Order of Worship 4-7-24

SERVICE FOR THE LORD’S DAY

2nd Sunday of Easter

April 7th, 2024 Ten Thirty in the morning

Preacher: Mr. Mike Isham        

Liturgist: Evelyn Tobey

Please silence all cell phones. 

Bold face indicates congregational participation.

* Please stand, in body or spirit

GATHERING

PRELUDE

*PROCESSIONAL HYMN (Blue #118; GTG#233)    

“The Day of Resurrection!”    LANCASHIRE

  • The day of resurrection! Earth, tell it out abroad,

the Passover of gladness, the Passover of God.  

From death to life eternal, from sin’s dominion free,

our Christ has brought us over with hymns of victory.

  1. Now let the heavens be joyful; let earth its song begin;

the round world keep high triumph 

and all that is therein.

Let all things seen and unseen 

their notes of gladness blend,

for Christ the Lord has risen, our joy that has no end. 

WORDS OF WELCOME          

ADORATION

CALL TO WORSHIP John 20:19, 21

ONE: Peace be with you. Jesus stands among us. 

MANY: Peace be with you. The Risen Lord is here.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Almighty and eternal God, the strength of those who believe and the hope of those who doubt, may we, who have not seen, have faith and receive the fullness of Christ’s blessing, who is alive and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. 

*HYMN (GTG #250)            ”Hymn of Promise”               PROMISE

  1. In the bulb there is a flower; in the seed, an apple tree;

in cocoons, a hidden promise: butterflies will soon be free!

In the cold a snow of winter there’s a spring that waits to be,

unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see. 

  1. There’s a song in every silence, seeking word and melody;

there’s a dawn in every darkness, 

bringing hope to you and me.

From the past will come the future; what it holds, a mystery,

unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see. 

  1. In our end is our beginning; in our time, infinity;

in our doubt there is believing; in our life, eternity.

In our death, a resurrection; at the last, a victory,

unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see. 

MESSAGE FOR THE CHILDREN

CONFESSION 

CALL TO CONFESSION                                                                  

SILENT CONFESSION

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Almighty God, in raising Jesus from the grave, you shattered the power of sin and death. We confess that we remain captive to doubt and fear, bound by the ways that lead to death. We overlook the poor and the hungry, and pass by those who mourn; we are deaf to the cries of the oppressed, and indifferent to calls for peace; we despise the weak, and abuse the earth you made. 

Forgive us, God of mercy. Help us to trust your power to change our lives and make us new, that we may know the joy of life abundant given in Jesus Christ, the risen Lord. Amen. 

DECLARATION of FORGIVENESS  

ONE: In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!

MANY: Thanks be to God!

*GLORIA PATRI (GTG #581) 

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, 

world without end, Amen, Amen.

PROCLAMATION

SCRIPTURE 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? 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.

ONE: The Word of the Lord

MANY: Thanks be to God

SERMON           “Slow to Understand”               Mike Isham

 RESPONSE     

*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH                           Heidelberg Catechism               

ONE: What is your only comfort, in life and in death?

MANY: That I belong body and soul, in life and in death not to myself but to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ, who at the cost of his own blood has fully paid for all my sins and has completely freed me from the dominion of the devil; that he protects me so well that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, that everything must fit his purpose for my salvation. Therefore, by the Holy Spirit, he also assures me of eternal life, and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

RECEIVING OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS

OFFERTORY

*DOXOLOGY (GTG #609)

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;

Praise God, all creatures high and low. Alleluia, Alleluia!

Praise God, in Jesus fully known: 

Creator, Word, and Spirit one.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

LORD’S PRAYER

Our 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

*HYMN (Blue #104; GTG #248)           

Christ is Risen! Shout Hosanna!”        HYMN TO JOY

  1. Christ is risen! Shout hosanna! Celebrate this day of days!

Christ is risen! Hush and wonder: all creation is amazed.

In the dessert all surrounding, 

see a spreading tree has grown.

Healing leaves of grace abounding 

bring a taste of love unknown. 

  1. Christ is risen! Raise your spirits 

from the caverns of despair. 

Walk with gladness in the morning. 

See what love can do and dare. 

Drink the wine or resurrection, not a servant, but a friend.

Jesus is our strong companion. 

Joy and peace shall never end. 

  1. Christ is risen! Earth and heaven 

never more shall be the same. 

Break with bread of new creation 

where the world is still in pain.

Tell its grim, demonic chorus: “Christ is risen! Get ye gone!”

God, the First and Last is with us. Sing hosanna every one!

*PARTING PRAYER

Glory to you, O God: you have won victory over death, raising Jesus from the grave and giving us eternal life. Glory to you, O Christ: for us and for our salvation you have overcome death and opened the gate to everlasting life. Glory to you, O Holy Spirit: you lead us into the truth. Glory to you, O Blessed Trinity, now and forever. Amen. 

CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

*RESPONSE (Blue #113; GTG #245)       

“Christ the Lord is Risen Today!”       LLANFAIR

“Christ the Lord is risen today!” Al-le-lu-ia!

All creation, join to say: Al-le-lu-ia!

Raise your joys and triumphs high, Al-le-lu-ia!

Sing, O heavens, and earth reply, Al-le-lu-ia!

POSTLUDE                         

*Note: the hymn lyrics in the bulletin and on the projection screen are from the Glory To God Hymnal (© 2013 Westminster John Knox Press), which we are transitioning to. Words in the “Blue” Presbyterian Hymnal (© 1990) in your pew may differ slightly.

Participating in today’s service are Rev. Aaron Ochart, Pastor; Louise Ochart, CE Leader; Kelly Cuppett, Music Director. Appreciation to Dennis Lauland. Mike Fortin, and David Garland for the video production of today’s service. 

The Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by Permission. All Rights Reserved. 

STAFF

Church Office 504.888.1375   

Playschool Office           504.888.1378

The Reverend Aaron Ochart – Head of Staff

Louise Ochart – Christian Education Leader

Kelly Cuppett – Music Director

Lauren Crisler  – Playschool Director

Stephanie Galliano – Playschool Admin. Asst.

For more information, visit our website at www.JohnCalvinChurch.org

 or find us @JohnCalvinMetairie on



Announcements 4-7-24

 Announcements: 

MONTHLY FOOD PANTRY DONATION: Each month we are asking you to Donate one or two items to the food pantry. This month we are asking for canned fruit, fruit snacks, and applesauce.

Creation Care Reading Recommendations: Making Peace with the Land: God’s Call to Reconcile with Creation (Resources for Reconciliation) God is reconciling all things in heaven and on earth. We are alienated not only from one another but also from the land that sustains us. Our ecosystems are increasingly damaged, and human bodies are likewise degraded. Most of us have little understanding of how our energy is derived or our food is produced, and many of our current industrialized practices are both unhealthy for our bodies and unsustainable for the planet. Agriculturalist Fred Bahnson and theologian Norman Wirzba declare that in Christ, God reconciles all bodies into a peaceful, life-promoting relationship with one another. Because human beings are incarnated in material, bodily existence, we are necessarily interdependent with plants and animals, land and sea, heaven and earth. The good news is that redemption is cosmic, with implications for agriculture and ecology, from farm to dinner table. Bahnson and Wirzba describe communities that model cooperative practices of relational life, with local food production, eucharistic eating, and delight in God’s provision. Reconciling with the land is a rich framework for a new way of life. Read this book to start down the path to restoring shalom and experiencing Jesus’ kingdom of shared abundance, where neighbors are fed and all receive enough.

ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL: Join us for adult Sunday School, from 9:15 AM – 10:15 AM in the church library, as we continue our faith journey and share the importance of God in our daily lives. In our current six-session study, we are talking about our relationship with God, the importance of prayer, how prayer matters, and how we can use prayer to discern God’s will. 

CALENDAR:

4/8 – 10:00 AM – Staff Meeting 

        12:15 PM – Playschool Committee Meeting 

         6:30 PM – Outreach Committee Meeting 

4/11 – 10:00 AM – Game Day 

4/14 – 9:15 AM – Adult Sunday School 

          10:15  AM – Choir Warm-up 

          10:30 AM – Worship Service – Bible Builds during Children’s Church 

          11:45 AM – Choir Practice 

           6:30 PM – Christian Education Committee Meeting 




ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announcements 4-14-24

 Announcements: 

MONTHLY FOOD PANTRY DONATION: Each month we are asking you to Donate one or two items to the food pantry. This month we are asking for canned fruit, fruit snacks, and applesauce.

Creation Care Reading Recommendations: 50 Ways to Help Save the Earth, Revised Edition: How You and Your Church Can Make a Difference by Rebecca Barnes. Rebecca Barnes outlines fifty ways in which you, your congregation, and your local community can help fight global warming and enjoy participation in a vital part of Christian discipleship. In 50 Ways to Help Save the Earth, Revised Edition, she makes a clear connection, in a practical and unintimidating way, between stewardship of the earth and living one’s faith.

This easy-to-follow book consists of seven chapters on topics related to global climate change: “Energy,” “Food and Agriculture,” “Transportation,” “Water,” “People,” “Other Species,” and “Wilderness and Land.” Each chapter begins with a statement on how the content relates to global warming, followed by action items ranging from individual efforts to activities that encourage the involvement of the congregation and wider communities.

HYMNS and BEER: Join us at 7:00 PM on April 25th at Blue Ruin Speakeasy, 3224 Metairie Rd, Metairie, LA 70001 for Hymns and Beers. We will be celebrating this amazing Earth God created and which we have been entrusted to care for. Proceeds from this event will be split between the musician and Glass Half Full. 

ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL: Join us for adult Sunday School, from 9:15 AM – 10:15 AM in the church library, as we continue our faith journey and share the importance of God in our daily lives. In our current six-session study, we are talking about our relationship with God, the importance of prayer, how prayer matters, and how we can use prayer to discern God’s will. 

GARAGE SALE: We are planning a garage and bake sale for the end of May. The sale will take place on Friday, May 31st and Saturday, June 1st. This is a fundraiser to help with church expenses and budget. 

As you do your Spring cleaning, please keep the church in mind as a place to donate your quality furnishings, clothes, appliances, tools, kitchenware, books, games, and knickknacks. Large furniture, computers, and some other electronics can not be accepted. Please do not start bringing your items to the church until after service on May 26th. Donations can then be placed in the Fellowship Hall. 

Fresh homemade baked goods are a wonderful addition to the sale and can be brought to the Fellowship Hall starting on Thursday, May 30th. Please help us spread the word by informing your friends and neighbors.