Rev. David Hurst
3. O sing a song of Galilee,
Of lake and woods and hill,
Of Him who walked upon the sea
And bade its waves be still:
For though, like waves on Galilee,
Dark seas of trouble roll,
When faith has heard the Master's word,
Falls peace upon the soul.
4. O sing a song of Calvary,
Its glory and dismay;
Of Him who hung upon the tree
And took our sins away:
For He who died on Calvary
Is risen from the grave,
And Christ our Lord, by Heaven adored,
Is mighty now to save.Type your paragraph here.
Dear friends in Christ,
It is with great sadness that I tell you that a wonderful member of our church and a friend to all has passed. Let us remember Mark Thaisz and his family in our prayers. In all our church years we pray for those we have lost and for those who remain.
I deeply believe that our spirit lives beyond our physical bodies. Life is eternal and our spirit lives on! So there is hope! There is hope that we carry on beyond our physical lives. So what do we do now? What do we do in this life? We are asked to understand and we are told to love. To love one another, to appreciate and find forgiveness in those who challenge us. To take care of our families, to teach them about God.
Our scriptures say that through love we are born of God and know God; so our lives are part of God's Eternal plan. So, if you believe as I do, we dwell after our physical bodies have worn out in the eternal life. Through this belief we are given solace. We are given the reassurance that everything will be okay with our loved one who has passed. O God, thank you, for your infinite and unconditional love that binds us together in this world and the next!
May God bless and keep you all,
Happy Valentine's Day,
David
— Remember in Prayer —
A Prayer List is part of the weekly Bulletin. Please email the church (wmst2ndcongo@outlook.com) if you would like to make additions or subtractions to keep those on the list in prayer. . . It Works!
All of the First Responders who put their lives in jeopardy to care for all of us. For those working in grocery stores, gas stations, hospitals, nursing homes, health care facilities, food banks… who are working in spite of the danger to themselves. Prayers for anyone who is overwhelmed by this pandemic. Prayers for those who are feeling isolated or afraid. Prayers that God give us the mindfulness to reach out by phone to those who we are not frequently in touch -those on the outer edges of our friendship and family. Prayers for all people as we look to “love our neighbor” as God has commanded.
**************
SECOND CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
81 Hancock Road, Williamstown, MA
Matt Alcombright, Music Director
Barry Grauman, Guest Pastor
February 2, 2025
Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
“If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for
yourselves this day, whom your will serve,.. But as for me and
my household, we will serve the Lord! Joshua 24:15
PRELUDE ANNOUNCEMENTS
CALL TO WORSHIP Deacon Reader
Leader: O Lord, grant us your grace so that we may live in your
Spirit
People: Help us, almighty God, to choose your way with your
love in our hearts.
Leader: Open our hearts, that we might choose to be generous
and faithful.
People: Lead us so that we might be patient and kind.
Leader: Help us to be guided in the Spirit in our daily life.
People: So let us sing! Let us rejoice! Let us be filled with
joy! For we are loved by the living Christ! Amen!
OPENING HYMM "Hymn of Promise" #493
INVOCATION Deacon Reader
Leader: Lord, the world tries to convince us that it can feed our souls,
our minds and our bodies.
People: Help us not to fall into those temptations and binge on
things that neither satisfy us or bless us.
Leader: Help us to live in the Way of the Spirit that we may have clear
minds and hearts that are feed in the abundance of God's creation and
that nourishes our souls.
People: Help us to be part of our covenant. Give us your grace and
your love: so we may love others, extend our hands in friendship
and live our lives in faith with confidence and joy among all those
was live with us in this world.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION (In Unison) Deacon Reader
O Eternal God our memories are short! Open our hearts so that
we hear your encouragement, feel your love and accept your grace.
Help us not to be so hard of heart, that we reject what is really
good for us. Keep us aware; so that through our fears we do not
lose sight of your holy presence in our daily lives. Forgive us, for our
outward obedience and our inner resistance. Give us the courage
and strength to love beyond our words. Grant us the ability to be a
part of the solution, rather than the problem. Let your Wisdom clear
our way and your peace ease our moments of insecurity. Let your
love heal our troubled minds and your joy inspire us to hope in
things to come. Hear our prayers in Jesus' name. Amen
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
In Jesus Christ God knows and receives us as we are. Listen! Give thanks. Know that we are loved and forgiven through God’s grace. Amen to us to accept your love so that we will follow your Will. Through the love and
blessing of Jesus Christ we are forgiven!
People: Halleluiah! Thanks be to God!
OFFERATORY
DOXOLOGY
JOYS AND CONCERNS
PASTORAL PRAYERS AND THE LORD'S PRAYER
GLORIA PATRI
First Lesson Deuteronomy 30: 15-20
HYMN OF REFLECTION "O Jesus, I have Promised" #473
Second Lesson John 10: 1-10
SERMON Embracing Life Pastor Barry Grauman
CLOSING HYMN "We Cannot Own the Sunlit Sky" #461
BENEDICTION
Leader: Lord, we have come here to praise your holy name, to worship
and to bask in your presence.
People: In your love you have blessed us through the Spirit of your
Son, Jesus, resurrected from the dead.
Leader: So let us go forth into our world
People: And share the good news of a true and abundant life in Jesus
Christ.
Bulletins for February are given in memory of The Earl George &
George Harrington families by Doug & Diane George
(October) Reflections from Mia on ASP 2024 in West Virginia:
“This year's ASP trip was perhaps my favorite yet. We worked with another group at a house that needed the siding redone. The homeowner, Trampas, lived alone and was quite a character. Each day, we would measure and cut siding and then nail it on the house. Measure twice, cut once! After we finished the siding, we also dug a ditch around the house so that when a rain storm came, the house wouldn't flood. On the last day just when we thought we were finished, four truck loads, or about a couple tons, of gravel arrived. We finished and the outcome was worth all our hard work. Our crew was very optimistic and hardworking! I can't wait for next year. We are all very thankful for your support, as this trip would not have been possible without it.”Type your paragraph here.
Archived News of Note:
Youth news: Our third ASP trip has come and gone! We spent the week completing a siding and drainage project in eastern West Virginia. Unlike previous years, we were there for ASP's last week of the summer, meaning we got to finish the job and see the final product. Other groups had already stripped and insulated the house and partially installed J-channel around windows and fixtures, leaving us to finish the J-channel and side the house. We worked hard and completed these tasks early, giving us time to improve the drainage around the house and spread 4 tons of gravel!
We served a man named Trampus living in a small place he recently bought from family members for just $16k. He worked most of the day at a nearby sawmill, hitching rides from coworkers because his own truck had been totaled. Near the end of our week, he got hit by a log at work and broke his wrist, knocking him out of work for the immediate future. It was unclear whether he'd be able to claim worker's compensation. We were fortunate to be able to give him something to smile about when he returned home that day.
There's a lot to adjust to during an ASP week, including the poor sleeping conditions, meeting the other volunteers staying at our center, finding a new routine, and more. It's easy to imagine how all this could detract from the work, but everyone in our group stayed focused throughout the week. From the moment we set foot on site and divided up to conquer the project efficiently, to the final evening when we took over sweeping the center from the ASP staff, it was incredible to see the intentionality our group brought.
When I reflect on this group, Timothy's description of the faithful comes to mind: "For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline." (2 Tim 1:7) This group had the power to help others, and used it. They had the love born of deep friendship and of compassion for those who suffer, and they acted on it. And when faced with a week challenging both physically and mentally, they showed discipline far beyond their years. As always, it was a privilege to spend this time working alongside them. I look forward to continuing this mission for years to come! Tom Kirby
your paragraph here.
Music Director /Organist
Matt Alcombright
February Calendar
Feb 2nd In-house Morning Worship 9am
Guest Speaker Barry Grauman
(Communion moved to next week)
Coffee Hour following Worship
Annual Reports are Available (Review for 2/9) Take & Eat
Feb 6th(Thu) Memorial Service for Mark Thaisz at Noon
Feb 9th In-house Morning Worship 9am
Communion
Annual Meeting Immediately following Worship
Coffee Hour following Worship
Feb 13th(Thu) Deacons Meeting 3:30pm
Feb 14th Valentines Day
Feb 16th In-house Morning Worship 9am
Coffee Hour following Worship
Feb 20th(Thu) Trustees Meeting 3:30pm
Feb 23th In-house Morning Worship 9am
Coffee Hour following Worship
Upcoming Calendar
Feb 2nd Annual Reports Available
Take & Eat
Feb 9th Annual Meeting following the Morning Worship
Offering envelopes for 2025 are available. If you don't find a box with your name on it take a blank set and indicate who you are so Jean can send statements.
Youth News: As this Youth Report is being written, the temperature outside is a chilly. Our day started with -1°F. Thankfully, some of our SCC youth spent yesterday winterizing homes in North Adams as part of a local Day of Service in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The event was organized by the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, in collaboration with the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition and Williams College. This work serves as a meaningful complement to the summer work done through the Appalachia Service Project (ASP), as both efforts focus on making homes "warmer and safer" as well as human connection.
Upcoming Take & Eat:
The Trustees note that the mason work is completed for the wall repair in the church basement and the retaining pit around the parsonage oil tank. The Williamstown Fire Chief inspected the new tank and installation in the church basement and posted a document that indicates he was happy with the update. The cooking range in the parsonage has been having problems with one of the elements changing from low heat to higher heating without being adjusted. After investigation it was found that rather than repairing a 14-year-old range it would be wiser to replace the unit. A new range has been purchased and installed.
Mission news: The Annual Mission Committee Report is complete and will be available in our Church Annual Report for 2024. All Missions for 2024 have been donated. We continue to collect nonperishable food for the Williamstown Food Pantry and it will be delivered on the First Sunday of the month. Containers are in the back of the church in the wagon. The Veterans Pantry has a new list of items and it is located on the bulletin board in the Fellowship room. The container is also on the table with a green lid marked Veterans Pantry.
We received a newsletter and thank you from Heifer International which we support yearly. They list their programs: Fill the Ark,
Animal Crackers and Living Gift Market program. They provide family devotional items to engage young people. These are useful for Sunday school and youth ministries. The information for any season can be found at Heifer.org/Easter or call 888.548.6437. It will be on the Bulletin Board to read more. This year our
gifts will be matched.
Our committee will meet after the Annual Meeting to discuss our Missions for 2025. Thanks again for all your continued support and donations. Sincerely, Caroline Martel, Chairman
ITEMS NEED FOR THE VETERANS.
(Please place them in the tub in the SS Room)
SOAPS SHAMPOO CONDITIONER
LAUNDRY DETERGENT HOT COCOA
Memorial Bulletin Sign-up The sheet for signing up to purchase a month of Memorial Bulletins for 2024 is now posted in the SS Room. Please fill in the information for the month that you select.
The cost is $30/month.
For those that were not able to be at the final service or need additional time to consider their 2023 Giving, you may send in your gifts and pledges to:
Jean Richer 124 S. Hemlock Brook, Williamstown, MA 01267.
**************
Town Scholarship Information: Attached is the application form for the Williamstown Municipal Scholarship is available on the town website or a copy can be picked up in the town treasurer's office. These scholarships are available only to town residents who are at least one year post high school by the fall of 2025 or non-traditional students going back to school. The deadline to apply is 1/6/2025 at 4:30pm.
Thank you. Williamstown Municipal Scholarship Committee: Justine Beringer, Linda Brown, Kris Kirby (See Attachment)
Dear friends, let us love one another for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God!
1 John 4:7
WilliNet channel 1303 Sunday Worship 9am and 4pm. Rerun Wed at 10am and Friday at 7pm
This Week's Internet site is:
https://reflect-willinet.cablecast.tv/store-3/11335-Second-Congregational-Church-Service-2-11-24-v1/vod.mp4
**Please scroll down to see the Weekly Bulletin below**
Thoughts from the Organ Bench: The month of February finds us celebrating so many different things. From Groundhogs to Leap Year; from Cupid to Presidents Day; from Winter to hopes of Spring. This short month is certainly all over the place. As we dive into the Life and Ministry of Christ in the Scripture, we see that Christ's life celebrates so many things in a relatively short amount of time. There never seems to be a dull day for Jesus and so there shouldn't be for us, His followers. The hymns we sing each week call us into the various mysteries of God and the myriads of ways God works in, around and through us. One of the hymns in our Hymnal gives a 4-verse glimpse into the many ways we celebrate Christ. O Sing a Song of Bethlehem is a hymn that, while short like the month, makes us aware of the many different ways Christ calls us to celebrate. As we go through this short time with many odd twists and turns of celebration let us look to the songs we sing as they draw us into the "twists and turns" of a life lived in Christ.
1. O sing a song of Bethlehem,
Of shepherds watching there,
And of the news that came to them
From angels in the air:
The light that shone on Bethlehem
Fills all the world to-day;
Of Jesus' birth and peace on earth
The angels sing alway.
2. O sing a song of Nazareth,
Of sunny days of joy,
O sing of fragrant flowers' breath,
And of the sinless Boy:
For now the flowers of Nazareth
In every heart may grow;
Now spreads the fame of His dear Name
On all the winds that blow.
source: https://www.lyricsondemand.com/christmascarols/o/osingasongofbethlehemlyrics.html
“Sometimes I go about pitying myself. And all the while I am being carried
across the sky by beautiful clouds.” Ojibway Indian saying
Arab proverb; “To have a good neighbor you must be one.”
Welcome to
The Second Congregational Church
81 Hancock Road • Williamstown, MA 01267 • (413) 458-3467