Tuesday, April 26, 2022

Resurrection Witness -- A Message for April 24, 2022

 

    This morning, we pick up right where we left off last week. You recall, on the first Easter Sunday, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early in the morning. She discovered Jesus was no longer in the tomb, and after altering the others, Mary found herself talking to Jesus. But, Mary was distraught, and did not initially recognize Jesus….when Jesus called Mary by name, her eyes were opened and she realized she had been talking to Jesus all along. After their conversation, Mary rushed back to the place where the other disciples were gathered and told them the good news, but they had trouble understanding the truth of the resurrection. 

We pick up right where we left off, reading about what happened on the first Easter Sunday…

Scripture Reading John 20: 19-31

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 

After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 

And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 

If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Jesus Appears to Thomas

Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 

So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The Purpose of John’s Gospel

Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 

But these are written that you may believe[b] that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Here ends this reading of the word of God for the People of God. Thanks be to God. Amen. 

Prayer for Understanding

O God, by your Spirit tell us what we need to hear, and show us what we ought to do, to obey Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen. 

Message Resurrection Witness  

Many churches celebrate “Holy Humor Sunday” on the Sunday after Easter.  Their worship services take on a festive tone with practical jokes and puns.  Early Greek Christians observed “days of joy and laughter” in the week following Easter. They had parties and picnics to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection. Ancient theologians like Augustine suggested that God played a practical joke on the devil by raising Jesus from the dead. Theologians called this “Risus paschalis” – the Easter laugh.

We all could use a little laughter as we gradually move out of our time of pandemic. These two plus years of Covid-19 have been stressful, scary, and bewildering…not very funny. Not very joyful. 

Even when Jesus’ friends started to hear about Jesus’ resurrection, they had trouble believing. Jesus’ friends were still in Jerusalem. They were together, holed up in a house, and locked in a room together. They were worried about their own fate: would they be next? The authorities killed Jesus, would they start going after his followers. They were afraid, they were embarrassed, and they were ashamed. 

Even though the doors were locked, on the first Easter evening, Jesus appeared to his friends in the middle of that locked room and told them, “Peace be with you!” Jesus didn’t say he was disappointed with his friends. He didn’t say he was angry. Instead, his words of peace were a kindness, a reminder to his friends that Jesus loved them and understood them. Jesus forgave them for being afraid and bewildered. 

Jesus gave his friends the gift of peace. In the midst of their grief, they needed comfort. They needed grace. They needed peace. And, Jesus gave them peace.

The other gift Jesus gave his friends was the gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus breathed on them and told them to receive the Holy Spirit. Jesus was transferring a portion of the Spirit of God to his friends. They were insecure about their place in the world. Jesus wasn’t going to be with them full-time. They were going to be on their own. Soon, after the first Christian Pentecost, they would be tasked with bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world. When Jesus shared the Holy Spirit with his friends, he was giving them an extra dose of confidence and holiness….he was giving a portion of the Spirit of God they would carry around in their hearts to guide them and reassure them. The broken and sad friends of Jesus needed to become filed with the Holy Spirit of God. 

Even though Jesus was only with his friends for a short while, he also gave them a task. They were told to forgive others as God had forgiven them. I don’t know about you, but if I had just watched my favorite person be brutally killed, it would be difficult for me to forgive others. It would be difficult for me to forgive the people who killed him. It would be difficult for me to forgive the people who stood by and watched his death. It would be difficult for me to forgive myself for not doing enough to stop it, even if stopping it was impossible. But, Jesus told his friends to forgive others. Don’t hold onto grudges. Don’t hold on to hate. Don’t dream of retribution. We are to forgive one another as God has forgiven us.

Apparently, the Thomas wasn’t with the others when Jesus come to them. And, despite the others telling him Jesus had appeared, Thomas had trouble believing. Some of us need concrete evidence. Some of our brains work like this – some of us need to see things for ourselves to believe…some of us need to touch things….some of us need to smell things.  Thomas needed to see evidence for himself. 

So, when Jesus appeared again, it was probably a great comfort for Thomas.  

The Disciples and the friends of Jesus needed comfort after the crucifixion and resurrection. And, twenty centuries later, the follower of Jesus now need comfort as we reel from our season of Covid. We have lived through a strange and scary time. Our lives have changed. We have lost people we loved. We have had our former “normal” lives turned up-side down. 

When Jesus appeared to his friends, he wanted them to feel support and peace in the midst of their grief. We must remember that God’s Holy Spirit is here in our midst to support us in the midst of our time of grief. God is here in our midst. God is here to give us peace, to share the Holy Spirit with us to strengthen and encourage us, and to also encourage us to forgive. Forgive the mistakes and mishaps made during this time of loss and fear. 

We are not alone in our grief. We are not alone in our struggles. We are not alone in our pain. God is with us. As the New Creed says: “In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to God.” Just as Jesus’ wouldn’t leave his friends totally alone and bereft in their grief, God doesn’t leave us alone in our time of grief and fear. 

We are in this together. God is our rod and our staff, our rock and our comfort. God is with us all the days of our lives. Thanks be to God. Amen. 


Friday, April 22, 2022

Weekly Email to the Trinity Family -- Easter Season Prayer Walk, Parable Class, Voluteers for French Market & First Friday Needed

 

Greetings Trinity Family,

WE ARE OPEN!! 

We are now “Mask Optional.” Our Consistory recently met and decided we now are open to masked and unmasked worshippers. But, if Covid rates dramatically increase, we may adopt a mask-wearing policy again.

Our Worship services are both in-person in our sanctuary and live-streamed on facebook.

Please join us in the Sanctuary at 9:45 for our Hymn Sing, followed at 10:15 with our worship service.

Our Sunday School classes have resumed! Our pre-confirmation class meets at 9:15 in the Education Building and our children’s class meeting during worship following the children’s sermon. This school year, our children’s class has been meeting in our choir room. Nursey care is available for our little ones.

Our Wired Word class is both online and in-person. We gather at 8:30 am in our Education Building and on Zoom.

Our Lunch Bunch Bible Study has resumed meeting on Tuesdays at 12 pm in the Education Building.  Please bring your own lunch – we have not resumed “pot-luck” sharing at Lunch Bunch.  Everyone is welcome to join Lunch Bunch – we pray, eat, and discuss the Bible passages we will focus on in worship the following Sunday.

Choir Practice has resumed on Wednesday evenings at 7 pm in our Sanctuary.

SEASON OF EASTER PRAYER WALK

We will have walkable “Stations of the Cross” in our Cemetery over the next few weeks. This year, we will have prints of paintings by Mary Button that contrast the Passion story with Jesus’ post-resurrection ministry.  I hope you will visit our cemetery and pray your way through the Stations.  Thank you to John Becker who used his carpentry gifts to make displays for the stations.

TUESDAY EVENING DISCUSSION – THE PARABLES OF JESUS

You are invited to join our discussion of the parables of Jesus in the season following Easter. We will meet on Tuesday evenings at 7 pm on Zoom for 6 sessions: April 19 & 26 and May10, 17, 24, & 31st. Each informal gathering will las about an hour and will focus on one of Jesus’ parables. Our time together will include Bible study, discussion, and prayer. Please join us!

Here is the Zoom link for our Tuesday Discussions:

Amelie Sell is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

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Time: This is a recurring meeting Meet anytime

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HELP BUILD HOPE PROJECT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Skippack Pike churches & friends:  We are fast approaching the Help

Build Hope project taking place April 22-24 in Bethel Hill United
Methodist Church’s parking lot.  We will be building a house for
Habitat for Humanity that will be delivered to Western Kentucky that
was hit by tornadoes in December.  Volunteers are needed at 4:00 p.m.
Friday and at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday.  At our Sunday worship at 10:00
a.m., we will dedicate the home & pack it up immediately following.
You can read more about it on our website bethelhill.org.  Won’t you
join us for this inspiring endeavor?  All you need is a hammer!!  Sign
up here to participate: https://bit.ly/BHSAW-HBH22

VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED @ THE SKIPPACK FRENCH MARKET

This year’s French Market is Saturday, April 30. Our church is providing PARKING for the market on our field. If you are able to spend a few hours helping direct traffic, we can use your gifts.  Please let Pastor Amelie know if you can help.

SKIPPACK FRENCH MARKET

The Skippack French Market will be Saturday April 30 from 10 am to 6 pm. Trinity will participate in the market by having delicious croissant sandwiches.  We will also invite vendors to set up booths in our parking lot. We are looking for crafters, furniture refurbishes, and independent small business owners to set up stands.  If you know anyone who would be interested in having a booth at Trinity during the French Market, please have them call the church office: 610-584-4054

VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED AT SKIPPACK FIRST FRIDAYS

The good weather is here and we are on the cusp of the Skippack First Friday season.  Each month, Skippack stores stay open late on the First Friday of the month. Non-profits are invited to have tables set up around town to promote our agency. Trinity needs volunteers to run our church’s table – we share brochures about our, invite people to upcoming activities, pass out prayer squares, and usually like to have activities to engager our younger neighbors. This year, our Skippack First Fridays are May 6, June 3, July 1, August 5, September 2, and October 7. We are already signed up to have a patriotic sing-a-long on July 1.  If you are able to help, we need volunteers to run the table from 6 to 8 pm at each First Friday. Please let Pastor Amelie know if you can help.

ELECTION DAY COFFEE, COOKIES AND PRAYERS

Election Day is May 17.  Voting takes place in our Education Building. We would like to meet our neighbors and share coffee, cookies, and prayers with them. If you have free-time on the 17th, we need volunteers to help. We also need donations of cookies to share. Let Pastor Amelie know if you can help.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL – SAVE THE DATE!!

Our Christian Education committee met this week and decided Vacation Bible School will be July 15 & 16.

We will focus on cave stories from the Bible, make a cave, do cave drawings, play games, and have a great time!

Our VBS Kick-Off planning meeting will be Saturday, May 7 at 9:30 am.  WE NEED YOUR HELP!  Planning and orchestrating our VBS will require many adult volunteers. Each volunteer will have to have all of their PA State background checks before our VBS.  Talk to Pastor Amelie if you want to volunteer and she will make sure your have the paperwork you need to obtain your background checks.

CHURCH PICNIC – SAVE THE DATE!!

Our church picnic will be July 17! Everyone is invited, including your family, friends, and neighbors.  And, our air-conditioning project will be complete so we will have our picnic both in our education building and outdoors. Our Christian Education Committee provides the meat course and everyone is invited to bring a dish to share.

4H FAIR GAMES

Trinity will be leading games at the annual 4H fair in Creamery. The fair is August 11, 12, and 13. We will need a lot of volunteers.  If you are available to help, you will need to have up-to-date PA security clearances and background checks. If you have suggestions or ideas for games, please let Pastor Amelie know and also let her know if you are able to help.

BANNER TEAM – CALLING ALL CRAFTY FOLKS!

The Worship Committee is looking for volunteers to help make new banners for our sanctuary.  This project is in its infancy, but if you are interested in helping, please tell Pastor Amelie.

READING PHILLIES

Prior to the pandemic, we have had a church group outing to see the Reading Phils play baseball.  We would like to offer this again if people are interested in going to a game. Although we are unsure what will ensue with the pandemic over the summer, please let Pastor Amelie know if you would be interested in participating in a group trip to watch the Reading Phils.

DAILY BREAD COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY

We continue to collect food and toiletry items for the Daily Bread Food Pantry.  They can be left at the doors of the church.

The Daily Bread's Current needs change every few weeks. This is their latest list of needs:

Personal Care (which cannot be purchased with food stamps):

Laundry soap, children's toothbrushes/ toothpaste, tissues

Food:

Juice, cereal, oatmeal

Baby Care:

Size 6 diapers

Pet Care:

Dry cat food, Litter, canned dog food

GIVING TO TRINITY

Although things are not fully back to normal, Trinity’s expenses have continued throughout the pandemic.  We know that everyone’s work-life has been disrupted during this time and we don’t expect everyone to be able to contribute to the church in the amount you were able to contribute in the past.  If you have the means to contribute to the church, you may drop off your offerings at the church office or you may mail it to our address: Trinity Christian UCC; 2009 Church Road, PO Box 538, Skippack, PA 19474

DON’T GIVE UP MOVEMENT

Our Outreach committee is inviting everyone in our congregation to join us in sharing messages from the “Don’t Give Up” movement.  This outreach was started to encourage people who are considering suicide to not give up.  We have yard signs, postcards, stickers, and business cards with messages that say things like “You are Enough” and “Your Mistakes Don’t Define You.” These messages are especially important right now as many people are struggling with their mental and emotional health after the many months of our pandemic.  Please pick up yard signs at church and other signs to promote this message of love for our neighbors.  Here is more about the movement:  https://www.dontgiveupsigns.com/

WORSHIP SERVICES

On Sunday mornings, you are invited to join us in-person and  on Facebook:

Join us for our Sunday morning hymn sing at 9:45 am live-streamed from the Trinity Christian UCC Skippack facebook page.  https://www.facebook.com/TrinityUCCSkippack

10:15 Facebook livestream Worship.  You can find us at our "Trinity Christian UCC Skippack" facebook page.  https://www.facebook.com/TrinityUCCSkippack

SUNDAY BIBLE STUDY

We have a Sunday morning Bible Study in-person and on ZOOM at 8:30 am.  This is a new meeting time. Here is the link to log in:

Amelie Sell is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Trinity's Wired Word Discussion Group
Time: This is a recurring meeting Meet anytime

Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 769 3381 3590
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LUNCH BUNCH MEETS WEEKLY!

Lunch Bunch is our Tuesday afternoon Bible Study.  Everyone is invited to join us on Tuesdays at 12 pm.  Please bring your own lunch. (In the past, we had a potluck lunch, but for now each person will bring their own food.)  Lunch Bunch typically studies the portion of the Bible that will be the focus of our worship service on the upcoming Sunday. 

REOPENING COMMITTEE

WE ARE NOW “MASK OPTIONAL.”

We are now singing hymns in worship!! And, we are not taking temperatures.

We are keeping a list of the names of attendees for contact tracing purposes.

Hopefully it won’t be much longer before all restrictions are lifted and everyone is vaccinated.

TRINITY BLOG

Trinity now has a blog where I am posting notes to the congregation and the text of my sermons.  If you would like to read these notes and messages, you can find them at: www.trinityskippack.blogspot.com

I will see you in worship on Sunday!

Many blessings!!

Pastor Amelie

 

Tuesday, April 19, 2022

A Sunrise Easter Message for 2022

 

Scripture Reading            Luke 24:1-12 from the Message

24 1-3 At the crack of dawn on Sunday, the women came to the tomb carrying the burial spices they had prepared. They found the entrance stone rolled back from the tomb, so they walked in. But once inside, they couldn’t find the body of the Master Jesus.

4-8 They were puzzled, wondering what to make of this. Then, out of nowhere it seemed, two men, light cascading over them, stood there. The women were awestruck and bowed down in worship. The men said, “Why are you looking for the Living One in a cemetery? He is not here, but raised up. Remember how he told you when you were still back in Galilee that he had to be handed over to sinners, be killed on a cross, and in three days rise up?” Then they remembered Jesus’ words.

9-11 They left the tomb and broke the news of all this to the Eleven and the rest. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them kept telling these things to the apostles, but the apostles didn’t believe a word of it, thought they were making it all up.

12 But Peter jumped to his feet and ran to the tomb. He stooped to look in and saw a few grave clothes, that’s all. He walked away puzzled, shaking his head.

Here ends this reading of the word of God for the people of God; thanks be to God. Amen.

            In December, we come together on a very holy night and remember Jesus’ birth. Jesus, God incarnate in man, came to earth in the form of a tiny, fragile, human baby. And, despite Jesus’ divine origins and royalty, Jesus chose to enter the world in a very modest way: born to a young mom and a man who worked with his hands, born in a stable instead of a palace. Other than the animals who found themselves in the stable with Jesus, the first witnesses to his birth were humble people – angels appeared to a group of shepherds and told the herdsmen to go meet the baby. Jesus made his earthly debut to a tiny group of people, not a crowd.

            When Jesus returned after his resurrection, the events shared some things in common with Jesus’ birth. There were prophesies foretelling of the birth of the Messiah; there were prophesies foretelling of the resurrecting of the Messiah. Jesus didn’t make a grand entrance either time – his first birth was in a stable – his resurrection happened at a tomb in a garden. No palaces or hospitals were involved.

            The first witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection were a group of lowly women….Like the shepherds, women did not have high status in the First Century. They weren’t experts about religious laws. They were not scholars. They weren’t government officials. They weren’t wealthy rulers. The witnesses were a group of women who had come to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body with spices, to prepare the body for burial. They assumed that since Jesus was born in the body of a typical baby, Jesus’s body would undergo a death and decomposition like all other bodies.

            It is so appropriate that we gather here to remember Jesus’ resurrection in a cemetery surrounded by graves. On the first Easter morning, the women who witnessed the resurrection were also in a cemetery surrounded by graves. And, that adds to the shock of the resurrection. In a place we come to acknowledge death, to acknowledge human frailty, Jesus was restored to life. In a place of death, Jesus was reborn. In a place of sadness and despair, Joy broke forth. For Christ the Lord is risen today. He is risen indeed.

            When the women tried to tell the other disciples about what they found in the tomb, the others had trouble understanding them. The others had trouble believing. We get this. We all would have trouble believing it too. But, on the first Easter Sunday, Jesus defied all laws of science and logic and broke all the rules. Dead people just don’t come back to life….Dead people stay dead….but, Jesus rose from the dead, rose from the grave, and returned to earth.

            This morning, we gather to remember the Greatest Story Ever Told. Nothing could keep Jesus down…not death, not the Romans, not the Temple Authorities who were out to get him, not the powers of the world, not the power of sin….Nothing could separate Jesus from the people of the Earth. Nothing the world can do is powerful enough to stop God.

            And, God loves us and forgives us for nailing Jesus to the cross. God loves us and forgives us for putting Jesus to death. God loves us and forgives us for all the ways we fail. God loves us and forgives us.

            Christ the Lord is Risen today. Hallelujah! Amen. 

Resurrection Joy -- An Easter Message for 2022

 

          Up until this morning, this has been a very sad weekend. On Thursday, we gathered in this room to remember Jesus’ last supper. Then, we heard the story of Jesus’ betrayal by people he thought were his friends. On Friday, we heard the story of the events that led to Jesus’ death: his arrest, more betrayal, his trials before Pilate and King Herod, his sentencing, his crucifixion, his death, his burial. This has been a very sad weekend, and we haveremembered a very sad weekend.

            After Jesus was buried, his friends hid. They were sad and terrified. And, then something amazing happened….hear the story as we read from the Gospel of John, chapter 20, verses 1 through 18:

Proclamation of the Scripture            John 20:1-18           

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 

So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 

Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 

He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in.

Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 

as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 

 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 

(They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 

Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb

and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 

At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Here ends this reading of the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Let us pray: “May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.”

            Sometimes In our lives, we don’t see what is right in front of us. We have a saying: “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone.” We often take things for granted until they are unavailable.

We had this a lot during the Covid lock-downs. We missed weird little things – the smile the barista at the coffee shop gave you when they handed you your order – hugs – in-person exercises classes at the gym -- making spontaneous plans with friends and family members. We missed things we had previously taken for granted.

            When Jesus died, his friends were paralyzed. The finally recognized Jesus’ importance – they knew he was the messiah—and yet, he was dead. He was dead even though Jesus had access to the power of God, he was capable of resisting, he was capable of overpowering the guards, overpowering the Roman army. Jesus was dead. They had killed the savior of the world. People… us…we had killed the savior of the world.

            And, the disciples and friends of Jesus were in a so much pain it was like a living hell. They hid away in a room together, crying…moaning…paralyzed with grief. They couldn’t believe Jesus was dead, and yet they had witnessed his death with their own eyes…they watched him cry out in pain…they watched him bleed and struggle on the cross. They watched. …and therefore, they really knew he was gone.  Jesus was dead.

            Early on the Sunday morning following the crucifixion, Mary went to Jesus’ grave. She couldn’t sleep anyway. She probably had not eaten or bathed or combed her hair. She was bereft. And, Mary wanted to be close to where Jesus’ body was laid.

            But, when Mary arrived at the graveside, she witnessed a disturbing site. The grave was standing open! It would be like if we walked out to the Trinity Cemetery this morning and someone had dug down into the ground, pulling the soil out of a grave. Mary didn’t look into the grave…that would have been too much…she ran back to the room to tell the others. Simon Pete rand John literally ran back to the cemetery. When they arrived, they looked into the grave, looked into the tomb. And, they saw that the body was no longer in place. It was just gone.

            Mary stood outside of the tomb and cried. She looked not the tomb and saw two angels sitting where the body had laid. The sight of the angels did not deter Mary’s crying…she told them she thought Jesus’ body was stolen.  She didn’t understand.

            Jesus came and stood next to Mary. She was so upset that she didn’t recognize Jesus. She asked Jesus himself if he knew where the body had been taken. And then, Jesus said Mary’s name. Hearing her name allowed Mary to finally see what was right in front of her. Jesus was resurrected.

            For Jesus, death was not the end of his story. Nothing could stop Jesus from being with the people of the earth…not the Romans…not the temple authorities…not the cross…not the grave. God is more powerful than anything humanity can cook up.  God is the greatest power in the universe.

            The Easter Promise is extraordinary. Jesus has the power of life over death. God has the power of life over death. Jesus loves the people of the world so much that the tomb couldn’t contain him. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. In the Easter Promise, we are reminded that God doesn’t hold grudges. God knows human beings are flawed. God knows human beings put Jesus to death on the cross. And, despite that knowledge, God loves us and forgives us. And, through God’s love and Jesus’s love, we receive grace, hope and life eternal.

            Thanks be to the God of love!

            Christ is Risen: He is Risen indeed! Amen. 

Friday, April 15, 2022

Message to the Trinity Community -- Good Friday, Easter Opportunities, New Class, French Market

 


Greetings Trinity Family,

WE ARE OPEN!! 

We are now “Mask Optional.” Our Consistory recently met and decided we now are open to masked and unmasked worshippers. But, if Covid rates dramatically increase, we may adopt a mask-wearing policy again.

Our Worship services are both in-person in our sanctuary and live-streamed on facebook.

Please join us in the Sanctuary at 9:45 for our Hymn Sing, followed at 10:15 with our worship service.

Our Sunday School classes have resumed! Our pre-confirmation class meets at 9:15 in the Education Building and our children’s class meeting during worship following the children’s sermon. This school year, our children’s class has been meeting in our choir room. Nursey care is available for our little ones.

Our Wired Word class is both online and in-person. We gather at 8:30 am in our Education Building and on Zoom.

Our Lunch Bunch Bible Study has resumed meeting on Tuesdays at 12 pm in the Education Building.  Please bring your own lunch – we have not resumed “pot-luck” sharing at Lunch Bunch.  Everyone is welcome to join Lunch Bunch – we pray, eat, and discuss the Bible passages we will focus on in worship the following Sunday.

Choir Practice has resumed on Wednesday evenings at 7 pm in our Sanctuary.

HOLY WEEK PRAYER WALK

We will have walkable “Stations of the Cross” in our Cemetery over the next few weeks. This year, we will have prints of paintings by Mary Button that contrast the Passion story with Jesus’ post-resurrection ministry.  I hope you will visit our cemetery and pray your way through the Stations.  The artwork  will be in place today.  Thank you to John Becker who used his carpentry gifts to make displays for the stations.

EASTER EGG HUNT RESUMES!!

Good News!  We will be resuming our annual Easter Egg hunt on Easter morning.  There will be a basket in the narthex (or the office) for donations of candy to be placed in the plastic eggs. We will  also accept donations of small toys.  Any questions, contact Janet Crossgrove.

TODAY IS GOOD FRIDAY

Our Good Friday worship service is tonight at 7 pm. We will have a contemplative service and remember the events of Jesus’ crucifixion.

EASTER SERVICES, EGG HUNT, AND TREATS

Easter is April 17. Our outdoor Sunrise worship service will be held at the cross in the Cemetery at 8:30 am. We will have our Easter Egg hunt for all children at 9:30 am. Our Hymn Sing will be at 9:45 followed by our Easter Celebration worship service at 10:15.

We would like to offer coffee and sweet treats under the porch of our Education Building starting at 8:30 am to accompany all of our morning activities. If you are able to bring a sweet treat, please let Pastor Amelie know.

TUESDAY EVENING DISCUSSION – THE PARABLES OF JESUS

You are invited to join our discussion of the parables of Jesus in the season following Easter. We will meet on Tuesday evenings at 7 pm on Zoom for 6 sessions: April 19 & 26 and May10, 17, 24, & 31st. Each informal gathering will las about an hour and will focus on one of Jesus’ parables. Our time together will include Bible study, discussion, and prayer. Please join us!

Here is the Zoom link for our Tuesday Discussions:

Amelie Sell is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Trinity's Tuesday Groups

Time: This is a recurring meeting Meet anytime

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82258786795

Meeting ID: 822 5878 6795

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HELP BUILD HOPE PROJECT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Skippack Pike churches & friends:  We are fast approaching the Help
Build Hope project taking place April 22-24 in Bethel Hill United
Methodist Church’s parking lot.  We will be building a house for
Habitat for Humanity that will be delivered to Western Kentucky that
was hit by tornadoes in December.  Volunteers are needed at 4:00 p.m.
Friday and at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday.  At our Sunday worship at 10:00
a.m., we will dedicate the home & pack it up immediately following.
You can read more about it on our website bethelhill.org.  Won’t you
join us for this inspiring endeavor?  All you need is a hammer!!  Sign
up here to participate: https://bit.ly/BHSAW-HBH22

VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED @ THE SKIPPACK FRENCH MARKET

This year’s French Market is Saturday, April 30. Our church is providing PARKING for the market on our field. If you are able to spend a few hours helping direct traffic, we can use your gifts.  Please let Pastor Amelie know if you can help.

SKIPPACK FRENCH MARKET

The Skippack French Market will be Saturday April 30 from 10 am to 6 pm. Trinity will participate in the market by having delicious croissant sandwiches.  We will also invite vendors to set up booths in our parking lot. We are looking for crafters, furniture refurbishes, and independent small business owners to set up stands.  If you know anyone who would be interested in having a booth at Trinity during the French Market, please have them call the church office: 610-584-4054

VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED AT SKIPPACK FIRST FRIDAYS

The good weather is here and we are on the cusp of the Skippack First Friday season.  Each month, Skippack stores stay open late on the First Friday of the month. Non-profits are invited to have tables set up around town to promote our agency. Trinity needs volunteers to run our church’s table – we share brochures about our, invite people to upcoming activities, pass out prayer squares, and usually like to have activities to engager our younger neighbors. This year, our Skippack First Fridays are May 6, June 3, July 1, August 5, September 2, and October 7. We are already signed up to have a patriotic sing-a-long on July 1.  If you are able to help, we need volunteers to run the table from 6 to 8 pm at each First Friday. Please let Pastor Amelie know if you can help.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL – SAVE THE DATE!!

Our Christian Education committee met this week and decided Vacation Bible School will be July 15 & 16.

We will focus on cave stories from the Bible, make a cave, do cave drawings, play games, and have a great time!

Our VBS Kick-Off planning meeting will be Saturday, May 7 at 9:30 am.  WE NEED YOUR HELP!  Planning and orchestrating our VBS will require many adult volunteers. Each volunteer will have to have all of their PA State background checks before our VBS.  Talk to Pastor Amelie if you want to volunteer and she will make sure your have the paperwork you need to obtain your background checks.

CHURCH PICNIC – SAVE THE DATE!!

Our church picnic will be July 17! Everyone is invited, including your family, friends, and neighbors.  And, our air-conditioning project will be complete so we will have our picnic both in our education building and outdoors. Our Christian Education Committee provides the meat course and everyone is invited to bring a dish to share.

4H FAIR GAMES

Trinity will be leading games at the annual 4H fair in Creamery. The fair is August 11, 12, and 13. We will need a lot of volunteers.  If you are available to help, you will need to have up-to-date PA security clearances and background checks. If you have suggestions or ideas for games, please let Pastor Amelie know and also let her know if you are able to help.

BANNER TEAM – CALLING ALL CRAFTY FOLKS!

The Worship Committee is looking for volunteers to help make new banners for our sanctuary.  This project is in its infancy, but if you are interested in helping, please tell Pastor Amelie.

READING PHILLIES

Prior to the pandemic, we have had a church group outing to see the Reading Phils play baseball.  We would like to offer this again if people are interested in going to a game. Although we are unsure what will ensue with the pandemic over the summer, please let Pastor Amelie know if you would be interested in participating in a group trip to watch the Reading Phils.

DAILY BREAD COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY

We continue to collect food and toiletry items for the Daily Bread Food Pantry.  They can be left at the doors of the church.

The Daily Bread's Current needs change every few weeks. This is their latest list of needs:

Personal Care (which cannot be purchased with food stamps):

Laundry soap, children's toothbrushes/ toothpaste, tissues

Food:

Juice, cereal, oatmeal

Baby Care:

Size 6 diapers

Pet Care:

Dry cat food, Litter, canned dog food

GIVING TO TRINITY

Although things are not fully back to normal, Trinity’s expenses have continued throughout the pandemic.  We know that everyone’s work-life has been disrupted during this time and we don’t expect everyone to be able to contribute to the church in the amount you were able to contribute in the past.  If you have the means to contribute to the church, you may drop off your offerings at the church office or you may mail it to our address: Trinity Christian UCC; 2009 Church Road, PO Box 538, Skippack, PA 19474

DON’T GIVE UP MOVEMENT

Our Outreach committee is inviting everyone in our congregation to join us in sharing messages from the “Don’t Give Up” movement.  This outreach was started to encourage people who are considering suicide to not give up.  We have yard signs, postcards, stickers, and business cards with messages that say things like “You are Enough” and “Your Mistakes Don’t Define You.” These messages are especially important right now as many people are struggling with their mental and emotional health after the many months of our pandemic.  Please pick up yard signs at church and other signs to promote this message of love for our neighbors.  Here is more about the movement:  https://www.dontgiveupsigns.com/

WORSHIP SERVICES

On Sunday mornings, you are invited to join us in-person and  on Facebook:

Join us for our Sunday morning hymn sing at 9:45 am live-streamed from the Trinity Christian UCC Skippack facebook page.  https://www.facebook.com/TrinityUCCSkippack

10:15 Facebook livestream Worship.  You can find us at our "Trinity Christian UCC Skippack" facebook page.  https://www.facebook.com/TrinityUCCSkippack

SUNDAY BIBLE STUDY

We have a Sunday morning Bible Study in-person and on ZOOM at 8:30 am.  This is a new meeting time. Here is the link to log in:

Amelie Sell is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Trinity's Wired Word Discussion Group
Time: This is a recurring meeting Meet anytime

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76933813590?pwd=Nzc0MkthZFBkdmVNTGYycjVtRXkwUT09

Meeting ID: 769 3381 3590
Password: 7qLSWw

LUNCH BUNCH MEETS WEEKLY!

Lunch Bunch is our Tuesday afternoon Bible Study.  Everyone is invited to join us on Tuesdays at 12 pm.  Please bring your own lunch. (In the past, we had a potluck lunch, but for now each person will bring their own food.)  Lunch Bunch typically studies the portion of the Bible that will be the focus of our worship service on the upcoming Sunday. 

REOPENING COMMITTEE

WE ARE NOW “MASK OPTIONAL.”

We are now singing hymns in worship!! And, we are not taking temperatures.

We are keeping a list of the names of attendees for contact tracing purposes.

Hopefully it won’t be much longer before all restrictions are lifted and everyone is vaccinated.

TRINITY BLOG

Trinity now has a blog where I am posting notes to the congregation and the text of my sermons.  If you would like to read these notes and messages, you can find them at: www.trinityskippack.blogspot.com

I will see you in worship on Sunday!

Many blessings!!

Pastor Amelie

 


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