Eastertide Worship
18 April 2021
Welcome to Worship! Whether you are getting ready to come to the campus or you're preparing to participate via Zoom, you are loved. Our experience of the Spirit is not complete without you.
We Covenant One With Another
Adult Spiritual Formation - 10:00 am
Spiritual formation meets in person and on Zoom this week - 10 o'clock in the Multipurpose Room. Our topic for April is Inventive Faith and we'll be exploring creative practices connected to spirituality. This week, we listen to the voice of the Psalmist and to our own voices. Creativity is a way of bringing new life to our journeys. All are welcome!

Prelude "La Fille Aux Cheveux De Lin," by Claude Debussy

Greeting and Announcements
No matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here!

Celebrations and prayer concerns will be read from the pulpit. Share your celebrations when you make a reservation to attend worship or send a quick email. For in-the-moment celebrations, you can text Pastor Ken at 480-263-3308.

This time together is part of our identity as a community. We celebrate connection and abiding grace in times both easy and difficult.

Musical Call to Worship - We Are the Family

Call to Worship
One: As we gather together on this Spring morning, may we weave here a patchwork of peace:
All: The soft deep blue of sensitivity and understanding;
One: The red energy of creativity;
All: The white heat of convictions;
One: The risky, fragile green of new growth;
All: The golden flashes of gratitude;
One: The warm rose of love.
All: Together, in our gathered diversity, we form
the whole. 
One: So be it. Let us sing! 

Singing Our Faith - Weave, Weave
by Rosemary Crow

Opening Prayer

Song - Hymn of Promise
by Natalie Sleeth

Reading a Word About Life - Acts 3:12-26
When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, “You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.

“And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah appointed for you, that is, Jesus, who must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration that God announced long ago through his holy prophets. Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you from your own people a prophet like me. You must listen to whatever he tells you. And it will be that everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be utterly rooted out of the people.’ And all the prophets, as many as have spoken, from Samuel and those after him, also predicted these days. You are the descendants of the prophets and of the covenant that God gave to your ancestors, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your descendants all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you, to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”
Perceiving and Responding
Stewardship Moment and Offertory
Giving is the joyful act of a faithful people.

If you are worshipping in person this morning, please use the baskets in the Narthex. Heidi's Corner, our weekly financial update is available here.

Reading Celebrations and Prayer Concerns with Music

Pastoral Prayer

Song - We Are All One
Shared by Forrest and Julie
Balancing Word and Deed
Word About Life for Today ~ Rev. Ken Heintzelman
"To Include or Not Include? That Is the Question"

Words for Mission
One: In the Spirit of Love may we be strengthened and made whole.
All: In the breath of the Spirit, may we be challenged and blessed.
One: These are the times
All: We are the people.
One: All of Creation is blessed!
All:  May we love all and serve all!
One: God be with you
All: And also with you.
One: Amen.  
All: Amen!

Postlude - Hymn of Promise
~Community Continues~

Both in-person and online worshippers are invited to stick around for a discussion based on the sermon topic. In-person participants can head to the Multipurpose Room to meet up with Zoom congregants for the discussion immediately following worship. Today's question continues our talk about the essence of spiritual community:

A resurrection community promotes values, vision and mission unique to the resurrection story. How do we respond when our friends and family do not embrace the meaning of the resurrection story?