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!
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 videos will be 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.
Announcements:
The video from the May 2ne service is now on the video page.
Here is the bulletin for the May 2nd Service
Service for the Lord’s Day
First Presbyterian Church
Smithville, Texas
May 2, 2021 11:00AM
5th Sunday of Easter
Welcome and Announcements
Welcome to First Presbyterian Church. We are glad you are worshipping with us today. If you are searching for a church home, please speak to our pastor or one of our elders.
* A salute to mothers is being created for May 9. Please send a memory and/or picture of your mother to Pastor Kris at kribrown1001@gmail.com. You can also bring it to her at church.
*New directories are in the Narthex. Please give any corrections, additions, or deletions to Kathy Ford.
*Sunday, May 30 we will be having a Memorial Service in MLK Park. The theme of the service is "Honoring what we've lost and celebrating our connections through food and fun." We are inviting all to come. We are reaching out to the congregation of the late Pastor General Smith to join this service with us in his memory. The service will begin at 10:00am.
Afterwards we are having a community luncheon to kick off the sale of our cookbook with BBQ brisket and all the fixings. Adult plates are $10 and kids eat free. We will be selling our cookbooks for $20 each. Kids and adults alike will love a round of corn hole, horseshoes, and egg toss! Come join us for games and a good time! If you have any questions, reach out to Harleigh.
Happy Birthday: Julia Grace Gosselink (4); Brennen Hernandez (7); Samuel Figueroa (7)
Call to Worship
L: Come to worship God whose love was revealed in Jesus. Let all the ends of the earth turn to our God.
P: We will worship the Almighty and sing praises. We will proclaim good news to others.
L: Beloved, we are called to love as God loves us. We are to love one another as sisters and brothers.
P: Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. We seek to let God’s love be perfected in us.
L: Remember that you have been baptized. God claims you and has high expectations of you.
P: Christ is the vine; we are the branches. We will bear fruit when we abide in the vine.
L: Our first hymn is “We Have Come to Join in Worship”
We have come to join in worship and adore the Lord our God.
Let us come in prayer, expecting God to speak his mighty Word.
All is vain unless the Spirit of the Holy One comes down.
Christians, pray, and holy manna will be showered all around.
See them gather all around you, those he bought at such a cost;
See the weary, see the hurting, see the lonely, see the lost.
Be his hand, and touch the needy; be his gospel, let it sound!
Be his body, and sweet manna will be showered all around.
Let us love our God supremely; let us love each other, too.
Let us care for all his people till our God makes all things new.
Christ will call us home to heaven; at his banquet we’ll sit down;
Christ himself will rise and serve us living manna all around.
Call to Confession
L: Sense the love of God that seeks to live in us. Remember the times you have felt connected to the true vine, Jesus Christ. Listen again to the promise and challenge: if you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish and it will be done for you…bear much fruit and become my disciples. Let us confess our sins to God and one another.
Confession of Our Sins
O God, we have ignored our origin in you and denied your rule over the nations. We have pursued illusions of self-interest rather than abiding in your love. We have turned away from brothers and sisters as if they were enemies to be hated. We are afraid to love those who differ from us or who have the power to harm us. We hesitate to take the risks of caring for fear that we may be hurt. Discipleship seems too demanding. O God, release us from our fears and failures to trust your love and live with bold generosity. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
L: There is good news for all who sincerely repent and seek a living, growing relationship with God. Those who are open to the gift of God’s love are blessed with the capacity to extend love to others and thus experience the depth and riches of life that God intends for us. When we love one another, God’s love is perfected in us.
P: Thanks be to God.
First Reading of Scripture Isaiah 58:1-8
Second Reading of Scripture Acts 8:26-40
Time for the Children of Our Church
The Passing of the Peace
Hymn “Take Time to Be Holy”
Take time to be holy, speak oft with your Lord,
Abide in him always, and feed on his Word.
Make friends of God’s children; help those who are weak;
Forgetting in nothing his blessing to seek.
Take time to be holy, the world rushes on,
Spend much time in secret with Jesus alone.
By looking to Jesus, like him you shall be;
Your friends in your conduct his likeness will see.
Take time to be holy, let him be your guide,
And run not before him, whatever betide.
In joy or in sorrow, still follow your Lord,
And looking to Jesus, still trust in his Word.
Gospel Reading John 15:1-8
Sermon Rev. Kris Brown “Fitting In”
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
Communion
L: Our closing hymn is “I Then Shall Live”
I then shall live as one who’s been forgiven; I’ll walk with joy to know my debts are paid. I know my Name is clear before my Father; I am his child, and I am not afraid. So greatly pardoned, I’ll forgive another;
The law of love I gladly will obey
I then shall love as one who’s learned compassion; I’ve been so loved that I’ll risk loving, too. I know how fear builds walls instead of bridges; I dare to see another’s point of view. And when relationships demand commitment, then I’ll be there to care and follow through.
Your kingdom come around and through and in me, your power and glory, let them shine through me; your hallowed name, oh, may I bear with honor, and may your living kingdom come in me. The Bread of Life, oh, may I share with honor, and may you feed a hungry world through me.
Blessing