Easter Bells

Opening Prayer  1

Living God, on the first day of the week you brought to birth a new creation through the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ. Fill us with the hope and joy of new beginnings, so that we may share the good news of your liberating, life-giving power with all the world; through Christ our Savior, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and always. Amen.

Welcome

Introit       Easter Morning     Paul Christiansen

Call To Worship

ONE: Jesus said: “I am the resurrection and the life.

ALL: Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live,

ONE: and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.”

ALL: Christ is risen! We have seen the glory of God.

Hymn 245   Christ the Lord Is Risen Today!

Prayer of Confession

ONE: Christ has risen and we have risen to new life with him. Yet we must confess the ways we have continued to remain in our tombs of sin and death. Let us read together, this confession:

ALL: Living Lord, when we stand before the empty tomb we don't always feel the joy of resurrection. We feel fear, doubt, and distrust. We feel empty. Forgive the fear that paralyzes us at the brink of new life. Forgive our doubt of your love. Forgive our distrust of your surprising, joyous plan. Fill our emptiness with your glorious light. Raise us to abundant new life for the glory of your name.

ONE:      Let us continue in silence, as we offer our private confessions to God.

   (silence)

    ONE: Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 2

ONE: Wake up, sleeper! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Sisters and brothers, Christ has forgiven our sins. Christ calls us to new life. Christ will lead us into righteousness.

ALL: Thanks be to God.

Response Hymn 240

Alleluia, alleluia! Give thanks to the risen Lord.

Alleluia, alleluia! Give praise to his name.

Sharing the Peace of Christ

ONE: The peace of Christ be with you.

RESPONSE:  And also with you.

Response Hymn 253

Alleluia! Christ is arisen.

Bright is the dawning of the Lord's day.

Scripture: John 20:1-18

ONE: This is the word of the Lord.

RESPONSE:  Thanks be to God.

Anthem    Two Carols for Easter Season  arr. Alice Parker, Robert Shaw

Sermon     Reverend Debra McGuire

Hymn 681        This is the Day the Lord Hath Made

Invitation to the Offering

We are persuaded that there is an inseparable connection between faith and practice, truth and duty. On this joyous day let us reflect on the extraordinary gift of the Risen Christ. Let us continue our worship by offering our gifts to God.

Offertory     Did You Feel The Mountains Tremble     Martin Smith

Prayer of Dedication

Gracious God, we know that every good thing is a gift from you - the food we eat, the things we have, the time we spend, our whole lives. We give our lives back to you as a way of saying thank you - sharing money with those who are in need, giving food to those who are hungry, and spending our time to help others. We ask you to bless all of the gifts that we give, and bless what we keep, and fill us with joy as we discover ways to use our resources for your work in our world. Amen.

Prayers of the People

ONE: Lord in your Mercy,

ALL: Hear our prayers.

The Lord's Prayer

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.

Hymn 515   I Come With Joy

Pastoral Blessing

Closing Charge

Go out into the world in peace. Have courage! Hold on to what is good. Return no person evil for evil. Strengthen the faint-hearted, support the weak, help the suffering. Honor all people. Love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit!  

Announcements

Postlude     Living Hope     Phil Wickham and Brian Johnson

1 David Gambrell

2 Greg Scheer

“May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.” — Psalm 126:5

Easter Bells

Opening Prayer 1

Holy One, on this Eastertide morning, we come to you, singing alleluias, celebrating new life all around us, not quite believing it all, but going along with it, just the same. We celebrate the doubters and questioners among us, who simply keep our faith real, who demand that we live our believing into faith that works towards justice and peace, and making sure that the hungry are nourished and loved. We celebrate the saints among us, whose courageous faith flies without a safety net, reminding us that true discipleship is risky and radical in the face of a world held hostage by greed, love of power, and denial. We are your Easter people, Holy One. Doubters, saints, sinners, questioners, spiritual and religious, who skip, run, and stumble on the journey. We pray that whoever we are this journey, that you might open our ears and eyes to your call, to be Your love, where ever we are. In the name of Christ we pray, Amen.

Welcome

Introit       River of Delight     Danny Daniels

Call To Worship 2

ONE: Alleluia! Christ is risen!

ALL:   Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!

ONE: We have not seen the risen Christ,

ALL: But we see him in the lives of those transformed by grace.

ONE: We have not seen Jesus face-to-face,

ALL: But we have seen him in the faces of everyone whose love encourages us.

ONE: We have not touched the wounds from the cross,

ALL: But we have been called to bring healing to the scarred of the world.  Let us worship God together.

Hymn 276   Sing a New Song Unto the Lord

Prayer of Confession

ONE: Christ has risen and we have risen to new life with him. Yet we must confess the ways we have continued to remain in our tombs of sin and death. Let us read together, this confession:

ALL: Living Lord, when we stand before the empty tomb we don't always feel the joy of resurrection. We feel fear, doubt, and distrust. We feel empty. Forgive the fear that paralyzes us at the brink of new life. Forgive our doubt of your love. Forgive our distrust of your surprising, joyous plan. Fill our emptiness with your glorious light. Raise us to abundant new life for the glory of your name.

ONE: Let us continue in silence, as we offer our private confessions to God.

(silence)

ONE: Amen.

Words of Assurance

ONE: Wake up, sleeper! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Sisters and brothers, Christ has forgiven our sins. Christ calls us to new life. Christ will lead us into righteousness.

ALL: Thanks be to God!    

Response Hymn 253

Alleluia! Christ is arisen, bright is the dawning of the Lord's day;

Alleluia! Christ is arisen, bright is the dawning of the Lord's day.

Sharing the Peace of Christ

ONE: The peace of Christ be with you.

RESPONSE:  And also with you.

Scripture: John 20:19-31

ONE: This is the word of the Lord.

RESPONSE:  Thanks be to God.

Anthem    Remain in Me, I am the Vine     Curtis Stephan and Steve Angrisano

Sermon     "No Doubt"     Reverend Debra McGuire

Hymn 257        The Risen Christ

Invitation to the Offering

We are persuaded that there is an inseparable connection between faith and practice, truth and duty. On this joyous day let us reflect on the extraordinary gift of the Risen Christ. Let us continue our worship by offering our gifts to God.

Offertory     At the Table of the Lord     Jay Althouse

Prayer of Dedication

Gracious God, we know that every good thing is a gift from you - the food we eat, the things we have, the time we spend, our whole lives. We give our lives back to you as a way of saying thank you - sharing money with those who are in need, giving food to those who are hungry, and spending our time to help others. We ask you to bless all of the gifts that we give, and bless what we keep, and fill us with joy as we discover ways to use our resources for your work in our world. Amen.

Sacrament of Holy Communion

Welcome to the delight that is this table.  Our Lord's table.  Welcome to the table where the love of God meets Humanity.  We welcome everyone to this table, no matter your church background, your knowledge of biblical ideas, no matter your sexual orientation or gender truth, no matter your mood.  Wherever and whoever you are you are welcome here, you belong, you are worthy.  

“This is for you, but it may change you from one who is anxiously concerned about their own redemption into one who knows that Christ's body is the earth and all who walk upon it, are one in Him.  Into knowing that we are not redeemed by our being good but by our being connected.  Into knowing that daring to eat at the table of Jesus Christ has unimaginable consequences.

So come, come to be made whole, and to participate in the work of making us one with God and each other.

Preparation of the Table

ONE: The Lord be with you

ALL: And also with you

ONE: Lift up your hearts

ALL: We lift them up to the Lord

ONE: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God

ALL: It is right to give our thanks and praise

ONE: We give you thanks, O God, for making your love evident since the very beginning of time when you spoke the word which replaced the darkness of chaos with life-giving light. A light which has nurtured generations of people, and plants and creatures, great and small. A light which also revealed the fear and powerlessness caused by corrupt and evil actions. And so you spoke the Word which would once and for all dispel the darkness of chaotic lives. Through your love for the world the Word became flesh and lived among us full of grace and truth. The angels caroled glory to you in the highest heavens and peace to all people on earth, and we join with them and with all people to praise your holy name saying together:

ALL:     Holy Lord, God of endless love, heaven and earth are surely full of your glory. The angels sang of it - we have been lavished with it. Blessed is he who was born that we might have life. Glory to God and on earth peace to all people.

ONE:      Holy God, as the travelers with their treasures were overwhelmed with joy on finding Jesus, so we also are overwhelmed on finding out the depth of his love for us. For Jesus showed just how beloved we are to him, by loving us and giving himself for us. On that night when he gave himself up for us, as he sat at the table and broke bread with his friends, he said: 'Take and eat; this is my body which is broken for you. Remember me each time you do this.' After they had eaten, he took the cup, and said: 'Remember me as you drink from this, for it is my life, poured out for you—the beginning of a new relationship with God.'

Send the power of your Holy Spirit upon these gifts of bread and wine, O God, that we may experience the presence of the Word-made-flesh - Jesus Christ. Breathe your Spirit in us that we may be one body with him - living out his ministry in the world today and every day. This we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

Words of Institution

Sharing of the Cup and Bread

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Generous God, You are the source of all life, creating and sustaining every living thing. You are the source of all food, material and spiritual, nourishing us in both body and soul. You are the light that goes before us, shining into the darkness. May we be filled with your breath nourished by your food renewed by your living water and sustained by your love.

Prayers of the People

ONE: Lord in your Mercy,

ALL: Hear our prayers.

The Lord's Prayer

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.

Hymn 263    All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name

Pastoral Blessing

Closing Charge

Go out into the world in peace. Have courage! Hold on to what is good. Return no person evil for evil. Strengthen the faint-hearted, support the weak, help the suffering. Honor all people. Love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit!  

Announcements

Postlude     Medley of the Cross     Arr. Page & Shafferman

1 Rev Karla  RevGalBlogPals

2 Thom Schuman Lectionary Liturgies

3 Greg Scheer

4 Rev. Bob Gibson for the London Conference of the United Church of Canada

“May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.” — Psalm 126:5

Easter Bells

Opening Prayer 1

When we are blinded by anger, you pour out your love for all to see; when we wonder what tomorrow will bring, you call us to trust in you; when sadness fills our lives, you plant gladness in our hearts. God of Easter: touch us with your grace. You show us your hands, so we may reach out to mend the broken; you show us your feet, so we may walk with those the world passes by; you show us your face, so we may know what our sisters and brothers look like. Risen Christ: touch us with your compassion. You open our eyes, so we may see God's love; you open our minds, so we may welcome God's Word; you open our lips, so we may be God's witnesses. Spirit of Hope: touch us with your peace. God in Community, Holy in One, open us to your presence. Amen.

Welcome

Introit      Spring Morning/Alleluia     Czech Folk Song/W.A.Mozart, Arr. Wilson/Reddell-Popovich

Call To Worship 2

We are witnesses, to the love God has poured into us. We are witnesses of God's love, sharing it with each person we meet. We are witnesses to everyone we encounter, little children like us, sisters and brothers in God's family.  

Hymn 702     Christ Be Beside Me

Prayer of Confession

ONE: Christ has risen and we have risen to new life with him. Yet we must confess the ways we have continued to remain in our tombs of sin and death. Let us read together, this confession:

ALL: Living Lord, when we stand before the empty tomb we don't always feel the joy of resurrection. We feel fear, doubt, and distrust. We feel empty. Forgive the fear that paralyzes us at the brink of new life. Forgive our doubt of your love. Forgive our distrust of your surprising, joyous plan. Fill our emptiness with your glorious light. Raise us to abundant new life for the glory of your name.

ONE: Let us continue in silence, as we offer our private confessions to God.

(silence)

ONE: Amen.

Words of Assurance 3

ONE: Wake up, sleeper! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Sisters and brothers, Christ has forgiven our sins. Christ calls us to new life. Christ will lead us into righteousness.

ALL: Thanks be to God!    

Response Hymn 240

Alleluia, alleluia! Give thanks to the risen Lord.

Alleluia, alleluia! Give praise to his name.

Sharing the Peace of Christ

ONE: The peace of Christ be with you.

RESPONSE:  And also with you.

Scripture: Luke 24:36b-48

ONE: This is the word of the Lord.

RESPONSE:  Thanks be to God.

Anthem    I Can Trust Him     Lindsey & Haun, Arr. Hamby

Sermon     Reverend Debra McGuire

Hymn 258        A Hymn of Glory Let Us Sing

Invitation to the Offering 4

Generous God, through your Son, Jesus Christ, you have shown us what it means to love. And you call us to follow your example - to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Continue to write your law of love on our hearts. Give us an unwavering passion for justice, and a tenacious faith that will not rest until the hungry are fed, the oppressed find relief, and the outsider finds a welcome. Amen.

Offertory     Your Grace Is Enough     Chris Tomlin

Prayer of Dedication  5

Gracious God, we know that every good thing is a gift from you - the food we eat, the things we have, the time we spend, our whole lives. We give our lives back to you as a way of saying thank you - sharing money with those who are in need, giving food to those who are hungry, and spending our time to help others. We ask you to bless all of the gifts that we give, and bless what we keep, and fill us with joy as we discover ways to use our resources for your work in our world. Amen.

Prayers of the People

ONE: Lord in your Mercy,

ALL: Hear our prayers.

The Lord's Prayer

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.

Hymn 366    Love Divine, All Loves Excelling

Pastoral Blessing

Closing Charge

Go out into the world in peace. Have courage! Hold on to what is good. Return no person evil for evil. Strengthen the faint-hearted, support the weak, help the suffering. Honor all people. Love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit!  

Announcements

Postlude     Testify to Love     Paul Field, Henk Pool, Ralph Van Manen, Robert Riekerk

1 Thom Schuman Lectionary Liturgies

2 Thom Schuman, LiturgyLink

3 Greg Scheer

4 Christine Longhurst, Hunger for Justice: World Food Day 2016

5 Katherine Hawker, Liturgy Outside