PREPARATION FOR WORSHIP

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Q. What is your only comfort, in life and in death? A. That I belong body and soul, in life and in deathnot to myself but to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ, who at the cost of his own blood has fully paid for all my sins and has completely freed me from the dominion of the devil; that he protects me so well that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, that everything must fir his purpose for my salvation. Therefore, by his Holy Spirit, he also assures me of eternal life, and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him. - The Heidelberg Catechism He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. - Colossians 1:13-14 (NRSV) Vision Statement Through [our] faithful actions, we pray that God will lift up Grace Covenant as a blessing to the city where He has placed it a bright beacon of His redemptive power, awakening a love for Christ in the heart of Richmond - 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
Todays organ prelude and postlude are an homage to French composers from two distinct eras. Jean-Adam Guilain (1680-1739) was a German organist and harpsichordist who was mostly active in Paris during the first half of the eighteenth century. Little is known about his life. He was born in Germany, and for an unknown reason he moved to France sometime before 1702. Although he came from Germany, Guilain's musical style appears to be in the pure French tradition. A Rcit de tierce en taille, a cornet solo in the tenor register, is one of the most beautiful and profound movements in the French baroque repertoire. Guilains Rcit is deeply contemplative and is a free recitation of profound feelings, and in this case, that of peace. Todays choral anthem is based on the Horatio Spaffords hymn, It Is Well with My Soul. The following information comes from Wikipedia: This hymn was written after traumatic events in Spaffords life. The first was the 1871 Great Chicago Fire which ruined him financially (he had been a successful lawyer and had invested significantly in property in the area of Chicago which was decimated by the great fire). His business interests were further hit by the economic downturn of 1873 at which time he had planned to travel to Europe with his family on the SS Ville du Havre. In a late change of plan, he sent the family ahead while he was delayed on business concerning zoning problems following the Great Chicago Fire. While crossing the Atlantic, the ship sank rapidly after a collision with a sea vessel, the Loch Earn, and all four of Spafford's daughters died. His wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram, "Saved alone ". Shortly afterward, as Spafford traveled to meet his grieving wife, he was inspired to write these words as his ship passed near where his daughters had died. Gaston Blier (1863-1938) was a banker and an amateur organist who served various churches in Paris. Like many composers throughout history, Bliers reputation as a composer is based only on one Toccata, which is todays postlude.

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
A New Prayer Group. Looking to start your day centered on God? Seeking Gods strength and wisdom ahead of ours? Have a few minutes before the day starts to race by? Join a new prayer group meeting in the Chapel on Fridays from 7:00-7:30 a.m. The group will be praying for the mission and vision of the church while also encouraging and uplifting one another. Please contact Itunu Adekoya by phone (309-3101424) or email historybegins1727@yahoo.com if you are interested. All are welcome!

Attention Grace Covenant Run/Walkers! The 10K Approaches! The 2014 Monument 10K is on March 29, and Grace Covenant has a training team! The group meets at Grace Covenant every Saturday at 8:00 a.m. and runs various lengths depending on your skill/comfort level. For further information please email Luke Woodcock at lwwoodco11@gmail.com. Interested in becoming a member of GCPC? Contact Rev. Bobby Hulme-Lippert at bobby@grace-covenant.org Grace Covenant Service Weekend. The Missions Committee is delighted to announce and invite you to a congregation-wide service weekend this Friday, February 28 - Saturday, March 1. It will be a time for fellowship, prayer, study, and service focused on loving God and our neighbors! Friday, February 28, 7-9 p.m.: we will be showing the documentary Nefarious: Merchant of Souls to raise awareness about human trafficking. We will be working with RJI (Richmond Justice Initiative), a local Christian organization fighting against human trafficking, and also reaching out in particular to VCU students. There will be a time for prayer after the documentary. Saturday, March 1, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: we will have a time for fellowship, Bible study, and various service opportunities. We are excited to be partnering with RJI, Shalom Farms, Boaz & Ruth, Richmond Hill/Bus Rapid Transit, and the Property Committee (we will have an option and opportunity for folks to help out around the church on projects the property committee recommends). Registration forms will be coming out soon with more details on these service opportunities, but please mark your calendars now. If you have any questions or would like more information, simply contact Nelson Reveley, nmr2uf@virginia.edu or 387-8094.

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: Praying through the Psalms given by Bobby Hulme-Lippert. Menu: Baked potato bar, biscuits, salad, bread pudding with lemon sauce.

Fourth Thursdays Ministry: THIS THURSDAY, February 27- 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. 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.

Connections Sunday School Class (March 12 - April 13): Confessing our Faith, Living our Faith During the first few centuries of the Church, the time leading up to Easter was often used to reflect on what Christians believed and how faith impacted daily life. Drawing on this heritage, our 6-week class will introduce some of the central confessions of the Reformed Tradition. In conversation with these texts, we will consider: What are we made for? Who is Jesus Christ? What is Scripture? And how are we to live in response to Gods grace, beauty, truth, and justice? Teacher: Joshua Ralston (Instructor, Union Presbyterian Seminary). The class will meet in the Fellowship Hall.
CLASS TEACHER TOPIC Rm# B7 Forum Tom Miller Living the Life of Faith, Hebrews 11 Rm # 212 Grace Bible Class Bill Stuart Luke Vanguard Matt Johnson Study on the Book of John Fellowship Hall Jack Corley/Virginia Hudson 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.

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Please pray for: The Bostian family; Jean Appich; John Nevin; Ainura Satterfields father, Sharshen, in Kyrgyzstan; Hannah Siboles mother, Melanie; Ben Gordon; 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; Brenda Harris, Dr. Carl and Mrs. Jo McMillin; Steve Cobb and his family; Stuart Chapman, David Russell, and Chris Pais, serving in our nations Armed Forces.