BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH
EASTER SUNDAY ALL-AGES / COMMUNION
April 17, 2022 – 10 am
The live service will be broadcasted and recorded on YouTube, check your email for the link. The live service should be available by phone Monday midday at 613-820-8104.
Gathering Music/Introit: Sing Forth, Every Voice, for the Lord is Risen
BCUC Choir
Music from “The King Shall Rejoice” by Handel, Psalm 118 arrangement © 2002 Hal Hopson
Welcome & Centering for Worship
Rev. Lorrie Lowes
Hallelujah!
Good Morning! What a joy it is to greet you on this Easter morning! Welcome to this service of worship and praise. We are happy that you have joined us today – in person, in real time on the streaming link, at another time with the recording, or on the telephone. It is good to be able to celebrate in so many ways!
Though we have reopened the sanctuary for in-person worship, we are still being cautious as we realize the virus is still making its rounds. As a faith community called to love and serve others, we highly recommend getting fully vaccinated and still being mindful of the health protocols like masking, social distancing, hand sanitizing, and staying home if you feel unwell.
We also hope that you will continue to take time to reach out to each other through prayers, phone calls, emails, or video chats when it isn’t possible to gather in person.
Today is a day where hope rises: Spring weather is arriving, green shoots are poking up in our gardens, the days are getting longer, and the pandemic seems to be getting less dangerous even though it seems more rampant.
Today is a day of the celebration of hope:
Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed!
Let us join together to worship God.
Lighting of Christ Candle
Acolytes: Chris and Kaylee Brown
(Fern Gibbard, Gathering L/E 2019, p 41. Used with permission.)
On this Easter morning,
We shout and sing the glad news:
Jesus Christ is risen indeed!
We light the Christ candle because he is here among us.
Hallelujah! Amen.
Sung Response: “Halle, Halle, Halle” – Voices United #958
Halle, halle, halle - lujah! (3x) Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Call to Gather
Rev. Kim Vidal
(Gord Dunbar, Gathering L/E 2018, p40. Used with permission.)
Well-come to worship.
Let’s yell, “Yahoo!” in praise of God’s goodness!
YAHOO! Ooh, that felt good. YAHOO!
Let’s shout “Hurray!” in praise of Christ’s good news!
HURRAY! Yes, that certainly hit the spot. HURRAY!
Let’s whisper, “Thanks!” in praise of the Spirit’s leading!
Thanks, Shhhh. Our hearts beat with a silent beat of thanks.
Let’s raise our hands as a sign of rejoicing!
(Everyone raises their hands)
Let’s applaud God’s healing among us in American Sign Language!
(Everyone raises their hands over their heads, if possible, and makes jazz hands)
Let’s blow kisses of thanksgiving for a bounty of blessings.
(Everyone blows kisses toward the communion table)
Let’s share our joy and our praise for God within each other.
(Everyone shares in one of the ways above that suits them)
Prayer of Approach
(Richard Bott, Gathering L/E 2019, p43. Used with permission.)
In this moment of mystery, in this moment of hope, in this moment of life, loving God –
Open our hearts to the wonder!
Open our senses to the possibilities!
Open the tombs we’ve created, and show us they are empty of what we’ve come to expect,
But full of the new possibilities.
Alleluia! Let it be!
Amen.
*Hymn: This is the Day – More Voices #122
This is the day that God has made; we will rejoice and be glad! (2x)
Refrain (2X):
Singing hallelu, singing hallelu,
Singing hallelu! We will rejoice and be glad!
Voici le jour que Dieu a fait; nous le vivrons dans la joie. (2x)
Refrain (2X):
Chantant Allelu, chantant Allelu,
Chantant Allelu! Nous le vivrons dans la joie
Storytime
Rev. Kim
Good morning!
Today is Easter Sunday! This is a happy day for Christians all over the world because we are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus!
Hmm. The word resurrection is certainly a big word. Remember the story of how Jesus died on Good Friday? Well, that is not the end of Jesus’ story. We, Christians, believe that Jesus rose again. That is a simple definition of the word resurrection – Jesus is risen from the dead. Now the question is – how did that happen?
When I think of Jesus rising again from the dead, it reminds me of wonderful things that we see around us.
(slide1) Take, for example – a caterpillar cocooning itself like a dead worm and then, in a matter of days, that caterpillar will turn into a beautiful butterfly!
(Slide 2) Think of a seed that seemed lifeless at first, but when planted in the soil and nourished with water and sunshine, that lifeless seed will turn into an apple tree with lots of flowers and fruits.
(Slide 3) Or think of a deflated balloon but when filled with air, it changes into an awesome shape that can float in the air. It’s amazing, isn’t it, how God can make these things happen.
Can you think of other examples where something insignificant might change into something different and beautiful and full of life?
The story in John tells us that after Jesus died, his body was laid in a tomb with a stone that sealed it. But when Mary Magdalene visited his tomb on Easter morning, the stone was rolled away and Jesus’ body was gone. It must have been devastating for Mary to realize that the tomb was empty. She cried the longest in her life. Her teacher, her beloved friend, Jesus, is gone. Then she heard someone call her name: “Mary!” and when she looked up, as the story goes, standing in front of her was Jesus. I think Mary, at first, thought it was the gardener who was in front of her. Mary did not know it was Jesus because, perhaps, Jesus’ appearance was changed. That is how John told the story.
I don’t know about you, but for me, the resurrection of Jesus is like baking Easter cookies. Yes – you heard it right! Baking yummy Easter cookies! Last night, I found a recipe shared by the Rev. Gord Dunbar in 2015.
(Slide 4) So, I prepared all the ingredients needed: crushed pecans, a tablespoon of vinegar, egg whites, a pinch of salt and a cup of sugar. When I looked at these ingredients, they reminded me of Jesus’ life on earth. He certainly taught us to be salt of the earth. Jesus showed us that life is both sweet like sugar and sour like vinegar. He had days that were bubbly and at their peak. But sadly, he was crushed and eventually was crucified because he taught that God’s love is for everyone, no matter who they are, and that angered some of those in power.
(Slide 5) So, I mixed all of these ingredients – symbolic of the life and death of Jesus, and baked them in the oven. And after a few minutes, voila! The fluffy mixture turned into a hard, cracked surface but the inside is hollow. Looking at the hollow cookie, I felt like Mary – sad and disappointed at first – but when I tasted it, the whole thing just melted in my mouth. And it made me rejoice and say alleluia!
The resurrection of Jesus is a moment of a sheer celebration! Jesus died but we made him alive again and again through our acts of love, kindness and compassion. We made him come to life every time we offer God’s unconditional love to others and the whole of creation. Jesus lives again when we commit ourselves to following in his footsteps. Jesus is alive in our hearts, in our minds, in our lives, like a yummy Easter cookie filled with sweetness and love that changes God’s world to a better place.
Let us pray. Easter God, thank You for the gift of Jesus in our lives. Help us to offer your unconditional love and share the good news of Jesus’ resurrection through our words and acts of love, kindness and compassion. Alleluia! Christ Risen in us! Alleluia! Amen.
Hymn: Hey Now! Singing Hallelujah! - More Voices #121
Refrain: Hey now! Singing hallelujah!
Hey now! The morning has come!
Hey now! Singing hallelujah!
The tomb was empty at the rising sun.
1. Jesus loved people and he made them friends
Hey now, the tomb was empty.
He called to the children and the women and men.
Hey now, the tomb was empty. Refrain
2. Jesus healed people and he helped them be well.
Hey now the tomb was empty.
He taught about God in the stories he’d tell.
Hey now, the tomb was empty. Refrain
3. Jesus loved people and they said he was a king.
Hey now, the tomb was empty.
He turned all the tables on everything.
Hey now, the tomb was empty. Refrain
4. Jesus had power and they took him away.
Hey now, the tomb was empty.
They nailed him on a cross and they killed him one day.
Hey now, the tomb was empty. Refrain
5. Jesus loves people and he lives again!
Hey now, the tomb was empty.
Calls us disciples and he calls us his friends.
Hey now, the tomb was empty. Refrain
Prayer for Illumination
Reader: Bernice Miller
God of joy and delight, open our hearts to receive your Word anew, and give us hope as an Easter people.
The Gospel Reading: John 20:1-18 (NRSV)
The Resurrection of Jesus
20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. 4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7 and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples returned to their homes.
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
May we find ourselves renewed through this story of hope.
Thanks be to God.
Anthem: Mighty to Save
BCUC Choir
Words & Music © 2006 Fielding & Morgan, arrangement © 2010 Sorenson
Sermon: Why Are You Weeping?
Rev. Lorrie Lowes
Here we are this morning, gathered together in a sanctuary filled with flowers and hallelujahs! Today is the day we celebrate the story that defines us as Christians, the one story that sets us apart from all other religions in the world. Today we shout the message of hope and conviction to the world:
He is risen!
Death does not have the last word!
Jesus lives!
Look! God is creating something new!
Hallelujah!
And yet, we weep…
We weep for a world where violence and oppression still make people cower in bunkers … where people are forced to leave their homes – their lives – and rush to join the crowds who gather at the borders, looking for safety…
We weep for a world where children go hungry, where water isn’t safe to drink, where lack of even the basic necessities of life result in disease and death…
We weep for a world where greed and the lust for power fill some pockets to overflowing while others struggle to put a meal on the table, a roof over their heads, shoes on their children’s feet…
We weep for a world where people suffer – good people who have done everything right – where pandemics go on and on, where some elderly folks are warehoused rather than cared for with the dignity they deserve, a world where a person can feel lonely and alone in a crowded, bustling city…
Sometimes, in all this weeping, shouting “Hallelujah” can seem almost inappropriate…
It struck me this week, as I read the resurrection stories, that no one seemed to be celebrating on those first days after Jesus was crucified. The hallelujahs that we raise on Easter morning aren’t reflected in the accounts of that first son-rise…
The contrast between our hymns of celebration and the passage from John that we heard this morning suddenly struck me in the heart when Mary arrived at the tomb, distraught with grief, wanting more than anything to give her beloved teacher the dignity in death that was stripped away from him in such a graphic way on the cross. I imagined how horrible those hours from sundown on Friday, when the sabbath time began to this early morning walk to the tomb where she had seen him placed must have been. Hours of grief, hours of distress, hours of desperately wanting to do something but being bound by her religious obligation, and perhaps some fear of what will happen next, what will happen to his friends and followers. She was determined, though. She arrived at the tomb as soon as she was able, as soon as the sabbath had ended and she was free to move again – even before the sun rose. She made her way in the dark, carrying the oils that would help her erase that image of his execution like a criminal, his broken and beaten body, the death cries and the stench of others hanging there, the shame and disgrace that accompanied such a death. Like Mary of Bethany who just days ago, washed those beloved feet with nard mixed with tears and wiped them with her hair, this Mary would bathe and anoint his body and give him the love and decency he so deserved. She was on a mission to right a wrong.
And when she arrived, the stone had been rolled away and that beloved body was gone…
Can you imagine what that sight, that realization, would have done to her?
“Woman, why are you weeping?”
In this increased state of distress, she turns to those who would understand, those who loved him as much as she did, those who were grieving just like her, those who would know what to do… and, in shock, these grieving men run to the tomb. No, no, no! It can’t be true. We will go there and it will have been a trick of the light, a trick of her grief… They don’t walk, they run! They need to see… to prove it wrong…
The first disciple arrives, outrunning Simon Peter, desperate to be the one who says, “It’s ok! It’s ok! He is here, just as we left him.” … but he stops short when he is faced with the horrible truth… the stone has been rolled away, the body is gone… who would do such a thing? How can this be happening? Is this what he was trying to tell us – that he would rise from the dead? Oh, please, let him be alive! Let this nightmare be over, let him come around the corner and tell us it was all a mistake…
“Why are you weeping?”
Peter sees him standing there as he arrives… Would he wonder what this man has seen inside the tomb? He goes past him – right inside – there must be some explanation… He needs to see for himself…
And the two men return home – not running this time. Confused… disappointed… distressed… maybe resigned to the realization that it is really over, that he is really gone…
“Why are you weeping?”
And Mary is left alone again… her basket of oils unopened… her need to make things right thwarted… the frustration and grief of the last few days washing over her again… unable to leave… unable to accept this insult added to injury… she bends down to look in the tomb again… she sees two angels there…
“Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for? Who do you expect to find here?”
Someone is behind her and she turns her head to see…
“Woman, why are you weeping?”
Ah! It must be the gardener! He will be able to sort this out…
Confused… Distraught… Inconsolable…
And then she heard it… He called her by name!
She turns around … and in that gardener’s face she recognizes him – her teacher! – her beloved Jesus! … and in his words she hears the message that they all need to hear
I am going to my Father… your Father… my God… your God…
… a message for his brothers, his family, the ones who would now carry on…
And she told them, “I have seen the Lord!”
“Woman, why are you weeping?”
Is this not time for the Hallelujah?... Why are they not praising?
But it isn’t there… even if we continue to read John’s gospel or the writings of the others… no Hallelujahs… no celebration…
What we do find is a growing awareness… through their grief, they begin to see that they were wrong: It isn’t all over… It is just beginning…
Death did not have the final word…
We have just journeyed through the forty days of Lent – days of darkness, of confession, of deep reflection…
We have journeyed through that last week in the life of Jesus – a triumphant parade of hope… an intimate night of lessons about servanthood and love… a betrayal from a close friend… a crowd stirred to violence by shouts of rhetoric… a show of might and power to squash it all – the hope, the call to serve, the love, the new way forward… a final blow of disgrace and cruelty to end any thoughts of continuing in this new direction…
“Why are you weeping?”
The question is asked, over and over again…
I wonder… Is it really a question meant to dismiss the real grief of Mary, of Simon Peter, of all those who had loved and followed Jesus? Do these angels, this gardener, Jesus himself, not understand what they are going through?
Or… is it a challenge?
Why are you weeping? – Is it sadness that you have lost your friend, your teacher, your leader – your brother?
… or are you weeping because it’s over? Are these tears a sign of defeat? A sign that this power tactic worked? That death – that evil – has won?
I think Mary finally got it… “I have seen the Lord!” she tells them, and she passes on his message.
It’s not the end of the road… it’s the beginning of the next leg… He has shown the way and now it’s their turn to lead. Their Brother and their Father will be there to support them on the way.
There is a time for weeping, for sure. There is a time for grief, for fear, for disappointment, for frustration, anger, despair – for all the feelings Mary and the disciples were feeling on that first Easter morning. They are human emotions and they are all completely appropriate reactions to a death – particularly a death as unjust, as cruel, and as unnecessary as the death of Jesus. Certainly a “Hallelujah!” would have seemed out of place!
But… “Why are you weeping?” Is it because of the loss of a beloved one? Ok, that’s good, that’s understandable, that’s to be expected. Let me offer you comfort.
“Why are you weeping?” Is it because it’s all over now and you see no reason to go on? Let me help you celebrate the life of the one you lost. Let me help you see how you can share their legacy, how you can build on what they began.
There are many things in this world that cause us to weep – still – two thousand years after the death of our beloved teacher.
The sorrow, the anger, the despair, the frustration – all those emotions we feel when we look at the problems in our world today – they are all causes for weeping. Our grief is justified.
But it can’t stop there. These emotions are also a call to action – a challenge to each one of us to follow in the steps of Jesus – the one we call the Risen Christ – a call to use those emotions to cause the world to change.
It’s what it means to be a Christian, after all, a follower of Jesus, isn’t it? To be a Christian is to live in hope that the world can change – that the world is changing – and that we have what it will take to make that change happen – a sense of service, a sense of justice, love for our neighbour and for Creation. To be a Christian is to celebrate the life of the one who showed us the way and to celebrate our faith that following this path is exactly how that change will take place.
So, here we are this morning, gathered together in a sanctuary filled with flowers and hallelujahs! Today is the day we celebrate the story that defines us as Christians, the one story that sets us apart from all other religions in the world. Today we celebrate that he has called us by name. We celebrate that “we have seen the Lord!” Today, we shout the message of hope and conviction to the world:
He is risen!
Death does not have the last word!
Jesus lives!
Look! God is creating something new!
Hallelujah! – a most appropriate word for today – Hallelujah!
Amen.
Communion
Hymn: Bread for the Journey - More Voices #202
Pain pour la route, pour nos chemins.
De Dieu la coupe, aujourd’hui, demain.
Bread for the journey, food for the way.
Cup full of blessing, tomorrow, today.
Invitation:
This is the table of the risen Christ.
In this feast comes the root of our joy.
In this feast gleams the promise of the earth and the glory of all creation.
In this feast comes the Christ, Saviour and Friend to all.
Call to Give Thanks:
Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed!
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Lord or God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Prayer of Thanksgiving:
Hallelujah, thanks and praise, ever-living God, worker of wonders, maker of miracles, author of all life and giver of life eternal!
Out of chaos and fear you bring beauty and hope.
Out of despair and death you create courage and new life.
And so, with the risen Christ, who makes all things new by the power of his resurrection, we join in the song of a new day to sing your praise:
Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God of Hosts!
Heaven and earth are full of your glory!
Heaven and earth praise you, O God most high!
Remembering Jesus at Table:
We do what Jesus did the night before he died.
He took bread, gave thanks, broke the bread, and gave it to his friends, and said,
“Take, eat; remember me.”
Then he took the cup, and said, “Take, drink; remember.”
Affirmation of Memory and Hope:
By sharing this loaf and cup,
We proclaim Jesus,
Crucified and risen,
Our judge and our hope.
Prayer for Transformation:
Holy God, pour your Spirit on us, that we may know Christ in the breaking of bread, and that, in word and deed, we may be channels of your love, peace, and justice in the world.
Concluding Praise:
Praise be to God, the Source of love!
Praise be to Christ, Love incarnate!
Praise be to the Spirit, Love’s power!
Praise be to God! Amen.
Breaking the bread and Filling the Cup:
Jesus said, “I am the bread of life,
Whoever comes to me will never be hungry;
Whoever comes to me will never be thirsty.”
The gifts of God for the people of God.
Sharing the Bread and Cup
The Bread of Life.
The Cup of Blessing.
Prayer After Communion:
Life-giving God,
May we who share Christ’s body, live his risen life;
May we who drink his cup, bring new life to others;
May we, whom the Spirit lights, give light to the world.
Keep us firm in the hope you have set before us,
So that we and all your children shall be free,
And all creation will live to praise your name.
Amen
Hymn: Bread for the Journey - More Voices #202
Pain pour la route, pour nos chemins.
De Dieu la coupe, aujourd’hui, demain.
Bread for the journey, food for the way.
Cup full of blessing, tomorrow, today.
Prayers of the People
Rev. Lorrie
(Ted Dodd, for DOTAC, April 2022. Used with permission.)
God of Easter,
Roll away the stone of sadness, turn our mourning into dancing.
God of Resurrection,
Race with us to the site of new life, turn our crying into mirth.
God of the Empty Tomb,
Help us to see angels who make holy inquiry, turn our grief into joy.
God of Easter, grant us hope and a sense of daylight.
In the face of the challenges of this year, so much is
confusing,
upsetting and
stressful.
God of Resurrection, grant us peace and a spirit of prayerfulness.
In this warring, virus world, a lot of us are weeping,
in grief,
in fear,
in anxiety.
God of the Empty Tomb, grant us reassurance and
a willingness to see the world without despair.
Despite death and misunderstanding and tears,
Easter happened.
A stone was rolled away.
Angels appeared.
Jesus spoke Mary’s name.
God of the gospel good news,
speak each of our names, that we might know assurance and faith.
God of Easter,
roll away the stone of sadness, that we might be people of hope.
God of Resurrection,
race with us to the site of new life, that we might live in courage.
God of the Empty Tomb,
help us to see angels, that we might experience strength.
We come to you in the name of Jesus, the Risen One, and in the words
he taught us to use when we pray together:
Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kin-dom come, thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kin-dom, the power and the glory, Forever and ever, Amen.
Anthem: Meekness and Majesty
BCUC Choir
Composition © 1986 Graham Kendrick, arrangement © 1991 Jack Schrader
Invitation to Offer
Rev. Kim
I now invite you to offer your gifts of time, talents and resources as expressions of your gratitude to God’s blessings and your commitment to the work. If you are not on PAR and wish to send in your offering and donations, you can drop them in the mailbox by the kitchen door of the church or mail them to BCUC. You can also send in your support through e-transfer. Thank you for your continued love and support to BCUC.
* Offertory Prayer (In Unison)
Rejoicing! Celebrating! Giving thanks!
Gracious God, hope and new life are your amazing gifts to us.
As we offer our gifts back to you, remind us that we are Easter people
and you call us to sow seeds of love and justice in the world. Amen.
*Hymn: Christ the Lord is Risen Today Voices United #157 (alternate words)
1. Christ the Lord is risen today, hallelujah!
All creation join to say, hallelujah!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, hallelujah!
Sing, O heavens, and earth reply, hallelujah!
2. Love’s redeeming work is done, hallelujah!
Fought the fight, the battle’s won, hallelujah!
Lo, our sun’s eclipse is o’er! Hallelujah!
Lo, he dwells in death no more! Hallelujah!
3. Lives again our glorious King, hallelujah!
Where, O death, is now your sting? Hallelujah!
Once he died, our souls to save, hallelujah!
Where your victory, O grave? Hallelujah!
4. Hail the Lord of earth and heaven, hallelujah!
Praise to you by both be given! Hallelujah!
Every knee to you shall bow, hallelujah!
Risen Christ, triumphant now. Hallelujah!
Sending Forth
Rev. Lorrie Lowes
(Elaine Bidgood Sveet, gathering L/E 2016, p44. Used with permission)
Go out with joy this Easter morning!
May the hope and power of this holy day strengthen you.
Let your Alleluias ring!
Alleluia! Amen!