PREPARATION FOR WORSHIP

Sunday, January 26, 2014

It is not an abstraction called Humanity that is to be saved. It is you . . . your soul, and, in some sense yet to be understood, even your body, that was made for the high and holy place. All that you are . . . every fold and crease of your individuality was devised from all eternity to fit God as a glove fits a hand. All that intimate particularity which you can hardly grasp yourself, much less communicate to your fellow creatures, is no mystery to Him. He made those ins and outs that He might fill them. Then He gave your soul so curious a life because it is the key designed to unlock that door, of all the myriad doors in Him.
- C. S. Lewis

Ruth is a short book in the Old Testament composed of only 85 verses. Its author is unknown, and even the time period in which it was originally written is debated. The story itself takes place in the time of the judges (14th-11th century BC), notoriously an era in which all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. The story is unassuming and modest - even Gods presence is subtle. Yet each turn of the story carries a small surprise, perhaps much like most of our lives. By the end, however, we see how a seemingly inconsequential story is in fact essential to Gods plan of salvation. May you have ears to hear Gods word to you as we look at the book of Ruth during the next month.

Vision Statement
As one body of Christ, composed of diverse individuals bound together by the Holy Spirit, we will join in community across the generational, ethnic, racial, and economic barriers that separate Gods children. We will walk together in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
- from our 2012 Vision Statement

Hearing Aids and Large-Print Hymnals are available from the ushers. Our worship service is broadcast live on WLES 590 AM and streamed live on its web-site, http://wles590.com/. For podcasts, go to www.grace-covenant.org, click on We Gather, then on Sermons. Both the sermon and the entire worship service are uploaded every Sunday afternoon.

Welcome to Grace Covenant! We are grateful to have you join in worship with us this morning. We are an historic Presbyterian church with a singular mission: to train grateful disciples of Jesus Christ who are doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with our God. May you be blessed through worship and fellowship this morning.

WORSHIP NOTES
In the early 18th century Italian concertos were rapidly captivating German orchestras, and many composers sought to transcribe these works for the organ. All his life Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) transcribed the orchestral works of other composers, which stimulated his own creative activity. Bachs Concerto in G Major, originally composed by Prince Johann Ernst, was originally scored for violin, strings, and continuo. John Rutter (b. 1945) was born in London and studied music at Clare College, Cambridge. From 1975 to 1979 he was Director of Music at Clare College, and in 1981 he formed his own choir, the Cambridge Singers. He now divides his time between composition and conducting and is sought after as a guest conductor for the world's leading choirs and orchestras. Published in 1975 for the Meopham Parish Church in the United Kingdom, Thy Perfect Love is based on a 15th century text. For many years organ works by Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) were tolerated but ridiculed as relics, by an age hostile to the organ. More recently this attitude has changed, and a study of his organ works has revealed that they form a link between the Baroque and the Romantic eras, and point the way forward. Todays postlude is unquestionably one of the most electrifying toccatas in all of organ literature and has always been one of Mendelssohns most popular organ works.

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Fellowship Hour Volunteers Needed The Fellowship Committee is looking for volunteers to host the fellowship time which occurs every Sunday after Worship. For those who have recently joined Grace Covenant, its a great way to meet other members and guests. The sign-up calendar is located in the Glass Office. To learn more about this important ministry of the church please call Kent Cardwell at 285-7044 or email him at ekcardwell@aol.com for more details. Attention Grace Covenant Run/Walkers! The 10K Approaches! The 2014 Monument 10K is on March 29, and online registration has already started. This year, Grace Covenant will be heading an informal training team for all runners interested in preparing for the race. We will meet at Grace Covenant every Satur-

day at 8:00 a.m. and we will run various lengths depending on your skill/comfort level. After the run, we will journey to a local coffee shop and there we will have a brief Bible study and discussion on the Letter to the Hebrews. For further information please email Luke Woodcock at lwwoodco11@gmail.com. Date Night! Parents: GCPC will be offering free childcare on Saturday, February 8, from 5:00 8:00 pm. Simply drop your child(ren) (ages infant to ten years old) off at any point during that time frame. Pick your child(ren) up by 8:00 p.m. In between, enjoy your date! While there will be snacks available, please be sure your child has eaten dinner ahead of time. Children four years of age and older will have the option of watching Veggie Tales during the childcare. Please RSVP for Date Night Childcare to Vanessa Strait in the church office at 359-2463 or by email at strait@grace-covenant.org. Deacons Fund Grace Covenant has this fund to assist members who are in financial need. Please contact Bobby Hulme-Lippert to make a request. All requests are confidential.

MID-WEEK FELLOWSHIP
Each Wednesday evening we gather at 6:00 p.m. for table fellowship, followed by a program from 6:30-7:15 p.m. All are welcome! Childcare is available. For more information contact Vanessa Strait in the church office at 359-2463, or info@gracecovenant.org.
Program: We have a unique opportunity this Wednesday! Nate and Faith Walters, Missionaries in Spain, will be joining us and sharing what God is doing through their ministry. Menu: No-peek beef, noodles, lima beans, salad, and sheet cake.

Fourth Thursdays Ministry Boaz & Ruth's restaurant, Firehouse 15, is the only sit-down restaurant in Highland Park and offers job training for program participants. GCPC is supporting this business by joining in fellowship for dinner on the fourth Thursday of each month. When there are five Thursdays in the month, we may shift to the fifth Thursday so as to avoid conflict with the session meeting, so this month's inaugural dinner will take place on Thursday, January 30. No long-term commitment required; intermittent visitors encouraged. If you are interested in participating, please join our email list for a once-a-month reminder to RSVP. Contact Jessica Reveley at jabreveley@gmail.com.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION AND DISCIPLESHIP

Sunday School is held every Sunday from 9:30 -10:30 a.m. The nursery crib room and Sunday School are available for children age 2 and up. CLASS TEACHER Rm# B7 Forum Tom Miller Rm # 212 Grace Bible Class Bill Stuart Rm # B4 Vanguard Matt Johnson Rm # 303 Connections Christof Meyer Fellowship Hall Jack Corley/Virginia Hudson TOPIC Living the Life of Faith, Hebrews 11 Luke Studies in the Gospel of John Exploring questions about faith A Study of Christian Marriage

Disciple Bible Study is a spiritual discipline that entails thirty minutes of prayerful scripture reading per day along with weekly meetings to engage the scriptures more deeply with other participants. This commitment of time and energy to God generates lasting spiritual growth and all are invited to read along with us each week. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Nelson Reveley at nmr2uf@virginia.edu.

Week 19: Teach Us to Pray Monday: Study Manual Tuesday: Luke 4:1-16; 9:12-36 Wednesday: Luke 22:39-60; 23:34, 46 Thursday: Luke 11; 18 Friday: Matthew 6:1-13; 18:23-35 Saturday: Luke 20:45-47; 21:34-46 Sunday: Rest

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Please pray for: Ainura Satterfields father, Sharshen, in Kyrgyzstan; Hannah Siboles mother, Melanie; Ben Gordon; Nela Bostian; Betty Clough; Bob Brooks; Ann Pais daughter-in-law, Jane Pais, with cancer; Susan Farrells grandmother Mary Lou (Uh-Oh), and her father, Jim, facing health issues, Rosie and George Turner; Steve Cobb and his family; Stuart Chapman, David Russell, and Chris Pais, serving in our nations Armed Forces.