Worship for the week of April 11, 2021

3rd Sunday of Eastertide

Welcome Home to Holy Trinity Community Church United Church of Christ!

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Thank you for joining us in worship today. We invite you to reach out to Pastor Rob, (He/Him), who is available for pastoral care, emotional support, & spiritual direction. Please contact Pastor Rob at revrobvaness@gmail.com with any comments or concerns you may have.

April 18, 2021 – The 3rd Sunday of Easter:

GATHERING SONG: Sing Like the Saved w/ Charlie Hawks, Melinda Iroabuchi, & Voices of Vision

We're gonna sing like the saved

Sing la la la la la leh

La la la la la leh

Sing la la la la la leh

Sing la la la la la la la leh

A joyful noise we will make

Sing la la la la la leh

La la la la la la la leh

We're gonna dance like the saved

Sing la la la la la leh

La la la la la la la leh

You put this joy in our hearts

We're gonna sing like the saved

WELCOME AND GREETINGS

SONG OF PRAISE

INVITATION TO COMMUNION

SCRIPTURE – Acts 6:1-7 w/ Laurin Osman

Hear now a reading from The Book of the Acts of the Apostles where we consider how the early church models reparative justice for excluded groups and equity between the diakonia of service and of the word in Christian ministry.

6 Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. 2 And the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Therefore, friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, 4 while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word.” 5 What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6 They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 The word of God continued to spread; the number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

One: Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.

All: Thank be to God!

SERMON Legos & The Church

OFFERING

You may help the church financially in this pandemic by contributing in 3 different ways.

Holy Trinity Community Church now has a CashApp account. Our CashApp code is $HolyTrinityMemphis. Users must create a Cash App account to make contributions to our ministry. There is no fee for either party on this app & can be found at the Google Play Store for Android users or the App Store for iPhone users.
Go to HolyTrinityMemphis.org & click on the word GIVE in the upper left-hand corner. This link will direct you to our longstanding PayPal account.
Finally, you can always send in your tithe, gift, or offering by mail. Please send to: Holy Trinity Community Church PO Box 2991 Cordova, TN 38088.

Your faithful contributions regardless are essential for our ability to proclaim the gospel. Thank you for your generous support of our mission and ministries.

OFFERATORY Praise Melody w/ Charlie Hawks & Melinda Iroabuchi

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE w/ Rev. La Paula Turner

COMMUNION AND BLESSING

[Sing Alleluia to the Lord in the background during communion w/ Charlie Hawks.]

(Invocation)

God of Spirit and flesh,

God of heaven and earth,

God of grape and grain,

we spread our sings in flight toward you.

We stretch our arms in need of you.

We feed ourselves with gifts from you.

We thank you for your love poured out as we sense your Spirit shinning in the sunlight,

sailing on the summer wind,

and singing in the souls of each one gathered here.

(Assurance of Pardon)

The feast of God is designed to satisfy not our physical appetites but our hunger and thirst for righteousness. The table has long been set and there has always been a place reserved for you. Jesus Christ beckons you, “Come.” Beloved, your sins are forgiven. In witness to your new life in Christ and communion with one another, you are asked to gather around the heavenly table. Amen.

(Sursum Corda)

One: God be with you.

All: And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them up to God.

Let us give thanks for the peace of God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

God in Christ breaks down the walls that make us strangers to ourselves and divide us from one another. We are the body of Christ. Around this table, we enact our faith. The body broken is restored to wholeness; lifeblood poured out brings healing to our world.

(Silence)

(Offering Prayer)

Loving God, our hunger is never better satisfied than at your table. Our gifts can have no higher value than when they are offered to you. Because you fill our spirits, we hunger to serve. And we pray that these gifts may be as food to nourish the living body of Christ.

(The Words of Institution)

The Lord Jesus, on the night of his arrest, took bread, and after giving thanks to God, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take, eat. This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.

In the same way he took the cup, saying: This cup is the new covenant sealed in my blood, shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this in remembrance of me.

Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup you proclaim the saving death of the risen Lord, until he comes.

(Sharing of the Bread and Cup)

Now is the time to take what you have set aside to eat, break it, and eat.

Now is the time to take what you have set aside to drink, and drink.

(Prayer After Communion)

All praise is yours, O God. You bring us to this table as siblings in Christ. Lead us now, through each of our moments, to that glorious day when all your children will gather as family. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who is our peace made flesh.

(The Lord’s Prayer)

We pray in the name of Jesus, who taught us to pray,

All: Our Father who art in heaven

Hallowed by 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 trespasses

As we forgive those who trespass against us

And lead us not into temptation

But deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

BLESSSING AND COMMISSION Rev. La Paula Turner

SENDING SONG: Everybody Clap Your Hands w/ Charlies Hawks, Melinda Iroabuchi, & Voices of Vision

We praise You oh Lord
We magnify Your name
We worship You oh Lord
We magnify Your name
[X2]

Everybody clap your hands
[X8]

This is the way we praise Him
Clap your hands
[X4]

We praise You oh Lord
We magnify Your name
We worship You oh Lord
We magnify Your name

Everybody clap your hands
[X4]

This is the way we praise Him
Clap your hands
[X4]

Lifting our voice
Singing our song
Praising the Lord
All the day long
[X2]

Everybody clap your hands
[X4]

This is the way we praise Him
Clap your hands
[X12]

This is the way we praise Him