We're well into the thick of it. Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and then before we know it is time to hunt Easter eggs and consider meal options for Resurrection Sunday.
Yet we have this lingering sense in our soul that to dig deeper might be good for us and that our look at the cross might change us in a profound way. Our study guide during these sacred days has been Witness at the Cross by Amy-Jill Levine, and it invites us to consider all those who gathered around the cross. My invitation for all of us is to find our place with them and to see how truth and grace offered by Jesus is being lived out in our journeys. These times in which we live have heightened our fears and left us anxious and sad or even mad. As we stand at the cross here is the verse to remember and let sink into your soul: “But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1) Because we are baptized, we are called to live differently. Our vocation is to not let fear defeat or dominate us. Every person then and now who is a witness to the cross is deeply loved by the Savior who hangs on it. Walter Bruggeman, the insightful Old Testament scholar, offers the truth that those who change the world will not be the frightened but the ones empowered by a confidence that is relentless in its trust in God. In his book, Devotions for Lent, he is suggestive of how we better the world when we live unafraid. “The UNAFRAID are open to the neighbor, while the frightened are defending themselves from the neighbor. The UNAFRAID are generous in the community, while the frightened, in their anxiety, must keep and store and accumulate, to make themselves feel safe. The UNAFRAID commit acts of compassion and mercy, while the frightened do not notice those in need. The UNAFRAID are committed to justice for the weak and the poor, while the frightened see them only as threats. The UNAFRAID pray in the morning, care through the day, and rejoice at night in thanks and praise, while the frightened are endlessly restless and dissatisfied.” There you have it. I encourage you to dig deep. Give your fears to God. He knows us by name! That is an amazing gift. God’s love will not let us go and never abandon us. Our scary world calls us to trust in God’s unfailing love and to know that we are not alone. +Dr. Harry Durbin, Minister of Discipleship Welcome to our Outdoor Worship Service! We’re so happy that you’re with us this morning at Peace Tree. As we continue to adapt our routines during this global pandemic in order to Love Thy Neighbor, we ask that you please wear a face covering when outside of your vehicle and that you safely follow the current CDC guidelines.
Individually packaged Communion packets are available at the Welcome Table along with face masks and hand sanitizer. Please sit at a specially marked area with your family or social bubble in order to maintain a safe distance from others. For more information about Peace Tree and our ministries, please visit the home page of our website and follow us on social media (@peacetreeumc). If you have a prayer request, email [email protected]. God bless you and Happy Easter! Opening Prayer Living God, long ago, faithful women proclaimed the good news of Jesus' resurrection, and the world was changed forever. Teach us to keep faith with them, that our witness may be as bold, our love as deep, and our faith as true. Amen. Christ the Lord is Risen Today 1. Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia! Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia! Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia! Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia! 2. Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia! Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia! Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia! Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia! 3. Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia! Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia! Once he died our souls to save, Alleluia! Where's thy victory, boasting grave? Alleluia! 4. Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia! Following our exalted Head, Alleluia! Made like him, like him we rise, Alleluia! Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia! 5. Hail the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia! Praise to thee by both be given, Alleluia! Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia! Hail the Resurrection, thou, Alleluia! 6. King of glory, soul of bliss, Alleluia! Everlasting life is this, Alleluia! Thee to know, thy power to prove, Alleluia! Thus to sing, and thus to love, Alleluia! Announcements Check in to Peace Tree UMC on Facebook and Instagram to support this month’s non-profit beneficiary, Compassion International. Thanks to our partnership with Causely, every six check-ins at Peace Tree will provide a day of care to a child in need. Compassion International is a child-advocacy ministry that pairs compassionate people with children that live in extreme poverty. They take the long-term approach to child development by investing in and for the life of each child with a model that blends physical, social, economic, and spiritual care to help children fully mature and transcend generational poverty. Visit compassion.com to learn more about this month’s non-profit organization, and add the hashtag compassion4kids so that others learn about this month’s cause. ••••••• The Peace Tree Book Club is gathering online on Tuesday, April 13 for a discussion of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. Members are welcome to join the online panel, and the conversation will be live streamed from the church’s Facebook page. If you’ve read the book or seen the 2016 Tim Burton film starring Eva Green, Asa Butterfield, and Samuel L. Jackson, then we’d love for you to join us as we discuss the characters, story, and overarching themes. RSVP using our Facebook event, and search for Peace Tree Book Club on Facebook to vote on upcoming books and novels. ••••••• We’ve got some wonderful online worship opportunities as well as a date for our next in-person Outdoor Worship Service. Join us next week at 10:00 a.m. for Project Transformation Sunday and learn more about this important non-profit organization. Each year, Project Transformation engages over 80 college-age young adults in ministry and service with more than 700 children in 9 site churches across Tennessee. For the past five years, we’ve supported this ministry with reading volunteers, food & snacks for the college interns and school children, and we’ve helped host fun Family Nights in South Memphis. We’ll hear a special message from Meagan Cloutier, the Director of Memphis Programs, and we’ll enjoy a Children’s Moment from our own Rachel Younger who served as an intern with Project Transformation in its inaugural year. You can stream live from YouTube, Facebook, and peacetree.church. Then, join us on April 18 for Creation Care Sunday led by our newly formed Creation Care Team. April 25 marks the beginning of a 4-week study on the Wesleyan understanding of Grace entitled Grace|Full. And on May 23, we’ll celebrate the Church’s birthday on Pentecost Sunday with another Outdoor Worship Service which will include Communion and an infant baptism. Glorious Day VERSE 1 I was buried beneath my shame Who could carry that kind of weight? It was my tomb 'Til I met You VERSE 2 I was breathing, but not alive All my failures I tried to hide It was my tomb 'Til I met You CHORUS You called my name Then I ran out of that grave Out of the darkness Into Your glorious day You called my name And I ran out of that grave Out of the darkness Into Your glorious day VERSE 3 Now Your mercy has saved my soul Now Your freedom is all that I know The old made new Jesus, when I met You CHORUS BRIDGE I needed rescue My sin was heavy But chains break at the weight of Your glory I needed shelter I was an orphan But You call me a citizen of Heaven When I was broken You were my healing Now Your love is the air that I'm breathing I have a future My eyes are open CHORUS The Baptismal Covenant Brothers and sisters in Christ: Through the Sacrament of Baptism we are initiated into Christ's holy Church. We are incorporated into God's mighty acts of salvation and given new birth through water and the Spirit. All this is God's gift, offered to us without price. Today, we present: Declan Carmichael Merryman Brooklyn Joanna Hefley and Edith Abigail Embry for baptism. On behalf of the whole Church, I ask you: Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world, and repent of your sin? If so, say, “I do.” Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves? If so, say, “I do.” Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior, put your whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as your Lord, in union with the Church which Christ has opened to people of all ages, nations, and races? If so, say, “I do.” Will you nurture these children in Christ's holy Church, that by your teaching and example they may be guided to accept God's grace for themselves, to profess their faith openly, and to lead a Christian life? If so, say, “I will.” Do you, as Christ's body, the Church, reaffirm both your rejection of sin and your commitment to Christ? We do. Will you nurture one another in the Christian faith and life and include these children now before you in your care? With God's help we will proclaim the good news and live according to the example of Christ. We will surround these children with a community of love and forgiveness, that they may grow in their trust of God, and be found faithful in their service to others. We will pray for them, that they may be true disciples who walk in the way that leads to life. Pour out your Holy Spirit, to bless this gift of water and those who receive it, to wash away their sin and clothe them in righteousness throughout their lives, that, dying and being raised with Christ, they may share in his final victory. (HOLY BAPTISM) Now it is our joy to welcome our new sisters and brothers in Christ. Through baptism you are incorporated by the Holy Spirit into God's new creation and made to share in Christ's royal priesthood. We are all one in Christ Jesus. With joy and thanksgiving we welcome you as members of the family of Christ. Revelation Song VERSE 1 (x2) Worthy is the Lamb who was slain Holy, holy is He Sing a new song To Him who sits on Heaven's mercy seat CHORUS Holy, holy, holy Is the Lord, God Almighty Who was and is and is to come With all creation I sing, praise to the King of Kings You are my everything And I will adore You VERSE 2 Clothed in rainbows of living color Flashes of lighting, rolls of thunder Blessing and honor, strength and Glory and power be To You, the only wise King CHORUS VERSE 3 Filled with wonder Awestruck wonder At the mention of Your name Jesus, Your name is power Breath and living water Such a marvelous mystery CHORUS (x2) Offering If you’d like to support the work of Peace Tree, please visit peacetree.church/give on your mobile device. You can also place your offering or tithes in the plates as the Ushers walk by your area. If you have questions about our missions, ministry, and upcoming renovations as we transform our building into a center for our community, then please visit peacetree.church/connect and fill out our online form. Thank you for your generosity! Kids Time with Mrs. Connie Gospel Lesson | John 20:19-29 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” Message | “Anything But Typical” Rev. Kristofer Roof Holy Communion INVITATION Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sin and seek to live in peace with one another. Therefore, let us confess our sin before God and one another. CONFESSION AND PARDON Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart. We have failed to be an obedient church. We have not done your will, we have broken your law, we have rebelled against your love, we have not loved our neighbors, and we have not heard the cry of the needy. Forgive us, we pray. Free us for joyful obedience, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (All pray in silence) Hear the good news: Christ died for us while we were yet sinners; that proves God's love toward us. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven! In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven! Glory to god. Amen. THE PEACE Let us offer one another signs of reconciliation and love. THE GREAT THANKSGIVING The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise. It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, almighty God, creator of heaven and earth… And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven we praise your name and join their unending hymn: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ. By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection you gave birth to your Church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit… And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith. Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood. By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet. Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty God , now and for ever. Amen. THE LORD’S PRAYER And now, with the confidence of children of God, let us pray: 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. BREAKING THE BREAD AND GIVING THE CUP Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. The bread which we break is a sharing in the body of Christ. The cup over which we give thanks is a sharing in the blood of Christ. PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION Eternal God, we give you thanks for this holy mystery in which you have given yourself to us. Grant that we may go into the world in the strength of your Spirit, to give ourselves for others, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Victory in Jesus VERSE 1 I heard an old, old story, how a Savior came from glory How He gave His life on Calvary to save a wretch like me I heard about His groaning, of His precious blood's atoning Then I repented of my sins and won the victory CHORUS O victory in Jesus, my Savior forever He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood He loved me 'ere I knew Him and all my love is due Him He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood VERSE 2 I heard about His healing, of His cleansing power revealing How He made the lame to walk again and caused the blind to see And then I cried, "Dear Jesus, come and heal my broken spirit" And somehow Jesus came and brought to me the victory CHORUS VERSE 3 I heard about a mansion he has built for me in Glory And I heard about the streets of gold beyond the crystal sea About the angels singing, and the old redemption story And some sweet day I’ll up there the song of victory CHORUS (x2) Closing Prayer Love divine, in raising Christ to new life you opened the path of salvation to all peoples. Send us out, with the joy of Mary Magdalene, to proclaim that we have seen the Lord, so that all the world may celebrate with you the banquet of your peace. Amen. Ash Wednesday is coming up Wednesday, March 6. This day has traditionally served as a call to repentance and reflection for Christian communities. Ash Wednesday (which follows Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras) also marks the beginning of Lent, a season when followers of Christ prepare for the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
As a new congregation that has primarily met in House Groups since the beginning of our church planting ministry, we have always celebrated Ash Wednesday in someone's home. The experience in the past has been particularly meaningful as we gathered together as a small group of believers confessing our sins to God, acknowledging our mortality, and preparing for our Lenten journey as we drew near to the Cross. But this year, we are coming together for our first-ever Large Group Ash Wednesday service. We currently have three groups which meet on Wednesday nights, and we're preparing to start a fourth Wednesday night House Group later in March. It didn't seem proper to choose only one group to host our Ash Wednesday service, so we found a way to open up this worship experience to include everyone: all of our House Group participants, all of our Sunday morning congregants, and anyone from our community who desires to worship God with a faith community on this holy day. Pastor Kris will make the sign of the Cross on our foreheads. The ashes will serve as a sign of our sorrow for having committed sins against God and neighbor, and they will also serve as a reminder that "from dust you came and to dust you shall return." We welcome you to worship with the Peace Tree family this Wednesday night, and we hope that you will invite others who are wrestling with their faith, struggling with their sin, and discovering what it means to be redeemed by our glorious Lord. Doors to the Quonset will open at 6:00 p.m. and our Ash Wednesday service will begin at 6:30. See you in Collierville on March 6. God bless! Not every workplace observes Good Friday as a holiday (i.e. Holy Day), and not everyone has the ability to attend a Good Friday worship service in person. So, we've assembled these prayers, pictures, and readings for you to use on your own time. As you do so, reflect on Jesus' sacrifice, his death on a cross, and the depths of God's love for all of humanity. Christ himself bore our sins in his body on the tree that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. So, let us pray: Almighty God, your Son Jesus Christ was lifted high upon the cross so that he might draw the whole world to himself. Grant that we, who glory in this death for our salvation, may also glory in his call to take up our cross and follow him; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (The United Methodist Book of Worship, "A Service for Good Friday") See, my servant shall prosper; he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. Just as there were many who were astonished at him—so marred was his appearance, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of mortals— so he shall startle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which had not been told them they shall see, and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate. Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account. Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By a perversion of justice he was taken away. Who could have imagined his future? For he was cut off from the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people. They made his grave with the wicked and his tomb with the rich, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain. When you make his life an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days; through him the will of the Lord shall prosper. Out of his anguish he shall see light; he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge. The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 52:13-53:12 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe. They kept coming up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and striking him on the face. Pilate went out again and said to them, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no case against him.” So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” When the chief priests and the police saw him, they shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him; I find no case against him.” The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has claimed to be the Son of God.” Now when Pilate heard this, he was more afraid than ever. He entered his headquarters again and asked Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. Pilate therefore said to him, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” From then on Pilate tried to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are no friend of the emperor. Everyone who claims to be a king sets himself against the emperor.” When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside and sat on the judge’s bench at a place called The Stone Pavement, or in Hebrew Gabbatha. Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover; and it was about noon. He said to the Jews, “Here is your King!” They cried out, “Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!” Pilate asked them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but the emperor.” Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus;and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it.” This was to fulfill what the scripture says, “They divided my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots.” And that is what the soldiers did. Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), “I am thirsty.” A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. John 19:19-30 Since it was the day of Preparation, the Jews did not want the bodies left on the cross during the sabbath, especially because that sabbath was a day of great solemnity. So they asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified men broken and the bodies removed. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out. (He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth.) These things occurred so that the scripture might be fulfilled, “None of his bones shall be broken.” And again another passage of scripture says, “They will look on the one whom they have pierced.” After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. John 19:31-42 Almighty God,
graciously behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, for ever and ever. Amen. (The Book of Common Prayer) |
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