You are invited to the in-person Easter Celebration with Holy Communion and Reception of New Memberson April 9 at 10 am. The bulletin for this Sunday is available for viewing HERE.
You can worship live on ZOOM by clicking the link below:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9658816441 Meeting ID: 965 881 6441
You can also watch Sunday services at your convenience by going to our website “watsonville1stumc.org” and click YouTube or Facebook. Each Sunday worship will be uploaded on Sunday afternoon for your viewing.
Easter Celebration with Holy Communion
and Reception of New Members
Sunday, April 9, 2023, 10 am
Children’s Time “What Is Easter?” Pastor John
Choir Anthem: Hallelujah!
Easter Medley, Arr. By Robert J. Hughes
There are 7 traditional Easter songs incorporated in this medley.
Congregation is invited join the choir in singing the following two medleys.
“Hymn to Joy” by Beethoven
Sing with all the saints in glory, Sing the resurrection song!
Death and sorrow, earth’s dark story, to the former days belong:
All around the dawn is breaking, Now the joy of sins release:
In God’s likeness we, awaking, know the everlasting peace.
“Easter Hymn” by Charles Wesley
Christ the lord is risen today, Hallelujah!
Sons of men and angel say: Hallelujah!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Hallelujah!
Sing ye heavens and earth reply, Hallelujah!
Message “Grief & Praise of Mary Magdalene” Rev. John Song
According to the Gospel of John, Mary Magdalene was the first to go to the tomb of Jesus that first Easter morning. She found it empty. She assumed that someone had stolen Jesus’ body. To add to her unspeakable grief, she is deprived of the body of Jesus to grieve over with tears.
Generally speaking, people in western countries have a difficult time adequately and properly tending to their grief. Ungrieved losses can lead to unhealthy consequences in all areas of our lives individually and collectively as a nation. Expressed grief is the sound of heart being alive. Every tear drop we shed is a gift from God. In fact, grief is praise, because it is the natural way we love, heal and honor what’s lost. We will examine the gospel story of John 20:1-18 to learn from Mary Magdalene the meaning of “Grief & Praise”.
“Grief is a last and final translation of an act of love.
Grieving is the last act of loving someone.
And this last act never ends because you can never stop loving the other.”
~ Ocean Vuong, the Vietnamese-American poet, essayist and novelist
“One who sits in the house of grief will eventually sit in the garden of joy and laughter.”
~ Hafiz, 14the century Persian poet and mystic
“Eat the bitter first and the sweet will follow.”
~ Chinese Proverb
“Because of Easter we dare to believe
that death and hatred and despair will never have the last word.”
~ Bill Toohey
