Dumbest. Question. Ever.

WESTPORT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH WORSHIP SERVICE
EASTER SUNDAY – CELEBRATION OF HOLY COMMUNION
April 20, 2025   11am

(Video will be posted LIVE on the church’s FB page at 11am and then cross-posted here afterwards.
If the video doesn’t load properly here, you should be able to click on the Watch on Facebook link and watch as a guest, even if you don’t have Facebook) 

PRELUDE:   Antiphon (from Five Mystical songs)                              Ralph Vaughan Williams                        Nico Caruso, tenor
CALL TO WORSHIP: 

      One:         Christ is risen!
      All:           Alleluia! Christ is risen indeed!
      One:         Rejoice and be glad:
      All:           This is the day the Lord has made!
      One:         Rejoice and be glad:
      All:           God has turned our faces toward the future in hope!
      One:         Rejoice and be glad:
      All:           Christ is risen! Alleluia! 

OPENING HYMN:  Jesus Christ Is Risen Today    GTG#232
UNISON CONFESSION OF OUR NEED OF GOD: 

All:           God of fresh paths and lover of surprises, God of fortunes reversed and plots untwisted, deliver us from cul-de-sacs of despair. Bear with us as our eyes adjust to the new light of Easter joy.  Be near us when we shrink from the possibilities that quiver at the edge of our experience. Bless us with courage when we pretend to want newness but default into seeking permission to stay the same. Roll the stone away from our hearts. Raise us from the dead and send us back into our lives –  delirious, baffled, and laughing.

ASSURANCE OF GOD’S GRACE: 

One:         God has raised the crucified Jesus from the dead. And now the risen Christ is among us as the fresh energy of joy, kindness, and hope. Friends, welcome this wild joy into your hearts!
All:           In Jesus Christ we are forgiven and loved. Thanks be to God! Alleluia!

SUNG RESPONSE:  This Joyful Eastertide (verse 1)   GTG#244
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. 

SCRIPTURE READING:   Acts 10:34-43    Luke 24:1-12
CHORAL ANTHEM:  The Lord Is Ris’n Indeed              William Billings
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION:

One:         Come, ageless and alive One, and prepare us to be surprised once more by the unsettling, life-altering news that we are not yet fully awake.
 All:           Amen. 

MESSAGE:   Dumbest. Question. Ever.                                                                      Rev. Jared Witt
CONGREGATIONAL HYMN:   Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain    GTG#234
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH: (from the Book of Order)

All:           We believe there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus; for we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to God’s purpose. We are convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

SUNG PREPARATION FOR PRAYER:   Take, O Take Me as I Am (sing twice)   GTG#698
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE LORD’S PRAYER:

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.

CELEBRATION OF HOLY COMMUNION:
THE OFFERING OF OURSELVES/INVITATION TO GIVE: 

One:         With glad and generous hearts, let us give from what we have received.
Offering link

OFFERTORY SOLO:    I Go On (from Mass)Leonard Bernstein                  Joshua Stark, baritone
PRAYER OF DEDICATION: 

One:         God, you meet our needs and transform us for service. Accept these gifts as tokens of our gratitude and bless Christ’s ministry with these offerings.
All:           In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

INVITATION TO THE TABLE
GREAT THANKSGIVING
BREAKING OF THE BREAD
COMMUNION
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION: 

One:         God incarnate, in these ordinary elements you have fed us with the body of the living Christ, that we might become the body of the living Christ. Now fed and filled with courage, we welcome our new lives as your friends, co-creators of a new world.
All:           Amen.

COMMUNION RESPONSE:       I Come with Joy    GTG#515
WELCOME:  News In, Around, and Beyond the Community
CLOSING HYMN:      The Strife Is O’er    GTG#236
CHARGE AND BLESSING 

One:         Christ is risen!
All:           Christ is risen, indeed!
One:         May the grace, hope, peace and love of God our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer be with you now and always. Amen. 

POSTLUDE:            Arrival of the Queen of Sheba          Handel 

  Easter Lily Dedications 
Riva Capellari   In memory of Jane Elizabeth Capellari
Karen Elmer   In memory of James Elmer & Other Loved Ones
Charles & Nancy Gay  In memory of our parents & siblings
Harlan & Linda Smith    In memory of Lillian Brunk, grandmother   & Luretta Turnbull, mother
Martine Roesel   In memory of Grandparents
Bob Russell   In memory of Robert & Leona Kenison & Nancy K. Russell
Bobbie Testa   In memory of Parents & Grandparents
Jared Witt   In memory of Bob Bachelor & Sherise Witt

 

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! Children’s Sunday School meets in the 2nd floor Children’s Space, Sunday mornings during the 1st half of worship, beginning at 11:00 am. NURSERY care is also available upstairs. Parents are asked to fill out a brief registration form before church begins. (This form only needs to be filled out once).
• 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.
• 2025 PER CAPITA is $44.98 per member. This money helps support our denomination on the regional and national levels. The breakdown is: $10.84 to General Assembly, $3.15 to Synod of Mid-America, and $30.99 to Heartland Presbytery. If you would like to help out the church by paying your own Per Capita, make your check out to Westport Presbyterian Church or place money in a pew envelope and include “per Capita” on the memo line. Thank You!
• WPC’s Session has chosen a congregational survey provided by HolyCow! Consulting. Members and friends of the congregation will receive a link to this survey the week of April 28. Please make sure your email address is up to date on the church newsletter list. Contact the church office if you need to be added. Most will simply use the link from the email to access the online survey. Help is available to those who need computer access or would prefer a paper copy. Thank you in advance for helping us make wise decisions regarding how we move faithfully into the future.

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 Wednesdays in the RESOURCE CENTER and Sundays as part of WESTPORT SHOWERS. Food donations of bread, fruit, meat, cheese, peanut butter are always needed.

CONNECTION HOUR SMALL GROUPS:   Sunday Mornings 

• 9:30 a.m.         “Overcoming Dumpster Fire Overwhelm” lead by Jennifer White.
  Does it feel like everywhere you look the world is on fire? This weekly workshop will give you 1-5 minute tools to help deal with the stresses of our modern way of living.
• 10:00 a.m.       Book Discussion Group readings related to various topics including faith, art, culture, politics, earth care. Currently reading Wanderlust: A History of Walking, by Rebecca Solnit. 

INREACH & OUTREACH IN THE COMING WEEK:   (All Events are at the Church, 201 Westport Rd – unless noted) 

     Monday, Apr. 21               6:30 p.m.         Men’s AA Meeting (Storefront)
                                                7:30 p.m.         Boy Scout Troop 60 (Westport Rising Room)
     Tuesday, Apr. 22                                       EARTH DAY
4:30 p.m.         Centering Prayer and Silence – 20 min (Chapel)
                                                6:00 p.m.         Irish Dance (Westport Rising Room)
     Wednesday, Apr. 23          10:00 a.m.       Resource Center Open (Storefront)
11:00 a.m.       Sack Lunches Distributed (Storefront)
8:00 p.m.         Mission & Outreach Committee Meeting (Zoom)
     Thursday, Apr. 24             5:30 p.m.         Westport Showers – For Women, Trans, & Gender Non-conforming people (Basement)
     Saturday, Apr. 26              8:30 a.m.         Living Integrated (Men’s Support Group) (Storefront)
                                                10:00 a.m.       Cub Scouts (Westport Rising Room)
                                                10:00 a.m.       Westport Center for the Arts Board Meeting (Fellowship Room)
                                                2-4:00 p.m.      Westport Showers Volunteer Appreciation Event (Fellowship Room)
     Sunday, Apr. 27                 8-9:30 a.m.      Westport Showers (Fellowship Room & Basement)
                                                                          Connection Hour Small Groups:
9:30 a.m.         “Overcoming Dumpster Fire Overwhelm”
10:00 a.m.       Book Discussion Group
11:00 a.m.       Service of the Lord’s Day (Sanctuary)
                       Children’s Sunday School & Nursery Care (Upstairs Children’s Room)
                                               12:15 p.m.       Choir Rehearsal (Sanctuary)

LOOKING AHEAD: 

     Wednesday, Apr. 30          7:00 p.m.         Stewardship Committee Meeting (Online)

MISSOURI LEGISLATIVE UPDATE:   from Riva and the League of Women Voters

If you would like to read more about individual bills please go to the house and senate websites (house.mo.gov – HB bills) (senate.mo.gov – SB bills). There is a place where you can put in the bill number and it will take you to that bill page. You will also find the emails to all legislators there. If you would like to receive the weekly Legislative Action Newsletter from the League of Women Voters KC, visit the website lwvkc.org and click on the red sign up box on top of the page. You do not have to be a member of the league to do this. You can also share the alert with others.
Concerning bills that are moving through the legislature:

•  SS#2 SCS SB 22 – This prohibit courts from re-writing summary statements on legislatively referred constitutional amendments. This allows the legislature to write ballot language that could be misleading and often times, unconstitutional. This has occurred many times in the past and the courts were called upon to change it. This bill is important because it will allow the legislators to write deceptive ballot language to intentionally confuse citizens to vote for it. This bill was filed so that the language of HJR 54 could not be changed. This bill has passed through and on its way to the governor to sign into law
• HJR 54 – There seems to be much contention about the wording of this ballot. It has gone through several committees, and several versions. All of them are confusing but basically strip the rights away from Amendment 3 (reproductive rights) that were passed last November.
• HCS HJR 73 – another bill that will undo Amendment 3 (Reproductive rights) passed by majority last November
• SB618- Taxpayers can claim a tax credit up to 100% of contributions made to pregnancy resource centers. These facilities are not regulated or medically licensed. They provide services only from an anti-abortion perspective and use deceptive marketing saying they provide counseling and other prenatal services. This will not only reduce state revenue but is an indirect way for taxpayers to foot the bill for these centers.
• HB1175 – SAPA (Second Amendment Preservation Act) interferes with law enforcement’s ability to enforce federal firearm regulations and disrupts collaboration between local, state and federal agents. making it more difficult to solve violent crimes. It also undermines efforts to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers.
• SB326 – This law disallows instruction that promotes differential treatment based on race, gender, religions, ethnicity, national origin or ancestry. While this sounds like a good bill, it actually is an anti-DEI bill that punishes staff if they violate this law. Very vague – it would put staff and teachers under great strain to figure out what is considered illegal under this law.

If you are concerned about these bills or others, please contact your legislators.