
Worship for Easter Sunday
First United Methodist Church of Schenectady
Worship for Easter Sunday
April 12, 2020
Photos by Sue Learner unless otherwise noted
Getting Centered
It may help to center yourself into worship by lighting a candle, as a symbol of God’s presence with you during the time of worship.
Breath prayer
God of life, in you we hope
Breath prayers involve breathing in the first phrase, and breathing out the second.You may wish to simply pray for a moment before starting,
or you may wish to pray while listening to the prelude.
Prelude
“Procession of the Nobles” by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Harmonic Brass and Matthias Eisenberg (Organ)
“Concerto in E Flat, Allegro” by Johann Baptist Georg
Harmonic Brass
“Serenade No. 13 for Strings in G Major, K. 525” and “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Allegro” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Harmonic Brass
“Suite Gothique, Toccata” by Leon Boellmann
Dominick Giaquinto (organ)
Organ of the First United Methodist Church of Schenectady
Call to Worship
If you are with another person, you may wish to read this out-loud. Otherwise, you can read it as a reminder that this is communal worship done in a large geographical area.
One: Christ is Risen!
Many: Christ is Risen, indeed!
One: Alleluia!
Many: Alleluia, Amen!
One: Love cannot be stopped, God never ceases,
Many: Christ is Risen, indeed! Alleluia!Hymn #302: Chris the Lord Is Risen Today
If you wish to sing along, the sheet music is here:
Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
Connecting in Prayer
Shared Prayer
Life and Love,
On this day of celebrating your powers of life,
and your powers of love,
we are aware of the changes in our lives and our world.
May we be centered into this time of worship,
able to let go and savor You,
so that we may emerge refreshed,
alive,
washed in love,
and able to celebrate You throughout this week.
AmenWe will share joys and concerns during the Second Hour Zoom conversation.
If you have joys or concerns to add, please send them to the office.Silent Prayer
Photo credit to Amanda Taylor. “A New Day Washes In”Pastoral Prayer
You are welcome to read this out-loud or silently.
Normally the pastoral prayer is in response to the prayers of the body,
this one is written hoping to respond to the prayers of the body
without hearing them first.God of Life and Love,
On this holiest of Sundays, we have gathered to worship you again,
from the distances of our homes,
seeking to do no harm, and to limit the contagion.
Love looks different than it has before,
now being shown by staying away, instead of staying close.
The notion of sacrifice has changed in front of us too,
from being a gift given to you, and made holy in the giving,
to being requested of people because we are unable to protect them.
We yearn, and we mourn.
We struggle, and we delight.
We are both lost and found.
This is a strange time, Holy One.
And we are so grateful to have you to rely on during it.
We bring you our profound gratitude for all the sources of life and love among us,
for all that uplifts and sustains.
We bring you all of our fears and aches, for all those who are struggling near and far, and all those who are vulnerable.
And, while we struggle at times, we offer you our trust,
knowing that you are with us,
that you are seeking good,
that you are bringing wholeness in as quickly and profoundly as it can come.
Guide us to life.
Guide us to love.
In your name.
AmenThe Lord’s Prayer
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, for ever. Amen.Word and Reflection
Choir Anthem
Christ Is Now Arisen – K. Lee Scott
Now the song is begun, for the battle is done, and the victory won:
now the foe is scattered: death’s dark prison shattered:
Sing for joy; and today raise the lay, Christ is now arisen!
They that followed in pain shall now follow to reign,
and the crown shall obtain; they were sore assaulted, they shall be exalted:
Sing for joy; earth and skies bid it rise, Christ is now arisen!
For the foe nevermore can approach to that shore, when the conflict is o’er:
there is joy supernal; there is peace eternal;
Sing of life; earth and skies bid it rise, Christ is now arisen!
Then be brave, then be true, Ye despised and ye few, for the crown is for you:
Christ, who went before you, spreads His buckler o’er you.
Sing of strength; earth and skies bid it rise, Christ is now arisen!
Lo, the victory is won, and the foe is scattered, death’s dark prison shattered!
Hallelujah, earth and skies bid it rise, Christ is now arisen!
Come today raise the lay, Christ is now arisen!Scripture – Jeremiah 31:1-6
Scripture is meant to be read out-loud.
Below is the version from the New Revised Standard Version.
You are more than welcome to read it in other versions if you wish.If you are worshiping with children, please take some time to “wonder” about this passage and what it means. (The pastor happily takes questions.) Adults may also enjoy this.
1At that time, says the Lord, I will be the God of
all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.
2Thus says the Lord:
The people who survived the sword
found grace in the wilderness;
when Israel sought for rest,
3the Lord appeared to him from far away.
I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.
4Again I will build you, and you shall be built,
O virgin Israel!
Again you shall take your tambourines,
and go forth in the dance of the merrymakers.
5Again you shall plant vineyards
on the mountains of Samaria;
the planters shall plant,
and shall enjoy the fruit.
6For there shall be a day when sentinels will call
in the hill country of Ephraim:
‘Come, let us go up to Zion,
to the Lord our God.’Mission Moment: Get Out and Go Hiking – Dana Carroll
Please note: In the very short time since this was written, things have changed. The Indian Kill Preserve and Plotterkill Preserve have closed.
(Information is included for when they reopen.)
Please use caution, social distancing, and face masks when you go out, even to hike.
Climbing the Walls?
Are you going stir crazy during this social distancing period? Missing your friends? Becoming a couch potato? Well, here’s a good idea for you. Go walking in one of the local Nature Preserves. Fresh air will not hurt you. If you take care, you can ask one of your friends to join you but still maintain social distancing. Drive in separate cars and meet at the Preserve. Just remember, no hugging, no touching, and stay 6 feet apart.
Wear layers and boots (in the spring it might be muddy), and get outside. It’s nice to have a day pack to put your jacket in when you get hot, and don’t forget a water bottle.
Our area has the most beautiful trails on God’s green earth. They are not difficult or long, they are easy to find, and they are well-marked so you can find your way. And, walking in the woods is a great way to pray. If you are not good at sitting quietly to pray (I’m not), you are going to love praying in the woods. Just walking on the trails is a prayer; you don’t have to have any words! And you can even let out a couple yells if you want. God loves that!
Here are five trails to get you started. You might be able to get these on you phone GPS. When you get to the trail head, it’s a good idea to use your phone to take a photo of the Preserve map.
Vischer Ferry Preserve. This is probably the easiest of all of these right now, because it is less muddy this time of year. It’s not a forest and it doesn’t have a trail head. It is a 740 acre preserve virtually in the Mohawk River, near the hamlet of Vischer Ferry. You can walk on a stone dust trail along the river and see lots of wildlife. I was there last week and I saw my first Hooded Merganser. Take binoculars if
you have them.
Directions: Take Balltown Road (Route 146) into Rexford and at the light at Stewart’s; turn east onto Riverview Road. Drive roughly 8 miles and the preserve is on the right at the intersection of Van Vranken Road. The parking lot is there at the Whipple Truss Bridge.
Indian Kill Nature Preserve, Hetcheltown Road, Glenville. This is 100 acres of woods following the banks and bluffs of the Indian and Alplaus Kills. A “Kill” is a stream or river. Some of the mature forests on the steep slopes were probably never timbered and contain very old maples, oaks, and beeches. The valley of the Alplaus and the steep bluffs of the Indian Kill were formed by the large water flows at the end of the last ice age. You can see and hear the river all along the hike.
Directions: Go north on Rt. 50 to Glenridge Road. Turn right on Glenridge Road and go 1.3 miles to the traffic circle at Maple Ave. Take the third exit of the traffic circle which puts you heading north on Maple Ave. Go 1/4 mile to the intersection of Maple and Hetcheltown where the preserve is on your left.
Sanders Preserve, Sanders Road, Glenville. The Sanders Preserve is overgrown farmland with no development other than trails. You can hike on either side of the road. You will pass through an old forest of hemlock, oak, and hickory. It’s fun to take the red trail down to the waterfall in the summer, but this time of year you might want to pick a trail that’s higher and drier. I hiked this a couple of weeks ago and it was a little muddy but not too bad.
Directions: Take Route 5 west from Scotia and turn right on Washout Road. Go approximately 1.7 miles to Sanders Road. Turn right and go a short distance to the parking lot on right with a sign.
Plotter Kill Preserve, Route 159, Rotterdam. This is 632 acres of the most beautiful waterfalls and views in our area. The cliffs and stream bed reveal the geology of the area. Alternating bands of sandstone and darker faking shale tell of a time when sands and then clays were successively deposited on the bottom of an ancient sea some 4.5
million years ago. Be very careful because the cliffs along the stream are hazardous. Stay back from the edge.
Directions: Take I-890 to Campbell Road (exit 2A), right on Campbell Road, then right on Putnam Road to NY Rt. 159 (Mariaville Road). Turn right on Route 159 and go 1.9 miles to the Preserve sign. For the Coplon Road entrance, turn right on Coplon Road just ahead. For the Route 159 entrance, continue 0.4 mile to the driveway and sign on the right.
Lisha Kill Natural Area, Rosendale Road, Niskayuna. This is more than 135 acres an old hemlock forest characteristic of those in the precolonial Mohawk Valley. The main loop is indicated by red markers. Trails are hilly and may be slippery. A hiking stick is recommended. Stay on the trails and use caution along the edge of the cliff.
Directions: The preserve entrance is on Rosendale Road in Niskayuna 0.2 mile west of junction with River Road, adjacent to the former grange hall. There is a small wooden sign along the road. Parking is limited to about 5 cars. Enter the woods on a trail at rear of the parking lot.
Notes: I have walked in all of these nature preserves. I gleaned most of this detailed information from a book called Natural Areas of Schenectady County, NY by ECOS, the Environmental Clearinghouse of Schenectady.Children’s Time
Passing the Peace
If you are worshiping with others, please pass the Peace of Christ.
Whether you are alone or with others, please take a moment to find God’s peace within, and then to share it with the world. This may take several breaths or moments. Sometimes sharing works best this way: to think of a dearly beloved with whom to share the peace, then to think of other beloveds, then of friends, then acquaintances, then those who frustrate you, then those you don’t really know, then those you don’t known at all.
God’s peace is spread to all.
Hymn #157: Jesus Shall Reign
If you wish to sing along, the sheet music is here: Jesus Shall Reign
Scripture Reading: Mark 16:1-8
Scripture is meant to be read out-loud.
Below is the version from the New Revised Standard Version.
You are more than welcome to read it in other versions if you wish.If you are worshiping with children, please take some time to “wonder” about this passage and what it means. (The pastor happily takes questions.) Adults may also enjoy this.
1When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary
the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3They had been saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?’ 4When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. 5As they entered
the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6But he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. 7But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.’ 8So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.Sermon: “Life and Love”
Responding
Offering
If you wish, you are welcome to use this time to make a donation to the church online, or to put a check in the mail.
This is also a particularly good time to reflect on how you are giving of yourself to God – using your time, your talents, and your treasure towards the building of the kindom. It may even be a good time to consider a deeper commitment.Offertory Anthem
“Sing With All the Saints in Glory” – Carl Schalk
Listen here to To the King of Glory
Sing with all the saints in glory, sing the resurrection song!
Death and sorrow, earth’s dark story, to the former days belong.
All around the clouds are breaking; soon the storms of time shall cease;
In God’s likeness we awaken, knowing everlasting peace.
Oh, what glory, far exceeding all that eye has yet perceived!
Holiest hearts for ages pleading never that full joy conceived.
God has promised, Christ prepares it; there on high our welcome waits.
Every humble spirit shares it, Christ has passed the eternal gates.
Life eternal! Heaven rejoices: Jesus lives who once was dead!
Shout with joy, O deathless voices! Child of God, lift up your head!
Life eternal! Oh, what wonders crowd on faith; what joy unknown,
When, amid earth’s closing thunders, saints shall stand before the throne!
Photo by Dana Carroll – “Dauphin Island Sunrise”Doxology – Festive Toccata on “Old Hundredth” by Purdue Bells
Prayer of Presentation
God of Life and Love,
As we seek to live into your eternal life,
and love with the depths of your grace,
we give our gifts to you, hoping that they may be useful to the building of the kindom.
May they be blessed, to be used with wisdom and abundance. AmenHymn #303: The Day of Resurrection
If you wish to sing along, the sheet music is here: The Day of Resurrection
Benediction
As you look may you see what the God of Resurrection is up to today! Amen
Postlude
“Hallelujah Chorus” from Messiah – George F. Handel
Mormon Tabernacle Choir