Gathering in Worship Offered by the People of the Church of Christ, Union

Easter Sunday 

April 1, 2018  10:30 am 

Meditation
It is neither stretch nor slight to say that the resurrection was a joke—and a good one. What more could Jesus have done to mock the world that killed him than rise from the dead? When we say we are Easter people, we say we live in the light Jesus brought to the darkness between what is and what should be.  —Miles Townes
Welcome to this service of worship!  During the service, you are invited to rise in body or in spirit, standing or sitting, at points in the service marked “ ”.”
Please sign in using the pew folder, passing it back down the row so all can greet one another by name, and place the sheet in an offering plate. We’re glad you’re here!

From there to Here

Prelude Jesus, Priceless Treasure Michael Burkhardt
The Good News!         Mark 16:1-8 (p. 1221)
Call to Worship (seated)
  One: God of life, in gratitude and great joy we laud you for the gifts of Christ’s Resurrection.
All: Weeping may linger for a night, but joy comes in the morning.
One: God turns our weeping into dancing and clothes us in gladness. No more do  we walk in shadow. Death is swallowed up forever.
All: What was dead shall live; all in darkness shall shine; what was forgotten shall be remembered, for the Lord is risen and walks among us.
One: Alleluia!
All: Christ is Risen!
One: He is risen indeed!
Easter Processional
Please remain seated as this introduction to the hymn is played and the elements of celebration are processed and the sanctuary is transformed. When invited, please rise and sing:  
¨  Opening Hymn #233 Christ the Lord Is Risen Today Easter Hymn
Union Church Handbell Ensemble; Susan Waterbury, piano
¨  Passing the Peace of Christ
All who come to this sanctuary are welcome companions on this day! You are invited to turn to those nearest you and greet them with words of peace and joy. 

The Living Word among us

Anthem Alleluia, Christ Is Alive! Joel Raney
Union Church Choir
Why do you seek the living among the dead? The stone has been rolled away as the angel said. Why are you weeping, when Christ, his promises keeping, has opened heaven’s door? He’s alive. He is risen. The tomb is empty. He’s alive. He has risen, to reign forevermore. Sing “Alleluia, Christ is risen.”
Sing a hymn of praise to God on high. The power of sin has been overcome, the ransom paid by the holy Son. Blameless, forgiven, the dead are raised to life! Praise to the Lord of earth and heaven. Christ arose and opened paradise, on this day of resurrection, join the jubilant celebration. Alleluia, Christ is alive!
Sing to God a joyful hymn, a hymn of gladness, a hymn of praise! Sing a hymn of praise to God on high. Now love’s redeeming work is done. He fought the fight, now the battle’s won. Blessed Redeemer, the King of love and light!
Praise to the Lord of earth and heaven. Christ arose and opened paradise. From the grave he rose, victorious. Praises ring from the heavenly chorus, “Alleluia, Christ is alive.” Sing “Alleluia, Christ is risen.” Christ is alive!
Hebrew Scripture Lesson Isaiah 25:6-9 (p. 834)
Children’s Moment                                as the children return to their seats we sing:
May God’s presence guard, protect and guide you.  God bless you, God bless you. Our savior’s loving arms be ever ’round you.  God bless you, God bless you. 
For children preschool age & under, care is available in the Nursery, downstairs in Room 104 off the playground.  No Childrens Church today.
Easter Acclamation                    Zimbabwean trad.
Lesson from Acts         Acts of the Apostles 10:34-43 (p. 1333)
Sermon      The Wisdom of Fools       Rev. Kent Gilbert

Praying it Forward

Ringing of the Peace Bell
The Union Church Peace Bell was created by Jeff Enge in honor of Union Church member Carl Eschbach (1904-1998).  A twin bell hangs in Berea’s sister province in Japan and is also rung in the hope of peace for all nations.
Silent Prayer and Prayers of the Community
Litany for Easter Sunday
One: Lord Jesus, here are your disciples. We meet you even in the midst of confusion. Help us live into those questions for which there are no easy answers. Feed our faith with the assurance of your presence.
All: May we hear your voice in and through all the other voices   we hear. May we find life even in our questions; blossom, even in our uncertainty.
One: Lord Jesus, here are your disciples. We meet you even amidst the tombs and stony places. Bring new life where we are worn and tired. Bring new love where we have turned hard-hearted. Bring forgiveness where we feel hurt and where we have wounded others. Bring joy and release where we are prisoners of ourselves.
All: May we let go of fear and embrace hope. Heal our broken places that we may share your resurrection joy.
One: Lord Jesus, here are your disciples, the body of Christ, your Church. We pray  for your Church throughout the world and for that part to which we belong: that   it may be ready to spend and be spent in your service.
All: May we spend and be spent in lavish joy. May we be liberated and united by the love of the resurrected one.
Our Lord’s Prayer adapted for the New Zealand Prayer Book by Jim Cotter (1988)
Eternal Spirit, Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver, Source of all that is and that shall be; Father and Mother of us all, Loving God, in whom is heaven: The hallowing of your name echo through the universe! The way of your justice be followed by peoples of the world! Your heavenly will be done by all created beings! Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth. With the bread we need for today, feed us. In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us. In times of temptation and test, strengthen us. From trials too great to endure, spare us. From the grip of all that is evil, free us. For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and forever. Amen.

GIfts Given for Love to Flow

Our gifts help sustain this particular community of caring by sustaining the building, pastors and staff, and all the materials that make our ministry of healing, justice, and teaching available to all in need. In addition, a good portion of our contributions flows out to aid to those in need via many external agencies.
This can now be done online or by text to 859-448-3403 (Example: Text “$50.00 Offering” to contribute to the ongoing ministries, or add “youth,” or “missions” or designation of your choice to benefit one in particular.
Your contribution is love made visible. Thank you!
Offertory        Hallelujah from “Christ on the Mount of Olives” Beethoven, arr. M.L. Thompson
Union Church Handbell Ensemble
¨  Doxology  Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Lasst Uns Erfreuen
Praise God all creatures here below! Alleluia, alleluia! Praise God above, ye heavenly host! Creator, Christ and Holy Ghost.  Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

From Here to There

¨  Closing Hymn #243 Alleluia! Alleluia! Hearts to Heaven Weisse Flaggen
If you would like to join the choir in singing the Hallelujah Chorus, please make your way to the choir loft, if able, as the hymn begins.
¨  Benediction Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah G.F. Handel
Hallelujah! For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth! The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of the Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever: King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Hallelujah!
Postlude Symphony No. 5, Toccata Charles Marie Widor
Especially in our prayers
Each week we join millions of Christians who pray for one another through the ecumenical prayer cycle and, locally, the Berea Ministerial Association’s prayer cycle.  Let us hold the people of the Balkans – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia and our brothers and sisters at First Baptist Church of Berea in our hearts, and pray for them. Please hold these concerns in your prayers, today and throughout the week.
Prayer requests to be printed may be sent to the office anytime before 10:00 am Fridays.
¨ Our church family members in nursing homes, or who are homebound:  Ruth Butwell, Edith Hansen, Nancy Hindman, Loyal Jones, Mary Miller, Alva Peloquin
¨ Dan Rohrer, who is suffering from a severe liver disorder.
¨ Dave Wellinghurst, diagnosed with glioblastoma after surgery for a brain tumor, whose cancer is responding to treatment better than expected
¨ Gary Dillon, significant other of Betty Sarafin, critically ill with cancer.
¨ For Luke Woodie, recovering from bile duct cancer surgery at home.
¨ Barb Smith, ill at home
¨ Lauri McVicker’s mother, recovering from hip surgery, in New Jersey
¨ Jennie Kiteck, at home after successful colon cancer surgery.
¨ In thanksgiving for those students, teachers, parents, lawmakers, and citizens who are witnessing and working to end gun violence in our society. May laws that help be passed; may hearts that are broken be healed; may all who are in danger be kept safe.
¨ Alejandra Sanchez’s sister in El Salvador, Marco Amalia Sanchez, suffering the final stages of cancer.  Alejandra would like our prayers for Marco and the family.
¨ Loyal Jones, at UK hospital with an infection
Announcements
You Matter! Please Sign the Register, Check in on Facebook/Twitter and try a nametag! It’s hard to get to know people elsewhere, but we don’t want it that way at church.  Let’s all try to get to know each other better.
We Want to Join YOU! Membership Sunday Next Week! As a family of faith committed to boldly and creatively embodying the life and ministry of Jesus, we would like to join YOU. We’d like to be a context and inspiration for your own spiritual path, and work with you to make your heart, your world, your life more peace-filled and joy-full. Next Sunday there will be an opportunity to covenant together. No prior action on your part is required, but if you have any questions at all, we’d like to help. Working together, we want to make God’s love visible and real to all. Please let us join with you!
Wednesday Nite Live is a POTLUCK this week, for the first Wednesday of the month!
Habitat Story-Telling Event April 4, 6:00 pm, Appalachian Center, with Heather Reynolds, homeowner.  The Berea Faith Community came together about 3 years ago for an Apostles Build to construct her family’s home in partnership with Habitat.
The purpose of this event is to engage the Berea Faith community in the story of how home ownership has impacted the Reynolds family.  We will introduce the community to the current partner family with whom we are partnering in the construction of their home in Berea.  Thrivent Financial will be participating in the event, as well as a financial sponsor for the upcoming build.
The office door code will change April 9. If you need it, please call or email the office.
Moms Demand Action will meet in the Community Room April 10, 6:30 pm. Moms Demand Action is a non-partisan movement of Americans demanding reasonable solutions to address our nation’s culture of gun violence. This will be MDA’s first meeting in Berea. Please join Kentucky’s State Chapter Leader Connie Coartney and State Membership Team Leader Betsy Roup to learn about Moms Demand Action and how you can get involved. We will discuss the history of MDA, what actions we are currently working on, local group leadership roles, and how you can be a part of MDA whether you have 5 minutes a week or 5 hours. 
Sustainable Berea Victory Garden Blitz April 28 needs volunteers! 8-2 at the Berea Municipal Utilities building. Help needed to construct beds, deliver and install beds, haul dirt. Trucks needed too. Potluck at 1 pm!
Older iPad Needed: Do you have an older generation iPad you no longer use? The AV system we use in the Community Room would benefit from a dedicated iPad  for church and rental use. It must have the older, wider power connection to work, but other than that, any iPad  will be more than enough to power the system. Contact the office or Rev. Kent if you can help!
Official Record Book Still Missing :(. Have you seen the sign-in book we use to record new members’ joining dates and attendance at meetings? Did you look in your car? What about at home? It’s been missing since November and maybe some-one accidentally took it home or tucked it somewhere for safe keeping? It’s black padded leather, about 8 1/2 x 11. Help!
Please Sign up to Read Scripture or to Help Greet and Usher!  Please use our electronic sign up system, http://signup.com/go/xkdVtB, where you can pick a date that works for you and get reminders!  OR you can also call the office and we’ll get you on the lists.
Berea Leadership Experience for Youth, July 16-20. Registration opens April 15. Berea Leadership Experience will hold its camp for kids to learn skills of conflict resolution, media literacy, mindfulness, and appreciation of nature the week of July 16th -20th, 9 am – 2 pm for kids in incoming grades 2-8. We are also seeking sponsors for scholarships and other financial donations to make this camp possible for as many people as possible. Sponsorships are $60 to cover one student. Checks can be made or online donations can be designated to Union Church, memo line “Berea Leadership Experience.” Thank you!