Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King - Second Presbyterian Church

Remembering
Dr. Martin Luther King

Second Sunday after Epiphany
                           January 17, 2021

               GATHERING AROUND GOD’S WORD

Prelude       We Shall Overcome Spiritual           arr. Adolphus Hailstork

Introit                 Great Day Spiritual                arr. Marvin Curtis
Great day, the righteous marching, God’s gonna build up Zion’s walls.
Chariot rode on the mountain top, my God spoke and the chariot did stop.
This is the day of Jubilee, the Lord has set his people free.

**Call to Worship (responsively)
Leader: God is love! As we love others, we live out God’s love together.
People: God of love, light a flame of love in our hearts for you.
Leader: Jesus is love! As we learn of the risen Christ, and seek to follow
        his example, we live out God’s love together.
People: Christ of love, light a flame of love in our hearts for our
        family and friends, our neighbors and strangers.
Leader: The Holy Spirit is love! As we seek to be inspired and illumined,
        we are transformed, and live out God’s love together.
People: Holy Spirit of love, light a flame of love in our hearts for those
        in need, those who struggle, even our enemies; that your love
        might rule in all the world.

**Hymn                      Guide My Feet                              #741

Prayer of Confession (unison)
Lord, forgive us: We have pushed you far away. We have made you
into an object to be worshiped, forgetting that you are a presence to
be loved. We have been careless with our fellow human beings,
because we have not seen you among them. We have neglected your
work and your witness, because we believed you were not watching
over us. We have closed the doors of our hearts and homes, protecting
our privacy even from you. Lord, open our lives. Make us aware of
your presence in every neglected corner and every forgotten space we
inhabit, so that our lives may overflow with love, joy and vitality,
because you are with us. Amen.

Silent Confession

Declaration of Pardon (responsively)
Leader: Hear the good news! The God who challenges us is also the God
        who encourages us.
People: The God who confronts us is also the God who accepts us.
Leader: There is no sin so terrible that God cannot forgive:
People: No hurt so horrible that God cannot heal.
Leader: Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, God accepts, forgives
        and sets us free to live in peace with all people.
People: Thanks be to God!

**Gloria Patri                                                        #581
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in
the beginning is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, Amen.

**Passing of the Peace (responsively)
Leader: The good news is to all those who are near and far away.
People: The good news is to all who are neighbors and strangers.
Leader: Because Christ loves us, we are members of the household of
        faith. We are one in the Spirit—we are family.

People: Because Christ calls us, we are citizens of the realm of God.
        We are living out God’s precious kingdom.
Leader: The peace of Christ be with you.
People: And also with you.

                 PROCLAIMING GOD’S WORD

Prayer of Illumination

Scripture Lesson         Amos 5:16-24
    Leader: The word of God for the people of God.
    People: Thanks be to God!
16
   Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord:
In all the squares there shall be wailing;
    and in all the streets they shall say, “Alas! alas!”
They shall call the farmers to mourning,
    and those skilled in lamentation, to wailing;
17
   in all the vineyards there shall be wailing,
    for I will pass through the midst of you,
says the Lord.
18
   Alas for you who desire the day of the Lord!
    Why do you want the day of the Lord?
It is darkness, not light;
19
      as if someone fled from a lion,
    and was met by a bear;
or went into the house and rested a hand against the wall,
    and was bitten by a snake.
20
   Is not the day of the Lord darkness, not light,
    and gloom with no brightness in it?
21
   I hate, I despise your festivals,
    and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
22
   Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
    I will not accept them;

and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals
   I will not look upon.
23
   Take away from me the noise of your songs;
   I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
24
   But let justice roll down like waters,
   and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream

Solo              Balm In Gilead                spiritual, arr. H. T. Burleigh
            John Concepcion, soloist
There is a Balm in Gilead, to make the wounded whole, there is a Balm in
Gilead, to heal the sin-sick soul. Sometimes I feel discouraged, and think
my work’s in vain, but then the Holy Spirit revives my soul again. If you
can preach like Peter, if you can pray like Paul, go home and tell your
neighbor, “He died to save us all.”

Scripture Lesson         John 1:35-42
    Leader: The word of God for the people of God.
    People: Thanks be to God!
35
  The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and as
he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of
God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed
Jesus. 38 When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them,
“What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated
means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and
see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with
him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. 40 One of the two
who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s
brother. 41 He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have
found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). 42 He brought Simon to
Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are
to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

Sermon                 “Reform or Revolution?”
                   Reverend Dr. David Neff, preaching

                  RESPONDING TO GOD’S WORD

**Hymn                     We Shall Overcome                          #379

**Affirmation of Faith (unison)                     The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the
Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead and buried; he descended into hell; the third day
he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on
the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come
to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy
catholic church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the
resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

Welcome and Announcements

Anthem                 Hold On               spiritual, arr. Margaret Bonds
Noah, Noah, let me come in, door’s all fastened and the window’s pinned,
keep your hand on the plow, hold on. Noah said “You done lost your
track, can’t plow straight and keep a-lookin’ back, keep your hand on the
plow, hold on. Mary had a golden chain, every link was in my Jesus’
name, keep your hand on the plow, hold on. Keep on a-plowin’ and don’t
you tire, every round goes higher and higher, keep your hand on the plow,
hold on. Wanna go to heaven, I’ll tell you how, keep your hand on the
gospel plow, keep your hand on-a that plow, hold on. I was blind and
could not see, Jesus opened my eyes for me, keep your hand on-a that
plow, hold on.

**A Litany of Dedication (responsively)
Leader: We give thanks this day for the life and creative ministry of the
        Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
People: In our thanksgiving, we rededicate ourselves to the quest for
        racial justice in our land.
Leader: We call anew for God’s grace to lead us to speak out against
        bigotry in all its forms.
People: We stand in solidarity with all who have blazed a trail for
        freedom. We are not afraid today.
Leader: We will seek to work with God’s children of every race, that
        justice and equality might prevail.
People: We are united in the struggle and know that right is on our
        side. We’ll walk hand in hand today.
Leader: We will look forward to a world in which all are judged—not by
        the color of their skin—but by the content of their character.
People: We believe that the arc of justice bends favorably toward
        those who work for justice. We will live in peace someday.
Leader: The struggle to end racism will not come easily, but we believe
        that one day our strength to love shall bring the Dream to fruition,
        and the Beloved Community to earth.
People: By God’s grace, deep in our hearts, we do believe that we
        shall overcome some day.

         BEARING THE WORD OUT INTO THE WORLD

**Hymn                  Lift Every Voice and Sing                      #339

**The Charge and the Benediction

**Benediction            Free At Last, spiritual         arr. Jester Hairston
Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty I’m free at last. This is the
year of Jubilee, when my Lord set His people free. I prayed all night, I
prayed all day, till my Lord He showed me the way.

Postlude       Improvisation on ‘We Shall Overcome’
                                            spiritual, arr. Carl Haywood

Thanks to Those Assisting in Our Service
Liturgists  Brian Louis and Darlene Pollard

                      OUR MISSION AND VISION

Mission Statement: We are a diverse and inclusive community bringing
people to Christ through the power of service, education, hospitality and
compassion.

Vision Statement: Second Presbyterian Church seeks to be a diverse,
vibrant and passionate Christ-centered community of hospitality and
outreach actively serving the South Loop, the city of Chicago, and the
world. We accomplish this through inspirational worship in our historic
sanctuary, educational ministry to all ages, and the power of
compassionate service to our neighbors.

                          ANNOUNCEMENTS
Worship

Welcome to Second Presbyterian Church. All are welcome regardless of
ethnicity, economic group or sexual orientation to share together in the joy
and power of God’s love in Jesus Christ.

Worship is live-streamed on our website www.2ndpresbyterian.org each
Sunday morning. Join us at 10:55 a.m. for the worship. Copies of sermons
and bulletins will be mailed and emailed to all who request them.

The Circle of Prayer begins next Thursday at noon. For thirty minutes, we
pray for one another, our family, our friends, our city and our world;
concluding by 12:30 p.m. The call in number is (312) 626-6799; meeting
#811 8615 6150; passcode 965 126. All are welcome.

Per Capita Offering – Each year, Second Presbyterian Church pays a
“per-capita” apportionment on each member of the church. This goes to
support the mission and ministry of the larger church, including the
Presbytery of Chicago, the Synod of Lincoln Trails and the General
Assembly. Your gift of $36 per person helps the church fund its annual
obligation dues to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Please submit your
per-capita offering and consider making a gift to help others in our
congregation that may find it difficult to give.

We are still taking prayer requests but now you can submit them by
clicking this link https://forms.gle/72RzSMc9tAA7y5st8 so that we can
pray with you and for you. All prayer requests will go to Pastor Neff and
our Office Administrator Ashley. There is an option to mark whether or
not your prayer is private.

The devotional booklet “These Days” for January-February-March is
available in the church office. For your copy, please call the church office.

Bible Studies:
We welcome you to join our Sunday morning and Tuesday afternoon
Bible Study Classes. If you would like the curriculum, please contact the
church office. We will be using phone calls for bible studies and Zoom for
other groups. Conference Call number: (312) 248-0036. No PIN required.
   Sunday Morning Bible Study 9:30 a.m.
   Tuesday Galatians 1:30 p.m.

Alpha to Omega Bible Discussion Group: will be led by Doug Walters
until January will continue to be monthly on the second and fourth
Thursdays starting with the New Testament with the first half of Matthew.
New conference call number: (312) 248-0036. No PIN required. For more
information, please contact Flea Parker at flea@golden2.net or (210) 861-
6988.

RIM (Recreation and Interest Ministries) Committee

Money Smart - Course Listing: Complete Education Program
Wintrust Bank will continue its series of FREE Money Smart classes on
Monday evenings via Zoom for all who are interested. Their Money Smart
Curriculum, provided by the FDIC, is a great tool to help our communities
reach their goals. This training program is geared toward consumers, small
business owners, and young adults, and this FREE program provides
pretests, workbooks, PowerPoint presentations, and certificates of
completion.
Please make note of the days below:
February 1, 2020 – MODULE 2: You Can Bank On It
February 8, 2020 – MODULE 5: Your Savings
February 23, 2020 – MODULE 6: Credit Reports and Scores
March 1, 2020 – MODULE 7: Borrowing Basics
They will be conducted at 6:00 p.m. via Zoom. The modules will be
mailed to us at the church so we can distribute them in advance. Please
sign up and send your name and email to Howard Tiffen
(htiffen@gmail.com) or Ann Belletire (annabelle620e@aol.com).

Movie Group: On January 22nd, we will discuss Black Narcissus; a 1947
film, based on the 1939 novel of the same name by Rumer Godden. The
story follows a group of Anglican nuns who are sent to start a convent in
the Himalayas. Each person will watch the movie on their own and then
we will gather on Zoom to discuss it. This event is brought to you by the
RIM committee.

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87830257932?pwd=alNtMUh6eFpNNlpobWZ
0WFlDRTNodz09
Time: January 22nd at 6:30 p.m. Central Time (US and Canada)
Meeting ID: 878 3025 7932
Password: 602018
One tap mobile:
+13017158592,,87830257932#,,1#,602018# US (Germantown)
+13126266799,,87830257932#,,1#,602018# US (Chicago)
Dial by your location:
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kd6iBD5qb

Book Group: Our next book of discussion is The War on
Neighborhoods by Ryan Lugalia-Hollon and Daniel Cooper. This will take
place via Zoom on February 21st at 9:30 a.m. Please email Ann Belletire if
you would like to join this very lively discussion group at
annabelle620e@aol.com.
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82595103879
Meeting ID: 825 9510 3879
One tap mobile:
+13017158592,,82595103879# US (Germantown)
+13126266799,,82595103879# US (Chicago)
Dial by your location:
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdP1wkKWdw

Community Interests:

Coat Drive: Second Presbyterian Church is hosting its annual Winter
Coat Drive until February 2021. Donations of warm clothes, socks, sweat

shirts, hoodies, sweaters, coats, gloves, caps, scarves and mittens will be
distributed to our neighbors in need. Donations are received Tuesdays
through Fridays, 9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. We regret that we must decline
clothing donations other than warm winter clothing.

Support Our Mission and Ministry

The work of the church is critical in this time of crisis. Our ministry
continues to grow in creative and innovative ways. You may now give
your offering on the Second Presbyterian Church website at
www.2ndpresbyterian.org. Look for the “Donate” button and scroll down,
following the prompts. Thank you for your faithful giving!

Connect with Us

Dr. Neff’s sermons, poetry and reflections on ministry can be found in his
blog: www.davidneff.me. To obtain copies of sermons, please contact the
church office.

PRAYER REQUESTS (please pray for the following)

Ashley McLean – my grandparents; family and friends; Guy, Bella and
JB; the pursuit of happiness; understanding and wisdom; the Baer family
Pastor Neff – the Presbyterian Synod of Cameroon; for all pastors, elders
and churches living under persecution
Nate Battle – Sister Elaine
Bill Tyre – Cousin James Boyle, who is battling illness
Vivian Randle – Rufus Randle recovering from surgery

The Session
                      Reverend Dr. David M. Neff, Pastor
                            Darlene Pollard, Clerk

2021                      2022                     2023
Dr. Cliff Crawford        Darlene Pollard          Lisa Armstrong
Anthony Ochiabutor        Howard Tiffen            Karen Ashley-Bowman
Vicki Reynolds            Amy Haack                Ozzie Kinnard

                            The Board of Deacons
                             Jane Tiffen, President
                           Jeremy Nichols, Secretary

2021                     2022                          2023
Denise Conway            Jeremy Nichols                Nate Battle
Catherine Soberekon      Francis Osazuwa               Sharon Singer
Tracy Cargo              Jane Tiffen                   Margaret Robinson
                                  Church Staff
                       Reverend Dr. David M. Neff, Pastor
                        Michael Shawgo, Music Director
                      Ashley McLean, Office Administrator
                             Marco Alberto, Sexton
                            Brian Louis, Seminarian

                      Second Presbyterian Quartet Choir
     Sherry Watkins, soprano                     John Concepcion, tenor
    Corinne Wallace-Crane, alto                    Vince Wallace, bass

       SECOND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF CHICAGO
          Diverse. Inclusive. Community. Engaging. Passionate.
                         www.2ndpresbyterian.org
                 1936 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL. 60616

I know there is a cry today in Alabama. We see it in
numerous editorials: When will Martin Luther King,
 SCLC, SNCC, and all of these civil rights agitators
and all of the white clergymen and labor leaders and
 students and others get out of our community and
     let Alabama return to normalcy? But I have a
message that I would like to leave with Alabama this
evening. That is exactly what we don’t want, and we
will not allow it to happen. For we know that it was
normalcy in Marion that led to the brutal murder of
Jimmy Lee Jackson. It was normalcy in Birmingham
 that led to the murder on Sunday morning of four
     beautiful, un-offending, innocent girls. It was
 normalcy on Highway 80 that led state troopers to
    use tear gas and horses and billy clubs against
 unarmed human beings who were simply marching
for justice. It is normalcy all over the country which
   leaves the Negro perishing on a lonely island of
   poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material
prosperity . . . The only normalcy that we will settle
 for is the normalcy that recognizes the dignity and
              worth of all God’s children.