Monday, April 11, 2011

MMC: Palm Sunday

Good Morning Bethlehem!  

What joy and excitement is in the air as we journey towards Easter.  But first we must go through Holy Week and celebrate Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, participate in the last supper and witness his death on the cross.  

Holy Week Schedule
Sunday April 17 - Palm Sunday
      10am the children and youth of Bethlehem will lead us in worship through a dramatic reading of Matthew's passion narrative.Worship will be slightly different as we will walk with Jesus through the passion and have parts of our worship (offering, communion, prayers) as they appear in the text. 
       After Worship - stick around for an Easter Festival.  Our high school students will be leading some crafts for all ages and bring a dish to share for the potluck
Thursday April 21 - Maundy Thursday - Worship with communion at 7:30pm with a blessing of the feet (no need to take off your shoes)
Friday April 22 - Good Friday - Worship at 7:30pm
Saturday April 23 - Easter Vigil - Worship at 8pm at Christ Episcopal on Redding Ridge
Sunday April 24 - Easter
       8:30am - pancake breakfast tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for kids or $20 for a household. 
       10am - festival worship including the celebration choir, bells, a lot of flowers and the spoken refrain "Alleluia Christ is risen!"

Announcements
  • The tag sale date has been changed to May 14
  • Items for the tag sale can be dropped off on Sunday mornings, Thursdays from 6-8pm and Saturdays from 10:30-noon 
  • Senior lunch is meeting this Wednesday at noon at Ritz Asia on route 7.  Please let me or Lillian J. know if you are planning to attend. 
  • We are participating in Buck-a-cluck throughout April.  Every dollar donated will go to the world hunger fund to provide chickens to needy families throughout the world which then provide the families with eggs for food and sale. 
Where have you seen God?
As I mentioned on Sunday, I have been so amazed at how you have overwhelming responded to this question. People have told me how they have been upset if they are running late to worship for fear that they will miss hearing other stories or being able to tell their own.  I also wanted to pass on two videos that people have sent to me this week of how they have seen God.  The first is from Carl R. - a video of street musicians from around the world sing Stand by Me.  The second is the video Mark H. talked about yesterday during worship of Jesu, Joy of Mans Desiring played on a wooden xylophone. 

Book of Faith Puzzler
Last week's puzzler was: What is the name of the blind man that Jesus heals in the gospel of Mark?  A) Barabbas B) Legion C) Jarus D) Bartimaeus In Mark 10:46-52 Jesus heals a blind man named Bartimaeus. Congratulations to Carl R. for winning this week's puzzler. 

This week's puzzler is: Beside Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, there is another person named Lazarus in the gospel, who is it? A) the person who died and went to heaven. B) tax collector who wished to see Jesus. C) a disciple of John the Baptist. D) the father of the demon possessed boy. If you know the answer or even if you have to google it, email me the answer by noon on Wednesday to be entered into this week's drawing. 

Yesterday's Sermon
Missed it?  What to read it again?  Find it here.  What was a misconception that you had as a child or maybe that your child had?  What is a way that you don't get it today? Is it hard to put your faith in Jesus?  At what point do you need to stop explaining to yourself that Jesus is the resurrection and the life and what point do you need to just believe it?

Sunday's worship
As mentioned above the children and you with lead us in worship through reading, they will also be the communion assistants, ushers and other worship leaders.  
Coffee hour will be a pot luck, so please bring a dish to share

Sunday's text
We will be traveling through the passion text is Matthew which is 21:1-11 and 26:1-27:66.  What is your favorite part of the passion narrative?  What is the hardest part for you to hear?  Has there been a particular holy week worship that made this story come to life for you?  What made that worship so special?

Have a blessed week and may you see God everywhere you go!
Pastor Becca

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