First Presbyterian Church (USA) of Smithville
300 Burleson, Smithville, TX 78957
(512) 360-5231
As a Church we are committed to:
Glorifying God through worship
Welcoming all as children of God
Serving others in the light of God's love.
The First Presbyterian Church (USA) of Smithville welcomes you to our online ministry. Our Church is a church filled with life, serving the community of Smithville and surrounding areas for over 140 years . . . and just a short, pleasant drive from Bastrop, Cedar Creek, Flatonia, and towns throughout Bastrop County. If you are searching for a Church home, we would be pleased to welcome you into our fellowship. New members are received by our Session upon letter of transfer from another Christian congregation, or by profession of faith or reaffirmation of faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Please come and visit us!
Souper Bowl of Caring is on Sunday, February 7, 2021!! Our practice has been to bring canned foods and monetary donations to our Sunday luncheon on that day to donate to the Smithville Food Pantry. This year the event will be virtual.
You may still bring your food donations to the church or you can donate on line at https://www.smithvillefoodpantry.com/
You may still bring your food donations to the church or you can donate on line at https://www.smithvillefoodpantry.com/
Pastor Rev. Kris Brown and family:
sons- Henry & Alex and husband David.
We are open in our church building for the 11 AM service but we will continue to provide a Facebook Live video and post the video here. If you decide to attend in person, please wear a mask and observe social distancing. We will not be serving food or having the Social Hour at this time. The video is available here and on Facebook. There are lots of reasons why we are glad it's 2021. One of them is that it is our church's 150th birthday. We have set up a special committee to help plan events to celebrate. Why don't you join this committee? Let Harleigh Elliot or Pastor Kris know if you are interested. Monica Miller is collecting recipes for a planned cookbook celebrating this event. Please send them to her, along with a history at we4blessed@gmail.com. The video from January 24th is posted on the Video page here.
Service for the Lord’s Day
First Presbyterian Church
Smithville, Texas
JANUARY 24, 2021 11:00 AM
3RD SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY
Welcome and Announcements
Welcome to First Presbyterian Church. We are glad you have joined us on the Lord’s Day to worship God. If you are looking for a church home, please speak with our pastor, or one of our elders.
-- January 31st – 150th Anniversary Ribbon Cutting Ceremony with Chamber of Commerce at 10:45am on the outside steps.
-February 7 Annual Congregational Meeting at 10:45 am prior to the 11:00 worship service and installation of Session members
-February 14 – Bell practice begins at 10:00
-February 21 – Beginning of Lent service at the Brown’s farm.
-- We will be creating a new cookbook to celebrate the 150 years of our church. Please give Monica Miller all your recipes. We need a lot!
Happy Birthday: Sydney Hernandez (29)
Happy Anniversary: Nancy & Paul Evans (26); Lisa & David Altmeyer (30)
Call to Worship
L: For God alone our souls wait in silence. Our hope is from God, our fortress.
P: God is our rock and our salvation. God is our refuge and our deliverance.
L: Trust in God at all times, in all places. Pour out your hearts to the One who hears.
P: All people are valuable in God’s sight. No one is more important than another.
L: Worship God, who is ready to speak to us. Open your lives to God’s steadfast love.
P: All power in the universe belongs to God. Yet God depends on our faithful service.
L: Our first hymn is “Come Away from Rush and Hurry”
Come away from rush and hurry to the stillness of God’s peace;
From our vain ambition’s worry, come to Christ to find release.
Come away from noise and clamor, life’s demands and frenzied pace;
Come to join the people gathered here to seek and find God’s face.
In the pastures of God’s goodness we lie down to rest our soul.
From the waters of God’s mercy we drink deeply, are made whole.
At the table of God’s presence all the saints are richly fed.
With the oil of God’s anointing into service we are led.
Come, then, children, with your burdens – life’s confusions, fears and pain.
Leave them at the cross of Jesus; take instead his kingdom’s reign.
Bring your thirsts, for he will quench them – he alone will satisfy.
All our longings find attainment when to self we gladly die.
Call to Confession
L: God’s word sometimes comes as a warning. How often we have pushed aside the word we find unpleasant. Even if we grudgingly acknowledge its truth, we like to postpone any action to change. God comes to us today, saying that our days are fewer than we think. The time for us to repent is now. Let us confess our sins to God and one another.
Confession of Our Sins
Sovereign God, we reluctantly confess that we have installed our own gods in our lives. They take our time. They use our resources. They exact from us care and devotion. We do not like to hear that our way of life is endangered. Yet we sometimes realize that innocent steps into self-indulgence are really deliberate strides away from you. We hear distant echoes of warning and judgment. O God, we want to return to you before it is too late. We repent of everything in our lives that cuts us off from you. Hear our prayer. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
L: The people of wicked Nineveh proclaimed a fast and put on the garments of repentance. They begged God to turn around what seemed so inevitable – their own destruction. God listened, and they were saved. The present form of our world is passing away. God has better things in store for us than we have yet known. Our lives, enlisted in God’s realm, can count for something good. Forgiven and forgiving people make a difference.
P: Thanks be to God.
First Reading of Scripture Jonah 3:1-5, 10
Second Reading of Scripture 1 Corinthians 7:29-31
Time for the Children of Our Church
The Passing of the Peace
L: Our next hymn is “Dear Lord and Father of Mankind”
Dear Lord and Father of mankind, forgive our foolish ways!
Reclothe us in our rightful mind; In purer lives thy service find,
In deeper reverence, praise.
In simple trust like theirs who heard, beside the Syrian Sea,
The gracious calling of the Lord, let us, like them, with out a word,
Rise up and follow thee.
Breathe through the heats of our desire thy coolness and thy balm;
Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire; speak through the earthquake wind, and fire,
O still small voice of calm!
Gospel Reading Mark 1:14-20
Sermon Rev. Kris Brown “What Happens Next?”
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth,
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Prayers of the People
L: Our closing hymn is “Sent Forth By God’s Blessing”
Sent forth by God’s blessing our true faith confessing,
The people of God from this dwelling take leave.
The service is ended, O now be extended
The fruits of our worship in all who believe.
The seed of the teaching, receptive souls reaching,
Shall blossom in action for God and for all.
God’s grace did invite us, and love shall unite us
To work for God’s kingdom and answer the call.
With praise and thanksgiving to God ever living,
The tasks of our everyday life we will face.
Our faith ever sharing in love ever caring,
Embracing God’s children of each tribe and race,
With your grace you feed us, with your light now lead us,
Unite us as one in this life that we share.
Then may all the living with praise and thanksgiving
Give honor to Christ and that name which we bear.
Blessing