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"There Are Many Ways of
Sharing"
-- a new hymn |
| A new hymn by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette
celebrates the Spirit's gifts for ministry, with the title "There Are Many
Ways of Sharing." [1-30-04]
There Are Many Ways of Sharing
NETTLETON 8.7.8.7 D ("Come,
Thou Fount of Every Blessing" PH# 356)
There are many ways of sharing, But God's Spirit gives
each one.
There are different ways of caring; It's one Lord whose
work is done.
God, whose gifts are overflowing, May we hear you when you
call;
Keep us serving, keep us growing For the common good of
all.
We've been baptized in the waters! We've been given work
to do.
When you call your sons and daughters, You give gifts for
serving you.
God, we join in celebration Of the talents you impart.
Bless each baptized one's vocation; Give each one a
servant's heart.
All are blest by gifts you give us; Some are set apart to
lead.
Give us Jesus' love within us As we care for those in
need.
Give us faith to make decisions; Give us joy to share your
Word.
Give us unity and vision As we serve your church and
world.
Tune: Wyeth's Repository of Sacred
Music, 1813
Alternate Tune: ABBOT'S LEIGH 8.7.8.7 D ("God Is Here!" PH# 461)
Text: Copyright © 2004 by Carolyn Winfrey
Gillette. All rights reserved.
305 South Broadway, Pitman, NJ 08071 Phone:
(856)-589-8444 Email: Bruce.Gillette@ecunet.org
Hymn Note
This hymn celebrates the gifts of the
Spirit for ministry. It was originally written for services of ordination
and installation for Elders, Deacons and Ministers of the Word and
Sacrament. The hymn begins with a reference to I Corinthians 12 on spiritual
gifts. Such gifts are for serving and are to benefit the church. We grow in
the Spirit as we live out our faith. The second verse begins with an
emphasis on baptism's relationship to discipleship. Our understanding of
vocation is that a "person responds to God's call to faith in Jesus Christ
through Baptism and through life and worship in the community of faith.
Persons respond to God's call to discipleship through the ministries of
God's people in and for the world" (
W-5.6002 ).
Ministry is the calling of all Christians; leadership is one form of it. A
person's relationship with God ("Jesus' love within them") is connected to a
concern for others (I John 4:7-21). In leadership as well as in other kinds
of Christian service, faith informs what we do and God's love is to be
shared. "The unity of the Church is a gift of its Lord and finds expression
in its faithfulness to the mission to which Christ calls it" (G-4.0201).
Carolyn Winfrey Gillette is the co-pastor
of the First Presbyterian Church in Pitman, NJ and author of Gifts of Love:
New Hymns for Today's Worship (Geneva Press, 2000). A complete list of her
hymns can be found at
http://firstpresby.org/hymnlist.htm
A list
of the new hymns by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette for use in worship services
during Year C - The Gospel of Luke
of the Revised Common Lectionary
(December 2003–November 2004), other special days in the church year and
civil calendar is now available at
http://firstpresby.org/HymnsYearC.htm
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Visit
our lively
new website! |
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GA actions
ratified (or not) by the presbyteries
A number of the most important actions of the 219th
General Assembly have now been acted upon by the presbyteries,
confirming most of them as amendments to the PC(USA) Book of Order.
We provided resources to help inform the
reflection and debate, along with updates on the voting.
Our three areas of primary interest have been:
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Amendment 10-A,
which removes the current ban on
lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender persons being considered as
possible candidates for ordination as elder or ministers.
Approved! |
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Amendment 10-2,
which would add the Belhar Confession to our Book of
Confessions. Disapproved, because as an amendment
to the Book of Confessions it needed a 2/3 vote, and did not
receive that. |
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Amendment
10-1, which adopts the new Form of Government
that was approved by the Assembly. Approved. |
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If you like what
you find here,
we hope you'll help us keep Voices for Justice going ... and
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Please consider making a special
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Some blogs worth visiting |
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PVJ's
Facebook page
Mitch Trigger, PVJ's
Secretary/Communicator, has created a Facebook page where
Witherspoon members and others can gather to exchange news and
views. Mitch and a few others have posted bits of news, both
personal and organizational. But there’s room for more!
You can post your own news and views,
or initiate a conversation about a topic of interest to you. |
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Voices of Sophia blog
Heather Reichgott, who has created
this new blog for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:
After fifteen years of scholarship
and activism, Voices of Sophia presents a blog. Here, we present the
voices of feminist theologians of all stripes: scholars, clergy,
students, exiles, missionaries, workers, thinkers, artists, lovers
and devotees, from many parts of the world, all children of the God
in whose image women are made. .... This blog seeks to glorify God
through prayer, work, art, and intellectual reflection. Through
articles and ensuing discussion we hope to become an active and
thoughtful community. |
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John Harris’ Summit to
Shore blogspot
Theological and philosophical
reflections on everything between summit to shore, including
kayaking, climbing, religion, spirituality, philosophy, theology,
politics, culture, travel, The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), New
York City and the Queens neighborhood of Ridgewood by a progressive
New York City Presbyterian Pastor. John is a former member of the
Witherspoon board, and is designated pastor of North Presbyterian
Church in Flushing, NY. |
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John Shuck’s Shuck and Jive
A Presbyterian minister, currently
serving as pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton,
Tenn., blogs about spirituality, culture, religion (both organized
and disorganized), life, evolution, literature, Jesus, and
lightening up. |
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Got more blogs to recommend?
Please
send a note, and we'll see what we can do! |
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