Sunday Bulletin

Celebration Service January 19, 2025 9:30am

Prelude “Voluntary on the 100th Psalm Tune” Purcell/West

Introit “Light Dawns for the Righteous” Hopson

Call to Worship

We gather to worship God,

Who creates us and loves us;

Who gifts us with diversity and makes us for community;

Who gives Jesus Christ to show us how to live;

Who inspires children, youth, young adults, and people of all ages,

To seek justice, share power,

and live together in love and equality;

Who invites us to join the struggle for wholeness and wellbeing for all,

and whose presence, grace, and love

sustain us in our living.

We gather to worship God.

To God be all glory, honor, and praise!

Hymn "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty #21

Unison Prayer

Loving God,

May we dream of a world made new,

Where together we shout for justice,

And as one we fight against oppression.

May we dream of a world made new,

Where together we seek God’s righteousness

And as one we sing God’s praise.

May we dream of a world made new,

Where together we climb God’s mountain,

And as one we enter the promised land.

May we dream of a world made new,

Where together we proclaim the good news of God’s kingdom,

And as one we enjoy its peace, abundance, and love. Amen

The Lord's Prayer #307

Psalm 10 Lay Reader: Jake Emerick

1 [a]Why, O Lord, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2 In arrogance the wicked persecute the poor—
let them be caught in the schemes they have devised.

3 For the wicked boast of the desires of their heart;
those greedy for gain curse and renounce the Lord.
4 In the pride of their countenance the wicked say, “God will not seek it out”;
all their thoughts are, “There is no God.”

5 Their ways prosper at all times;
your judgments are on high, out of their sight;
as for their foes, they scoff at them.
6 They think in their heart, “We shall not be moved;
throughout all generations we shall not meet adversity.”

7 Their mouths are filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;
under their tongues are mischief and iniquity.
8 They sit in ambush in the villages;
in hiding places they murder the innocent.

Their eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
9 they lurk in secret like a lion in its den;
they lurk that they may seize the poor;
they seize the poor and drag them off in their net.

10 They stoop, they crouch,
and the helpless fall by their might.
11 They think in their heart, “God has forgotten;
he has hidden his face; he will never see it.”

12 Rise up, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand;
do not forget the oppressed.
13 Why do the wicked renounce God
and say in their hearts, “You will not call us to account”?

14 But you do see! Indeed, you note trouble and grief,
that you may take it into your hands;
the helpless commit themselves to you;
you have been the helper of the orphan.

15 Break the arm of the wicked and evildoers;
seek out their wickedness until you find none.
16 The Lord is king forever and ever;
the nations shall perish from his land.

17 O Lord, you will hear the desire of the meek;
you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear
18 to do justice for the orphan and the oppressed,
so that those from earth may strike terror no more.[b]

Gloria Patri #35

Anthem “Draw Us in the Spirits’ Tether” Friedell

Prayers of the People

Hymn Diverse in Culture, Nation, Race #485

Reading Luke 4: 14-21

Message “How Long?" Rev. Dan Haugh

Offering

Click here to make an online donation

Offertory “Tallis Canon” Manz

and organ)

Doxology* #46

Offertory Prayer* Giving God, we give You thanks and praise for all of Your gifts to us. We know that you are the source of every good thing, light and love come from You. As we dedicate this offering, we offer ourselves too, for these gifts of money are but tokens of ourselves. Take and use us, that our hands may reach out in service,

our feet may walk the difficult path of reconciliation, and that our words may be words of peace. For this we pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Hymn* “O for a World #683

Benediction

Closing: “We Are Walking”

Postlude Fugue “Alla Handel” Guilmant

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Calendar of Events

Please note the office will be closed on Monday, January 20, in observance of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Day.

Monday, 1/20 Noon AA meeting in Fellowship Hall

Tuesday, 1/21 7:30 AA meeting in Fellowship Hall

Wednesday, 1/22 Noon AA meeting in Fellowship Hall

5:30 Choir Rehearsal in Organ Loft

Happy Birthday this week to:

Riley Stafford, Barbara Percy 1/21

Ashley Finlen-Copeland, Sarah Geissler, Bri Johnson, 1/22

Mena Spaulding, 1/23

Joshua Ziegler, 1/24

Chase Bennett, James Espey, Natalie Stagnitti, 1/25

Happy Anniversary this week to:

David and Penny McGaughy, 1/25

Announcements

Our ushers today are Ben Brayton and Penny McGaughy. Thanks for your help!

Online coffee hour church fellowship Sundays at 11:00. Click here for the zoom link.

Please do not forget our neighbors in need by donating food for the Lamoille Community Food Share. Non-perishable items can be put in our two bins, one in the Narthex and one in the hall downstairs. Thank you.

2025 Stewardship Update

As we begin a new year of fellowship, we kindly remind all members and friends of Stowe Community Church to submit your pledges for the annual stewardship campaign by January 19th. Your commitment is essential—100% participation is needed to meet our operating budget and continue the vital work of our church in the coming year. We are deeply grateful to those who have already pledged their support. If you haven’t yet, please join us in ensuring SCC remains a beacon of faith and community. Every pledge matters, and we need your support now—thank you!

Christian Communities worldwide observe

a Week of Prayer for Christian Unity January 18-25.

Join Pastor Dan on Sunday, January 19th at 11AM via Zoom as he offers prayers for our church, our community, our nation and the world. This is part of a global initiative by the World Council of Churches. Across the world there are many different churches, traditions and denominations. We believe that Stowe Community Church is called to be a united and uniting church. As Jesus prayed, “That they may all be one.” (John 17:20). The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity coincides with Martin Luther King Day and the U.S. Presidential Inauguration both being observed on January 20. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” Martin Luther King. The link will be in the Quest and in the online bulletin that week.

Interfaith Gathering- January 23

Two pastors, a priest, and a rabbi walk into a bar...

MLK's Legacy: Must we love our enemy?
Thursday, January 23, 2024 6:00PM-8:00PM

The Round Hearth 39 Edson Hill Rd, Stowe

All are welcome to an evening of food provided and discussion with Pastor Dan Haugh of Stowe Community Church, Pastor Becca Girrell of United Community Church of Morrisville, Father Rick Swanson of St. John's Episcopal Church, and Rabbi David Fainsilber of Jewish Community of Greater Stowe. In honor of the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we'll focus on the theme: "must we love our enemies?"

Suggested donation: $20

Our Annual Congregational Meeting will be on Sunday, January 26, 2025 at 10:45 in person and on line.

The SCC Care Team invites you to a special online presentation entitled “The Cost of Love: Living with Grief” January 27

Grief is part of life. Learning how to deepen our spirituality is an important resource in living creatively with life’s love and loss. Understanding anticipatory grief, grief in the moment of loss, and how grief changes over time will be our focus at our next Care Team meeting.

Join us online on Monday, January 27 at 6 pm for a conversation with Rev. Susie Webster-Toleno. Susie has been the long-term pastor at the Westminster West Congregational church and a hospice chaplain with Bayada. She is also the Dean of Ministry 21, a ministry course with the Vermont Conference UCC, and the church administrator at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Brattleboro Vermont.

SCC Ski and Ride Day February 3rd!

Our first SCC Ski and Ride day for the season will be on Monday, February 3rd at the Stowe Mountain Resort. We will gather by the Sunrise Six-Pack lift at 9:00 am. We’ll join Pastor Dan for skiing and riding on mostly Intermediate terrain. Invite friends to join us. At 11:00 Pastor Dan will lead a short service at the Mountain Chapel weather permitting! Again, all are invited to attend. We’ll wrap up the day at the Round Hearth at 1:00 pm for lunch or apres-ski. Even if you don’t ski or ride, you can meet us there to socialize!

Online Bible Study on the Gospel of Luke January 30 – March 6

Luke is an expert storyteller and someone who cares a lot about people and the circumstances they face. Luke wants us to have a sense of what’s going on the world stage, and how that affects the actions of leaders and regular people. Luke, among the Gospels, stresses issues of social and political significance, and sounds the call to liberation louder than any of the other Gospels. This six-week Bible Study will meet on Zoom at 7pm on Thursdays beginning January 30 to March 6th. Please contact Kathe Rhinesmith (Katherhinesmith@gmail.com) to register.

If you, or someone you know, would like prayers for comfort or healing, the members of the Prayer Team are ready to support you. Please fill out the prayer request form in the pew and put it in the offering plate or hand it to an usher to deliver to the office.

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Musical Notes by Karen Miller

Prelude: “Old Hundredth” is the best- known and most widely used of all the psalm tunes and is the melody to our Doxology. It is attributed to Louis Bourgeois (c. 1510-c. 1561) and first appeared in the Genevan Psalter of 1551 of which Bourgeois was the musical editor. In the French Genevan Psalter of 1551 it is set to Psalm 134, but in English Books it has always been paired with Psalm 100. Henry Purcell (1659-1695), English composer and organist, is acknowledged as among the greatest of English composers, writing for opera, incidental music, choral works, theater music, songs, instrumental pieces, and keyboard works. But he actually wrote very few organ pieces, one being his “Voluntary on ‘Old Hundredth’”. The version heard today was taken from a manuscript in the British Museum.

Anthem: Harold William Friedell (1905-1958) was a New York organist and composer who studied at the Union Theological Seminary and was organist of Calvary Episcopal and St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal churches in New York. He taught at the Union Seminary, at the Julliard School, and at the Guilmant Organ School all in New York. He wrote the hymn tune, “Union Seminary” which is the music to the anthem heard today. A hymn version of it is included in the Chalice Hymnal as Hymn No. 392. The text was written by Percy Dearmer and reads:

Draw us in the Spirit’s tether; for when humbly, in thy name, two or three are met together, Thou art in the midst of them. Alleluya! Alleluya! Touch we now thy garment’s hem.

As the brethren used to gather in the name of Christ to sup, then with thanks to God the Father, break the bread and bless the cup. Alleluya! Alleyluya! So knit thou our friendship up.

All our meals and all our living make us sacraments of thee; that by caring, helping, giving we may true disciples be. Alleluya! Alleluya! We will serve thee faithfully.

Offertory: The “Tallis Canon” that appears in the Chalice Hymnal as the music to Hymn Nos. 48, 335, and 485 was written by Thomas Tallis (1505-1585) as one of nine tunes that Tallis composed for Archbishop Parker’s metrical Whole Psalter of 1567 where it is paired with Psalm 67. The tune was used in 1732 paired with Bishop Ken’s Winchester evening hymn “Glory to thee, my God, this night”. Paul Manz wrote a chorale improvisation on this tune. The tenor voice begins with the first phrase of the tune, then taken up by the alto. Finally, the soprano and bass enter with the entire tune in canon with running thirds accompanying in the middle voices.

Postlude: (Felix) Alexander Guilmant (1837-1911) studied with his organist father and with Jacques Lemmens in Brussels. Moving to Paris he became an organist of Holy Trinity Church in 1871 and also became a Professor at the Conservatoire where he taught pupils like Dupre, Vierne, and Nadia Boulanger. He gave recitals and toured, especially in the USA and England. He wrote a large quantity of organ music both for recitalists and for parish organists. His “Fugue ‘Alla Handel’” is a fugue in the style of Handel.

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