WESTPORT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH WORSHIP SERVICE
SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER/EARTH CARE SUNDAY
April 12, 2026
PRELUDE: All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name arr. J. Prentiss
CALL TO WORSHIP: (from Psalms 96, 104, 148)
One: Praise the Lord!
All: I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
One: Praise the Lord from the heavens; Praise the Lord, sun and moon, and all you shining stars!
All: I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
One: Praise the Lord from the earth, Praise the Lord you sea monsters and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and frost, and stormy wind. —Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds! Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!
All: I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
One: Let heaven celebrate! Let the earth rejoice! Let the sea and everything in it roar! Let the countryside and everything in it celebrate! Then all the trees of the forest too will shout out joyfully before the Lord because the Lord is coming! The Lord is coming to establish justice on the earth!
All: I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
OPENING HYMN: For the Beauty of the Earth GTG#14
RESPONSIVE CONFESSION OF OUR NEED OF GOD:
One: Precious God, we humbly come before you this day.
All: We acknowledge that all creation comes from and is a reflection of you.
One: Lush trees created to provide food, shelter, and protection for creatures as you intended. Their roots break down hard rock to form soil and filter pollutants from runoff, while maintaining the air balance through photosynthesis.
All: They stretch their branches out to you in worship and adoration. By your creative will and design, all life forms took shape out of your holy breath – each for its particular purpose and yet all interdependent.
One: May we remember that before we became different races, ethnicities, and genders, we were cocooned in your holy creative intent alongside the possibility of all creation that was to come –
All: all of us fearfully and wonderfully made, our very design and purpose glorifying you.
One: Our hearts are heavy with grief at the harm we cause our human and nonhuman kin.
All: We ask your forgiveness.
One: We pray for ourselves and all people to repent and change our consumeristic ways.
All: Beloved creator-God, through your power that is as gentle as a lamb and as capable as to call worlds into being, we ask that you speak to all hearts to change our ways.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
ASSURANCE OF GOD’S GRACE: (from Romans 8)
One: Friends, we join our voices with the rest of creation, crying out for healing and peace. In Jesus Christ, God forgives and renews us, calling us “new creation!”
All: Thanks be to God.
SUNG RESPONSE: Be Not Afraid (Sing 4x: all, men, women, all) GTG#243
[Time with Young Disciples]
SHARING THE PEACE OF CHRIST:
One: The peace of Christ be with you.
All: And also with you.
One: Let’s share the peace of Christ with one another.
SUNG PREPARATION FOR PRAYER: Christ Has Risen While Earth Slumbers GTG#231
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE, BLESSINGS, AND THE LORD’S PRAYER: liturgist
Our Mother and 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 debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
THE OFFERING OF OURSELVES/INVITATION TO GIVE: liturgist
One: Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. With glad and generous hearts, let us present our tithes and offerings.
OFFERTORY SOLO: I Know That My Redeemer Liveth Handel Emma WitbolsFeugen, soprano
PRAYER OF DEDICATION: liturgist
One: Gracious God, we bring our tithes and offerings to you in celebration and thanksgiving for the good news of Easter. Give us your wisdom and grace to use what you have given us for ministries of love and compassion. Accept what we give in response to what you have so freely given to us, your indescribable gift of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
All: Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING: Acts 10: 34-43 liturgist
One: May God bless the reading of Holy Scripture.
All: Thanks be to God.
CHORAL ANTHEM: Blessed Assurance arr. Waters
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION:
One: Nurturing God, we know that all Scripture is inspired by you and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in right living, so that everyone who belongs to you may be proficient, equipped for every good work. As we hear the good news this Easter season, may we become joyful servants in your project of blessing the whole world.
All: Amen.
MESSAGE: And The Trees Will Clap Their Hands Rev. Dr. Jared Witt
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN: Now the Green Blade Rises (verses 1, 3, 4) GTG#247
WELCOME: News In, Around, and Beyond the Community
CLOSING HYMN: In the Bulb There Is a Flower GTG#250
CHARGE AND BLESSING:
One: Christ is risen!
All: He is risen, indeed!
One: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, And the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you. Amen.
POSTLUDE: God Who Touches Earth with Beauty arr. R. Manuel
A WESTPORT WARM WELCOMING!
- WELCOME! MEMBERS! NEWCOMERS! FRIENDS! We are so glad you could join us for worship today! VISITORS, please take a moment to let us know you were here by picking up an attendance card (in the pews) and filling out whatever information you would like to share with us.
- WELCOME FAMILIES! NURSERY care is available in the upstairs children’s space. Parents are asked to fill out a brief registration form before church begins. (This form only needs to be filled out once). Children’s Sunday School will meet during the second half of worship in the in the 2nd floor Children’s Space. Children are invited to remain in the service until the “Time for Young Disciples” and then go upstairs for the remainder of the service.
- HEARING ASSISTANCE DEVICES available upon request. Talk to Deanna up in the front of the sanctuary at the livestream table if you would like to use one.
- CHILDREN’S CHOIR PRACTICE: Kids that want to sing with the choir are invited to join Renee in the front of the sanctuary on Sunday mornings from 10:00-10:25 a.m.
MISSION & OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES:
- WESTPORT SHOWERS happens on Sunday mornings & Thursday nights. Items Needed for our CLOTHING CLOSET include: Sneakers, T-shirts, Underwear (Men’s Boxer Briefs), Socks, Women’s pants/shorts size 0-8, Men’s pants/shorts size 28-40, Bandaids, Sweatpants, Leggings, Belts, Backpacks, Body wash, Sports bras, & Washcloths.
- WESTPORT SHOWERS is looking for additional volunteers to help with Sunday mornings. With the increase in guests, we would like to have teams of 2 volunteers upstairs working together at the door and 2 downstairs working in the shower/laundry room each Sunday. You would be working with experienced volunteers who can train you in what is needed. If you would like to help, and are willing to volunteer 1 Sunday morning a month, reach out to Drew Irwin or Allison Rozga for more information.
- We are giving out lunches on Fridays in the RESOURCE CENTER and Sundays as part of WESTPORT SHOWERS. Food donations of fruit cups, meat, cheese, peanut butter, squeeze jelly are always needed.
INREACH & OUTREACH IN THE COMING WEEK: (All Events are at the Church, 201 Westport Rd – unless noted)
- Monday, Apr. 13 6:30 p.m. Men’s AA Meeting (Storefront)
7:30 p.m. Boy Scout Troop 60 (Westport Rising Room) - Tuesday, Apr. 14 4:30 p.m. Centering Prayer and Silence – 20 min (Chapel)
5:15 p.m. Session Meeting (Fellowship Room) - Wednesday, Apr. 15 8:00 p.m. Mission & Outreach Committee Meeting (Zoom)
- Thursday, Apr. 16 5:30 p.m. Westport Showers – For Women, Trans, & Gender Non-conforming people (Basement)
- Friday, Apr. 17 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Resource Center Open & Sack Lunches Distributed (Storefront)
12:00 p.m. WCA Brown Bag Concert Series: New Red Onion Jazz Babies, 7-piece Dixieland band (Sanctuary) - Saturday, Apr. 18 8:30 a.m. Private Rental – Meeting (Storefront)
- 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Westport Historical Society: “Sharing the Love of Gardening”
Westport Garden Club Book Signing (Fellowship Room) - Sunday, Apr. 19 8-9:30 a.m. Westport Showers (Fellowship Room & Basement)
Connection Hour Small Groups:
10:00 a.m. Book Discussion Group
10:00 a.m. Children’s Choir Rehearsal (Sanctuary)
11:00 a.m. Service of the Lord’s Day (Sanctuary)
Nursery Care (Upstairs Children’s Room)
12:15 p.m. Choir Rehearsal (Sanctuary)
LOOKING AHEAD:
- Saturday, Apr. 25 10:00 a.m. Westport Center for the Arts Board Meeting (Fellowship Room)
2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m Westport Historical Society: Annual Membership Meeting (Fellowship Room) - Sunday, May 3 5:00 p.m. Chili/Soup Potluck Dinner (Fellowship Room)
6:00 p.m. Taizé Service (Sanctuary).
MISSOURI LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: from Riva and the League of Women Voters
- The Missouri Senate unanimously passed a bill last week aimed at curbing meritless lawsuits filed to chill speech through the threat of a long and expensive legal fight. Missouri Independent
- Voters in 97 Missouri counties will weigh in during Tuesday’s municipal elections on measures that would cap property taxes. The measures would limit local revenue used to fund public schools, fire and emergency departments, libraries — and an array of services for Missourians with developmental disabilities. Missouri Independent
- HCSHJR 173: proposes a Missouri constitutional amendment to gradually eliminate the state individual income tax, potentially reaching zero by January 1, 2032, via incremental rate reductions triggered when net general revenue growth exceeds inflation adjusted thresholds. Authorizes the legislature to expand state and local sales and use taxes to goods and services if doing so supports eliminating the income tax, while requiring certain local tax reductions and protecting funding for public schools. During bill presentation, the sponsor emphasized that the proposal itself would not immediately change the sales tax code, but instead constitutionally codifies existing revenue triggers and prevents future reinstatement of the income tax once eliminated.
- Proponents, including economists, business owners, and national tax policy organizations, argued the measure would improve Missouri’s economic competitiveness, attract businesses, and increase wages, pointing to trends in no-income-tax states and built-in revenue triggers as fiscal safeguards.
- Opponents, including business groups, education advocates, and senior representatives, raised concerns about the lack of specificity regarding replacement revenue, the potential expansion of sales taxes to services, and the risk of shifting tax burdens onto low- and middle-income individuals, seniors, and rural communities. The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, along with representatives of business organizations and local government groups, noted significant uncertainty particularly regarding the lack of detail on potential sales tax expansion, impacts on local revenues, and the need for greater stakeholder engagement before advancing a measure of this scale. This is a complicated bill.
- Do you know any high school students who are going out of state for college? This new palm card from the LWV will help them decide where and how to vote. The back of the card has QR codes for the KC and Jackson County Election Boards and the Secretary of States for Missouri and Kansas. If you would like some of these cards to put into graduation cards, please let me know.
- Caveat: Missouri, Kansas and other states no longer allow student IDs to vote so unless a student wants to change their driver’s license to the state where they go to college, they will have to vote
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