Worship is the heart of the church’s life and mission. In worship we return to the wellspring of faith and are engaged in communion with God who calls us. We discover new relationships of love and peace with each other and are sent to minister in the world in the name of Christ.

Attend our Sunday morning services.
On each Sunday, a Service for the Lord’s Day is held at 8:45 a.m. in the Campbell Chapel and at 10:55 a.m. in the Sanctuary. The sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is celebrated as part of this service on the first Sunday of each month.

Join us for other services throughout the year.
Special services are held on Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday and Christmas Eve. The youth of the church periodically conduct a worship service as well.
 

Midday Music for Lent

We continue our tradition of musical offerings at 12:15pm on Wednesdays in Lent.  You’re invited to take half an hour each week for these programs as we move through this Lent season.  Programs will be in the Sanctuary and Chapel.

 

February 24  “Litanies” 

music exploring and expressing how we pray

works by Alain, Durufle, Rorem, Bach, and others

 

Eric Wall, organ

 

March 3  “Miracles”

music for flute and organ by Vaughan-Williams, Mozart, Weaver, and tone poems by Daniel Pinkham on miracle stories of Jesus

 

Kate Steinbeck, flute; Eric Wall, organ 

 

March 10  “Music for Harp”

classical, Celtic, and jazz works

 

Michelle Cobley, harp

 

March 17 “St. Patrick’s Breastplate” 

Celtic Songs and Prayers

St. Patrick’s day offering of text and song, arising from

ancient and contemporary Celtic Christian traditions

 

singers and instrumentalists of First Presbyterian Church

March 24 “Earth Blessed with Springtime”

poetry and music for the journey of Lent, reflecting that word’s origin in the Middle English word for spring, “lente”

Mary Louise Bringle, poet and speaker; musicians of First Presbyterian Church

 

March 31 “Mary the Mother of Jesus at Golgotha”

a Holy Week portrayal of Jesus’ mother, in drama and song, by renowned storyteller Donna Marie Todd

 

Donna Marie Todd, Biblical storyteller

 

April 7 “Easter Carols Old and New”

songs of new life and springtime – ancient carols,

folksongs, and lively music of rebirth

 

singers and instrumentalists of First Presbyterian Church

 

 

A SEASON OF MUSIC

 

What a winter it’s been.  At this writing, it’s sunny and a bit warmer, and most of us probably have some spring fever at this point.  The reality is that we’re likely to continue veering between winter and spring for a few more weeks at least (I’m told that the almanac is predicting yet more snow for March).

 

The church year has just made a seasonal shift, of course.  Ash Wednesday worship began this year’s journey of Lent.  The liturgical seasons during December both parallel and contrast with Lent and Easter.  Advent and Christmas are calls for waiting and for the expectation of new things emerging; but that waiting for the unexpected is side-by-side with tremendous expectation – the expectations of what we’ll hear and sing, of family ritual, of re-reading and remembering.  Lent also calls us to new things – the “new and right spirit” in Psalm 51, new attentiveness, new practices, new and more faithful ways to live with God and in relationship with each other and the world.   Worship and worship music help give shape and expression to this season: helping to tell Jesus’ journey and to place us in it.  I think that perhaps we ask different things of music in this season; the many layers of expectation, memory, family, nostalgia, to say nothing of the culture around us, do not make quite the same claims on music.  We look in this season for music to help us give voice to reflection, solemnity, pathos, lament, hope, exaltation.  Musicians and choirs in our church work long and hard on offerings for worship; but I invite all of us to bring ourselves to the singing we do together in worship in this season.  Our liturgy in Lent, as in all times of the church’s life, is the work of the people.There is music beyond our worship during these seasons as well.  You may already be coming to some of the Midday Music programs; if you haven’t been to any of them, let me encourage you to carve out that half-hour during the week.  Musicians of this church and the community are offering some wonderful and wondrous things this year.

 

I would remind you also of another yearly offering: Music for the Vigil of Easter.  You might have been to this evening of candlelight and music before.  If not, consider it this year.  It is offered as a bridge between our Maundy Thursday service and Easter morning worship.  The date and time for that is Saturday, April 3, at 7:00 p.m. in the sanctuary.

 

Finally, let me invite you to a program coming up quickly.  On Sunday, March 14, at 4:00 in the afternoon, there will be a special event of music and drama, called “Parables and Pipes”, held at the Cathedral of All Souls in Biltmore Village.  The local chapter of the American Guild of Organists, which I serve as chapter Dean, is collaborating with a liturgical drama team called “Friends of the Groom”, presenting a series of acted parables interspersed with organ music played by local organists (including me).  This drama troupe is outstanding, and this event promises to be a really wonderful part of the Lent season.  I’ll be putting up some posters about it here.  If you would like more information, just give me a call or email here at church.

Eric Wall

 

 

Holy Week

March 28-April 4

 

Sunday, March 28     Palm Sunday 

8:45 am: Worship Service in Campbell Chapel

9:45 am:  Donkey Procession with Palms

10:55 am: Worship Service in the Sanctuary

12:15 p.m.  Journey Through Holy Week: Holy Week Observance & Easter Celebration   Gather in Gardner Fellowship Hall (12:15pm) for a light lunch and activities for observing Holy Week for children and families.  This event provides an opportunity for deepening our understanding of the gift of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.

 

Thursday, April 1 
Maundy Thursday 
Footwashing   6:30pm  Campbell Chapel   If you would like to prepare for our Maundy Thursday service by participating in the ritual of footwashing (based on John 13), you are invited to come to the chapel at 6:30 to serve each other in this simple way. We will plan to conclude at 6:45.

Worship Service  7:00pm  Sanctuary
Join us in the sanctuary for a service that commemorates the final hours of Jesus' life, according to Matthew’s account: Jesus’ last supper with the disciples, arrest, trial, and crucifixion. This solemn service includes communion and concludes with the office of Tenebrae, in which we progressively extinguish candles while contemplating the death of the Christ.

 

Saturday, April 3
Music for the Easter Vigil 7:00pm   This annual program of music for this “in between” time  is offered amid darkness and candlelight in the sanctuary, exploring themes of lament, waiting, promise, and coming life.

 

Sunday, April 4    Easter 
One Great Hour of Sharing 
(8:45am & 10:55am worship services)   

8:45 am: Worship Service in the Sanctuary

9:45 am:  Brunch (Gardner Fellowship Hall)  Easter Brunch  Plan to bring a potluck dish and join us for fellowship and special children’s Easter crafts.

10:55am: Worship Service in the Sanctuary

 

 

 

Take part in our September Church Retreat.
Our annual Church Retreat at Montreat Conference Center also includes numerous opportunities for prayer, worship and spiritual growth.


We encourage you to join us often in worship and in prayer.