Second Presbyterian Church

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

Second Sunday after Pentecost

June 6, 2021

GATHERING AROUND GOD’S WORD

Prelude Rondeau Jean Joseph Mouret

The Church’s One Foundation arr. Robert Hughes

Introit Enter Now This Place Jane Marshall

Enter now this place to stand in awe, to praise the God

who gives you life, and grants you strength to live it.

Enter now to pray, to bring your doubt, your sin, your

cares to One who suffered much and waits to ease your

load. Receive in word, in bread and wine love, grace,

and peace. Accept the gift. Worship here and know that

all who trust in Christ are one, a church renewed to

celebrate and serve. Rejoice to gather here, then go in

peace.

**Call to Worship (responsively)

Leader: People of God, look around and see the faces of

those we know and love:

People: Neighbors and friends, brothers and sisters--

a communion of kindred hearts. Leader: People of God, look about and see the faces of

those we hardly know

People: Strangers, sojourners, pilgrims, people who

need an outstretched hand. Leader: God calls us to see in each other the image of

God reflected back to us.

People: God's spirit shines within you and me, in each

of us everywhere. Leader: Let us worship God with one voice, together.

People: Let us praise God from Whom all blessings

flow!

**Hymn For the Beauty of the Earth

Prayer of Confession (unison)

Holy and merciful God, in your presence we confess

our sin and acknowledge that we have fallen short of

your glory. We have wandered from your ways, we

have wasted your gifts, we have forgotten your love.

Lord, have mercy upon us. Hear us now as we confess

our rebellion and unfaithful ways…

Silent Confession

Declaration of Pardon (responsively)

Leader: May God almighty freely pardon all who repent

of sin and turn completely to the living God.

People: May God fulfill in every contrite heart the

promise of Christ’s redeeming grace: Leader: Absolving us from our sins and delivering us

from a guilty conscience:

People: We pray through the merits and mediation of

Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

**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 (unison)

Scripture Lesson Psalm 133

1 How very good and pleasant it is

when kindred live together in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil on the head,

running down upon the beard,

on the beard of Aaron,

running down over the collar of his robes. 3 It is like the dew of Hermon,

which falls on the mountains of Zion.

For there the LORD ordained his blessing,

life forevermore.

Leader: The word of God for the people of God.

People: Thanks be to God!

Scripture Lesson Mark 3:20-35

Then he went home; 20 and the crowd came together

again, so that they could not even eat. 21 When his family

heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were

saying, “He has gone out of his mind.” 22 And the scribes

who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul,

and by the ruler of the demons he casts out

demons.” 23 And he called them to him, and spoke to

them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a

kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot

stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that

house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen

up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his

end has come. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s

house and plunder his property without first tying up the

strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.

28 ”Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins

and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29 but whoever

blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have

forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they

had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

31 Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing

outside, they sent to him and called him. 32 A crowd was

sitting around him; and they said to him, “Your mother

and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for

you.” 33 And he replied, “Who are my mother and my

brothers?” 34 And looking at those who sat around him,

he said, “Here are my mother and my

brothers! 35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother

and sister and mother.”

Leader: The word of God for the people of God.

People: Thanks be to God!

Solo We’re a Fellowship of Believers Jay Althouse

Corinne Wallace-Crane, soloist

We’re a fellowship of believers; we have come to God in

prayer, to renew the faith and Christian love we share.

We’re a fellowship of believers; we are one great family.

Let us join our hearts in peace and harmony. Our trust in

God almighty is the rock on which we stand. We

congregate to worship hand in hand. We’re a fellowship

of believers; we have come to God in prayer to renew the

faith and Christian love we share. Amen.

Sermon “We Are Family”

Pastor David Neff, preaching

RESPONDING TO GOD’S WORD

**Hymn Let Us Break Bread Together

**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 We Are the Church Lee Dengler

We are the church, a fellowship divine. In one accord we

share the bread and wine! We are the church, ordained

by God above; saved by His grace, united by His love!

We are the church of Christ the crucified. We bear good

news, for all the world He died! We are the church, with

purpose sure and true, to serve the Lord in all we say and

do! We are the church, we labor not alone. He stands

with us, our Christ the cornerstone. We are the church,

we strive to do God’s will. Through joy or strife, He’s

ever with us still. We are the church, inspired by saints of

old. They gave their all to see Christ’s church unfold.

Through sacrifice they labored not in vain, bearing His

cross, their loss was turned to gain. We are the church,

whatever may befall. His cross leads on, a beacon to us

all! We are the church, by faith we live and love, until we

reach His glorious church above!

Prayers of the People

Prayer Response

Love Is The Spirit of This Church Thomas Matthews

Love is the spirit of this church, and service is its law.

This is our great covenant: to dwell together in peace, to

seek the truth, and to help one another.

THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORD’S SUPPER

THE COVENANT OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

The Invitation

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I

have loved you. You have not chosen me, but I have

chosen you. I have ordained and appointed you to go and

bear fruit that will endure, so that the Father will give

you whatever you ask in my name. I am the vine, you are

the branches. Abide in me, and I will abide in you.

The Prayer of Thanksgiving (responsively)

Leader: The Lord be with you.

People: And also with you.

Leader: Lift up your hearts.

People: We lift them up to the Lord.

Leader: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

People: It is right to give God thanks and praise.

It is our duty and our joy, at all times and in all places, to

give you thanks and praise, holy Father, heavenly King,

almighty and eternal God. Heaven itself, the highest

heaven, cannot contain you. Yet, you have promised by

Jesus Christ our Lord to be present in this house, in the

prayers and faithful service of your servants who call

upon your name. Fill this temple with the radiance of

your presence. Make this sanctuary a place of strength

for the weak, a refuge for the troubled, a place where

your truth is taught and learned, a place where prayer is

fulfilled and the worship and service of your faithful

people is caught up in the worship and service of heaven.

Therefore, with your people of all places and times, with

the whole company of heaven, we proclaim your

greatness and sing your praise to the angels’ song:

Sanctus (sung)

Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might,

Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest, hosanna in the highest.

Lord Jesus Christ, we bless you for your incarnation

among us, your holy birth, your perfect life on earth, your

suffering for us; and your triumph over death. We exalt

you because of your ascension to the Father and your gift

of the Holy Spirit to the Church. Lord Christ, we yearn

for you to return again and make creation new.

Remembering Christ’s work and passion, and pleading

his eternal sacrifice, we follow his example and obey his

commands. Great is the mystery of faith:

Acclamation (sung)

Christ has died, Christ is risen; Christ will come

again.

Christ has died, Christ is risen; Christ will come

again.

Gracious God, pour out your Holy Spirit upon us, and

upon these your gifts of bread and wine, that the bread

we break and the cup we bless may be the communion of

the body and blood of Christ. By your Spirit, unite us

with the living Christ, and with all who are baptized in

his name, that we may be one in ministry in every place.

As this bread is Christ’s body for us, send us out to be the

body of Christ in the world. As this cup is Christ’s

sacrificial love, help us offer ourselves in love for all the

world. Give us strength to serve you faithfully until the

promised day of resurrection, when with the redeemed of

all the ages we will feast with you at your table in glory.

Through him, with him, in him, all glory and honor are

yours, Almighty God, one God forever. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer (“debts”)

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.

Sharing of the Bread and the Cup

Concluding Prayer

BEARING THE WORD OUT INTO THE WORLD

**Hymn Our God, Our Help in Ages Past

**The Charge and the Benediction

**Benediction

Father, With Thy Church Abide G. H. Knight

Father, with Thy church abide, we beseech Thee, hear us.

Be her Help, her Stay, her Guide, we beseech Thee, hear

us. May she holy victories win, we beseech Thee, hear us.

May she triumph over sin, we beseech Thee, hear us.

May she tend the lame and blind, may she keep the poor

in mind, may she seek the lost to find, we beseech Thee,

hear us. May Thy church serve all mankind, we beseech

Thee, hear us.

Postlude

How Firm a Foundation arr. Carolyn Hamlin

Thanks to Those Assisting in Our Service

Liturgists: Pastor James Acquaah and Brian Louis

Livestream Operator: Ramon Smith

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.

In-Person: We are open for in-person worship. Join us at

11:00 am for the worship. The sanctuary doors will open

at 10:30 am.

Online: Worship is live-streamed on our website

2ndPresbyterian.org each Sunday morning at 11:00.

Please join us live or watch the recorded services at your

convenience.

Visiting Guests: If you are new to Second Presbyterian

Church, please sign a blue visitor’s card and leave your

email address as you exit the sanctuary.

Prayers: Second Church is a praying congregation!

Please sign a yellow prayer card found in the pews and

note any prayer requests so that we may pray with you

and for you.

Please Click Here to submit your prayer requests online.

All prayer requests will go to Pastor Neff and our Office

Administrator Ashley McLean. There is an option to

mark whether or not your prayer is private.

A Celebration of Life for Richard Warner will be held on

Wednesday, June 16th, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. (EST) at 19

North by Froehlich, 19 North Elm Street, Three Oaks,

Michigan 49128.

Richard is survived by his loving wife of 54 years,

Jeannine Jetter Warner, daughter Rachel Forward (Paul)

of Boulder, Colorado, son Ross Warner (Samantha) of

New York City, son Dean Warner of Austin, Texas, and

daughter Alicia Blais (Peter) of Chicago and seven

grandchildren, Nicholas, Adam, James, Luke, Matthew,

Cecelia and Julia.

He also leaves behind brothers David Warner (Janice), of

Ramona, California, and Lynn Warner (Donna) of

LaPorte, Indiana, and many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in

Richard’s name to Second Presbyterian

Church, 2ndPresbyterian.org, or a faith community of

your choice.

The flowers in the sanctuary are given by Margaret

Grinnell to honor the memory of her late mother, Jean M.

Grinnell.

Calling All Graduates! On Sunday, June 27th, the

Christian Education Committee would like to host

Baccalaureate Sunday, in which we honor all graduates.

If you have a son, daughter, grandson or granddaughter

or member of your family that has graduated from

8th grade, 12th grade, college, graduate school or

vocational/technical school, please contact the church

office with their name and place of graduation. On that

morning, they will be recognized by our church family.

Bible Studies

We welcome you to join our Sunday morning and

Tuesday afternoon Bible Study Classes. If you would like

the curriculum, please email the church office at

SecondChurch1936@comcast.net. The conference call

number: (312) 248-0036. No PIN required.

Sunday morning Bible Study 9:30 am

Tuesday afternoons Philippians 1:30 pm

Alpha to Omega Bible Discussion Group: We are

discussing the New Testament. Meetings are on the 2nd

and 4th Mondays of the month at 5 pm Please use this

phone number: (312) 248-0036. No pin is required.

For more information contact Flea Parker at

Flea@Golden2.net or (210) 861-6988.

RIM (Recreation and Interest Ministries) Committee

Book Group: Our next book of discussion is Caste: The

Origins of our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson. Please

email Ann Belletire if you would like to join this very

lively discussion group at AnnaBelle620e@aol.com.

Time: June 20th 2021 at 9:30 am central time

Join Zoom Meeting: Click Here

Or Call: (312) 626-6799

Meeting ID: 868 6496 0108

Passcode: 726317

Join In: Deacon Sharon Singer is providing a free Stretch

Class on Mondays from 9:30 to 10:15 am in Fellowship

Hall. The class will begin on Monday June 7th and run for

10 weeks. Come and improve your range of motion and

flexibility. Wear comfortable clothes and bring a water

bottle. Sharon has instructed fitness classes for over 20

years or more.

Fresh air, sunshine and strawberries! The RIM committee

is arranging a trip to LaPorte, Indiana to pick fresh

strawberries at Garwood Orchards on Saturday, June

26th. We will meet in the church parking lot at 9:00 am

and each bring our own packed lunch. We will be

carpooling for the hour and 10 minute trip and need

drivers willing to take their own cars and potentially take

one or two other people with them as space allows. To be

as safe as possible, we will wear masks. Please contact

Flea Park at 210-861-6988 or email Flea@Golden2.net to

let her know of your interest.

Community

The Prairie Avenue District Farmers’ Market will begin

on Thursday, June 17th, 4:00 – 8:00 pm. Every Thursday

evening, approximately 20 vendors will offer vegetables,

produce, gourmet coffee, bakery, yogurt and cheese,

health care products, take-home meals and other

items. All are welcome. For more information, please

visit their website at SouthLoopFarmersMarket.com.

Your Support of Our Mission and Ministry

Our work at Second Presbyterian Church is critical year-

round and especially crucial in this time of crisis. Our

ministry continues to grow in creative and innovative

ways. Please Click Here to give your offering online or

visit the Second Presbyterian Church website at

2ndPresbyterian.org. Look for the “Give Online”

button, scroll down and follow 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: DavidNeff.me. To obtain

copies of sermons, please contact the church office via

email at SecondChurch1936@comcast.net.

Prayer Requests

Please pray for the following:

Rowena Balogun – Elizabeth Wilson; Bill Leib; Jean

Leib; Dorothy and Helen Taylor

Ann & Mike Belletire – Pat Connors; Frank and Faith

Dusek

Kevin Harris – myself

Reuben Mensah – 10 year anniversary of marriage; the

Lord’s grace, mercy and favor

Darlene Pollard – Darnell Grayson

Wayne Morris – Prayers for my family and our

relocation to Vegas; for a smooth transition

Ashley McLean – family, friends, Guy, Bella, JB; peace

and resolution

Pastor Neff – the Presbyterian Synod of Cameroon; for

all pastors, elders and churches living under persecution

Nate Battle – sister Eileen in the hospital at Rush

The Session Reverend Dr. David M. Neff, Pastor

Darlene Pollard, Clerk

2021

Dr. Cliff Crawford

Anthony Ochiabutor

Vicki Reynolds

2022

Darlene Pollard

Howard Tiffen

Amy Haack

2023

Lisa Armstrong

Karen Ashley-Bowman

Ozzie Kinnard

The Board of Deacons

Jane Tiffen, President

Jeremy Nichols, Secretary

2021

Denise Conway

Catherine

Soberekon

Tracy Cargo

2022

Jeremy Nichols

Francis Osazuwa

Jane Tiffen

2023

Nate Battle

Sharon Singer

Margaret Robinson

Church Staff

Reverend Dr. David M. Neff, Pastor

Michael Shawgo, Music Director

Brian Louis, Seminarian

Ashley McLean, Office Administrator

Marco Alberto, Sexton

Second Presbyterian Quartet

Sherry Watkins, Soprano

Corinne Wallace-Crane, Alto

John Concepcion, Tenor

Vince Wallace, Bass

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