BULLETIN | Livingston UMC

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* indicates an invitation to rise in body or in spirit, as you are able

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Prelude

Prelude on “Easter Hymn”

Arranged by Edward Broughton
Based on the tune from “Lyra Davidica” 1718

Chris Warner, Organist

Welcome

Pastor Angie

*Call to Worship

Noelle Russell

Leader: My dear friends,
we have known grief.
We have known loss.
We have known the long road, tired and winding.
We have whispered prayers on bended knees.
We have stared at the sky, empty of stars.
But today—
All: today we know hope.
Leader: Today we know life.
All: Today we know the sound of Alleluias.
Leader: Today we know that death does not have the last word.
All: Today we know that nothing can separate us from the love of God.
Leader: It is Easter.
May hope find you.
And may you know, deep in your bones,
that today is a new day.
All: Alleluia! Amen.

*Opening Hymn

Christ the Lord Is Risen Today

Charles Wesley

During our opening hymn, you are invited to come forward

and add flowers to the cross on the Chancel.

1 Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!

2 Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia!
Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia!

3 Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once he died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where's thy victory, boasting grave? Alleluia!

4 Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like him, like him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

5 Hail the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia!
Praise to thee by both be given, Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!
Hail the Resurrection, thou, Alleluia!

6 King of glory, soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, thy power to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing, and thus to love, Alleluia!

Children's Moments

Jen Brizendine

Jesus Loves the Little Children

George Frederick Root and Clare Herbert Woolston

Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world.
Morning, evening, day and night,
They are precious in His sight -
Jesus loves the little children of the world.

Prayer Requests / Prayers of the People

Feel free to text any prayer requests to Pastor Angie at (614) 309-6645.

The Offering

To support our ministries, Livingston United Methodist Church depends on the financial support of our members and friends of the church like you. Visit our Donate page to give your gift today.

Offertory Music

Was It a Morning Like This?

Arr. by James Koerts
Words & Music by Jim Croegaert

*Doxology - Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow (Lasst Uns Erfreuen)

Thomas Ken and Ralph Vaughan Williams

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise God, all creatures here below:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise God, the source of all our gifts!
Praise Jesus Christ, whose power uplifts!
Praise the Spirit, Holy Spirit!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

*Prayer of Dedication

*Hymn

Now the Green Blade Riseth

John Macleod Campbell Crum and Martin Edward Fallas Shaw

1 Now the green blade riseth,
from the buried grain,
wheat that in the dark earth
many days has lain;
Love lives again,
that with the dead has been:

Refrain
Love is come again,
like wheat that springeth green.

2 In the grave they laid him,
Love who had been slain,
thinking that he never
would awake again,
laid in the earth
like grain that sleeps unseen:
[Refrain]

3 Forth he came at Easter,
like the risen grain,
Jesus who for three days
in the grave had lain;
quick from the dead
my risen Lord is seen:
[Refrain]

4 When our hearts are wintry,
grieving, or in pain,
Jesus' touch can call us
back to life again,
fields of our hearts
that dead and bare have been:
[Refrain]

*The Gospel Reading

Luke 24:1-12

Special Music

Mercy Tree

LUMC Choir
Michael W. Neale & Krissy Nordhoff
Arr. Joseph M. Martin

Message

Everything [in] Between: Grief & Hope

Pastor Angie

Holy Communion

God of yesterday, tomorrow, and right now,

God of the sun, the moon, and the pink before dawn,

God of our head, our heart, and our gut,

we are full of Alleluias.

Holy God, we are full of Alleluias

because this morning the sun rose once again.

This morning, the birds sang for you.

This morning children laughed,

flowers bloomed,

and hope was shared.

This morning, we heard

how the stone was rolled away.

This morning we dare to believe that life is stronger than death

and love is stronger than evil.

So today, we are full of Alleluias.

Today we are full of hope.

However, we know that not every day feels like today.

Just two days ago, we walked the path to the cross.

Just two days ago, we remembered the violence humanity is capable of.

Just two days ago, we remembered the cruelty that this world knows all too well.

So on this hopeful day, as well as on those grief-filled days,

we ask that you would meet us here.

Meet us in this sanctuary.

Meet us in this community.

Meet us at this Table.

Pour out your Spirit on this bread and cup.

Roll back the stone, again and again,

as many times as it takes for us to see you.

Call us by name, again and again,

as many times as it takes for us to hear you.

Pull us from the trenches of our grief,

and give us reason to hope.

As you do,

we will keep singing your praises,

we will come back to this Table,

we will continue to bring you our hope, our grief, and everything in between.

With a mouth full of Alleluias, we join our voices once more to pray the prayer you taught us

to pray, saying:

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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Receiving the Bread and Cup

Unison Prayer after Communion

God of the mountain, the valley, and every step in between, may this meal be a fresh start. May this moment, where all are fed and all are welcomed, be the start of something new. Show us how to carry the love we experience here from the walls of this church into the world we encounter in the days ahead. Show us how to leave breadcrumbs of good news along our path and everywhere in between. With deep hope we pray, Amen.

Affirmation of Faith

Leader: In the dark before dawn,
All: we believe that God is alive.
Leader: In the midst of our grief,
All: we believe the Spirit is at work.
Leader: In the chaos of our broken world,
All: we believe that love is on the loose.
Leader: For no stone could keep God at bay,
All: and no violence could keep God’s love from us.
Leader: So today we sing,
All: Alleluia!
Leader: For somewhere in between our belief and doubt,
All: hope lives.
Leader: Christ has died,
All: and Christ has also risen.
Thanks be to God! Amen.

*Closing Hymn

Easter People, Raise Your Voices

William M. James and Henry Thomas Smart

1 Easter people, raise your voices,
sounds of heaven in earth should ring.
Christ has brought us heaven's choices;
heavenly music, let it ring.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Easter people, let us sing.

2 Fear of death can no more stop us
from our pressing here below.
For our Lord empowered us
to triumph over every foe.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
On to victory now we go.

3 Every day to us is Easter,
with its resurrection song.
When in trouble move the faster
to our God who rights the wrong.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
See the power of heavenly throngs.

*Benediction & Sending Forth

Postlude

Paraphrase on “Jesus Christ is Risen Today”

Setting by Edith Campbell
Adapted from a melody in “Lyra Davidica” 1718

We encourage parishioners to remain seated and enjoy the talents of our organist during the Postlude.