April 21, 2024
WORDS OF GREETING AND GATHERING
Noelle Voltz
WELCOMING STATEMENT
RISE believes that God has open arms, and so should we. Our Creator wants us to love, accept and affirm every human being, including persons of every age, race, ethnic background, nationality, gender identity, sexual orientation, family or socioeconomic status, educational background, religion or creed, and physical or mental ability. We celebrate our diversity and recognize the sacred worth and dignity of all. Everyone is invited and encouraged to join us as we seek to follow Jesus with mutual respect, understanding, and love.
*Read more about “Why Pronouns Matter” HERE.
SCRIPTURE READING
Luke 24:36b-48 (CEB)
Jesus himself stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 37 They were terrified and afraid. They thought they were seeing a ghost.
38 He said to them, “Why are you startled? Why are doubts arising in your hearts? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It’s really me! Touch me and see, for a ghost doesn’t have flesh and bones like you see I have.” 40 As he said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 Because they were wondering and questioning in the midst of their happiness, he said to them, “Do you have anything to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of baked fish. 43 Taking it, he ate it in front of them.
44 Jesus said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the Law from Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. 46 He said to them, “This is what is written: the Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and a change of heart and life for the forgiveness of sins must be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.
SONGS
Maggie McClary & Friends
“In Your Midst”
~Allie Paige
I come to sit at your feet
To drink from the fountain of life
How it satisfies
No where else do I want to be
The warmth of your heart is enough
It’s enough for me
Oh I’ve come to have
Communion with the king
To sit at the table and dine
With the highest priest
Oh, to know, just what’s on your mind
The secrets of Heaven
I’ll live to search, to find
So hide me deep inside your heart, Lord
Cover me with your wings
Bring me into safety
Bring me into fellowship with who you are, Lord
Father, Son, and Spirit
This is all I long for
I come to sit at Your feet
To drink from the fountain of life
How it satisfies
Nowhere else do I want to be
The warmth of your heart is enough
It’s enough for me
So hide me deep inside your heart, Lord
Cover me with your wings
Bring me into safety
Bring me into fellowship with who you are, Lord
Father, Son, and Spirit
This is all I long for
This my heart’s desire
To know you and be known
To know you and be known
(2x)
This my heart’s desire
To know you and be known
To know you and be known by you Jesus
So hide me deep inside your heart, Lord
Cover me with your wings
Bring me into safety
Bring me into fellowship with who you are, Lord
Father, Son, and Spirit
This is all I long for
Repeat
“Window in the Skies”
~U2
The shackles are undone
The bullets quit the gun
The heat that's in the sun
Will keep us when there's none
The rule has been disproved
The stone it has been moved
The grave is now a groove
All debts are removed
Oh can't you see what love has done?
Oh can't you see what love has done?
Oh can't you see what love has done?
What it's doing to me?
Love makes strange enemies
Makes love where love may please
Soul and its striptease
Hate brought to its knees
The sky over our head
We can reach it from our bed
You let me in your heart
And out of my head, head
Oh can't you see what love has done?
Oh can't you see what love has done?
Oh can't you see what love has done?
What it's doing to me?
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Please don't ever let me out of you
I've got no shame
Oh no, oh no
Oh can't you see what love has done?
Oh can't you see what love has done?
Oh can't you see what love has done?
What it's doing to me?
I know I hurt you and I made you cry
Did everything but murder you and I
But love left a window in the skies
And to love I rhapsodize
Oh can't you see what love has done?
To every broken heart
Oh can't you see what love has done?
For every heart that cries
Love left a window in the skies
And to love I rhapsodize
SCRIPTURE READING
Sheridan Horne
Mark 5:38-42
38 “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. 39 But I say to you that you must not oppose those who want to hurt you. If people slap you on your right cheek, you must turn the left cheek to them as well. 40 When they wish to haul you to court and take your shirt, let them have your coat too. 41 When they force you to go one mile, go with them two. 42 Give to those who ask, and don’t refuse those who wish to borrow from you.
THEOLOGICAL EXPLORATION
Daniel Green
TABLE AND LIVE CHAT DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Where in your life have you put faith into action?
Do you ever have doubts about your faith? When feeling doubtful, what do you do? Do you go to scripture, find solace in friends, or maybe you maybe try to not think about it?
Were there ever moments in your life where you thought that you were alone, where you thought that Jesus was not with you?
Bonus: what has been your favorite memory of the seniors and the interns?
SONG
“Turning Over Tables”
~The Brilliance
Fear runs deep, spreading like a virus
Hate is cheap, from afar it costs you nothing
Sister take my hand, brother we will stand
Open up your hearts and find
Love is turning over tables, breaking off chains
When I see you in a stranger, I’m no longer a slave
Turning over tables, tearing down walls
Building up the bridges between us all
Oh oo oo ooooo o oooooo
Let courage be my willingness to listen
So I can feel the wound inside my heart
Let seeds of peace grow in hearts around us
That trees of hope give shade to all (hu)mankind
Sister take my hand
Brother we will stand
Open up our hearts and find
Love is turning over tables, breaking off chains
When I see you in a stranger, I’m no longer a slave
Turning over tables, tearing down walls
Building up the bridges between us all
When will we stand for love?
When will we stand for love?
When will we stand for love?
(Repeat)
Love is turning over tables, breaking off chains
When I see you in a stranger, I’m no longer a slave
Turning over tables, tearing down walls
Building up the bridges between us all
Oh oo oo ooooo o oooooo
INTERN RECOGNITION
2023-2024 INTERNS
Abby Dotson – Communications and Outreach
Daniel Green – Worship
OFFERING AND NOMOFOMO
COUNTDOWN TO PASTOR AMANDA’S FINAL WEEKEND WITH RISE
Just one more week!!!
Taproom Takeover
Brothers Brewery
Saturday, April 27
4-7 pm
We will have food trucks, music, fun, and time with Amanda to hang out and tell stories!
Final Sunday Worship
Court Square Theatre
Sunday, April 28
Exactly 10ish
You won't want to miss Amanda’s last Sunday with RISE!
EMU's Arts Club Exhibition
The ceramic work, 3-d work, and paintings in our worship space today are part of an exhibition put on by the EMU Arts Club each year. One of the painting assignments was a Family Tree project, and some of the ceramic work deals with the topic of transformation. Enjoy, but please don’t touch!
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GRADUATE RECOGNITION
2023-2024 Graduates
Maggie McClary – Eastern Mennonite University
Music and Peacebuilding
Headed to Kenbrook Bible Camp for the summer
Moving to Williamsburg for Sean’s grad school at William & Mary
Emmanuela Obuobisa – James Madison University
Health Sciences with a minor in Pre Occupational Therapy
Taking a gap year and applying for OT schools next spring
Shylah Zepp - Turner Ashby High School
Headed to University of Pittsburgh in the Fall
closing SONG
“More Heart, Less Attack”
~NEEDTOBREATHE
Be the light in the crack
Be the one that’s been there on the camel’s back
Slow to anger and quick to laugh
Be more heart and less attack
Be the wheels, not the track
Be the wanderer that’s coming back
Leave the past right where it’s at
Be more heart and less attack
Oooh
The more you take the less you have
Cuz it’s you in the mirror staring back
Quick to let go, slow to react
Be more heart and less attack
Ever growing steadfast
And if need be, the one that’s in the gap
Be the never turning back
Twice the heart any man could have
Oooh
Be the wheels, not the track
Be the wanderer that’s coming back
Leave the past right where it’s at
Be more heart and less attack
Be more heart and less attack
Be more heart and less attack
I’m nearly sanctified
I’m nearly broken
I’m down the river
I’m near the open
Be the wheels, not the track
Be the wanderer that’s coming back
Leave the past right where it’s at
Be more heart and less attack
Be more heart and less attack
Be more heart and less attack
I’m nearly sanctified
I’m nearly broken
I’m down the river
I’m near the open
I’m down the river to where I’m going
FINAL BLESSING
Abby Dotson
~Mother Teresa
Faith in action is love,
and love in action is service.
By transforming that faith into living acts of love,
we put ourselves in contact with God Himself,
with Jesus our Lord.
May it be so - Amen!