April 12, 2019
A Word from the Pastor
As Jesus was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!" Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, order your disciples to stop." He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out."
Luke 19:38-40
The events of Palm Sunday mark the beginning of the holiest of weeks in the Christian calendar. Having entered into the city of Jerusalem in preparation of the Feast of Passover, Jesus is welcomed by a joyous throng who proclaim God's praise as they acknowledge Jesus as "the king who comes in the name of the Lord." When the Pharisees complain to him about these actions, Jesus points out that if he did silence his disciples the stones themselves upon which they trod would have to shout out. In many ways, the implication is that the stones understood better than either the disciples or the Pharisees just what the implications of these events were. On Palm Sunday we will explore together just what the stones might shout out if they had needed to.
Our week will continue with a joint Maundy Thursday Service of Holy Communion and Tenebrae which will be hosted by our sister congregation, the Arlington Street UMC. We will remember the events of Jesus' last Passover meal and through the service of Tenebrae (the extinguishing of the light) we will enter into Jesus' suffering and death. This is always a powerful service and one that you won't want to miss as you prepare for the celebration of Easter. Our observance of Good Friday will be as part of the ecumenical community here in Nashua as we join in the annual Good Friday service at the Church of the Good Shepherd.
Easter Sunday will be fuller this year than in the past as we once again offer an Easter Sunrise service- this time on the new plaza in front of the church (or on the second floor of the lobby should it be raining). It will be followed by a pancake breakfast offered as a fundraiser for this summer's youth mission trip. We will also offer two full worship services at both 8:30am and 10:30am. A full and blessed day of celebrating our new life through Jesus Christ. I invite you to journey with us through this week of remembrance, reenactment, and celebration of the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord.
WORSHIP AHEAD
4/14 Palm Sunday
Procession of the Palms (10:30am only)
Tithe Sunday
Scripture: Philippians 2:5-11; Luke 19:28-40
Theme: What Would the Stones Shout?: In response to the disciples' acknowledgement of Jesus as God's anointed One (Messiah) the Pharisees complain to Jesus that they should be silenced since their words were blasphemous. Jesus instead points out that if the disciples were silenced the very stones upon which they were standing would be forced to shout out. Just what might they shout though?
HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE
PALM SUNDAY, APRIL 14TH
Services at 8:15am and 10:30am including the distribution of palms
Taizé Service at 5:00pm on the second floor of the lobby
MAUNDY THURSDAY, APRIL 18TH AT 7:00PM- Service of holy communion and Tenebrae hosted by the Arlington Street UMC.
GOOD FRIDAY, APRIL 19TH AT NOON- Annual Ecumenical Good Friday Service held at the Church of the Good Shepherd Episcopal Church on Main Street. Pastor Rich will be participating.
EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 21ST
Sunrise Service at 6:30am on the plaza in front of the church
Easter Breakfast at 7:00am in the vestry. A fundraiser for our Youth Mission Team
8:30am Service including holy communion and the choir
10:30am Service including the choir
At a recent Church Council meeting we talked about how we might better highlight some of the opportunities for service that are available through the church. A suggestion was made that maybe we could have an "opportunity of the week". This will now be a new feature in the weekly e-mail blast so look for these wonderful opportunities and see if there is something that sounds inviting to you.
Rada Knives Fund Raiser - taking orders until April 15
Did you know that Main St United Methodist Women have been selling Rada Knives and other products as a Fund Raiser?
We have an inventory on hand for immediate purchase, with a catalog for special orders. These will be available for pick up by early May. Stop by our display during Coffee Hour to see our current stock, or pick up a catalog to choose books, soup and dip mixes, gift ideas, and many other items.
UMW Meeting, Wednesday, April 17 – 7:00 p.m.
The UMW will meet this Wednesday, and we are hoping to have Kristy Besada join us if her schedule allows, to answer questions about Main St. UMC becoming a reconciling church. We will also address other important activities in the future.
We hope that you will be able to join us this week, and support our service efforts. Thank you to all who assisted in setting up, working, and taking down of the recent Spring mini-fair that was a success during the ham and bean supper, and especially on Sunday morning.
School Kit Supplies Due
Remember to bring your school kit supplies to service on Palm Sunday, April 14. Kits will be sent to UMCOR at the next missions meeting.
Easter Tree of Life: The Heifer Project
Orders are due Palm Sunday, April 14. Order forms are available in the sanctuary and from the church office.
Orders are due Palm Sunday, April 14. Order forms are available in the sanctuary and from the church office.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.