Living Inside the Easter Story 

Westport Presbyterian Church Livestream

Order of Worship—Easter April 12, 11am

WELCOMING STATEMENT
OPENING HYMN:   Glory to God Hymnal #243  Be Not Afraid (sing twice)
PRELUDE: That Easter Day with Joy was Bright, by Rudy Davenport

RESPONSIVE EASTER CALL TO WORSHIP:

Pastor:     Another Easter is here. Imagine – another Easter beginning now, within us! I will let faith begin to live within me – and fear die!    I will let hope come alive within me – and my despairs die!
People:    The Lord is risen! He is risen indeed!
Pastor:     We will see ourselves as if we personally walked out of darkness into dawn. As if the midnights of our fears and failures passed! And we walked into an enlightened, new life!
People:    The Lord is risen! He is risen indeed!
Pastor:     I will see myself as if I personally walked with The Risen Christ on the first Easter! All the death behind me! All the dead places disappearing within me!
People:    The Lord is risen. He is risen indeed!
Pastor:     Another Easter is here! Imagine – another Easter beginning now – Within me! Within us! Within our world!
People:    The Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! 

HYMN:  #232   Jesus Christ is Risen Today
SILENT CONFESSION
SCRIPTURE READINGS:   Matthew 28:1-10, John 20:1-18, read by Joshua Stark
Sung Response to scripture:  #480  Take Me to the Water
     (*revised lyric:   Take Me to the Water “Garden”… to be baptized “on Easter Day”)

MESSAGE:   COVID-19 Message #6 – Living Inside the Easter Story
CHORAL ANTHEM: Alleluia Christ is Risen, Stuttgart, arr. Jame Kirkby
Intercessory Prayer: Led by Rev. Scott Myers – with comments by people on Facebook
The Lord’s Prayer: Text link
SUNG RESPONSE:  #851 Come Bring Your Burdens to God (Sing twice)
OFFERTORY SOLO:   I Know That My Redeemer Liveth, sung by Jennifer Weiman   
                 Offering link

Prayer of Dedication:

Here in the busy city
Now let the church be seen
Where lesser gods are worshipped
In money and machine;
Where news is but sensation,
The Good News hardly heard.
Now let the church take action
In living out the word!
Here in the busy city
God walks on every street
In generous or greedy,
The honest or the cheat,
And daily we must offer
The good that goes unpriced
With vigour and with vision
The lifestyle of the Christ.
      –Shirley Erena Murray

HYMN:  #236   The Strife is O’er
Final Benediction
SUNG RESPONSE:  #740 Lead Me, Guide Me  (Sing Twice)

Lead me, Guide me Along the Way.
For if you lead me I cannot stray.
Lord, let me walk each day with thee.
Lead me, Oh Lord, lead me.

POSTLUDE:  Coro from Water Music, Handel