Worship Bulletin – 11/1/20

Worship Bulletin – 11/1/20

McPherson First Church of the Brethren
We invite your active participation in the life of this congregation, as together we continue to grow in grace and seek justice for God’s creation.

Sunday, November 1, 2020


Welcome to Worship

National Junior High Sunday | “Take the Log Out” | Matthew 7:3-5
“Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? 
Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye? 
You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.”
New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Gathering Music | “I’ll Be On My Way” | arr. Shawn Kirchner

Greeting | Pastor Jerry Bowen

Heritage Moments (4 of 11) | Celebrating 100 Years at the Corner of Euclid & Carrie Streets

Welcome | Lucy Bowman & Ada Prose

Call to Worship | written by Rachel Witkovsky
Read by Jonathan Ullom

We put the call out,
a call to join in a time of worship together.
But being “together” doesn’t look the same as it always has.

We join together now, in this time and in this space,
or maybe later today and from our homes;
or possibly Tuesday during a lunch break.

But God is with us wherever and whenever we are!
Bringing us together to worship with one another,
to celebrate God’s Holy Name,
to listen to the ancient texts,
to share the Good News,
And to encourage each other to stop, just for a moment, and look at life from a different perspective.

We are challenged to hear God’s word anew and to see God’s world with a new sense of
wonder and excitement.
Let us worship the Lord;
with open ears,
with open eyes,
and with open hearts!

Opening Music | “10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)” | Matt Redman/Steve Angrisano
McPherson Church of the Brethren Worship Band | Recorded October 20, 2019

Children’s Story | “I Promise” | written by LeBron James, illustrated by Nina Mata
Read by Alex Hundley

Invitation to Give | Serenity Magnall

How to Give
Give online or send a check made payable to “McPherson Church of the Brethren,” 200 N. Carrie, McPherson, KS 6746

Offering Music | “Rhythm of the Rain” | arr. Kevin Olson
Ada Prose, piano

Giving Prayer | Carter Hundley

Community Prayer | Ari Prose

Scripture Jam | Matthew 7:3-5 | written by Donna Parcell
Daniel Bowen, Hannah Brubaker, Kayden Friesen & Delfino Magnall

Why… Why what? Why did the chicken cross the road? Who are you calling chicken?
All I said was why!
Why what? Here we go again. Why do you Me? You? You? Him? Her? Them? All of you!
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust… Why would you want to look at a speck of sawdust?
It’s not very interesting to look at. That’s what I’m thinking!
Why would you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye….
MY BROTHER HAS A SPECK OF SAWDUST IN HIS EYE?!!!
Relax, you don’t even have a brother. Oh right!
How can you even see a speck of sawdust in someone’s eye? Exactly.
Why would you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention….
PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN! Curtain? What curtain?
There is no curtain. Let me start again. Why would you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
There’s a plank in my eye? That explains a lot. It’s a metaphor. A meta-who?
Oh never mind. How can you say you will take the speck out of your brother’s eye…
That’s a job for an optometrist! Preferably one without a plank in their eye. That would be best! Agreed!
Anyway, how can you say you’ll take the speck out when the whole time you’ve got plank in your own eye?
Wait, I have a plank in my eye? How could you not notice that? Wouldn’t that make it hard to see?
THAT’S THE POINT. Now you’re getting it! First, you should take the plank out of your own eye . . .
That should definitely be your first move! Then you can see clearly.
Seeing clearly is definitely a good thing here. Clearly! Yes, you see clearly!
Once we take our planks out of our eyes… We can see clearly.
You will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
So, before we worry about other people’s eye specks . . . We should take care of our own eye planks?
Clearly! Clearly! So we can clearly see!

Message | Lucy Bowman

Community Prayer | Ari Prose

Special Music | “In Christ there is no East or West” | #306
Allan & Deb van Asselt, vocals; Ellen Gilbert, piano

Sending Words | Ari Prose

Sending Music | “Praise to the Lord” | arr. John Carter
Ellen Gilbert, piano


Videography and Editing: Eric Goering
Music Coordinator/Accompanist/Organist/Pianist: Ellen Gilbert
Technical Crew: Eric Goering, Ryan Goering, Shane Kirchner, Doug Lengel, Steve Lolling & Chris Whitacre