“The Hope of Jesus” November 30, 2025 Worship Service

“Happy New Year!” No, that’s not a mistake… November 30th marked the first Sunday of Advent and the beginning of a new Christian year. Excitement and anticipation can be found in “the Hope of Jesus.” CCLI Copyright License 1030652 Size A Streaming License 20686773 Size A (Disclosure: First Presbyterian Church, and its members, do not own any rights to the music played during this service, nor do they receive any royalties for using these pieces. Our license allows us to use the songs we list that are in the “Glory to God, The Presbyterian Hymnal”) We thank you for viewing our Sunday service of November 30, 2025, the 1st Sunday of Advent. We pray that you feel God’s love around you as watch our service, and please, if you can, come join us in person any Sunday. Our service began with Rev. Amie M. Vanderford, our Pastor, welcoming everyone to our service and making a few announcements. Our liturgist, Daniel McDill, made announcements of activities happening in our church, and then invited those in attendance to greet each other. After a few moments everyone sang our welcoming song, “Sanctuary,” number 701 from our Presbyterian Hymnal. Mr. McDill then led those present in the Call to Worship and read the opening prayer. During our service, the congregation then sang the following hymn from our hymnal, “Glory to God, The Presbyterian Hymnal” (used with permission): 88 “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” 98 “Watchmen, Tell Us of the Night” 104 “O Lord, How Shall I Meet You” Our scripture readings for this Sunday were as follows: Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 2:1-5 Gospel Reading: Matthew 24:36-44 During our Hymn Sing time the congregation sang the following songs: 301 “Let Us Build a House,” vs. 1-2 552 “Holy, Holy, Holy” 353 “My Hope is Built on Nothing Less Rev. Vanderford’s message was entitled “The Hope of Jesus.” During the service our organist, Michael Clabough, played the following: Prelude: “Allein Gott in der Höh sei Her” (All Glory to God in the Highest, or, Gloria in Excelsis Deo); Hymn Tune and Lyric: Nicolas Decius, 1539 Chorale Prelude: BWV 662, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) OFFERTORY: “Allein Gott in der Höh sei Her” Chorale Prelude: BWV 717, Johann Sebastian Bach POSTLUDE: “Allein Gott in der Höh sei Her” Chorale for Organ: BWV 715, Johann Sebastian Bach (NOTE: LOUDNESS ALERT) We thank you for watching our service, and we pray you are blessed by this service. If you would like to attend our regular Sunday morning worship services, we meet at 10:45 a.m. September through May (CST) and 10:00 a.m. June through August, and. Any and all are welcomed to join us in worship. First Presbyterian Church 201 S. 5th Street P.O. Box 612 Independence, KS 67301 (620) 331-0241 Visit our website at: http://fpc-indy-ks.org/ Visit us on Facebook at: First Presbyterian Church, Independence, Kansas   / indyfirstpresbyterian   . Our office hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and closed on Fridays. Rev. Amie M. Vanderford, Full time Pastor Alberta F. Smith, Office Manager/Secretary We can be reached by phone at (620) 331-0241 or by email at [email protected] OUR MISSION STATEMENT: Because of God’s grace, love, and gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, we worship, witness, teach and serve. THE LORD'S PRAYER: "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be they 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." We celebrate communion the first Sunday of each month. All in attendance are invited to participate in communion as we practice open communion. We offer gluten free bread for communion also. You need not be a member of FPC, or any Presbyterian Church, to be a part of communion. ABOUT THE MUSIC : The Gloria in Excelsis has become such an integral part of Christian worship that it's easy to overlook its origins in the Christmas story (St. Luke's Gospel 2:14). Bach wrote numerous compositions - especially for organ - based on it. Heard to-day are three of them which sort of bookend the composer's career. The Prelude, from the “Great Eighteen” organ chorales, dates from Bach's Leipzig years and shows a composer at the height of his powers with the intricate canons in the inner voices. The Offertory, which sets the tune in an engaging trio, probably dates from about 1708, and a longer version can be found in the Great Eighteen chorales. The Postlude dates from Bach's early career at Arnstadt and includes one of Bach's few “Which stops do I use?” indications – in this case, full organ. The piece may indeed be a musically-sarcastic riposte to the Arstadt elders' criticisms that their young virtuoso organist “confused the congregation” with his “unsingable” hymn accompaniments.