12:00 P.M. • 7:30 P.M. MARCH 2, 2022
Ash Wednesday Worship Services
Humbly Following Jesus Christ
Welcome Founded in 1848, First Presbyterian is the Atlanta church known for balancing spiritual conviction and tangible compassion. Our sermons, Sunday school classes, small groups, and courses lead people to challenge assumptions and lean into their faith. At the same time, we deeply invest in and serve the members of our congregation, the Atlanta community and beyond. With robust and holistic ministries serving the poor and vulnerable of our city; with global partners in Brazil, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, and Kenya; and with spiritual formation opportunities for all ages, First Presbyterian Church’s purpose is to humbly follow Jesus Christ. Thank you for joining us in worship today! For more ways to connect, keep reading below. GET CONNECTED Sign Up for our Email Blast: youbelong@firstpresatl.org Explore Ways to Volunteer: firstpresatl.org/volunteer Senior Pastor’s Office: Sheila Daniely, sdaniely@firstpresatl.org 404-228-7715 Pastoral Care: Rev. Rob Sparks, rsparks@firstpresatl.org 404-228-7763 Membership: Stephanie Lane, slane@firstpresatl.org 404-228-7757 How to Give: Peggy McCurdy, pmccurdy@firstpresatl.org 404-228-7707 Children’s Ministry: Katie Covington, kcovington@firstpresatl.org 404-228-7712 Youth Ministry: Rachal Little and Ben Fletcher, youth@firstpresatl.org 404-228-7751 20s/30s Young Adult Ministry: Rev. Jamie Butcher, jbutcher@firstpresatl.org 404-228-7718 Courses/Classes: Dr. Chris Holmes, cholmes@firstpresatl.org 404-228-7713 Small Groups: Rev. Jamie Butcher, jbutcher@firstpresatl.org 404-228-7718 Arts & Music: Dr. Jens Korndörfer, jkorndoerfer@firstpresatl.org 404-228-7731 Alternative Worship: Adam Tavolaro, atavolaro@firstpresatl.org 404-228-7705 Community Ministries: Rev. Kate Culver, kculver@firstpresatl.org 404-228-7741 Epiphany/Social Ventures: Rev. Rebekah LeMon, rlemon@firstpresatl.org 404-228-7714 Global Mission: Rev. Leigh Bonner, lbonner@firstpresatl.org 404-228-7723 CHILDREN IN WORSHIP Children are welcome at each of our services and are always invited to remain for its entirety. We believe the best way to raise a child who will continue to worship as a youth and an adult is by inviting them to worship with their church family. Additionally, we offer several options for children through 3rd grade to engage in the Sunday experience in different ways. Sunday School is offered for all ages from 10:00-10:50 a.m. in age-level classrooms. During 9:10 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. worship Godly Play is offered in Room B-111. Godly Play is a Montessori-style approach to Biblical education. It’s a creative, imaginative approach to Christian formation and spiritual guidance where children truly engage with the Bible by seeing and feeling the stories being told. Professional childcare is provided for children in kindergarten and younger on Sunday mornings from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon on the Nursery-Preschool hall. JOINING The next new member class, On Ramp, is May 22, 2022. Contact Stephanie Lane at slane@firstpresatl.org to register.
Reflection in Preparation for Worship The Lenten journey from the ashes of death to resurrected life begins on the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday, which signifies a time to turn around, to change direction, to repent. This first day of Lent reminds us that unless we are willing to die to our old selves, we cannot be raised to new life with Christ. The first step of this journey calls us to acknowledge and confront our mortality, individually and corporately. In many traditions, this is symbolized through the imposition of ashes — placing a cross on one’s forehead. During the imposition of ashes, the words: “You are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19) are repeated again and again. We are to remember that we are but temporary creatures, always on the edge of death. On Ash Wednesday, we begin our Lenten trek through the desert toward Easter. Ashes on the forehead is a sign of our humanity and a reminder of our mortality. Lent is not a matter of being good, and wearing ashes is not to show off one’s faith. The ashes are a reminder to us and our communities of our finite creatureliness. The ashes we wear on our Lenten journey symbolize the dust and broken debris of our lives as well as the reality that eventually each of us will die. Trusting in the “accomplished fact” of Christ’s resurrection, however, we listen for the Word of God in the time-honored stories of the church’s Lenten journey. We follow Jesus into the wilderness, resist temptation, fast, and proceed “on the way” to Jerusalem and the cross. Our Lenten journey is one of metanoia (“turning around”), of changing direction from self-serving toward the self-giving way of the cross.
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12:00 P.M. CHAPEL • MARCH 2, 2022
Ash Wednesday Worship Service Prelude
Jens Korndörfer
Consolation No. 3 – Franz Liszt
Welcome and Invitation to Observe the Season of Lent
Tony Sundermeier
One: Opening Prayer
Dear Brothers and sisters in Christ: the early Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord’s passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the Church that before the Easter celebration there should be a forty-day season of spiritual preparation. During this season converts to the faith were prepared for the Sacrament of Baptism. It was also a time when persons who had committed serious sins and had separated themselves from the community of faith were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness and restored to participation in the life of the Church. In this way the whole congregation was reminded of the mercy and forgiveness proclaimed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and our need for redemption. I invite you to observe a holy Lent: by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial, and by reading and meditating on God’s Holy Word.
All:
Holy God, treasure of faithful hearts, through Jesus Christ, you taught us how to pray, to give, to serve, to live. Reshape, restore, and renew us by the hidden power of your Spirit, so that we may receive the way of life that is the true reward of the faithful, through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen
+ Hymn
#438 Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me – TOPLADY
+ Remembering our Baptism Rebekah LeMon One: Sisters and brothers in Christ, our baptism is the sign and seal of our cleansing from sin, and of our being grafted into Christ. Through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ, the power of sin was broken, and God’s kingdom entered our world. Through our baptism we were made citizens of God’s Kingdom and freed from the bondage of sin. Let us celebrate that freedom and redemption through the renewal of the promises made at our baptism. I ask you, therefore, once again to reject sin, to profess your faith in Christ Jesus, and to confess the faith of the church, he faith in which we were baptized. One:
Trusting in the gracious mercy of God, do you turn from the ways of sin and renounce evil and its power in the world?
All:
I do.
One:
Who is your Lord and Savior?
All:
Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior.
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One:
Will you be Christ’s faithful disciple obeying his word and showing his love?
I will, with God’s help.
All:
One:
Hear the good news! Kate Culver In baptism you were buried with Christ. In baptism also you were raised to life with him, through faith in the power of God who raised Christ from the dead! Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. The old life has gone; a new life has begun. Remember your baptism and be thankful. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
All:
Imposition of Ashes One:
Jamie Butcher
The Lenten journey from the ashes of death to resurrected life begins on the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday, which signifies a time to turn around, to change directions, to repent. This first day of Lent reminds us that unless we are willing to die to our old selves, we cannot be raised to new life with Christ. The first step of this journey calls us to acknowledge and confront our mortality, individually and corporately. In many traditions, this is symbolized through the imposition of ashes — placing a cross on one’s forehead. During the imposition of ashes, the words: “You are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19) are repeated and again. We are to remember that we are but temporary creatures, always on the edge of death. On Ash Wednesday, we begin our Lenten trek through the desert toward Easter.
One: Ashes on the forehead is a sign of our humanity and a reminder of our mortality. Lent is not a matter of being good, and wearing ashes is not to show off one’s faith. The ashes are a reminder to us and our communities of our finite creatureliness. The ashes we wear on our Lenten journey symbolize the dust and broken debris of our lives as well as the reality that eventually each of us will die. One:
Trusting in the “accomplished fact” of Christ’s resurrection, however, we listen for the Word of God in the time-honored stories of the church’s Lenten journey. We follow Jesus into the wilderness, resist temptation, fast, and proceed “on the way” to Jerusalem and the cross. Our Lenten journey is one of metanoia (“turning around”), of changing directions from self-serving toward the self-giving way of the cross.
The congregation is invited to come forward, dip their hand in the baptismal font, and then come to one of the pastors to receive ashes on the hand or on the forehead.
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Scripture Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 (pew Bible, OT, page 798) 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 (pew Bible, NT, page 170)
One: All:
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Sermon
Return to Me
Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper Invitation Prayer of Thanksgiving One: The Lord be with you. All: And also with you. One: Lift up your hearts. All: We lift them up to the Lord. One: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. All: It is right to give our thanks and praise. Words of Institution Communion The congregation is invited to come forward to receive communion by intinction – take a piece of bread and dip it into the cup – or take an individually packaged wafer and juice set from one of the pastors. Closing Prayer and The Lord’s Prayer 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. + Hymn
#434 Restore in Us, O God – BAYLOR
+ Charge and Benediction
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7:30 P.M. SANCTUARY • MARCH 2, 2022
Ash Wednesday Worship Service Prelude
Jens Korndörfer
Consolation No. 3 – Franz Liszt
Welcome and Invitation to Observe the Season of Lent Tony Sundermeier One: Dear Brothers and sisters in Christ: the early Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord’s passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the Church that before the Easter celebration there should be a forty-day season of spiritual preparation. During this season converts to the faith were prepared for the Sacrament of Baptism. It was also a time when persons who had committed serious sins and had separated themselves from the community of faith were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness and restored to participation in the life of the Church. In this way the whole congregation was reminded of the mercy and forgiveness proclaimed in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and our need for redemption. I invite you to observe a holy Lent: by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial, and by reading and meditating on God’s Holy Word. Opening Prayer All: + Hymn
Holy God, treasure of faithful hearts, through Jesus Christ, you taught us how to pray, to give, to serve, to live. Reshape, restore, and renew us by the hidden power of your Spirit, so that we may receive the way of life that is the true reward of the faithful, through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen
#438 Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me – TOPLADY
+ Remembering our Baptism Katie Sundermeier One: Sisters and brothers in Christ, our baptism is the sign and seal of our cleansing from sin, and of our being grafted into Christ. Through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ, the power of sin was broken, and God’s kingdom entered our world. Through our baptism we were made citizens of God’s Kingdom and freed from the bondage of sin. Let us celebrate that freedom and redemption through the renewal of the promises made at our baptism. I ask you, therefore, once again to reject sin, to profess your faith in Christ Jesus, and to confess the faith of the church, he faith in which we were baptized. One:
Trusting in the gracious mercy of God, do you turn from the ways of sin and renounce evil and its power in the world?
All:
I do.
One:
Who is your Lord and Savior?
All:
Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior.
One:
Will you be Christ’s faithful disciple obeying his word and showing his love?
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All:
I will, with God’s help.
One:
Hear the good news! Chris Holmes In baptism you were buried with Christ. In baptism also you were raised to life with him, through faith in the power of God who raised Christ from the dead! Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. The old life has gone; a new life has begun. Remember your baptism and be thankful. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
All:
Imposition of Ashes One:
Rob Sparks
The Lenten journey from the ashes of death to resurrected life begins on the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday, which signifies a time to turn around, to change directions, to repent. This first day of Lent reminds us that unless we are willing to die to our old selves, we cannot be raised to new life with Christ. The first step of this journey calls us to acknowledge and confront our mortality, individually and corporately. In many traditions, this is symbolized through the imposition of ashes — placing a cross on one’s forehead. During the imposition of ashes, the words: “You are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19) are repeated and again. We are to remember that we are but temporary creatures, always on the edge of death. On Ash Wednesday, we begin our Lenten trek through the desert toward Easter.
One: Ashes on the forehead is a sign of our humanity and a reminder of our mortality. Lent is not a matter of being good, and wearing ashes is not to show off one’s faith. The ashes are a reminder to us and our communities of our finite creatureliness. The ashes we wear on our Lenten journey symbolize the dust and broken debris of our lives as well as the reality that eventually each of us will die. One:
Trusting in the “accomplished fact” of Christ’s resurrection, however, we listen for the Word of God in the time-honored stories of the church’s Lenten journey. We follow Jesus into the wilderness, resist temptation, fast, and proceed “on the way” to Jerusalem and the cross. Our Lenten journey is one of metanoia (“turning around”), of changing directions from self-serving toward the self-giving way of the cross.
The congregation is invited to come forward, dip their hand in the baptismal font, and then come to one of the pastors to receive ashes on the hand or on the forehead.
Choral Anthem
Brad Ritchie, Cello & Choir
Come to Me – Dan Forrest Come to me, all you who labor Come to me, and I will give you rest. Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, And you will find rest for your souls.
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Come, My Child, Learn My Heart, For I am gentle and lowly. See how great My love for you, that I have called you My Child.
Scripture Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 (pew Bible, OT, page 798) 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 (pew Bible, NT, page 170)
One: All:
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Sermon
Return to Me
Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper Invitation Prayer of Thanksgiving One: The Lord be with you. All: And also with you. One: Lift up your hearts. All: We lift them up to the Lord. One: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. All: It is right to give our thanks and praise. Words of Institution Communion The congregation is invited to come forward to receive communion by intinction – take a piece of bread and dip it into the cup – or take an individually packaged wafer and juice set from one of the pastors.
Choral Anthem
At Thy Feet – J.S. Bach At Thy feet we humbly kneel, Lord, be near us; May we now Thy presence feel, Lord, be near us; Fill our hearts with love of Thee, Lord, be near us; In Thy mercy hear us. Keep us free from all alarms, Lord, be near us; In thinever lasting arms hold and cheer us, Lord be near us; Bind our souls with bonds of faith, Lord be near us; In thy mercy hear us. Closing Prayer and The Lord’s Prayer 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. + Hymn
#434 Restore in Us, O God – BAYLOR
+ Charge and Benediction
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Information Sunday Worship at 8:30 a.m., 9:10 a.m., 11:00 a.m.; Livestream at 9:10 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. MINISTERS: ALL MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH PARTICIPATING IN WORSHIP LEADERSHIP TODAY Dr. Daniel Bara, Co-Director of the Choir and Orchestra
Dr. Jens Korndörfer, Director of Worship & the Arts, Organist
Rev. Jamie Butcher, Associate Pastor for Discipleship and Formation
Rev. Rebekah Close LeMon, Executive Pastor
Rev. Kate Culver, Pastor for Community Ministries
Rev. Rob Sparks, Associate Pastor for Care
Dr. Chris Holmes, Stembler Scholar and Director of Biblical and Theological Education
Rev. Katie Sundermeier, Parish Visitor and Executive Director of Samaritan Counseling Center
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Did you know that… 17% of our pledging households are older than 77 years old 51% of our pledging households are between 58-76 25% of our pledging households are between 42-57 7% of our pledging households are 41 years old and younger As of February 21 Pledging Households: 182 Total Pledged: $31,160,030 • Campaign Goal: $40,000,000
Dr. Tony Sundermeier, Senior Pastor Dr. George B. Wirth, Pastor Emeritus PRAYERS FOR THOSE IN MILITARY SERVICE Lt. Karim Abu-Akel Captain Alexandria Miller-Anderson Lt. Col. Charles Ayers Pvt. Forrest “Woody” Bass Lt. Benjamin S. Bondurant Maj. Jamison Bowman, Chaplain
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ABE3 Gregory Bridges Captain Steven Brinkley Captain Ryan Dick SPC Mason Fox AM3 Glenn Thomas Johnson HA Robert Louis Johnson Staff Sgt. Kevin Lee Lt. Jg. Rachel Dudley McKenzie
Lt. Troy McKenzie Lt. Wilson M. McManus Maj. John Warren Robey Captain Gabriel Rulewicz Maj. General Russell Sanborn Captain Ryan Tewell Col. Roderick G. Turner III
Lent Sermon Series: Characters at the Cross
Join us for this series that explores the major characters from the crucifixion story March 6 Characters at the Cross: Pontius Pilate Psalm 2 and Matthew 27:1-2, 11-26 Rebekah LeMon, Preaching March 13 Characters at the Cross: Simon of Cyrene Matthew 16:24-26 and Matthew 27:27-32 Chris Holmes, Preaching March 20 Characters at the Cross: The Wailing Women Jeremiah 31:15-17 and Luke 23:27-31 Tony Sundermeier, Preaching March 27 Characters at the Cross: The Soldiers Matthew 27:27-37 Tony Sundermeier, Preaching April 3 Characters at the Cross: The Criminals Isaiah 53:1-12 and Luke 23:32-43 Tony Sundermeier, Preaching April 10, Palm Sunday Characters at the Cross: The Centurion Mark 11:1-10 and Mark 15:25-32 Tony Sundermeier, Preaching
Easter Sunday April 17, 2022
Sunrise, 6:45 a.m. Garden and Chapel Traditional 1, 9:00 a.m. Sanctuary Alternative, 9:30 a.m. Fifield Hall Traditional 2, 11:00 a.m. Sanctuary Tony Sundermeier, Preaching
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1328 Peachtree Street NE Atlanta, Georgia 30309 www.firstpresatl.org