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THE CHURCH OF THE REDEEMER UCC

EASTER SUNDAY

April 16, 2017

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VISION STATEMENT

We are the Church of the Redeemer, United Church of Christ,

an inclusive community committed to the worship of God, the work of justice,

and the recognition of our common humanity in the struggles of life.

We follow Jesus Christ, who welcomes all people to his table.

We celebrate the rich diversity of God’s people:

in race, gender, age, sexual orientation, physical and mental abilities,

marital and economic status and culture.

Join us on a journey of the Holy Spirit,

where faith and intellect meet, learning never ends,

and music and the arts draw us closer to our Creator.

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WELCOME

We are pleased that you could join us this morning; wherever you are on your life and

faith journey, you are welcome at the Church of the Redeemer. If you have any

questions, please speak with an usher at the back of the Sanctuary. If you would like

more information about the church, fill out the visitor information form at the back of

this bulletin and put it in an offering plate. We hope you will join us after the service at

Coffee Hour for a time of fellowship – go out the side door and follow the crowds.

ABOUT US

The Church of the Redeemer is an open and affirming, theologically progressive,

mainline Protestant church affiliated with the United Church of Christ (UCC). It was

founded as a Congregational church in New Haven in 1838. Our identity is summarized

by our vision statement.

CHILDCARE DURING AND AFTER CHURCH

Children are always welcome in church. Activity bags for older children and rocking

chairs for adults with babies are available at the rear of the sanctuary. We have a

nursery downstairs for children through age 6; you can take your child there at any time

(follow the "Nursery" signs in the Tower Lobby or ask the ushers at the back).

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THE CHURCH OF THE REDEEMER UCC

April 16, 2017

EASTER SUNDAY

PRELUDE Jean François Dandrieu O Filii et Filiae

INTROIT Elizabeth Gilpatrick Sing Allelu

CALL TO WORSHIP please stand

Leader: Christ is risen!

People: Christ is risen, indeed! Alleluia!

PROCESSIONAL HYMN Jesus Christ is risen today

see page 8

WELCOME

OPENING PRAYER

Leader: For all the times we believed that death would win,

All: Forgive us.

Leader: For all the times we forgot the power of good in this world,

All: Forgive us.

Leader: For all the times we closed our eyes in apathy or despair or ridicule

or confusion and missed you, marvelous God, working right in front

of us,

All: Forgive us.

Leader: Merciful God, we need your help to strengthen our faith, to jog our

memory, to clear the confusion of our spirits, even as you patiently

loved your first followers into Resurrection. In Jesus' name we pray,

Amen.

CHILDREN'S MESSAGE Jordan Rebholz

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PASSING OF THE PEACE Let us welcome one another with the traditional Christian greeting

“Peace be with you." "And also with you."

ANTHEM William Byrd Haec dies

This is the day the Lord has made.

Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Alleluia!

INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE

SCRIPTURE John 11:1, 17-26

Luke 24:1-11

SCRIPTURE RESPONSE

Leader: God is still speaking

People: Thanks be to God.

SERMON Perplexed Reverend Stackhouse

MOMENT FOR SILENT REFLECTION

OFFERTORY

OFFERTORY ANTHEM George Frideric Handel from Messiah

Worthy is the Lamb

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain,

and hath redeemed us to God by his blood,

to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and

strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.

Blessing and honor, glory and power be unto him

that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb

forever and ever. Amen.

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CONGREGATIONAL DOXOLOGY please stand (Tune: Lasst uns erfreuen)

Let all things their Creator bless,

And worship God in humbleness:

Alleluia! Alleluia!

Praise God and Jesus Christ the Son,

And Holy Spirit, Three in One:

O Praise God, O Praise God.

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

PRAYER OF DEDICATION

COMMUNION HYMN O sons and daughters let us sing

see page 9

SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION At Redeemer, we welcome all people to our table for Holy Communion, including

children. If your children have not been in the practice of receiving the Sacrament, we

leave to your discretion whether or not to invite them to receive. By way of

explanation, we encourage you to tell your children that we do this because Jesus

asked us to remember him when we eat and drink, and that Jesus promised to be

present with us in a special way when we eat and drink together as the church. It is a

quiet time, for praying and remembering all we know about Jesus. It is a joyous time,

for we celebrate that the risen Christ is with us always.

INVITATION

Leader: Christ is risen!

People: Christ is risen, indeed! Alleluia!

Leader: Once raised from death, Christ is with us always. Today we

celebrate the presence of Christ, the power of the death-

defeating, life-giving Holy Spirit, and the extravagant love of God

by sharing this meal together, a meal of victory and joy, a meal

where we remember that in the midst of the worst that could have

happened, God reminds us that good is more powerful than evil

and love wins. Let us remember again the story of this table.

WORDS OF INSTITUTION

COMMUNION PRAYER

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PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

LORD'S PRAYER Mark Miller

PRAYER OF CONSECRATION

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SHARING OF THE ELEMENTS Please partake of the bread as it is served; as the bread is broken, so we too are often

broken in body, mind, and spirit. Please wait until we all have been served the cup that

we might partake together, for while we are many, yet we are one in Christ.

(The bread is gluten-free. The grape juice is low in sugar. The innermost ring of the cup

tray contains WINE, while the outer ring has grape juice. The darker liquid is the wine

and the lighter the juice.)

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

Leader: Let us give thanks.

All: O amazing God, we give you thanks that you come into our

ordinary lives and set a holy table among us, filling our plates with

the bread of life and our cups with the spirit of mercy and hope.

Send us out, O God, with such joy that all the world may know that

love lives. Christ is risen! Christ is risen, indeed! Alleluia. Amen.

RECESSIONAL HYMN please stand The strife is o'er

see page 10

BENEDICTION

CHORAL AMEN Please join us as we sing Halleluia, from Messiah.

POSTLUDE Ch. M. Widor Toccata

Please be seated during the postlude and use this time for silent reflection.

Please join us for refreshments in the Sterling Room following worship this morning.

You can get to the Sterling Room by exiting the side door at the front of the sanctuary.

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THANK YOU TO THOSE PARTICIPATING IN THIS MORNING’S WORSHIP SERVICE

Reader: Jordan Rebholz

Hospitality Servers: Wes and Carol Poling and Hank Sykes

Ushers: Marilyn Toland and Bob Parker

Deacons serving communion: Nancy Carrington, Tony Forman, Twila Harper, Julie Moore,

Bill Moore, Chuck Peterson, Wes Poling, and Kathy Taylor.

Next week:

Worship at First and Summerfield

425 College Street

(Corner of College and Elm Streets)

10:00 a.m.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

SPECIAL JOINT SERVICE: NEXT SUNDAY at FIRST & SUMMERFIELD

On the Sunday after Easter, we will gather for a combined service with United, but not at either one

of our buildings! The Worship and Music Team, the Coordinating Team and Bonnie and Shelly wanted

us to experience worship in a building which was undeniably a church but had an open, flexible

worship space. First and Summerfield has graciously invited us to worship with them on the 23rd. Shelly

will preach, Bonnie will participate in the liturgy, Jordan will lead Children’s message and Sunday

School, United will staff the nursery, and anyone who wishes is invited to sing with their choir (rehearsal

at 9am). We are grateful to their pastor, Tom Kim, and their leadership for their willingness to host us!

Following worship, we will go over to United Church for fellowship, food and more conversations

about the nuts and bolts of forming our new congregation with some reflection on the experience at

First and Summerfield. Worship is at 10AM.

MARKING THE LAST SUNDAY OF SHELLY'S MINISTRY AT REDEEMER

Worship services May 7th will be as follows: The usual 10 AM service will feature Holy Communion and

Shelly’s last sermon. At 3 pm we will gather for a Godspeed service, featuring charges to both Shelly

and the Congregation, and a ritual of farewell. This service is open to clergy and lay members of

other congregations, community people with whom Shelly and Redeemer have had relationships,

and all of you. Please plan to come for one or both of the services that day.

INTERIM SEARCH COMMITTEE

Pastor Shelly is departing on May 7th, and Redeemer will need new leadership to see us through our

near future. The Leadership Council has approved an Interim Search Committee to find the best

candidate for that charge. Paul Berry, Nancy Carrington, Myra Jones-Taylor, and Courtney Mason,

along with Moderator Bob Parker will undertake this search, with guidance from our CT Conference

Regional Minister, Mary Nelson. The committee’s first task is to create a new Profile of our church that

Mary will share when seeking potential candidates. The committee hopes to have this profile finalized

just after Easter for approval by Leadership Council. We will post updates in the Monday emails and

make announcements in worship on our progress. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to

ask any member of the Search Committee.

THIS THURSDAY, KNITTING GROUP The Knitting Group meets every third Thursday of the month at 2:30 in the afternoon in the Sterling

Room. Our next meeting is this Thursday, April 20th. Please join us for this vital ministry of creating

prayer shawls for those who need comfort in difficult times.

THE NOON BOOK GROUP

The Noon Book Group meets Tuesday, April 25 to begin discussing Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance. The

group normally meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month bringing their lunches and

readiness for lively discussion. New members are always welcome.

THE EVENING BOOK GROUP

The Evening Book Group will meet Monday, April 24 at 7:30 pm at the home of Carol Nardini to

discuss Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman.

Looking ahead to May, the group will discuss Lincoln at the Bardo by George Saunders.

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SECOND HOUR PRESENTATION, SUNDAY, APRIL 30

"DIVIDED AMERICA"

Dr. Kevin Buterbaugh will join us for a second hour program on how polarized American politics is and

the divisions in our country. How did we get here and where are we headed? Kevin is a political

science professor at Southern Connecticut State University (and Claudia Bosch's husband). This

program is jointly sponsored by the Social Action and Adult Faith Formation ministry teams.

DAVENPORT DUNBAR FOOD DRIVE - COR MISSIONS IN ACTION

In response to an immediate need and with initial funding from Dunbar UCC, the Board of Directors,

staff and resident volunteers of the Davenport Dunbar Residences on Putnam Avenue in Hamden

have started a food pantry to help 30 elderly residents who depend on the LifeBridge meal program

which was recently cut back to 4 days a week.

We need the Church of the Redeemer’s help collecting essential food items that will supply the 30

residents with brown bag meals for 3 days. Redeemer’s Missions Team will donate all food from

Sunday Services now until June 4th without compromising our own food shelf. A list of suggested

shelf-stable items is posted on the Missions Team board in the hallway.

The Davenport Dunbar Residences were connected to the Church of the Redeemer through

members, Roland and Margaret Bixler. In the early 1970s the idea and plan for helping low income

elderly folks with affordable housing came from the Bixlers and others from area churches while sitting

around the Bixler’s table. They put their plan into action and built Davenport first and then Dunbar

later. Elderly Housing Management, Inc. currently oversees and staffs the properties and is affiliated

with New Samaritan Corporation in North Haven.

Thank you for your generosity!

CHURCH MEETINGS AND EVENTS

Sunday, April 16, 2017 8:30 am Senior Choir and girls, Sanctuary

Easter Sunday 9:30 am Chancel Choir, Sanctuary

10:00 am Worship

Monday, April 17, 2017 7:00 pm Coordinating Team, Phillips

Sunday, April 23, 2017 9:00 am Pick-up choir meets at First and Summerfield

10:00 am Worship at First and Summerfield UMC

Corner of College and Elm, New Haven

6:00 pm OWL, Youth Room, 2nd flr.

Please contact the church office by Wednesday

to have your announcement placed in the Sunday bulletin.

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SAFE CHURCH POLICY

The Church of the Redeemer aspires to provide a safe environment for people of all ages; physical

and sexual abuse and harassment will not be tolerated in any way. The full text of our Safe Church

policy is available on our website.

REDEEMER OFFICE HOURS

The Redeemer office is open Mondays through Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. You may also

contact the office by sending an email to redeemer@uccredeemer.org

CONTACT REVEREND STACKHOUSE

Shelly is in the Redeemer office Mondays through Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (787-5711).

You may also reach her via email at rastackhouse@gmail.com.

WELCOME VISITORS TO THE CHURCH OF THE REDEEMER UCC! Please let us know more about you and how we can serve you.

Please complete this card and place it in the offering plate or hand it to an usher.

Name:_________________________________________________________________________

Address:_______________________________________________________________________

Phone:_________________________________________________________________________

Email address: __________________________________________________________________

___ I would like to be on your mailing list to receive newsletter (email or USPS)

___ I would like information about Sunday School for my children:

Name(s)/Ages(s): __________________________________________________________

___ I would like a call from the Pastor.

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The Church of the Redeemer

United Church of Christ

185 Cold Spring Street

New Haven, CT 06511

Phone: 203-787-5711

redeemer@uccredeemer.org

http://uccredeemer.org

Join us on Facebook at Church of the Redeemer New Haven

The Rev. Dr. Rochelle A. Stackhouse, Pastor

email: rastackhouse@gmail.com

Jordan Rebholz, Minister for Faith Formation

Robert Parker, Moderator of the Church

Henry Sykes, Treasurer

Kristen Forman, Clerk

Marguerite Brooks, Director of Music

Julia Blue Raspe, Chancel Choir Director and Alto Section Leader

Paul Berry, Boys' Choir Director and Tenor Section Leader

Sarah Reed, Soprano Section Leader

Brian Robinson, Bass Section Leader

Larry Bishop, Organist

Barbara Repetsky, Office Administrator and Financial Secretary

Collin Morrissey, Security

Lou and Valarie Fanelli, Sextons

Margaret Fraser, Nursery Attendant

Emily Novicki, Nursery Attendant