Plymouth Congregational Church

The Plymouth Covenant

Believing in Jesus Christ, the Interpreter of God to mankind, we accept His teachings as the guiding principles of our lives and consecrate ourselves and our Church to their fulfillment.  We therefore join in covenant, one with another, to worship, work, and serve together that we may express through our Church and our individual lives the love and faith taught by Jesus Christ.

  Celebration of Worship

July 13, 2008                                                                                10:30 a.m.

 Enter in Prayer; Worship with Gratitude; Go Forth to Serve

"Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.  "And in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, 'You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; And you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; For the heart of this people has become dull, And with their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes, Lest they should see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I should heal them.'                                                                                                                              Matthew 13:13-15

Opening Voluntary               “Partita on ‘Holy Mana’”           Franklin D. Ashdown

Welcome and Announcements                                                            Dan Closson

Call to Worship

Opening Hymn                   “This Is My Father’s World”                                 #144

Responsive Sentences  (M - Minister; C - Congregation)

M:    We are the created ones.

C:    We have searched within our own lives and found an incompleteness.

M:    So come into the presence of God, our Creator, Reveler and Sustainer.

C:    There is within us a longing for something beyond our own lives;

        there is a longing for the presence of God, who can affect growth.

M:    So come into the presence of God, who sows within us the seeds of life

        and life more abundant.

C:    We enter God’s presence seeing with our eyes and hearing with our ears

        that we too, may sow life abundantly.

Gloria Patri                                                                                            #71

Invocation and Lord’s Prayer  (Unison)

              Eternal God, grant us your presence as we gather in this place.  Open us to your wisdom that we might know the fullness of life.  Open our ears that we may hear the Good News of your Christ.  Open our eyes that we may envision your Kingdom at hand.  Open our hearts and minds that we may have courage to move forward as did the one who taught us to pray, saying Our Father, who art in heaven . . .                 (Lord’s Prayer in Hymnal - page #896)

***

Scripture Reading                         Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23                               (see insert)

A Time for Young Christians 

(An adult will escort your child/children to Children’s Sunday School downstairs.)

Prayer Concerns

Call to Prayer    (M - Minister; C - Congregation)

              M:          The Lord be with you.   

              C:          And also with you.

              M:          Let us pray.  Create in us a clean heart, O God.

              C:          And put a new and right spirit within us. 

              M:          Bless us now as we come to you in silence,

              C:          And may your Spirit fill our lives.

Silent Prayer

Pastoral Prayer

Prayer Response

***

Call to Offering

Organ Offertory                                   “Aria”                                 Noel Rawsthorn

                                                                  Burton Tidwell, organ

Doxology                                                                                                #95

Prayer of Dedication

Hymn of Preparation                 “Hymn of Promise”                                                       #707

Sermon                                            “Ears, Eyes and Souls”

                                                                       Rev. Dr. Don Olsen

Hymn of Departure                “Help Us Accept Each Other”                                 #560

Benediction                                                                                

Closing Voluntary                           “Choral Song”                              S. S. Wesley

                * Let all who are able please stand

       *** Ushers will seat late comers

Good Morning! Welcome to Plymouth Church.

              We welcome all persons of faith in our worship.  God comes to where we live.  God loves us as we are.  In this hour, may your life be filled with God’s peace as we worship together.  If you would like more information about Plymouth, please speak with one of our ministers.  You are invited to enjoy coffee and conversation with friends old and new in Fellowship Hall after the service.  Please sign the attendance sheet found in the red fellowship folders in the pews.

              A nursery, staffed by a our Nursery Director, Julie Burke is located in room 105 in the north east corner lower level of the educational wing.  Pagers are available for your use should you need to be contacted regarding your child.

              Sunday School for children is offered during the worship service and visitors are always welcome to attend.  Children sit with their family for the beginning of the service and leave for Sunday School after the children’s sermon (A Time for Young Christians).  Children are then escorted to room 108.  The classroom is located on the lower level.

The Acolytes today are Henry Depew and Evan Uhlig.

Church Picture - To help us commemorate the Plymouth Church Fire of 1998, a group photo of church people will be taken after worship on July 27.  Folks who were here back then and remember the fire are encouraged to come and be in the photograph. No special attire required.

Plymouth is seeking volunteers to help build Habitat for Humanity homes for tornado victims in Greenburg on Saturday, August 2.  The hours are 8:30 a.m to 4:30 p.m., which means leaving the church parking lot by 6:15 a.m. that day.  The church van and member car pools will be used to transport Plymouth workers to and from Greensburg on August 2.  We already have over fourteen Plymouth members who have volunteered, so please join that group for a very fulfilling day participating in this important outreach effort of our church.  Absolutely no prior construction experience is required and all tools are furnished at the work site.  Please bring your own lunch.  Beverages are provided by Habitat.  Contact Steve Woods at rocket9187@aol.com or 683-3561 to sign up.

Service of Commemoration - Ten years ago, on July 21, the roof of our sanctuary started on fire and eventually consumed much of the structure.  Through the dedicated efforts of a great many people the sanctuary was reconstructed and other areas of our building were remodeled.  On Sunday, August 3, we will commemorate the events of that day.  Our worship service will include invited dignitaries and guests.  A special luncheon will follow the service. 

All-Church Picnic - We will begin the 2008-2009 church program year on Sunday, September 7, with an All-Church Picnic.  The event will take place here at the church.  Each board, committee and church group is being asked to provide some element of the picnic (food, supplies, grills, events, games, etc.).  Please contact the church office to see how you can help.  Because the picnic will follow our 10:30 a.m. service, worship attire will be casual, come-as-you-are.

Scripture Insert:

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea.  Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach.  And he told them many things in parables, saying:  "Listen! A sower went out to sow.  And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up.  Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil.  But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away.  Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.  Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.  Let anyone with ears listen!"

"Hear then the parable of the sower.  When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path.  As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away.  As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing.  But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."

Rev. Dr. Donald P. Olsen, Senior Minister

Rev. Lisa Dembkowski, Associate Minister

Howard Webb, Director of Music

Burton K. Tidwell, Organist

Tammie Pepin, Admin. Assist. to Sr. Minister

Sue Martin, Finance & C. E. Assist

Julie Burke, Nursery Director

PLYMOUTH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

202 North Clifton

Wichita, Kansas  67208

Phone #(316) 684-0221 and Fax #(316) 684-0223

Web Address: www.plymouth-church.net