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Covenant-First Presbyterian Church Sunday, May 19, 2024 • 10:30 AM Covenant-First’s mission is to praise the Father, proclaim the Son and submit to the perfecting power of the Holy Spirit. Covenant-First Presbyterian Church • 717 Elm Street • Cincinnati, OH 45202 covfirstchurch.org • office@covfirstchurch.org • 513-621-4144
Welcome to Covenant-First Presbyterian Church Whether you attend Covenant-First Presbyterian Church on a regular basis or are here for the first time, we are glad you are here. Covenant-First Presbyterian Church was founded in 1790, and has been a part of downtown Cincinnati ever since. Our almost 2,000 pound tower bell is from the Paul Revere Foundry in Boston, and first rang from the steeple of one of our earliest buildings. This building was completed in 1875, and the Austin Pipe Organ dates to 1915, with its approximately 3,500 pipes. We have traditional worship with Bible-based preaching each week. Our music program is enhanced by our Music Scholar program and we are excited to have them lead in worship most Sundays. If you need help with directions to restrooms, the fellowship hall, or to the lower level nursery, the person who greeted you this morning will be glad to help you. Children and worship We delight in children, and your children are always welcome to stay with you in worship. However, if you would prefer nursery care for your infants and toddlers, we do have a professionally staffed nursery in the lower level. We invite children ages 2 years to 5 years to participate in Junior Church. If your child wants to participate in Junior Church, you may escort them to the lower level during the singing of the Doxology. You may then pick your child up following the service from the downstairs classrooms. Parking Validated parking is available in the adjacent garage for all worship services. Please pick up a validation stick-er and apply the sticker to your parking ticket to use for validation. Then simply scan your ticket with the sticker at the parking gate on your way out of the garage. If you are unsure how to obtain your parking stick-er, any greeter or our security personnel will be happy to assist you. Fellowship Time After worship, we invite you to gather with us in Metzger Hall for a reception featuring coffee, treats, and encouraging conversation. Many of us travel from a distance to join together in worship on Sunday morn-ings, and we find this weekly fellowship time to be a valuable and enriching time for us to catch up and meet new people. Please join us! About us If you are interested in learning more about Covenant-First Presbyterian Church, please pick up any of the literature located on the back tables, see your morning greeter, contact the church office at 513-621-4144, or visit our website at www.covfirstchurch.org.
Pre-Service Fugue in C major, BWV 547 J.S. Bach Andrew Hackett, Organist Concerns of the Congregation Randy Page Call to Worship Randy Page One: You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. And you shall be my witnesses to the ends of the earth. All: Come, Holy Spirit. Prelude Improvisation on Morecambe Andrew Hackett, Organist Ringing of the Revere Tower Bell Let the ringing of the bell call our attention away from ourselves and onto the living Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. *Hymn #198 Spirit of God *Invocation Randy Page All: Almighty God, at the feast of Pentecost you sent your Holy Spirit to the disciples, filling them with joy and boldness. Empower us with that same Spirit to witness to your redeeming love and draw all people to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. *Prayer of Confession Rev. Dr. David Fisher All: Almighty God, you poured your Spirit upon gathered disciples creating bold tongues, open ears, and a new community of faith. We confess that we hold back the power of your Spirit among us. We do not speak the good news of your love, or live as a people made one in Christ. Have mercy on us, O God. Transform our timid lives by the power of your Spirit, and fill us with a flaming desire to be your faithful people, doing your will for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. *Moments of Silent Confession Service for the Lord’s Day
*Assurance of Pardon Rev. Dr. David Fisher One: Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. All: We are forgiven. Thanks be to God. *Gloria Patri #575 Glory Be to the Father Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, Amen. Anthem Spirit Of God Descend John Helgen Covenant Choir; Diana Flores, Cello Spirit of God, descend upon my heart, wean it from earth, through all its pulses move. Stoop to my weakness, strength to me impart, and make me love you as I ought to love. I ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies, no sudden rending of the veil of clay, no angel visitant, no opening skies; but take the dimness of my soul away. Teach me to love you as your angels love, one holy passion filling all my frame: the fullness of the heaven-descended dove; my heart an altar, and your love the flame. Spirit of God descend, upon my heart. Prayers of the People The Lord’s Prayer All: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen. Offertory I’ll Walk With God Paul Francis Webster/ Covenant Choir Nicholas Brodszky I’ll walk with God from this day on, his helping hand I’ll lean upon, this is my prayer, my humble plea, may the Lord be ever with me. There is no death, tho’ eyes grow dim, there is no fear when I’m near to him. I’ll lean on him forever and he’ll forsake me never. He will not fail me as long as my faith is strong, whatever road I may walk along. I’ll walk with God, I’ll take his hand, I’ll talk with God, he’ll understand. I’ll pray to him, each day to him and he’ll hear the words that I say. His hand will guide my throne and rod, and I’ll never walk alone while I walk with God.
*Doxology #572 Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow At this time all children are invited to go to Children’s Church Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host; praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. *Prayer of Dedication *Hymn #187 Breathe on Me, Breath of God Scripture Lesson John 15:26-27, Acts 2:1-21 Rev. Dr. David Fisher John 15:26–27 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning. Acts 2:1–21 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” 13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.” 14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 “ ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” One: This is God’s Word for God’s people. All: Thanks be to God.
Sermon The Promise Rev. Dr. David Fisher *Hymn # 193 Gracious Spirit, Dwell with Me *Benediction Postlude Fugue from Organ Sonata no.1 Josef Gabriel Rheinberger Christie Lee, Organ Scholar *Those who are able, please stand. The flowers on the communion table are given to the glory of God by Tracy Kramer in recognition of all those who have gone before us with lives that followed the leading of the Holy Spirit. ††† This morning, we welcome the Rev. Dr. David Fisher. Rev. Fisher received his M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago and his Th.M., and Ph.D. from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. His doctorate focused on New Testament interpretation. Rev. Fisher retired in 2013 from Plymouth Church in Brooklyn in New York City; before that he served in several different congregations both large and small. He and his wife, Gloria, enjoy retirement in Amelia, Ohio. David’s father was a pastor, Gloria’s uncle was a pastor and two of her brothers are pastors. Their daughter is a Presbyterian pastor and is married to a Presbyterian pastor. Ministry is the family business for the Fisher family! David and Gloria enjoy traveling, sports, gardening, reading and English costume dramas. Welcome, David and Gloria. * * * * * * * * * * * * Pentecost Sunday Today for Pentecost, we are displaying the international flags. The flags that we have displayed rep-resent countries where mission partners are located, or are flags of the native countries of church members. The flags we have on display are: Togo, Mexico, Greece, Thailand, Indonesia, Germany, Ghana and Lebanon.
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