Loading...St. John's Episcopal Church Marietta will be hosting a Thanksgiving Eve Service open to all the committee churches.
St. John's Episcopal Church, Marietta, has invited other churches of the borough, East Donegal Township, and the "Rim" churches of the county's Episcopal churches to join in an ecumenical service on the eve of Thanksgiving Day. The Rev. Robert Lescallette, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church, Maytown, will servce as liturgist, and the Rev. Ellie Hart, rector of St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Mount Joy, will preach the sermon.
The church is located at the corner of Chestnut and East Market Streets (239 E. Market Street) in Marietta. The service begins at 7 pm.
Evidence of the ecumenical spirit of the service: Holy Communion for all baptized Christians, no matter their particular denomination, and with Pastor Lescallette leading the communion liturgy of the Episcopal Church. The entire service will be printed in a worship folder for the convenience of the congregation, with hymns sung from the church's hymnal.
The Rev. Ronnette Comfort-Butler of Maytown Reformed United Church of Christ will lead the congregation in responsive reading of Psalm 100, "O Be Joyful In the Lord," and another Maytown pastor, The Rev. Scott Sweigart of Maytown Church of God will lead the congregation in the Litany of Thanksgiving, also in responsive manner.
Three Bible readings will form the central focus of the opening part of the service, read by The Rev. Dave Harnish of Marietta Community Chapel, The Rev. Warren "Rocky" Riedel of Zion United Church of Christ, Marietta, and the Gospel reading by The Rev. Deacon Nancy Rementer of the host congregation.
The Rev. Hart of Mount Joy will preach on the Gospel lesson, John 8: 25-35 with its concluding words, "I am the bread of Life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." Immediately reinforcing the message, the congregation will rise and sing the popular scripture song, "I am the Bread of Life."
Fr. Nelson Kuule-Baliira, rector of the host church, will extend greetings to the congregation and lead the congregation in the Prayer of the Day, giving thanks for fruits of the earth and for those who harvest them.
Special music will be provided by the chime choir of St. John Lutheran Church, Maytown. Director Amy Chapman will lead the group in her own setting of "For the Beauty of the Earth," one of the hymns to be sung later in the service.
Traditional Thanksgiving-time hymns will include the ever-popular "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come", "We Gather Together to Ask the Lord's Blessing", plus several others, and closing with perhaps the greatest of them all, "Now Thank We All Our God". The hymn at the close of communion will be the lovely "Come With Us, O Blesssed Jesus", with music that is used also in the hymn "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring".
Dr. Karl E. Moyer, a co-organist of the host church, will lead the congregational singing throughout the sevice and play a ten-minute organ prelude and an organ postlude, all based on hymns sung during the evening.
Pastor Lescallette will report on the result of the Crop Walk, along with Pat Vogel of the Donegal-Conoy Christian Food Bank. That will lead to the evening offering, for which all are asked to bring non-perishable food to place in one of the baskets provided for that purpose, as well as monetary offering to support the food bank. The people will make their offering in a procession to the front of the nave during the singing of two hymns.
At the time of Holy Communion, Pastor Lescallette will distribute bread to all at the head of the center aisle, after which each worshipper is invited to dip the bread into either the wine or the grape juice available in separate chalices to one side of the pastor.
The Episcopal Church Women of St. John's will host a receptio in the Parish Hall following the service as a time for fellowship and refreshments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Please contact Deacon Nancy at
St. John's Episcopal Church 717-426-3189 or e-mail to stjohnsmarietta@comcast.net or mail to St. John's Episcopal Church P.O. Box 98, Marietta, PA 17547
