WELCOME and ANNOUNCEMENTS
Good Morning and Welcome to the Mantua Center Christian Church. We are a community seeking to have Open Minds and Open Hearts and Open Arms...to live and love in the Name of the Risen Christ. Though apart, we are bound together through the power of the Holy Spirit.
We are in Eastertide and will explore passages and wisdom shared in those sacred events after the Resurrection. Today, we are thrilled to welcome Pam Auble to the pulpit to explore the wonderful Walk to Emmaus passage in Luke 24.
So then! Let’s prepare our minds and hearts for worship, let’s take a deep breath and Light a Candle.
Together we have set this time and space aside for the worship of God. Let’s give to God our joys, worries, and sorrows and open ourselves up to what God has to say to us today. Let us worship the Lord...
SCRIPTURE READING - Psalm 30 Mike Hoskin
OPENING HYMN Thine is the Glory (Pam Auble)
CHILDREN’S MOMENT - Ally Hurd
SPECIAL MUSIC - Gathering of Spirits (Beth Schabel and Peggy Painley)
PASTORAL PRAYER - Chad
Living and Loving God, Mother and Father of us all, we are blessed and enjoy your company as we walk the road of life. Your presence assures of your love, forgiveness, and grace. We are enlivened by your Spirit as we seek to rise anew from the deaths and dark places in our lives. We praise you and thank you this day.
As we walk with you on our journey of faith, we remember that there are many people who feel alone or rejected. Who feel unworthy or unwelcomed or unknown. Who have lost dreams and hopes and wonder what might be ahead. We trust that you are walking with them too, perhaps unseen and unrecognized...yet by their side holding them and inviting them into your presence.
We recognize too that on this journey there are many hurting from prejudice and need communities of support and allyship. There is great injustice still present, inequities that need to be corrected. We have too often been uncaring to the earth and all things within it.
Show us the beauty of all humanness and all Creation, O God. Give to us, your people, the courage and authenticity to share together the questions we have about life and faith. To make the changes we need to make. Help us to create an environment where honesty is possible, so that we genuinely discuss the tougher issues together. That we can walk the ROAD together despite our frailties and inconsistencies and see in one another your blessed Spirit. Help us to recognise the wonder of the gift which we recognize in the breaking of the bread, in working side-by-side, in sharing life together. Fill us with your Holy Spirit and move us onward to follow the Risen Christ wherever he might lead. We pray all this in the Name of the Risen One! Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING Luke 24:13-35
SERMON Pam Auble
HOLY COMMUNION - Ruth Anne Ruehr
Meditation
Communion Song - In the Bulb There is a Flower
Communion Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
Words of Institution - Chad
As we gather around Christ’s Table we remember that on the night that Jesus was betrayed, he took the bread and broke it, gave thanks and said to his Disciples, “This is my body which is given for you, eat of it all of you in remembrance of me.” Let’s Take the BREAD of Life together.
In like manner he took the cup and blessed it saying, “This is the cup of the new covenant in me, as often as you drink of it do so in remembrance of me.” Let’s pause and drink the Cup of Salvation.
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s life, death, and resurrection until he comes again. Remember, all...ALL are welcome at the Lord’s Table.
(Share in the Bread and Cup together)
CLOSING SONG Open My Eyes (Beth, Peggy, and Pam)
BENEDICTION - Chad
Church Family, thank you so much for joining us today for worship. What a blessing to hear the word from Pam and to hear from all the other voices considering our scripture today. If you are so inclined to join us on Zoom for conversation, you are welcome to log on. We’d love to see you.
As a church, we are still very active in mission ministry. Our Care Team is reaching out to those who need extra support. Kid’s Weekend Meals is still serving meals to our local families and children. The Smile Team is connecting us with mission opportunities in our community that YES...are making people smile. We are still BEING the church and if you are looking for ways to connect, please reach out to us.
I also wanted to take a moment to thank several people that make our worship happen every week. Behind the scenes, our church secretary Sandi is making our bulletin and keeping our schedule up-to-date. Joy is recruiting our scripture readers. Carol is putting videos and lyrics to our hymns. Pastor Sarah is putting it all together beautifully with all her video editing. This takes so many active and generous hands to make this happen. Thank you to ALL OF YOU!!
Now hear this benediction written by Craig Mitchell and the Iona Community
Easter is not an event that has occurred...it's an adventure that has begun
not a place that we have visited….but a path on which we stand
a story not complete, but unfolding characters still breathing…
stations still teeming with the promise of new life
not just for you and me...but for all people, in all places
Easter is the season of wild hope...of dangerous intent...of potent promise
where the future flaps unfurled in the spirit’s breeze
where hopes bubble with uncorked effervescence
where toes tap to free-form rhythms
where rainbow hues splash empty canvas
May the Risen Christ walk with you this day and all days...
Be your companion and guide
Your teacher and friend
Your host and servant
That you might have the gifts of faith, peace and hope, joy and love now and Always. Amen.
words by Craig Mitchell (2005) & Iona Community.
POSTLUDE “Sing of One who Walks Beside Us” Jan Green