From Rev. Ben –
In this week’s service we’ll focus on the work of Stewardship, which is the euphemism Presbyterian use when we talk about fundraising for the church. But while the word “euphemism” often is used pejoratively, in this case “euphemism”, which means “good speech” is actually really appropriate and good, because when we raise money to support the work of the church we are not just supporting ourselves financially, rather, we are caring for—stewarding—the Church, an institution that has been a caretaker—a steward—of the Christian story for nearly two thousand years. In this week’s celebration, listen for a stewardship sermon and some good words about why stewardship is important.
You can submit comments and prayer requests via our Comments Form at mpcfamily.org/comments . We’d love to hear from you!
If you are visiting today, we hope you’ll fill out our online Visitor Card at mpcfamily.org/hello .
View May 9th Celebration online
- Marcia will provide a prelude,
- Talitha will welcome us to Celebration,
- McKinley Forbes will lead us in a call to celebration,
- The opening hymn is “God, Whose Giving Knows No Ending”,
- Sally and Jerry White will lead us in a prayer for peace,
- Frank Dauby will read 1 Thessalonians 5:12-23,
- I will preach a sermon on stewardship and gratitude,
- The special music is a Taize chant led by Kim, “In the Lord I’ll Ever be Thankful”,
- Talitha will lead us in a pastoral prayer,
- Maggie Harmon and Mike Griffith will provide a “Minute for Stewardship”,
- The closing hymn is “Let All Things Now Living”, and
- I will close us with a family life video.
While we do not focus on Mother’s Day at MPC, I know that many of you will be celebrating Mother’s Day on Sunday, and for those who are celebrating, I wish you great joy.
The Charge (say together) Go out into the world in peace. Have courage; hold on to what is good. Return no one evil for evil. Strengthen the faint-hearted, support the weak, and help the suffering. Honor all people. Love and serve God, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.