May 3, 2025

Dear St. Paul’s UMC and Wesley Foundation Family,

Grace and peace, beloved ones! It has been quite a week in our community! From the surprise strength of a spring storm, to the long-reaching consequences of damage and loss of power, we have been reminded that to be ‘resurrection people’ isn’t to live in some fantasy land. If the resurrection matters for us at all, then it must matter right here in our real, complicated, and often difficult lives.

Last week we talked about how we are all witnesses of the gift of forgiveness and repentance. This week we are going to discover together that often that gift of repentance looks like being willing to see in new ways, the way Saul did. We want to invite you to consider that God is inviting all of us to see differently, with amazing grace and expansive love! Come and join us for worship, for Sunday school, and for our First Sunday of the Month Lunch (DIY pasta salad bar!), followed by a chance to do some tie-dying! We hope you will join us this weekend!

Here is our schedule for tomorrow, May 4th:

9:00 AM: In-person Worship Service of Word and Table, in the sanctuary 

9:00 AM: Sunday School for all ages, in-person

Seekers and Servants Class meets in-person in Wesley Lounge or on Zoom here (Meeting ID 83292105478 and Passcode 522152).

10:30 AM: Hybrid Worship Service of Word and Table with Chancel Choir, in-person in the sanctuary and livestreamed here

Please remember that since this service is filmed and live-streamed, you or your family members may be on our worship recording, which is streamed and archived on our YouTube channel.

11:30/11:45 AM: First Sunday of the Month Lunch in the Social Room

DIY Pasta Salad Bar: bring a side to share! Lunch will be followed by a tie-dying event, so bring an item of clothing to tie-dye!

11:45 AM: Discussion Group on Zoom only

Join by clicking here, or use Meeting ID 87591478033 and Passcode stpauls.

Grace | Peace,

Pastor Greg

Discussion Questions

(1) What did you notice in our worship today? Thinking not only about the words of the sermon, where did you notice the Spirit, an unexpected connection, a flicker of life, hope, or love?

(2) Last week we heard about how Peter said that we are witnesses of “these things,” meaning the gifts of forgiveness and repentance. How does today’s story from Acts, and our message, connect to that “gift of repentance”? Who is Luke suggesting needed to repent? How might we learn to see this as a gift?

(3) How does the resurrection invite us to see differently? What scales need to fall from our eyes so that we might see more truly, even if we thought our eyes had been wide open before? Furthermore, is this “conversion” a one-time thing, or is it ongoing?

Prelude: “Amazing Grace” (Marianne Kim)

Mary Bahnfleth, organ; Jo Lash, piano

Greeting

Rev. Greg Milinovich

Call to Worship

One: O great God of Love, you have created us in your image:

All: Open our hearts to see you in one another!

One: O risen Christ, you have loved us to death and beyond:

All: Open our arms to your resurrection love!

One: O Spirit, by amazing grace you are offering us new hope::

All: Open our eyes, to see in new ways!

Opening Hymn: “He Lives” (UMH 310)

A Modern Affirmation (UMH 885)

Rev. Sarah Coker Voigt

Leader: Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is the one true church, apostolic and universal, whose holy faith let us now declare:

All: We believe in God the Father; infinite in wisdom, power, and love, whose mercy is over all his works, and whose will is ever directed to his children’s good.

We believe in Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of man, the gift of the Father’s unfailing grace, the ground of our hope, and the promise of our deliverance from sin and death.

We believe in the Holy Spirit as the divine presence in our lives, whereby we are kept in perpetual remembrance of the truth of Christ, and find strength and help in time of need.

We believe that this faith should manifest itself in the service of love as set forth in the example of our blessed Lord, to the end that the kingdom of God may come upon the earth. Amen.

Passing the Peace

Scripture Lesson: Acts 9:1-20 (NRSVUE)

Sterling Best

Message: “Those Who See in New Ways”

Rev. Greg Milinovich

Invitation to the Sacrament

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.

One: In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!

All: In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. Glory to God. Amen. 

Offering

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 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 …

… as we proclaim the mystery of faith:

Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.

Pour out your Holy Spirit …

… now and forevermore 

Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Anthem: “In Remembrance” (Red/Larson)

Chancel Choir

Sharing of the Bread and Cup

Prayer After Communion

Closing Hymn: “Amazing Grace” (UMH 378)

Announcements

Benediction

Postlude: “Acclamation” (Lyndell Leatherman)

Mary Bahnfleth