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This Sunday: July 20, 2025
SERMON
This Sunday: The Rev. Dr. Michael Harbert
“God’s Gift of Reconciliation”
Bible Passages: Genesis 18:1-10a; Psalm 15; Colossians 1:21-23; Luke 10:38-42
Lector: Sis Connolly
Crucifer: Marilyn Gorman
Ushers: Mick Connolly and Frank Lawrie
Fellowship: Ken White
Flowers: Leslie and Bob Mulford
Prelude
Molly Quinn, soprano
Jubal Joslyn, tenor
Cathryn Wilkinson, piano and organ
Fugue on a Theme of Legrenzi, BWV 574……….J. S. Bach
“Wie wohl ist mir” (How blest I am, O friend of spirits)……….Anna Magdalena Bach Notebook
“How Beautiful Are the Feet” from Messiah……….G. F. Handel
Gloria, BWV 191……….J. S. Bach
No. 2 Gloria Patri (Glory to the Father)
Offertory
The Lord Bless You and Keep You……….John Rutter
Molly Quinn, soprano
Organ Postlude
Toccata in Seven……….John Rutter
Welcome back to soprano Molly Quinn, who has returned to Carmel as part of the 88th season of the Carmel Bach Festival. Miss Quinn has garnered praise for her interpretation of music from the medieval to the modern. She was a soloist on Trinity Wall Street’s Grammy-nominated recording of Handel’s Israel in Egypt. She has collaborated with Vancouver Early Music, Portland Baroque Orchestra, Apollo’s Fire, TENET, and many others. She has been featured in projects by legendary presenters including The Lincoln Center White Lights Festival, Moscow’s Gold Mask Festival, BAM Next Wave Festival, Bang on a Can marathon, San Francisco Early Music Series, and Carnegie Hall’s Venetian Festival. She is a featured soloist at The Carmel Bach Festival. Miss Quinn received a master’s degree from Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and has served as professor of voice at Sarah Lawrence College.
Guest Musician Molly Quinn
From historical accounts, Anna Magdalena Bach had a beautiful soprano voice, although according to local custom, as a woman she was only allowed to sing in certain churches. She married the already celebrated J. S. Bach when she was 20; he was a 36-year-old widower with 4 children from a previous marriage. She bore him 13 children, two who grew to be recognized as composers. Anna Magdalena carefully copied many of Bach’s works in beautiful handwritten manuscripts early in their marriage. Others of his compositions she sold after his death because her status as a widow with several children left her quite impoverished.
Last Sunday’s Service
Sunday Services Archive
The Rev. Dr. Michael Harbert
Pastor's Letter
Dear CitF Family,
Laura and I, along with our mom, continue to appreciate your very warm welcome! As I’ve sat with many of you, I’ve learned that the uniquely warm welcome of this church is what drew quite a few of you into this loving family. And now each of you are part of this uniquely warm welcome! With that in mind, I encourage you to think of those you might invite to join us who need God’s loving embrace.
Related to the importance of a loving embrace, this Sunday we will celebrate what is at the very core of our faith—God’s gift of reconciling love. The Word of God says that “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:19). Whenever reconciliation happens, it is always initiated by someone. And God is the grandest of initiators! We receive the benefit of reconciliation—to God, ourselves and all people—because God took the initiative in the life, death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus. So, as the Apostle Paul goes on to say in 2 Corinthians, “God has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us” (5:19-20).
We begin every Sunday worship service with our declaration of praise for God’s reconciling love. We express gratitude with our words and our songs of praise. Then we confess our sin so we might experience God’s gift of forgiveness and reconciliation. We do this as the opening act of every Sunday worship service because we need God’s forgiving love every week! And this Sunday we will put an exclamation mark on our opening praise by singing the Gloria Patri.
I look forward to celebrating God’s reconciling love with you this Sunday, and meeting all the new friends you will invite to join us!
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Mike
Small Groups & Bible Study
Small Groups
These are gatherings where CitF members and friends can explore faith and deepen fellowship.
Small Group Bible Study
The Sunday Small Group Bible Study is taking a summer break. More information to follow.
Men’s Small Group Bible Study
Men’s Bible Study is on its annual summer break and will resume after Labor Day.
For more information contact Bob Axley at rjaxley@icloud.com
Women’s Bible Study
Women’s insight on Faith will meet on Thursday, July 17th from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Mia Jarick’s home. Anyone interested in joining can contact Mia Jarick at 831-917-3202 or miajarick1@yahoo.com.