TAIZ

Quotes for Reflection:

do what is right, not what is effective

Do not depend on the hope of results you may have to
face the fact that your work will be apparently worthless
and even achieve no result at all, if not perhaps results
opposite to what you expect.
As you get used to this idea, you start more and more to
concentrate not on the results, but on the value, the
rightness, the truth of the work itself
Br. Thomas Merton

-We Gather as Gods People-

WELCOME
HYMN

Christ Is Risen

Amen, Amen

2072, FWS

My Lord, What a Morning

arr. Amadon

PASSING THE PEACE

ANTHEM

YOUNG PEOPLES MESSAGE

376, UMH

OPENING TO GOD
Just when you seem to yourself
nothing but a flimsy web
of questions, you are given
the questions of others to hold
in the emptiness of your hands,
songbird eggs that can still hatch
if you keep them warm,
butterflies opening and closing themselves
in your cupped palms, trusting you not to injure
their scintillant fur, their dust.
You are given the questions of others
as if they were answers
to all you ask. Yes, perhaps
this gift is your answer.
Denise Levertov

307, UMH

CALL TO WORSHIP
based on Psalm 150
Praise God with clapping hands;
praise God with hands comforting a child.
Praise God with silent hearts;
praise God with hearts broken for the world.
Praise God by candle light;
praise God with movie clips.
Praise God with electric guitars;
praise God with soft piano chords.
Praise God with be-bop and hip-hop;
praise God with rhythms that don't stop.
Praise God with a hallelujah chorus;
praise God with a Gregorian chant.
Praise God with dancing steps;
praise God with feet walking for justice.
Let everything that breathes,
Praise God!
Thom Shuman
PRAISE

Dona Nobis Pacem

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to
believe.
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his
disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written
so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the
Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his
name.
HYMN

Breathe on Me, Breath of God

-We Respond to Gods WordREFLECTION Finding Ourselves in His Wounds

HYMN

Without Seeing You We Love You

COMMUNION

-We Listen for Gods WordGOSPEL LESSON

John 20:19-31
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week,
and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were
locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them
and said, Peace be with you. After he said this, he showed them
his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw
the Lord. Jesus said to them again, Peace be with you. As the
Father has sent me, so I send you. When he had said this, he
breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. If
you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain
the sins of any, they are retained.
But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told
him, We have seen the Lord. But he said to them, Unless I see
the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark
of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.
A week later his disciples were again in the house, and
Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus
came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you. Then
he said to Thomas, Put your finger here and see my hands.
Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but
believe. Thomas answered him, My Lord and my God! Jesus
said to him, Have you believed because you have seen me?

420, UMH

2206, FWS

2257b-d, FWS

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE & THE LORDS PRAYER

OFFERING & DOXOLOGY

-We Are Sent Into Gods WorldANNOUNCEMENTS

BENEDICTION
RESPONSE

Halle, Halle, Halleluja

2026a

z
Birthdays & Anniversaries
April 6 - Kathryn Parker
April 6 - Karen Trombley
April 8 - Kathryn & Steffen Parker Anniversary
Essex Eats Out Schedule

Apr 8 - Holy Family

Apr 22 - EUMC

Apr 15 - St James

Apr 29 - St Pius

Announcements
Essex Eats Out is hosting a Pot-Luck dinner and discussion on
April 14 from 5:30 to 7:30 at St. James. We will break into small
discussion groups to discuss the future. Each church should send
3-5 people. Please talk to Dawn if you are able to go.
Health Kit Party at Shelburne UMC on Sat., April 2 at 9 a.m.
Our church is providing the soap for the kits. We will need 300
bars (no Ivory or Jergens please as they are too soft; all other
kinds fine) See Marilyn Almeida or Ellie Uckele if you would
like to participate on April 2. Leave soap in box on the table at
foot of stairs.

We take prayer seriously at Essex United Methodist Church.

We dont pray because we think God is absent and needs cajoling.

We dont pray because we think God is a celestial Santa Claus.
We pray because that is how humans begin to discern Gods will.
We pray because prayer changes us; prayer opens us up
more and more to Gods grace and the movement
of Gods Spirit in our hearts, our community, our world.

Below are people, places, & concerns that folk have lifted up.
Please keep them in your prayers at home.
Please call or email the church office to add to the prayer list.

Calendar
Tue, 5 April:

Office Hours 9:30 am

Pastor Is In at Phoenix Books 10:40 am
Mansfield Bible Study 2:00 pm
Choir Practice 6:30 pm

Wed- Fri, 6-8 April: Pastor Mitch will be at the Conference

Retreat Center with the Board of Ordained
Ministry, interviewing candidates.
Wed, 6 April:

Green Mountain Nursing Home

worship service is cancelled.

Mon, 11 April: Monday Companions at Eves 7:00 pm,

beginning Gilead by Marilynne Robinson.
Thurs, 14 April: Essex Eats Out is hosting a Pot-Luck dinner &
Big-Picture Planning Meeting 5:30 St James
Food Shelf Set-Up 6:30 pm GSLC
Sat, 16 April:

Food Shelf Distribution 9:00 am GSLC

Sun, 17 April:

All-Church Meeting after service

Tues, 19 April:

Trustees 7:00 pm

Fri, 22 April:

Essex Eats Out at EUMC

Tues, 26 April:

Pastor-Parish Relations Committee 7:00 pm



Ongoing Prayers
Brooks Family
Michael Parker
Jill & Doug Griffin
Stan Komecki
Jenna Roy
Paul
Dick Shepard
Robin
Jaylene
Jake Greg
D.J.
Chris
Gloria
Anne
John Young IV
Brenda
Lenore
Zachary Roy
John Bartlett
T.J.


Ongoing Prayers, cont.

Maureen Evans
Judy & Diezela
Lifted Up Last Sunday
Richard Mansfield, loss of his wife,
Rev Mary Mansfield
Sally - healing, Peggy white, carpal
tunnel problems
Angela - Tina, 1 year since loss of
her daughter
Clare - Andrea & family, 1st Easter
without mom
David - Terri, loss of her son
David - Tracie & family loss of her
mom
Ben, gone 1 year today
Gil - David, to reach out to You
Friend, cardiac surgery
Neighbor, Colby, loss of his wife
Tricia, accept declining years

Essex Center United Methodist Church

essex_umc@comcast.net
tel. 878-8304
www.essexumc.com
Ministers: the entire congregation
Lay Leader: Joshua Knox
Equipping Pastor: Rev. V. Mitchell Hay
cell tel. 881-3268 (feel free to call)
mitchellhay@comcast.net
Office Manager: Heidi Evans
Organist: Kathryn Parker Pianists: June Packard, Ellie Uckele
Djembe: Barbara Lemmel Guitar: Richard Randazzo & Mia Burnett
Song Leader: Dana Thomas Projection: Sam Evans
Greeters - Sherry Marcoux
Ushers - Craig & Heidi Evans, Charlotte

Essex Center United Methodist Church

3 April 2016

Second Sunday of Easter