United Parish

Worship April 2nd

This Week at UPA

Worship April 2nd

Lessons:  Matthew 21:1-11, Matthew 26:59-66

Message: Even Unto Death

First, friends, I want to invite you to a special midweek worship opportunity…Thursday, April 6th we will be gathering at 6:00pm for a 2 part Maundy Thursday service. The first will be a soup, bread and salad dinner held in the Parish Hall. We will come together at Christ’s table for a “Last Supper,” celebrating one another, our faith and Jesus who sits among us, even if only in Spirit. Our dinner will morph from community to communion including the simple elements on the table. At 7:00 or so we will then move into the sanctuary to walk through the following and final hours of Jesus’ life through music readings and the gradual extinguishing of light. This time together will be emotional, meaningful, and set the tone for our walk to the cross and beyond into new light. I really hope you will join us! I can’t wait to walk this road together!

This Sunday is Palm Sunday when we will enter into worship joyfully and courageously proclaiming our savior Jesus the Christ up and against all that this world insists ought to serve as our saving force. Between 10 and 11:15am we will move from hopeful joy and proclamation to fear and wonder as we hear the story of Jesus’ final days and try to make sense of these most holy and significant moments in our ancient story. The question our scriptures and reflection will pose: How far would you go for the sake of justice and peace? Unto death? Some, even in recent history, have had to ask this question. On Sunday we will too.

Peace and grace to you all. See you Sunday.
Peace,
Cheryl

P.S. If you are as distraught as I am over the most recent school mass shooting in Nashville I invite you to join me at Eliot Church, UCC in Newton Corner at 4:30pm for a Vigil Against Gun Violence. Just standing in solidarity can sometimes be the flame that lights the fire of our spirit to energize change. See you this afternoon!

Music:

Prelude: “The Royal Banners”   Horatio Parker  
Anthem:  “Hosanna”   Jacques Berthier 
Meditation: “The Crucifixion” Samuel Barber Sung by  Chihiro Asano, mezzo soprano                                    
Postlude:  “Chorale Prelude on ‘Old Hundredth’ ”  Johann Pachelbel  

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