HOMECOMING 2021 - Northeastern Presbyterian Church

HOMECOMING 2021

            Northeastern Presbyterian Church
        2112 Varnum Street, NE, Washington, DC 20018
   Telephone: (202) 526-1730 Fax: (202) 526-5900
Email: admin@nepc-dc.org; Website: http://nepc-dc.org.

          September 26, 2021     10:00 A.M.
         Worship Service by Zoom and In-person

Welcome to Northeastern Presbyterian Church

            WE GATHER AS GOD’S PEOPLE IN PRAISE AND PRAYER

WELCOME

INTROIT                      “Are You Ready”                  Celestial Choir

INVOCATION

CALL TO WORSHHIP
One: Today we celebrate the loving presence of God in our life.
Many: May that loving presence be a strong influence all the
       days of our lives.
One:   We rejoice that God teaches us about faith, love and
       forgiveness.
Many: May we grow in our faith, to more fully love and trust
       in the Lord.
One:   May our worship, witness and service bring honor to God’s
       Holy Name.
Many: Nurturing God, we gather together in Your Name to
       worship You.
All: Amen

Opening Hymn                                    “Great is Thy Faithfulness”

Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father.
There is no shadow of turning with thee.
Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not.
As thou hast been thou forever wilt be.

Refrain:
Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed thy hand hath provided.
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

 Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
sun, moon, and stars in their courses above,
join with all nature in manifold witness
to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. [Refrain]

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow;
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! [Refrain]

PRAYER OF CONFESSION (unison)

Save me O God, I cry one more time. Lord, I am weary of calling for help. I am
floundering. My feet cannot find a foothold. Your spirit must carry my prayers
for my voice is gone. My eyes have failed; I no longer see you. Everything has been
stripped from me, and people want me to pay for things I never took. Deliver me
from the depths I have plunged into out of my own choice. Forgive me both for my
own sin and especially for the disgrace I have brought upon people who hope in
You. I come to You because You have always been my rock and my redeemer; my
steadfast council over all things. Your patience I ask for, your grace and mercy, I
pray for. In the blessed Name of Your son Jesus, Amen.

ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS:
God of all, you love us beyond compare and are faithful to us even when we
turn away. You are patient and wise, caring and just. We admit we are not
worthy of your love for us or deserving of your good favor. We have ignored
your will and failed to be grateful for your mercy and blessings. Forgive us
again. Restore us to a right relationship with you and with one another, for
we ask it in Christ’s name. Amen.

WELCOME TO OUR VISITORS

PASSING THE PEACE

                    (phones unmuted to greet one another in love)

            One:         May the peace of Christ be with you!
            Many:        And also, with you! Peace be with you!

SHARING OUR TESTIMONIES

APOSTLE FRED DOWNING’S BIOGRAPHY

MUSICAL SELECTION             “How Great is our God”               Celestial Choir

                          WE EXPERIENCE GOD’S WORD

FIRST SCRIPTURE READING:                                          Esther 7:1 - 10

7 So the king and Haman went to dine with Queen Esther. 2 And on the second
day, aat the banquet of wine, the king again said to Esther, “What is your petition,
Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request, up to half the
kingdom? It shall be done!”

3 Then Queen Esther answered and said, “If I have found favor in your sight,
O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my
people at my request. 4 For we have been bsold, my people and I, to be destroyed,
to be killed, and to be annihilated. Had we been sold as cmale and female slaves, I
would have held my tongue, although the enemy could never compensate for the
king’s loss.”
   5 So King Ahasuerus answered and said to Queen Esther, “Who is he, and
where is he, who would dare presume in his heart to do such a thing?”
   6 And Esther said, “The adversary and denemy is this wicked Haman!”
   So Haman was terrified before the king and queen.
   7 Then the king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went into the
palace garden; but Haman stood before Queen Esther, pleading for his life, for he
saw that evil was determined against him by the king. 8 When the king returned
from the palace garden to the place of the banquet of wine, Haman had fallen
across ethe couch where Esther was. Then the king said, “Will he also assault the
queen while I am in the house?”
   As the word left the king’s mouth, they fcovered Haman’s
face. 9 Now Harbonah, one of the eunuchs, said to the king, “Look! The gallows,
fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai, who spoke igood on the king’s
behalf, is standing at the house of Haman.”
   Then the king said, “Hang him on it!”
   10 So jthey hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai.
Then the king’s wrath subsided.

SERMONIC SELECTION                         “Yes”                   Celestial Choir

SERMON            “If You Ignore God’s Time, You
                      May Miss Your Turn!”                  Apostle Fred Downing

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (Unison):

The same Spirit who inspired the prophets and apostles
rules our faith and life in Christ through Scripture,
engages us through the Word proclaimed,
claims us in the waters of baptism,
feeds us with the bread of life and the cup of salvation,
and calls women and men to all ministries of the Church.

In a broken and fearful world the Spirit gives us courage
to pray without ceasing,
to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior,
to unmask idolatries in Church and culture,
to hear the voices of peoples long silenced,
and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace.

In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit,
we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks
and to live holy and joyful lives,
even as we watch for God’s new heaven and new earth,
praying, “Come, Lord Jesus!”

With believers in every time and place,
we rejoice that nothing in life or in death
can separate us from the love of God
in Christ Jesus our Lord.

HOMECOMING LITANY

Leader: Eternal and loving God, today we give thanks to you for your
        goodness through all the years of worship and witness in this place.
        For your grace in calling us to be your people,

For the love revealed to us in Christ your Son,
        For your gift of the Spirit and the joy of salvation:

Congregation: We give you thanks, O God.

Leader: For those who established this congregation,
        For their faith and vision, for their gifts and abilities:

Congregation: We give you thanks, O God.

Leader: For all who have been members of this congregation,
        For those who have given freely of their time and money,
        For those whose wisdom guided our congregation:

Congregation: We give you thanks, O God.

Leader: For all who have preached and taught here;
        For all who have confessed here that Jesus is Lord;
        For all who today lead in worship, witness, and service:

Congregation: We give you thanks, O God.

ALL: Give us the assurance that we too belong to that great company,
And that we too may find the peace that passes understanding.

THE OFFERING

      Use your bank‛s online bill-paying options
      Mail your check to the church
      2112 Varnum St., NE
      Washington, DC 20018

      Go to nepc-dc.org
      Click on Donate or Cash App at the bottom of the page

THE DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen!

PRAYER OF DEDICATION

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

                  TYPE YOUR PRAYERS INTO ZOOM CHAT

THE LORD‛S PRAYER

CLOSING HYMN                           “Now Thank We All Our God”

Now thank we all our God
with heart and hands and voices,
who wondrous things has done,
in whom his world rejoices;
who from our mothers' arms
has blessed us on our way
with countless gifts of love,
and still is ours today.

 O may this bounteous God
through all our life be near us,
with ever joyful hearts
and blessed peace to cheer us,
to keep us in his grace,
and guide us when perplexed,
and free us from all ills
of this world in the next.

 All praise and thanks to God
the Father now be given,

the Son and Spirit blest,
who reign in highest heaven
the one eternal God,
whom heaven and earth adore;
for thus it was, is now,
and shall be evermore.

             WE GO FORTH AND SERVE GOD AND NEIGHBOR

BENEDICTION

POSTLUDE

FELLOWSHIP

Lectionary: Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22 and Psalm 124; Complementary: Numbers
11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29 and Psalm 19:7-14; James 5:13-20; Mark 9: 38-50
Liturgist: Elder Denise Hodges

ANNOUNCEMENTS

LITERARY CLUB SELECTION: The Literary Club invites you to join them every
first Sunday at 1:00 p.m. to discuss the book of the month. Listed below is the
selection for next month:

            October – Barracoon, by Zora Neale Hurston

REMEMBER THE SICK AND SHUT IN: Remember the sick and shut in. With
the Pandemic, many days of inclement weather, and other obstacles preventing us
from visiting one another, a phone call, email, text, or card goes a long way to
show others how much you care. So bring sunshine and warmth to someone’s day
by reaching out. If you know of anyone who should be included on our Sick and
Shut-in list, contact the church office with the name or names.

SUNDAY MORNING ADULT CHURCH SCHOOL: Join Sunday morning Adult
Church School each week at 9:00 a.m. via conference call.

The new instructions for the Sunday Adult Church School Class before worship
are:

Dial-in number - (267) 807-9601 (new number)

Access code -   828-160-800 (no change)

Please pass the word to those interested in participating in the Adult class
discussions.

GROUP BIBLE STUDY has resumed on Tuesdays at 11:00 am on Zoom. Contact
Ruby Webb if you have questions.

REMEMBER THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE period closes on November 23,
2021. Please make every effort to participate in filling the vacancies in the

offices of Elder, Deacon, and Trustee, as well as positions on the Nominating
Committee by nominating an agreed-upon member or even yourself.

YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN THE SOCIAL CONCERNS/PEACE KEEPING
COMMITTEE at Northeastern Presbyterian Church’s first “Virtual” Health Fair
on Saturday, October 16th from 10am until 1pm. There will be games and an
exercise segment. We will also feature presentations on Diabetes with a cooking
demonstration, mental health, Dementia, and Alzheimer’s. Information for signing
in and registering will be sent at a later date.

                              DEEPEST SYMPATHY

Theresa (Reed) Wilson, 1st cousin of Valencia Hawkins, went home to be with the
Lord on September 25, 2021.

Pam Washington, 1stcousin to Valencia Hawkins, passed on September 9 2021.

NORTHEASTERN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH VISION STATEMENT

As we rely on God’s guidance, the vision of Northeastern Presbyterian Church is to
fulfill the command of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to promote Christian faith
and practice through evangelism, outreach, compassion and fellowship to our
congregation and the wider community.

                           We commit to:
                           • Worship
                           • Witness
                           • Learn
                           • Grow
                           • Nurture
                           • Serve

            1-Carolyn Mundy, 2-Irving Harris, 3-Annie Marie Hill,
            5-Alexandra Brown, Michele Peters,11-Kathy Cuff, Robert
            Davis, Jr. 20-Ethel Thomas, 21-Arris Simmons, Angela
            Hemphill, 24-Monika Nixon, 28-Kyler Spencer

                   If your birthday is not listed contact the church office.

Our Thoughts & Prayers are with Northeastern Members & Family:

          Elder John Murphy, 812 Quackenbos St., NW, Wash., DC 20011
           Mr. Ralph Payne, Arbor Terrace, 9885 Greenbelt Rd., Lanham,
           MD 20706 (CARDS ONLY, NO CALLS)

Members
Mr. Edmund Annor, 4029 22nd Street, NE, DC, 20018, 2/832-5049
Mrs. Maxine Best, 3154 Gracefield Rd., #201, Silver Spring, MD 20904, 240-863-3213
Mrs. Ethel Farrior, 223 7th St., NE, DC 20002
Mrs. Mozella Harris, 802 Hillsboro Dr., Silver Spring, MD, 20902, 3/649-372
Mrs. Harriette Hemby, Arbor Terrace, 9885 Greenbelt Rd., Lanham, MD, 20706
Mrs. Mary Hinton, 9250 Edwards Way, #106, Adelphi, MD 20783, 3/439-9229
Mrs. Beatrice O’Bryant, 5339 42nd St., NW, DC, 20015, 2/966-2212
,Mr. James Page, Jr., 6639 24th Pl., Hyattsville, MD 20782, 3/853-3239
Ms. Tonya Pegram, 512 Ridge Rd., SE, #305, DC 20019, 3/706-4420
Mrs. Myrtle Simpson, 811 Kennedy St., NE, DC, 20011, 2/526-2407
Mrs. Faye Waters, 527 32nd St., Oakland, CA, 2/297-6780
Mrs. Rose Wheeler, 4714 Powder Mill Rd., Beltsville, MD 20705
Ms. Ethelyne Wilkes, 1217 Tuckerman St., NW, DC 20011, 2/726-6119
Mrs. Eleanor Wood, 1712 Buchanan St., NE, DC 2/529-7515
Mr. Joseph Witherspoon, 1631 Webster St., NW, DC 20011 2/570-6219

Family
Ms. Rhonda Jackson – 2216 Alice Avenue, #202, Oxon Hill, MD 20745 (Cousin to
Miriam Pegram)
Mr. Ashton Brown, Elsada Peter’s nephew. He resides at 24118 Rosalia Court,
Richmond, Tx. 77406.
Mrs. Lillian Mouzon, 880 Boynton St. Apt.9A, Bronx, NY 10473 (sister to Thelma
Jones)

              “Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me, and I will be saved, for
              You are my praise.” (Jeremiah 17:14)

Church Officers
  Elders                       Deacons                         Trustees
Cynthia Gervais            Madelyn Fisher                    Loretta Bowers
Pamela Gessesse            Valerie McCray                    Frank Enty
Angela Hemphill            Lilla Midgette                    Ernest Harris
Shirley Logan              Glynis Pegram-Higgs               Eliot Johnson
John Murphy                Janell Walker                     Elise Whyte
Michele Peters             Charles Webb                      James Williams
Shawn Thomas               Rita Newton, Moderator            Shirley Wilson
James Wilson               new4rita@aol.com                  Patricia Young
Charles Barber, Clerk      301-772-1059                      240-970-5724
cbarber@gwu.edu            Katrin Jones, Vice Moderator      Nachee Miller, President
202-994-5534 (work)        katrinskreations@yahoo.com        nacheem@yahoo.com
202-374-5594 (cell)                                          301-213-5437
                           240-532-0416 (cell)

                               Church Music Staff

     Director, Chancel Choir/Organist                     -        Dr. Laddie Bell
     Director/Pianist, Celestial Choir                    - Rev. Rosemarie Jones
     Director, Pianist, Youth/Cherub Choir                 -   Ms. Jennifer Allen

                           CHURCH OFFICE HOURS
                          Wednesday: (9:00a – 1:00p)
                          E-mail: admin@nepc-dc.org.