Easter Sunday, April 16, 2017

For Meditation and Reflection:

“I have come to realize more and more that prayer is just being in the presence of one who loves you deeply, who loves with a love that will not let you go. And so, when I get up in the morning, I try to spend as much time as I can in the sense of being quiet in the presence of this love. And it’s often like saying I want to be sitting, it’s a cold day and I’m sitting, in front of the warm fire. I don’t have to do anything. The fire warms me. All I have to do is be there in front of the fire. And after a while, I may have the qualities of the fire change me so I have the warmth of the fire, I may have the glow of the fire, and it is so also with me and God that I just have to be there and quiet.”
-Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Welcome and Announcements

Opening Prayer (in unison): Almighty God, through your only Son you overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life. Grant that we who celebrate our Lord’s resurrection, by the renewing of your Spirit, arise from the death of sin to the life of righteousness, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Responsive Call to Worship
Leader: Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God.
People: Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Opening Hymn: Christ the Lord is Risen Today – #233

Today’s Scripture Readings: Matthew 21: 1-11

Sermon by Rev. Michael Lyle – “Still Calling Our Names”

Responsive Hymn: Jesus Christ is Risen Today – #240

The Offerings and Offertory Music

A Litany of Thanksgiving for Easter Day
Leader: God of mercy, hope and love, you have raised us with Christ and delivered us from death’s destruction. We praise you for all your gifts of new life and for every victory over sin and evil. We thank you for every instance of hope love, mercy and strength in our lives.
People: We thank you for the renewal of nature and the continuing presence and witness of the church in the world.
Leader: Help us, loving God, to live so close to you that our lives may bless this world in need of resurrection and everyone we know and meet.
All: Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Joys and Concerns

Prayers of the Pastor and the People

Lord’s Prayer (Traditional, with “debts”)

Closing Hymn: He Lives – (see bulletin insert)

Prayer of Benediction: Leader: May the God who shakes heaven and earth,
People: Whom death could not contain;
Who lives to disturb and help us;
Leader: Bless you with power to go forth
And proclaim the gospel. Amen.

Sharing the Peace as we go…….And we hope you can join us for post-worship coffee and conversation in Fellowship Hall.

Rev. Lyle is happy to stay following the service to discuss any questions, concerns or thoughts you may have about his sermon.

“The Resurrection” (John O’Donohue, Conamara Blues)

Oh, the rush with which the forgotten mind awakens
Under the day a well of dark where color dwells
Until it learns the art of light and can reveal,
In neglected things, the freshness thought darkens.

With grey mastery distance starts to blur the horror.
Already the days begin to set around the loss.
The after-silence of his death becomes porous
To the gossip of regret that follows failure.

Through the cold, quiet nighttime of the grave
underground,
The earth concentrated on him with complete longing
Until his sleep could recall the dark from beyond
To enfold memory lost in the requiem of mind.

The moon stirs a wave of brightening in the stone.
He rises clothed in the young colors of dawn.

Announcements:

Easter Sunday, April 16th

We will continue our Easter tradition of recent years by beginning our worship with a brief sunrise service (at around 6:30) at the cemetery on the southeast edge of Lovettsville. This will be followed by a potluck breakfast at Fellowship Hall, to which all are invited. Worship will begin at 9:00 a.m. in the sanctuary, with Rev. Mike Lyle leading worship and speaking on “Still Calling Our Name.”

Sunday, April 23rd

Our Worship leader will be Tena Brass, She will be celebrating Earth Day, and her worship topic will be “Waste Not”. She encourages everyone to bring one or more non-perishable food items to be donated to the local Food Bank.

The Lovettsville Historical Society will hold its monthly meeting in the sanctuary at 2:00 p.m. The speaker will be Patrick Schroeder, Historian at the Appomattox Courthouse National Historical Park, who will talk on “Myths About Lee’s Surrender”.

“Jammin at James” will be held in the sanctuary from 6:30 – 8:00. Please come (and invite your friends) to participate in the open mic, or just enjoy the good music. Anyone who would like to provide a light supper for the musicians and attendees, please contact Tena Brass or Lauranne Oliveau.

Sunday, April 30th

Services will not be held at St. James today. On this fifth Sunday of the month, we plan to travel to share worship with Grace Episcopal Church in Brunswick (at 10:00 am). Anyone needing directions or wishing to share a ride, contact Tena Brass or Janell Kinzie.

We are continuing our project to collect pill bottles, which are needed by organizations sending medicines overseas. A collection box is on the pew in the back of the Sanctuary. Please save your medicine containers (rinsed and with the labels removed, please) and donate them to this worthy cause.