Grace and peace to you, from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ! Worship music this week is plentiful, and provided by our choir and local brass choir, accompanied by George Emlen on organ, under the direction of Tina Dreisbach. Our Easter celebration will begin at dawn on Blue Hill Mountain with the strains of an antique pump organ (Thank you, Hunt!) and our voices united with the birds.
As I write on this on Holy Saturday, the last day of Lent, I was struck by an article sent from my younger daughter’s alma mater, Colby College. In an interview, popular YA novelist, John Green, addressed the students particularly when he said, “It’s so easy to feel like this is the end of the story. And I don’t blame you if you feel like this is the end of the story, like, the human story,” Green said. “This is, in fact, the middle of the story, and together we are going to invent a different end. I don’t know what the end will be, but we will shape the story together. And that is itself, I think, an act of hope—to remember that this is the middle of the story and it falls to us, together, to write a different and better end for ourselves and for each other.” Green could well be listening in to my sermon writing this week. I would say that in this time, we have a role in resurrection. God has done for us what gives us hope for eternity and for today, and we can be a part of that story of new beginnings that challenge the deaths of our age. We can be a part of ending violence, of ending cynicism, of ending hatred. In such, we remember and we celebrate that Jesus Christ led us in a bold new way of being, grounded in compassion and mercy, and looking toward redemption. That good news can carry us even through our darkest times, thanks be to God!
Blessings and peace, Lisa
Worship at Home Materials: We will be offering worship in-person as well as on Zoom this coming Sunday. Coffee & tea are available after the church service. Masks are suggested in the sanctuary and required during the singing of hymns, as the virus spreads most easily with the projection of droplets.
Children’s Message
Psalm 118, NCH p. 700 Psalm 118:1-2; 14-24
A Reading from the Hebrew Bible Isaiah 65:17-25
A Reading from the Gospels Luke 24:1-12
Message “He Is Not Here, And So He Is” Pastor Lisa
Below you will find materials to accompany this week’s Sunday Morning Worship via Zoom. An order of service with scripture readings, to accompany the service, are available by clicking the following links.
Helpful Hint: If you are planning to join the Sunday morning worship Zoom call, you might wish to print the following documents prior to joining the call, if you have that capability.
*A link to the sermon will be shared on our website during the week following the service.
Worship Bulletin:
April 20, 2025
Service of Worship for Home
To join us for worship via Zoom, please use the following information.
Whether or not you choose to set up an account, when it’s time for the meeting, click the following link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82804063266
Meeting ID: 828 0406 3266
Passcode: 830957