Easter Letter 2017

 
Greetings,

We are entering into my favorite week of the year—Holy Week. I invite you to join me as we usher in Holy Week waving our palm branches and rolling out a makeshift red carpet of clothing for Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. Most of the ink in the gospel is used to tell of Jesus’ final week of life— the cleansing of the Temple, a handful of parables about readiness, tears shed over Jerusalem, a meal shared among friends, Judas’ betrayal, Jesus’ prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, his arrest and trial, Peter’s denial and the painstaking events that surround his death on the cross and burial in a borrowed tomb. While the drama picks up in during Holy Week, it also provides us with moments to slow down and deepen our own relationship with God and with one another.

On Easter Sunday, at both the 8:30am and 10:45am services I look forward to announcing along with the trumpet shaped Easter lilies, “Christ is risen” and to hear our congregation respond as the church has faithfully done for over two thousand years, “He is risen indeed!” Before we sing, “Up from the grave he arose,” or the two full measures of “Alleluias’” in Wesley’s hymn,

Christ the Lord is Risen Today

(which always makes my voice crack in excitement), take the time to prepare our hearts to see with the fresh eyes of faith our risen Lord.  

At 7pm on Holy Thursday, we will be joined by the Hurlbut Memorial Community United Methodist Church as we share in a service of Foot Washing and Holy Communion and hear the inspired preaching of the Rev. Carmen Perry. On Good Friday, let us join together at noon at Moore Park with other members of our community for our annual Cross Walk. Please take a moment to sign up with LeAnn in the church office as we continue the beautiful tradition of keeping Easter Vigil. 

Every year in anticipation of Christ’s resurrection, I spend some time between Good Friday and Easter morning reading one or more of the gospel accounts of Christ’s suffering and death on the cross. I have found that doing so, allows me to proclaim with a renewed sense of wonder “Christ is risen” and it deepens the hope and promise of new life offered to us in Christ.  

                                                                                    Easter Blessings,

 

                                                                                    Nicholas Perry,

Pastor


 

Holy Week Services- 2017

 

 “Egg”cellent Easter Celebration – April 8th

10:00 – 12: 30 event for children

 

Palm / Passion Sunday – April 9th

8:30 Service & 10:45 Service – Cantata

 

Holy Thursday – March April 13th 7:00 PM –

Combined service with Hurlbut @ FUMC

*Foot washing & Communion
 

Good Friday – April 14th – Noon

Way of the Cross – Moore Park

 

Easter Eve Watch

Sat., April 15th – 6 PM to Sun., April 16th – 6AM

We are asking you to set aside 1 hour, either in the church sanctuary or in your home, to take time to pray.

There will be a sign up sheet outside the office so we can “cover” the entire 12 hours with prayer. There will also be packets available for prayer/scripture reflections that you can use.

 For those that would like to pray at the church and need a key, please contact the office.

 

 

 

Easter Sunday – April 16th

8:30 & 10:45 (both services in the Sanctuary) – Communion

*Remember to bring flowers to put on the cross


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