First Presbyterian Church

This painting by Zack Embery, Associate of Technological Ministries, is based on Jesus Casts Out the Unclean Spirit . Friesach, Konrad von You can find the original here: http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/diglib-fulldisplay.pl?SID=20210127618574579&code=ACT&RC=56402&Row=14

Join us

sunday, April 18, at 10 A.m.

Our Sunday morning worship service is scheduled to be viewed online with Facebook Live and YouTube. We are also open for in-person worship. Masks and social distancing will be required.

Preparing for Worship

“Wherever two or more are gathered in my name,” Jesus said, “there am I in the midst of them.” Whether you’re gathered around the breakfast table with your family, sitting in your favorite recliner, or taking a walk outside, we assemble Jesus’ name bearing witness to the Church’s identity and mission as Christ’s body in the world.

Please click on the image to the left, for your copy of the Sunday, April 18, bulletin.

Click here to watch on Facebook (You do not need to have a Facebook account.)

Click here to watch on YouTube.

Announcements for the week of April 18, 2021, can be found on pages 4 and 5 of the bulletin. (Click on the image to the left to access the PDF document.)

SUNDAY MORNINGS

We welcome one and all to worship God with us on Sunday morning. Come as you are! As Presbyterians we believe that in worship, the people of God acknowledge God present in the world and in our lives. Worship is the offering of our lives back to God in response to God's grace, which also equips us for God's service in the world.

We worship at 10:00 a.m. pm Sunday mornings. We offer coffee and donuts before worship beginning at 9:15a.m.

Children are welcome at our church and celebrated in our worship service. We do provide childcare but encourage parents to include their little ones in worship. From the youngest to the wisest in the congregation, all are needed to make up the body of Christ!

What can you expect?

As Presbyterians, our worship service praises and glorifies God through the fullness of music, prayers, scripture, and the preached Word. The talented Chancel Choir lifts its unified voice to God in anthems as the congregation joins them, together singing both time-honored and modern hymns. The sacrament of Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of every month.

Children's activity worship bags are available outside our main sanctuary doors. The bags include fun and educational Bible-based activities for kids to do while they participate in the worship services.

When the worship hour ends at 11:00 a.m., our fellowship continues in the church parlor. Newcomers are especially welcomed to be part of our worship and our fellowship. We hope to see you in church this Sunday!

SErmons

Faith is meant to be spoken, and sermons are for the speaking of it, in part. There are myriad other ways to speak our faith, too. Where sermons are concerned, they are meant to be heard and experienced, and not only read. Sermons always have a context — the context being the shared life of a congregation, the pastoral relationships that have developed, and the overall life of the city in which the church dwells. Thus, we write sermons to be preached and heard, and not read, for it is when they are preached and heard that they (hopefully) come alive. When reading a sermon, one misses inflections, gestures, voice modulations, and so much more that make a sermon a sermon.

That said, we know that we are among those who have been shaped by reading sermons, thus we offer these to you. Perhaps you were not (or generally are not) able to be with us in worship; perhaps you appreciate the discipline of study and review; perhaps you want to share a thought with another. In any case, you are welcome to these our humble expositions for what we - your pastor/preacher - believe God to be saying and singing in our midst.

See below for our most recent sermon!