CENTRAL TIME
Curious. Caring. Classic.
Spartanburg's First Church, Founded 1837

We welcome everyone to join in worship
through our live stream Sunday mornings
at 11:00 am on the church's Facebook page.
You can also find the service at a later time
on the church's website.
Good News

The Servant Leader by Tom Norrell

With the weather cooling off we will move our worship back to 11:00 AM on Sunday mornings. Happily we will not be competing with the music coming from Barnet Park.
Beginning this Sunday, September 20, The Upper Room Sunday School class will meet at 9:30 am, via Zoom.
As soon as I have the Zoom link for our Charge Conference which is to be conducted on September 29, I will e-mail you. Thank you for turning in your forms for Charge Conference and for being so flexible with our hybrid processes in this era of COVID-19 disruption. I am grateful to you for carrying on in anxious times!

Transitions Bible Study Returns
During the last few months, we have experienced life in a very different way. Many of us have encountered feelings of fear, anxiety, and chaos. If you have experienced or are experiencing these feelings do not despair! I would like to invite you to join us as we begin another Transitions Bible Study led by Jane Lanford Smith. We will begin on Monday evening, September 21, at 6:30pm in the Fellowship Hall. (Wear your mask!) We will be studying Max Lucado's book Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World. You can order the book on Amazon or pick up a copy at Barnes and Noble. I look forward to seeing each of you as we learn to put our trust in God and be "anxious for nothing" even in the midst of chaos!

Order of Worship for
Sunday, September 20
16th Sunday after Pentecost

Lectionary:
Exodus 16:2-15; Gospel of Matthew 20-1-16
Paige M. Wolfe, Liturgist; Tom Norrell, Preacher


Greeting and Announcements
Prelude
Introit

Call to Worship:

Minister: This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
People: This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.
Minister: The hour is coming, and now is, when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him.
People: Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him, bless his name!
  
Opening Prayer

Confession of Faith:

We believe in the one God, creator and sustainer of all things, the source of all goodness and beauty, all truth and love.

We believe in Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, our teacher, example, and Redeemer, the Savior of the world. 

We believe in the Holy Spirit, God present with us for guidance, for comfort, and for strength.
We believe in the forgiveness of sins, in the life of love and prayer, and in grace equal to every need.

We believe in the Word of God found in the scripture, tradition, reason and experience.

We believe in the church, we who are united in the living Lord for the purpose of worship and service.

We believe in the reign of God as the divine will realized in human society, and in the family of God, where we are all brothers and sisters. 

We believe in the final triumph of righteousness and in the life everlasting. Amen. 

 Old Testament Lesson: Exodus 16:2-15
*Gospel Lesson: Matthew 20:1-16

Pastoral Prayer: The Lord's Prayer

Anthem:
              
Sermon: The Worst Story Ever Told by Tom Norrell, Pastor
 
Response to the Word:
Eternally loving God, we confess that your "judgment calls" regarding acceptance, forgiveness, and love are beyond our understanding. When we examine ourselves, we see there is little grace in our loving, little grace in our dealings with others compared with yours. We accept others limitedly and selectively, and yet you accept them with wild abandon. We have an "us" and "them" in our minds and hearts that is revealed in our prejudices and discrimination, even while your love is inclusive without exception. And we confess we "keep score," holding grudges, looking to "even the score" when we consider we have been wronged. We are guarded, reasonable people who choose who and how much we will love. Such is the poverty of our loving that we wonder about others who treat us with unexpected generosity of spirit, suspecting a hidden motive. Forgive us, we pray. Amen.

Benediction
Choral Response
Postlude: Brian Dailey, pianist  


*Please stand for the reading of the Gospel.


Upper Room Sunday School
Mornings at Nine-thirty

You are invited to join the Upper Room Sunday school class on
Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM on Zoom. If you want to join, click
the link below and enter the meeting ID and password!


Meeting ID: 815 9104 7549
Password: 778963
Meditation in Central Park

Join John Simmons at 5:00 PM on Sundays in Central Park for a time of meditation and mindfulness activity designed to deal with stress. There is room to practice social distancing. John is certified as a Mind Body Skills Trainer by the Center for Mind Body Medicine in Washington DC. In the past 12 years, John has led dozens of workshops using mindfulness to help cancer patients, patients with chronic pain, patients with post traumatic stress disease and people with varying degrees of anxiety and mild to moderate depression. There will be no fee and no meditation experience is required. The experience will be open to anyone.

Children’s Ministry -
Faithful Families at Home

Central works to resource parents with tools to incorporate Christian education and faith formation into your life. During the fall, we invite Central children and their families to try activities from Traci Smith's "Faithful Families at Home." 
Contact Paige if you would like a copy or if you know of someone else who will enjoy this helpful book.
 
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COVID-19 Office Hours
Monday-Wednesday: 9:00 AM-Noon
Friday: 9:00 AM-Noon
Telephone (864) 582-7263  Fax 582-6944

Tom Norrell, Senior Pastor (864) 384-2779
Paige M. Wolfe, Minister of Christian Ed. and Programs  (864) 710-7363
Sundays at Central

We will worship outdoors at 11:00 am, between the parking garage and the Education Building around the portico. Chairs are provided but please feel free to bring your own.



*Charge Conference is scheduled for Tuesday evening, September 29, 2020, at 6:30 on Zoom.

The meeting will be a virtual online charge conference. The District Superintendent would like to have our reports, signed with signatures at least one week prior to the meeting.

Children and Youth Ministry
Sunday, September 20
Faith and Fun in the Park
Children are invited to an outdoor gathering with a lesson and games on Sunday, September 20 at 3:00 pm. We will meet outside in Central Park for our time together. This will be our first of our monthly gatherings. Wear your masks and prepare to follow social distancing. Please RSVP to Paige.

MYF Kick Off!
Our MYF kick-off this year is Sunday, September 20 at 6:00 pm! We are excited to meet regularly in person again. MYF will meet on the first and third Sundays of the month from 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm. We will meet outdoors when possible and follow safety precautions. All youth 6th grades through 12th grades are invited to attend! Please contact Paige (paige@centralumcs.org) or Stephanie (stephanie@centralumcs.org) with any questions.

SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS

13- Erin Hurlbert
16- Joy Spencer
17- Robby Crocker, Julie DiMarco, 
Clelon Milner
19- Geneva Aycock, Helen Sloan
21- Thomas Diangikes
26- Sue Lowe
27- Rosa Senn

Please pray for . . . .
Dwane Broyles (injury from pit bulldog)
Diane Cantrell (knee surgery today)
Pat Franklin (surgery Friday)
Becky Smith (radiation treatment) 
MEMORIALS
September, 13, 2020

To Eric Guest by Charles & Benita Stavely, and The Upper Room Sunday School Class

To Drew Lands by Gary & Barbie Bordogna, Dee Goforth, Les Howard, Earl & Donna Melton, Luther & Carolyn Rickenbaker


Christian sympathy is extended to Mike and Julie Ayers upon the death of Julie's brother, Michael Hemmer of Oregon on August 4, 2020. Mr. Hemmer was 70 years of age.


Pray for Peace
LORD, make me an instrument
of Your Peace.
Where there is hatred,
Let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.

St. Francis of Assisi
Central Time September 16, 2020
Curious. Caring. Classic.
Spartanburg's First Church, Founded 1837
Please text “Central” to
(864) 661- 4726 if you would like to
receive text notifications from the church.