October3, 2021

Welcome to the church we love! As Terre Haute’s first established congregation, we maintain a 194-year tradition of service to God in our community. We pray you will encounter the Spirit in worship with us.

We ask that you sit as nearly as possible where we have placed bulletins. Family units of any size may certainly sit together.

We ask that if at any moment you begin to feel ill, if possible, you immediately leave the sanctuary. 

We offer nursery care for children aged birth through three years. We welcome children of all ages to worship with us throughout the service. For those that desire, Children’s Worship follows the Children’s Lesson.  This is truly a time of age-appropriate worship.  

Children’s activity bags are available at the back of the sanctuary.  Guest bags are available.

The ushers are available to help with any questions or needs.

125 North Seventh Street   Terre Haute, Indiana  47807

Church website:  www.thcpc.org             (812) 232-5049

Prayer of the Day

Faithful God, in Christ Jesus

you came to us as a little child

to lead us to your eternal realm.

Help us to receive your promise

with childlike trust and joy

so that we may one day rest

in the loving arms of Christ;

in whose holy name we pray.

Order of Worship for the Lord’s Day

God’s People Gather

  As we transition into a full in person worship we at this time will sing “conversationally”.  That is, we ask that all sing at a quiet speaking volume. 

Prelude         Meditation on “How Great Thou Art”    Hine

Choral Introit

Call to Worship                                  

Please speak all responsive parts aloud but quietly.

     Leader: Give glory to our God,

     People: Who on this day won victory over death.

     Leader: Raising Jesus from the grave,

     People: And giving us eternal life!

     Leader: Let us worship our Lord, Father, Son 

and Holy Spirit.

     All: Let us worship our Lord, the Savior 

of the world!

*Hymn #395     Blessed Jesus, at Your Word  liebster jesu

God calls us to Confession and Forgiveness

*Call to Confession                                       

       Ours is a God of justice, 

waiting to be gracious to us,       

       yearning to have pity on us. 

Blessed are all who wait upon the Lord. 

In penitence and faith, 

let us confess our sins to Almighty God.

*Confession of Sin     

Almighty God, who sent a star 

to guide people to the holy child Jesus, 

we confess that we have not followed 

the light of your word. 

We have not searched for signs of your love 

in the world, or trusted Good News to be good. We have failed to praise your Son’s birth, 

and broken his peace on earth.

We have expected little, and hoped for less. Forgive our doubt, 

and renew us in all godly desires, 

that we may watch and wait 

and once more hear the glad story 

of our Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen

Among baptism’s symbolic meanings is the reminder that Jesus atoned for our sins.  We pour water into the baptismal font just before the Assurance of Pardon to dramatize Jesus’ washing us clean.

 (Pause for silent reflection.)

*Assurance of Pardon

     Leader: The God of Love became one of us 

that he might die as we die.

     People: He remained God that he might 

come back to life.

     Leader: He became incarnate in human flesh 

that we might know forgiveness 

and live in peace. 

Hear the Good News: in Jesus Christ, 

we are forgiven.

     All: Our sins are forgotten, our hope secure. Hallelujah!

*Response                       Gloria Patri             gloria patri

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.

*The Peace                                         See John 20:19, 21, 26

(We will pass the peace in place.  You may turn to extend your wishes to those nearby.)

Since God has forgiven us in Christ, 

let us forgive one another.

The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

And also with you.

The Word of God

Children’s Lesson                                 

            Children, may remain in the pew with your family or come forward and sit in a designated spot.  There is no children’s worship today.  Children will remain in the sanctuary.   The nursery is available for children 4 and under.

Prayer for Illumination

Scripture Reading                                           Genesis 1:1-13

In the beginning when God created 

the heavens and the earth, 

the earth was a formless void 

and darkness covered the face of the deep, 

while a wind from God swept 

over the face of the waters. 

Then God said, “Let there be light”; 

and there was light. 

And God saw that the light was good; 

and God separated the light from the darkness. 

God called the light Day, 

and the darkness he called Night. 

And there was evening and there was morning, 

the first day.

And God said, “Let there be a dome 

in the midst of the waters, 

and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 

So God made the dome 

and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. 

And it was so. 

God called the dome Sky. 

And there was evening and there was morning, 

the second day.

And God said, “Let the waters under the sky 

be gathered together into one place,

and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 

God called the dry land Earth, 

and the waters that were gathered together 

he called Seas. 

And God saw that it was good. 

Then God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, 

and fruit trees of every kind on earth 

that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation: 

plants yielding seed of every kind, 

and trees of every kind bearing fruit 

with the seed in it. 

And God saw that it was good. 

And there was evening and there was morning, 

the third day.

Anthem                            Song of Thanks                       Nagy

Scripture Reading                                     Revelation 21:1-6

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key 

to the bottomless pit and a great chain.

He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, 

who is the Devil and Satan, 

and bound him for a thousand years,

and threw him into the pit, 

and locked and sealed it over him, 

so that he would deceive the nations no more, 

until the thousand years were ended. 

After that he must be let out for a little while.

Then I saw thrones, and those seated on them 

were given authority to judge. 

I also saw the souls of those 

who had been beheaded 

for their testimony to Jesus 

and for the word of God. 

They had not worshiped the beast or its image 

and had not received its mark 

on their foreheads or their hands. 

They came to life and reigned with Christ 

a thousand years. 

(The rest of the dead did not come to life 

until the thousand years were ended.) 

This is the first resurrection.

Blessed and holy are those who share 

in the first resurrection. 

Over these the second death has no power, 

but they will be priests of God and of Christ, 

and they will reign with him a thousand years.

Sermon       Words Create Worlds    Rev. Jonathan Sutter

God calls us to respond to the Word

*Hymn #321      The Church’s One Foundation      aurelia         

*Response                                     from the Brief Statement of Faith               

We trust in Jesus Christ, 

fully human, fully God. 

Jesus proclaimed the reign of God: 

preaching good news to the poor 

and release to the captives, 

teaching by word and deed 

and blessing the children, 

healing the sick 

and binding up the brokenhearted, 

eating with outcasts, forgiving sinners, 

and calling all to repent and believe the gospel.

Prayers of Intercession       

The 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.

Offering   

Offertory                I Love to Tell the Story         Hankey

*Doxology         

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; 

Praise Christ, all people here below; 

Praise Holy Spirit evermore; 

Praise Triune God, whom we adore.  Amen.

God’s People Go Out into the World

*Hymn #326                    For All the Saints           sine nomine

* Benediction     

* Choral Response

* Postlude                            Rigaudon                           Lau

Liturgist:     

Attendance:  72

CALENDAR

For updated information please consult the main church calendar, which may be found online at our church website (www.thcpc.org). 

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A reminder that there will be no Children’s Worship this Sunday due to our PYOCA retreat happening this weekend.  Older children should remain in the sanctuary with their families following the Children's Moment. Our nursery is open for younger children from 10:15am through worship.

Wednesday, October 6 our Central mission committee will serve as hosts of the weekly United Campus Ministries dinner. Volunteers are needed to provide desserts and to help serve the meal.

Please contact Molly Wadsworth for more information or to volunteer. 

Sarah Kelsheimer is working hard to update our Church Directory. If your address, email, or phone number has changed since 2019 please email her (sarah@thcpc.org) or contact the church office to let us know.

Highpoint youth is assembling a “Dad Joke” calendar as a fundraiser. Send us all of your dad jokes, puns and other funny words of wisdom from your good ol’ dad! Please email jokes to ellie@thcpc.org

Church Staff

Rev. Mike Riggins, Pastor
Mrs. Ellie Templeton, Christian Education Dir./Communications Coor.

Mrs. Sarah Kelsheimer, Secretary

Dr. Mark Carlisle, Choir Director

Mr. Steve McCullough, Organist 

Mr. Tim Ghogle, Youth Director

Mr. Alvin Stinnett, Caretaker & Bus Driver