Round Hill Community Church

ORDER OF SERVICE

March 27, 2016

Easter Sunday

PRELUDE The Four Seasons (La QuatroStagioni) Vivaldi

La Primavera (The Spring)

GuliaGurevich, violin solo

I Know that My Redeemer Liveth G.F. Handel

(Messiah)

Risa Renae Harman, Soprano

Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F J.S. Bach

Allegro Moderato

Adagio

Allegro

Dominic Derasse, Trumpet

EugenyFanuk, Flute

SlavaZlatchenii, Oboe

GuliaGurevich, Violin

CeceePantikian, Violin

FarkhadAbdikadirov, Violin

Alexander Gurevich, Viola

Stan Orlovsky, Cello

Yanni Burton, Bass

Christopher Kabala, Cembalo

WORDS OF WELCOME

INTROIT This Joyful Eastertide Traditional Carol

Risa Renae Harman, Soprano

Jenna Hintz, Soprano

Patrick Hogan, Tenor

Scott Tomlinson, Bass

CALL TO WORSHIP

Leader: Come to the risen Christ, you who wonder if new life is possible.

All: We come with our sins, our fears, our doubts and our sorrows.

Leader: Come to the risen Christ, you who are wounded.

All: We come with our emptiness, our mourning, our anger, our loneliness.

Leader: Come to the risen Christ, you who are rejoicing.

All: We come with our hopes, our faith, our pride, and our joy.

Leader: All are welcome in the Alleluia!

All: All are risen in God’s great Amen!

*The congregation is invited to stand

*OPENING PRAYER

O living God, we who are partly living, scarcely hoping,

and fitfully caring, pray to you now to make us fully alive.

Give us the vitality, awareness and commitment that we see

in Jesus Christ, through the power of his death and resurrection;

in Jesus’ name. Amen.

*THE 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 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,

and the power, and the glory,

forever and ever. Amen.

*GLORIA PATRI

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.

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE The Rev. Dan Haugh

Children may now leave for Church School.

SCRIPTURE LESSON Isaiah 25: 6-9

On this mountain the Lord of Hosts will make for all peoplesa feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear. And Jesus will destroy on this mountainthe shroud that is cast over all peoples,the sheet that is spread over all nations;he will swallow up death forever.Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces,and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.It will be said on that day, ‘Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.This is the Lord for whom we have waited;let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’

ANTHEMEaster (Five Mystical Songs) Ralph Vaughn Williams

Patrick Hogan, Tenor

Rise, heart; thy Lord is risen. Sing his praise

Without delays,

Who takes thee by the hand, that thou likewise

With him may'st rise

That, as his death calcined thee to dust.

His life may make thee gold, and much more. Just

Awake, my lute, and struggle for thy part

With all thy art.

The cross taught all wood to resound his name

Who bore the same.

His stretched sinews taught all strings, what key

Is best to celebrate this most high day.

Consort both heart and lute, and twist a song

Pleasant and long:

Or since all music is but three parts vied.

And multiplied;O let thy blessed Spirit bear a part.

And make up our defects with his sweet art.

SCRIPTURE LESSON Luke 23: 55-56, 24: 1-12

The women who had accompanied Jesus from Galilee took note of the tomb and how his body was laid.Then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” Then they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.

SERMONAlive, At Large and Not Resigned The Rev. Dr. Ed Horstmann

*HYMN No. 215Come Ye Faithful, Raise the Strain

OFFERING

Invitation

Offertory Prayer

AnthemEtResurrexit, Mass in C Beethoven

And on the third day He rose againaccording to the Scriptures.

He ascended into heaven andsits at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in gloryto judge the living and the dead and

His kingdom will have no end.

And in the Holy Spirit,the Lord and Giver of life,

Who proceeds from the Father and the Son.

Who together with the Fatherand the Son is adored and glorified,

and who spoke through the prophets.

And one holy, Catholic andApostolic Church.

I confess one baptismfor the forgiveness of sins and

I await the resurrection of the deadand the life of the world to come. Amen.

*Doxology Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise him, all creatures here below; praise him above, ye heavenly host: Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

*HymnMy Country ‘Tis of Thee (verse 4)

Our fathers’ God, to thee, author of liberty, to thee we sing; long may our land be bright with freedom’s holy light; protect us by

thy might, Great God, our King.

PASTORAL PRAYER

CHURCH PRAYER

Our Heavenly Father, shed forth thy blessed spirit upon all our lives. Make each one of us an instrument in thy hands for good. Purify our hearts, strengthen our minds and bodies, fill us with Christian love. Let no pride, no self-conceit, no rivalry, no ill-will ever spring up among us. Make us earnest and true, wise and prudent, giving no just cause for offense and may thy holy peace rest upon us this day and every day throughout the coming week, sweetening our trials, cheering us in our work, and keeping us faithful to the end, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

BENEDICTION

POSTLUDE Hallelujah Chorus Handel

ROUND HILL COMMUNITY CHURCH MISSON STATEMENT

We, the members of the Round Hill Community Church, a self-governing, non-denominational body, seek to foster a community of faith where people of all ages and backgrounds pursue spiritual growth; where God is worshipped in Word and praised in music; where friends are made and hurts are healed. We seek to be a community where individuals commit their time and resources to education, fellowship, and to helping those in need among our Church family and in the broader world. We are a church where faith, hope, justice and love are valued, and above all, Jesus is Lord.

ROUND HILL COMMUNITY CHURCH CREED

I believe in God, the one universal Father of all mankind, revealed supremely in Jesus Christ, our Lord, and present with us to guide, comfort and inspire in the Holy Spirit. I believe in the Kingdom of God; and in the mission of the Christian Church to proclaim the Gospel to all the world, exalting the worship of the Lord our God, and laboring for the progress of knowledge, the promotion of righteousness, the reign of peace, and the realization of human brotherhood. United in Christian love, we pray and labor for the coming of the Kingdom, the triumph of righteousness and the life everlasting. Amen.

The lovely flowers adorning the Sanctuary this morning were given by:

Jo Ann and Banks Adams in loving memory of Minnie and Joseph Freeman and Minnie and Banks T. Adams

Dr. Winthrop Adkins from Dr. Caroline Adkins

Jean and Richard Bergstresser in loving memory of our parentsElizabeth

and Robert McCoy, Idaleen and John Bergstresser

Ward and Diane Davol with love to our parents: Pawnee Murray, Dodie Ostrom and Rector Davol; and to our brother, John Davol

In loving memory of our RHCC friends Bette Williams and Bob Johnson from the Debnar Family

Alice Fisher in honor of Agnew, Bennett, Joan and Everett Fisher – a generation that has passed beyond the horizon but that will remain in our memories forever

Swan Grant in loving memory of Barry, John and Julia Grant, Tony Doumlele and Ann Pruner

In loving memory of Harrison Hoffman from Louise

Janet and Joseph Huley dedicated to those who have gone before us: Mary and Henry Huleyand Howard and Dorothy Bollinger

In memory of Marilyn and Eb Kinney from their family

In loving memory of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph V. McKee, Jr. from Mr. and Mrs. Rusty McKee

The Piro Family…remembering my mother and Jacques

Linda Seaver in loving memory of my parents, Barbara, Dan, Gil and Sandra

In loving memory of Robert and JomarieDresel by their daughter, Suzy Simpson

From Emily Toohey in loving memory of my parents, brother and sister

Audrie Van Deventer in loving memory of Frank Van Deventer

Anonymous….”all things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, all things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all!”

Anyone who dedicated flowers today is welcome to take a potted plant home.

CHURCH NEWS

Thank you toAlice Fisher, Ward Davol, Randy Motlandand Michael Sandiferfor ushering today.

We thank everyone who volunteered to bring a treat for our special Easter Coffee Hour today in the Community House. Please join them following the service today, and plan to stay and help with clean up following fellowship.

Simply Smiles! The dates for our summer 2016 and winter 2017 service trips have been announced and registration is now open! We are hoping to develop a team of 20 from RHCC. Registration deadline is March 31st. If you’d like to learn more about this amazing opportunity, please join us on Monday, April 4th at 5:30 pm in the Meeting Room for an informational session with Samantha Steinmetz from SimplySmiles.

REFLECTION

One day people will touch and talk, perhaps, easily,

And loving be natural as breathing and warm as sunlight;

And people will untie themselves as string is unknotted,

Unfold and yawn and stretch and spread their fingers,

Unfurl, uncurl, as seaweed returned to the sea.

And work will be simple and swift as a seagull flying,

And play will be casual and quiet as a seagull settling;

And the clocks will stop, and no one will wonder or care or notice,

And people will smile without reason, even in winter, even in the rain.

“Day Dream”, a poem written by A.S.J. Tessimond

Senior Pastor: The Rev. Dr. Edward G. Horstmann

Associate Pastor: The Rev. Dan Haugh

Minister Emeritus: The Rev. Dr. Ralph Ahlberg

Minister of Music: Christopher Kabala

Church School Coordinator: Connie Blunden

Round Hill Community Church

395 Round Hill Road, Greenwich, CT 06831

203.869.1091 roundhillcommunitychurch.org