Service for Easter Sunday March 31, 2024

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Happy Easter Sunday

All are Welcome!

Watch a video recording of the whole service using YouTube.

The Gathering

  • Welcome and Announcements.

  • Focusing Moment.

Acknowledgement of Land

Regardless of where we come from, we are all interconnected through the land that we live on, water that we use, and air that we breathe.  Generous Creator God, let us celebrate the abundance of this land bursting with new life.  Let us feel the cold waters gushing with promises.  Let us experience the expanse of sky enfolding us in your love.  Abundant Creator God, we remember the Anishnaabeg people who love and care for this land.  All these people have lived lightly and with respect upon this land, a territory upon which we now live.  Generous God, help us on the journey to reconciliation with the land, the water, and the air, and among the people. Amen.                            

Written by Glen Abbey U.C., Oakville, Ont. Oakville Public

         Gathering, Pentecost 1, 2023, p.34.  Used with permission.

Call to Worship:

One:    Christ is risen!  What a glorious day!

ALL:  Christ is risen, indeed!  Our lives are forever changed!

One:    New life is all around us.  Stop and experience the beauty. 

All:     Where once there was death, now there is life!

One:    Christ is risen!

All:     Christ is risen, indeed! Hallelujah!

            Written by Laura J. Turnbull, Penticton, B.C.

           Gathering, Lent-Easter 2024, p.41.  Used with permission.

HYMN:  “Jesus Christ is Risen Today”    VU #155  

1     Jesus Christ is risen today, hallelujah!

       our triumphant holy day, hallelujah!

       who did once, upon the cross, hallelujah!

       suffer to redeem our loss. Hallelujah!

2     Hymns of praise then let us sing hallelujah!

       unto Christ, our heavenly King, hallelujah!

       who endured the cross and grave, hallelujah!

       sinners to redeem and save. Hallelujah!

 

3     But the pains which he endured, hallelujah!

       our salvation have procured; hallelujah!

       now above the sky he's King, hallelujah!

       where the angels ever sing. Hallelujah!

4     Sing we to our God above, hallelujah!

       praise eternal as God's love; hallelujah!

       praise our God, ye heavenly host, hallelujah!

       praise the Son and Holy Ghost. Hallelujah!

OPENING PRAYER:                                Read In Unison

We gather this holiest of days, Living God, to remember one more moment in time that changed everything.  Thousands of years ago, your Spirit burst out of the grave and placed into our hands the promise of resurrection.  Through Jesus’ resurrection, you gifted us with freedom, not just from death, but from sin, fear, uncertainty, and loneliness.  You moved and shattered the shadows of death.  Today we rejoice!  Even though we so often forget, today we remember.  We remember you are here among us.  We remember you are more than just a story.  We remember that, in you and because of you, we are not alone.  Move among us and lift our hearts as we praise your name this glorious Easter morning.  Amen

      Written by Nora Vedress, Calvary U.C., Prince Albert, Sask.

     Gathering, Lent-Easter 2024, p.43.  Used with permission.

MINISTRY OF MUSIC TIME FOR THE YOUTHFUL

HYMN: “I Danced in the Morning”  VU #352     

1          I danced in the morning when the world was begun,

            and I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun,

            and I came from heaven and I danced on the earth;

            at Bethlehem I had my birth.

Refrain          Dance, then, wherever you may be;

                        I am the Lord of the dance, said he,

                        and I'll lead you all, wherever you may be,

                        and I'll lead you all in the dance, said he.

 

2          I danced for the scribe and the pharisee,

            but they would not dance and they would not follow me;

            I danced for the fishermen, for James and John;

            they came with me and the dance went on.  Refrain

 

3          I danced on the Sabbath and I cured the lame;

            the holy people said it was a shame;

            they whipped and they stripped and they hung me high,

            and left me there on a cross to die.  Refrain



4          I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black;

            it's hard to dance with the devil on your back;

            they buried my body and they thought I'd gone,

            but I am the dance and I still go on.  Refrain

 

5          They cut me down and I leap up high;

            I am the life that will never, never die;

            I'll live in you if you'll live in me;

            I am the Lord of the dance, said he.  Refrain

THE WORD      

Scripture: John 20:1 - 18

Leader:   Hear and listen to what the Spirit is saying to the church.

ALL:      Thanks be to God.

MESSAGE

“Can You Believe It?”

Listen to an audio recording of the message below or read it at the bottom of this page.

OUR RESPONSE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE and THE LORD’S PRAYER: sung VU #960

HYMN: “Christ Is Alive!” VU #158

1     Christ is alive! Let Christians sing.

       The cross stands empty to the sky.

       Let streets and homes with praises ring.

       Love, drowned in death, shall never die.

 

2     Christ is alive! No longer bound

       to distant years in Palestine,

       but saving, healing, here and now,

       and touching every place and time.

 

3     In every insult, rift, and war,

       where colour, scorn, or wealth divide,

       Christ suffers still, yet loves the more,

       and lives, where even hope has died.

 

4     Women and men, in age and youth,

       can feel the Spirit, hear the call,

       and find the way, the life, the truth,

       revealed in Jesus, freed for all.

 

5     Christ is alive, and comes to bring

       good news to this and every age,

       till earth and sky and ocean ring

       with joy, with justice, love and praise.

PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS

Offertory Prayer (In Unison)

      Take these gifts we offer, O God, and bless them as our hallelujahs!  May they become hallelujahs for people near and far, our discipleship lived in answer to fear, to separation, and to inequity.  In our giving, may we become a hallelujahs for each other and for people we encounter, living signs of your love in the world.    Amen.

  Written by Gord Dunbar, Kincardine P.C., Kincardine, Ont.

 Gathering, Lent-Easter 2024, p.48.  Used with permission.

 

SUNG BLESSING:       VU #161 vs 2                      

2          Earth with joyful welcome clothes itself for spring;

            greets with life reviving our returning king:

            flowers in every pasture, leaves on every bough,

            speak of sorrows ended; Jesus triumphs now!

                        Welcome, happy morning! age to age shall say;

                        hell today is vanquished, heaven is won today! ©

Sending Forth: 

One:    Our worship time has ended and we rejoice in the miracle of the resurrection.  With faith we proclaim, “Christ has risen! Alleluia!”  May all you do and share, all that you are, declare this Good News!  May God’s love radiate through you.  May the glory of the risen Christ be revealed within you.  May the mystery of the Holy Spirit guide you, this day and always.

ALL:  Amen!

             Written by Laura J. Turnbull, Penticton, B.C.

            Gathering, Lent-Easter 2024, p.49.  Used with permission.

A Time of Fellowship

© Music Reproduced with permission under License number A-605748, Valid for: 26/10/2023 - 25/10/2024; One License - Copyright Cleared Music for Churches.


Sermon 31st March 2024

“Can You Believe It?”

John 20:1 - 18

 



Gracious God, be with us today in this place, in the Scriptures and in our words.

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts praise your Holy name. Amen.

 

Today’s message, originally written by Rt. Rev. Carmen Lansdowne in the Broadview magazine, is entitled, “Can You Believe It? - Easter urges us to rumble with the mystery of our faith.”

 

It’s the time of year again when we are reminded of the mystery of our faith:

Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

And I wonder how well we believe this.

In some ways, that it is a mystery lets us off the hook from having to imagine exactly what it means.

 

The American author Brené Brown talks about the need to “rumble” with concepts.

I like that term.

What would it mean for us, as the church, to really rumble with the mystery of our faith?

Not just to placidly recite the prayer of Great Thanksgiving, but to rumble every day as if we truly believe Christ died, Christ is risen and Christ will come again?

 

The need to rumble with our faith is especially urgent as we face news stories about the state of the world and the church.

It is, in part, why I started the Flourishing: Bold Ideas, Daring Connections project.

I wanted the church and anyone in Canada to understand that we could think differently about the future and contribute to our collective flourishing.

This work is more than the traditional visioning done in strategic planning.

It’s about what kind of future you want for yourself, your community of faith and this country.

 

In doing this work, I’ve noticed a

couple of things.

The first is that some people light

up with commitment and excitement about the possibilities of a renewing church.

The second, much more

concerning, is that the church sometimes feels dispirited — or at least, individuals within the church do.

There is an unwillingness to

believe that change could be desirable, good or possible.

There is grief over the loss of

bustling buildings full of people on evenings and weekends, multiple Sunday school classes and public recognition that The United Church of Canada was important, not just to our members but also to Canadian society.

 

One day in church last fall, we were talking about commitments folks would make.

One person stood up and said,

“We’ve been so interested in inviting young people to join us in worship.

I am going to figure out how we invite them not to join us, but to make space for themselves, whatever that may look like.”

 

This is the key to imagining a future we currently do not believe is possible.

I’ve spoken these words before, but they bear repeating.

We are so good in the United Church to proclaim: “All are welcome here.

No matter who you are, no matter where you are on life’s journey, no matter who you love, you are welcome here.”

That is beautiful.

And for much of our recent history, it has been prophetic.

But the implication is that you are welcome to come and be like us.

The truth is that many communities of faith still have a long way to go in becoming genuinely inclusive.

I’m thinking specifically of communities of faith who become officially affirming but everyone still does not understand why paying attention to pronouns is an important element of that welcome.

Or churches that make hard choices with their scarce resources and avoid doing things such as making washrooms accessible.

 

In my previous role as executive

director of First United Church Community Ministry Society in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, we undertook a community engagement process to redevelop our property.

Our approach was to say, “This

was designed with you in mind.”

It meant we shifted from offering

spaces and programs the way the church wanted to run them.

Instead, we started listening to  

community partners and people who accessed our services.

 

We said, “Our vision is a neighbourhood where the worth of every person is celebrated and all thrive.

If we could design a building that made that vision a reality, what would it need?”

We got all kinds of brilliant feedback that we never would have thought of on our own.

And we made space in the new building to incorporate that feedback.

That building — and that ministry’s programs — were designed with the people we served in mind.

 

But to get there, to envision a ministry that is alive and thriving, we need to relinquish control and expectation, and leave space for dreaming and feedback.

Sure, we have to worry about finances and burnout among our volunteers and

ministers.

Absolutely.

Probably many communities of faith are avoiding hard conversations about their financial viability.

But there is always opportunity in crisis.

Theologian and professor, Andrew Root, says in his book, “The Church and the Crisis of Decline”, that it doesn’t matter if we have six or 600 members.

What matters is the level of energy and engagement and, most importantly, a belief in a living and transcendent God who shows up and speaks to people.

 

In my travels, I have had tremendous opportunity to engage in conversations within the church about our new call and vision to be a church of deep spirituality, bold discipleship and daring justice.

The more I come to understand these three aspects of our self-understanding as church, the more I value them.

The church sure loves the piece about daring justice and how much we are or aren’t doing in the name of justice and if our justice-seeking is daring enough.

 

We all know prayer warriors and

amazing leaders who run retreats, set spiritual direction and play a huge role in shaping the liturgical life of the church through worship and other spiritual practices.

But we don’t know what it means

to practise bold discipleship.

 

My sense is, as we moved closer to the cutting edge of where our Christian commitment to justice was leading us, it became a riskier type of solidarity.

It was safer to turn our faith-gaze inward in terms of our Christian practice at the same time as telling the world where the arc of the moral universe should be bending toward justice.

We also failed to really rumble with what it meant to be disciples of Christ in this radically inclusive and justice-seeking faith we value so dearly.

As the world changed around us, we thought we couldn’t compete with school extracurriculars, so our kids stopped coming to Sunday school, Explorers and CGIT.

Fewer communities of faith had youth groups.

Parents sent their kids to academic or sports programs in the summer rather than to church camp.

Now, those of us under 60 are few and far between in the church.

 

If we want the church to continue this commitment to justice, we need to rumble with discipleship.

We need to state its importance aloud, and we need to become biblically literate — this includes me.

I was raised in the church to be deeply committed to justice.

That was my primary understanding of church.

I had personal faith experiences and encounters with God that I cannot explain logically that brought me back to the church.

Even in theological school, I did the bare minimum in biblical studies.

But I truly believe what Lutheran pastor and author Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber says: scripture is too potent to be left to those who would weaponize it.

 

When finances and burnout become all we worry about, all our attention is drawn to, we forget that we come from a long line of faithful witnesses, servants, prophets and leaders who experienced this radically present and radically transcendent God.

We come from a lineage of people who encountered burning bushes, rivers and seas that were parted with bare hands, and underdogs winning unexpectedly.

They spoke with angels and wrestled with demons.

 

We say we believe in the mystery of our faith: Christ died, Christ is risen and Christ will come again.

But do we really believe?

Can we really believe?

Believe in the way Mary Magdalene did when she encountered Christ three days after he died?

 

Can we be disciples who believe the unbelievable?

 

Rt. Rev. Carmen Lansdowne is the 44th moderator of The United Church of Canada.

 

As we take our Moderators message and the image of the empty cocoon/chrysalis with us today, let’s imagine how we can come out of our cocoons/chrysalises seeking to be the best disciples for Christ that we can be.

 

Thanks be to God.  Amen.

 

 

 

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Weekly Church Announcements March 31, 2024

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Service for Good Friday March 29, 2024