Sunday March 27, 2016
Easter Sunday with Easter Special Offering Stewardship Moment
Easter Sunday :: White :: Acts 10:34-43 :: Psalm 118: 1-2, 14-24 :: I Corinthians 15:19-26 :: John 20:1-18
Call to Worship (Responsive)
Adapted from Psalm 118
L: O give thanks to the LORD, for the LORD is good
P: God’s steadfast love endures forever.
L: The LORD is our strength, and our might,
P: The LORD has become our salvation.
L: The stone which the builders rejected,
P: Has become the chief cornerstone.
L: The is the day that the LORD has made;
P: Let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Invocation:
Christ is Risen! Christ is risen indeed! We come O God celebrating the triumph of the day. We come to remember and celebrate Christ’s victory over death, completing His sacrifice for all sin and our redemption. We come with songs of praise and celebration, for the tomb is empty and our hearts are filled with joy. Enjoin our worship, O God, to praise and glorify your name above all names. Alleluia! Amen.
Stewardship Moment:
West of downtown St. Louis, Missouri, you will find Forest Park. Now considered a jewel and treasure of the city, nearly thirty years ago it was severely threatened by neglect. Since Forest Park is the home to the St. Louis Zoo, the St. Louis Museum of Art, the Missouri History Museum, the St. Louis Science Center, and countless outdoor attractions; the fact that the park was deteriorating was a bit of a crisis. You see, each of the Museums and attractions had supporters, but there was no organized support for the care and upkeep of the park itself.
Within the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) there are a number of terrific General Units, each with their own supporters, but only a small portion of our regular offerings go to support the combined work of the whole church – Our “Forest Park”. The Easter Special offering cares for our “Disciples Park”. Please consider making a special offering today to support our shared General Ministries.
Offertory Prayer:
O God of Grace and Glory, we bring our gifts before you and ask your blessing. Use these gifts to strengthen your church and spread your message, we pray. Bless and multiply them, with those of our sister congregations all across North America, that our church might spread your word from our doorsteps to the ends of the earth.
Communion Meditation:
Today the Last Supper makes more sense. Today we see the power of Jesus’ sacrifice, confirmed in His victory over death. If Jesus had only declared himself a sacrifice, and had simply died; if there had been no Easter morning, and no empty tomb; none of it would make sense. We celebrate around this table to remember the sacrifice which led to the victory over death. And as the Apostle Paul reminds us in First Corinthians, the LAST enemy to be destroyed is death. Today, at this table we remember and celebrate the ultimate victory. Come, eat, drink, and remember what Christ has done for YOU.
All material copyright 2016 The Jubilee Fund, Inc. Permission granted to reproduce and use any of the above for Churches and Congregations to the glory of God without requirement of compensation or notification.
Scripture Quotations from the New Revised Standard Version. Online Scripture links a service of the Jean and Alexander Heard Divinity Library, of Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN