In the Garden Life

Today’s guest speaker is Rev. Don Austin
 
All of the information normally found in our bulletin is below the video. Simply click on "Read More" to load the rest of the bulletin. You can use this to follow the service, as well as to pray our unison prayers. All joys and concerns that we know, as well as our continuing prayer list is within the Joys and Concerns. Announcements can be found at the bottom of this service.

Hymn: “Christ The Lord is Risen Today”                                                                                  
CALL TO WORSHIP           
Leader: The Lord is risen indeed: Hallelujah
People: The Lord is risen indeed: hallelujah
Leader: I am He that lives and was dead, saith the Lord; and behold, I am alive forevermore.
People: Glory be to you, O God, who raised up your Son from the dead and made us partakers of His victory over sin and death.

​HYMN:                                                                                                “Because He Lives”
 
PRAYER OF CONFESSION: (Unison)
Merciful God, who brought from the dead our Lord Jesus, we confess our lack of understanding of the depth and breadth of your redeeming grace. Like Mary Magdalene in the garden, we do not recognize His presence in our lives and in the lives of others. The fire of our faith has been extinguished by the floods of evil that break out daily in our world. The agape love within your church is not as intense as the hatred that stalks our streets. As penitent and sorrowful disciples of Christ, we ask for your forgiveness and the power of the Holy Spirit to fill us that we may serve our risen Savior. In Christ’s name, Amen
Assurance of Pardon (Unison)
Almighty God knows your heart and has heard your confession. May you hear the voice Jesus forgive you and may you feel the spirit of Christ strengthen you in all goodness for the work of the kingdom of God. Amen.
L: The peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
P: And also, with you.
   
Response – Gloria Patri 
 
CHILDREN’S MOMENT      
 
Scripture reading         Psalm 118: 1, 2, 14-24,  John 20: 1-18              

Psalm 118
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.
​2 Let Israel say:
    “His love endures forever.”
​
14 The Lord is my strength and my defense;
    he has become my salvation.

15 Shouts of joy and victory
    resound in the tents of the righteous:
“The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!
16     The Lord’s right hand is lifted high;
    the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”
17 I will not die but live,
    and will proclaim what the Lord has done.
18 The Lord has chastened me severely,
    but he has not given me over to death.
19 Open for me the gates of the righteous;
    I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord
    through which the righteous may enter.
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
    you have become my salvation.

22 The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;
23 the Lord has done this,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 The Lord has done it this very day;
    let us rejoice today and be glad.

The Empty Tomb
20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
​
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Sermon:                                In The Garden of Life                                   Rev. Austin                        
HYMN:                                                                                                “Lift High the Cross”
Apostles’ Creed  
 
Presentation of our tithes and offerings
 
Prayer of dedication
 
Doxology
                      
Concerns and Celebrations        ​

Birthdays: Bobbie Cllifford, Susan West, Madelynn Shrader

Anniversaries:  Jim & Sue Gregg    

We were able to remove several names from our continuing  prayer list below.  Praise be to God!  We added Aleta Whirlow as she was admitted to the hospital for tests.    

SYMPATHY   To the Family of Makayla Miller
​
Continued prayers for Roma Grose, Susan Schively, Melissa Pedigo, Aaron Blake, Lisa Phillips, Chip Rogers, Dixie Avoila, Chuck Dicks, Randy Moore, Karen Eisiminger, Kelley Gump, Mary Ann McFeeley, Ed Horne, June and Keith McGill, Chuck Montecello,  Glenn Miles,  Roger Riggs, Doug Ward, Rick McFeeley, Deron Wood, Dana Wilson, Marge McWreath, Tim Knabenshue, Bill Stewart, Adam Moore and Cris Miller. 

Prayers of the People and The Lord’s Prayer
 
HYMN:                                                                                                            “He Lives”
          
Benediction
Postlude   ​

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COVID GUIDELINES for Church Services:  Face masks, hand sanitizer, social distance & seating 6 feet apart, no congregational singing, please participate in responsive readings at your seat if comfortable.
We welcome all who have come to join us in the worship of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Please come again.  If you are visiting with us today, please let us know that we might welcome you into our church family.

REMEMBER OUR FOOD COLLECTION:  And Jesus said, “You give them something to eat.”  Mark 6:37.  Please remember our food pantry is available to anyone in need.  Replenish with your hands and listen for the need with your ears.  Contact Becky Phillips with any need in the community or to donate.  724-809-1821

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Trustees next meeting will be Monday, April 12th at 7:00 PM.
Session will hold their next meeting on Monday, April 12th at 6:00 PM.
We will have a Congregational Meeting after the worship service on Sunday, April 18. This meeting will be to authorize the formation of a Pastoral Nominating Committee.