throughout our larger community. Gather at a
park by a member’s house, grab ice cream at a local creamery, toast a s’more at the fire
pit in someone’s back yard, ramble through the woods at another’s. All events will be
held outdoors in a casual atmosphere and run for around an hour or so. Gatherings are
family friendly and have children in mind, but all congregation members are welcome
to come to any that might interest them.
The first activity will be on June 16 and consists of a Firepit and Orienteering at John and
Cindy Monroe’s Home.
Volunteers Needed!
The Neighborhood Meals and Enrichment Program is back! First Pres has been asked to
sign up for the weeks of June 28-July 2 and July 12-16 and we need volunteers to help
serve meals! The program is still at St. Paul’s Methodist Church and you can sign up on
their website here: https://neighborhoodmeals.org/volunteer or call the church office if
you need help.

Take a Break, Grow in Faith at Camp Wyoming!
It’s not too late to sign up for the summer!
This year summer camp is back at Camp Wyoming. With smaller enrollments, changes in
some of the camp procedures, and new equipment such as cabin air filtration systems,
the camp is ready to safely welcome campers and give them a chance to learn more
about who they are and who they want to become as they grow in their faith in Jesus
Christ. If you have any questions or are seeking more information about enrollment,
head over to www.campwyoming.net. The church supports campers by paying half the
cost of camp. Additional funds are available for those in particular financial need or fam-
ilies sending multiple children. Contact Pastor Heather for more information.
The Evening Book Group will meet Monday, June 21, 6:30 p.m., on the patio of the
home of Tom and Nancy Lackner, 11 Blake Ct SE (319-365-6632). The book for discussion
is Susan, Linda, Nina & Cokie by Lisa Napoli. This is a group biography of four beloved
women whose voices defined NPR: Susan Stamberg, Linda Wertheimer, Nina Totenberg
and Cokie Roberts. It is being published on the fiftieth anniversary of the launch of NPR.
New Sermon Series
Pastor Heather is bringing in a new summer series for June: Half Truths exploring “’God
Helps Those Who Help Themselves’ and Other Things the Bible Doesn’t Say.”
Next week: Half Truth: God Helps Those Who Help Themselves
First Pres Road Trip
Did you know that FPC member, Nancy Cobb has written and produced a musical that
will be premiering in July at the Gallagher Bluedorn Theater? Written in recognition
and celebration of 100 years of women’s suffrage, The Suffragist, follows the lives of
Alice Paul and Carrie Chapman Catt as they struggle against the government, society
and each other in the quest for the right to vote. More information can be found here:
https://www.gbpac.com/suffragist
Fellowship Committee is interested in organizing a group from FPC to attend one of the
showings and perhaps make an evening of it with dinner together before. If you are in-
terested in attending and would like to be part of the group, please contact Heidi Kiser
or Pastor Heather by June 6th to register your interest or for more details.

Women’s Bible Study
It’s the last month studying the women of the Bible with the Tuesday Morning Women’s
Bible Study group. We will be back together in-person at 11:00am on the mornings of
June 8th and June 22nd. On the 8th we’ll be considering the much misunderstood Mary
Magdalene.

Glory to God
The final hymn for today comes from the latest Presbyterian hymnal, Glory to God. While
that hymnal includes many of the hymns that are in our current blue hymnal, there are
additions from other older Presbyterian hymnals, some other denominational classics,
and music from around the world. We’ll be featuring some of those pieces throughout
our summer months as we worship by singing “a new song to the Lord.”

                 Scan this QR code to give an online gift to First Pres

Matthew 25 Transform Week!
June 21-25
Volunteer a day or two with Matthew 25 to help transform homes, lives and a neigh-
borhood. During Transform Week, volunteers will help homeowners in the Taylor and
Time Check neighborhoods with home repair and maintenance projects that they ar-
en’t able to complete on their own. This year, we will also be working on derecho-dam-
aged homes. Grants, donations and sponsorships allow Matthew 25 to do these home
repairs at no cost to the homeowners.
First Pres youth and adults will be joining together and working on a single Transform
site on Monday and Tuesday, June 21 & 22nd. You can join in on one or both days. Days
run from 8:30am to 4:00 in the afternoon and include a sack lunch. (Youth participants
will have the option of a day of work, dinner together, and then an evening activity be-
fore returning home for the night.) Contact Pastor Heather for details and registration
to participate by June 14th

Guide My Feet #354 (vs 1,3,5,6)              For the Bread Which You Have Broken #508
Guide my feet while I run this race,         For the bread which You have broken,
Guide my feet while I run this race,         For the wine which You have poured,
Guide my feet while I run this race,         For the words which You have spoken,
For I don’t want to run this race in vain!   Now we give You thanks, O Lord.

Stand by me while I run this race,           By this promise that You love us,
Stand by me while I run this race,           By Your gift of peace restored,
Stand by me while I run this race,           By Your call to heaven above us,
For I don’t want to run this race in vain!   Hallow all our lives, O Lord.

Search my heart while I run this race,       With the saints who now adore You
Search my heart while I run this race,       Seated at the heavenly board,
Search my heart while I run this race,       May the Church still waiting for You
For I don’t want to run this race in vain!   Keep love’s tie unbroken, Lord.

Guide my feet while I run this race,         In Your service, Lord, defend us;
Guide my feet while I run this race,         In our hearts keep watch and ward;
Guide my feet while I run this race,         In the world to which You send us
For I don’t want to run this race in vain!   Let Your kingdom come, O Lord.