Trinity-St. Andrew’s United Church
Order of Worship
Sunday, April 7, 2024 – 2nd of Easter
We welcome Jeannie Taylor, as our guest speaker today. Jeannie is a member Emmanuel United Church in Ottawa. She also serves on the United Church of Canada Candidacy Board for Quebec and East Ontario which interviews candidates on the pathway to Ministry. She has travelled on Mission Learning Trips to visit Emmanuel’s Global Partners in El Salvador and Zambia, and also to visit United Church partners in Nicaragua and Cuba. Jeannie has been a Licenced Lay Worship Leader for 9 years and enjoys the opportunity to share her faith with congregations around the Ottawa area.
Prelude
Words of Welcome
Land Acknowledgement
Announcements
Lighting the Christ Candle
Hymn Make a Joyful Noise VU 820
Make a joyful noise all the earth!
Worship your God with gladness.
Make a joyful noise all the earth!
Come to the place with a song!
- Know that your God has made you.
Know it’s to God we belong.
And come to this place with joyfulness and praise.
Worship your God with a song! Refrain
- Enter these gates, thanks giving.
Enter these courts with praise.
Sing thanks to your God and bless the holy Name.
Worship your God with a song! Refrain
- Ages through endless ages,
seasons of endless years,
the love of our Maker shall ever endure.
Worship your God with a song! Refrain
Call to Worship
Make a joyful noise!
We will sing songs of joy to celebrate this springtime season of new life!
Let us worship God with gladness!
We will laugh and praise, sing and pray with joy this day!
Come to this place with a song!
We will make a joyful noise as we celebrate the Easter season. Hallelujah!*
*Written by Cathy Gradante. Gathering, Lent/Easter 2018, page 47. Used with permission
Prayer of Approach
Holy One, Keep us from taking ourselves too seriously. By your grace, you set us free from the illusion that we are in control of everything we are part of. Help us to shed our worries and fears and to take up your gift of a light heart and a joyful spirit. Amen**
**Written by Wendy MacLean. Gathering, Lent/Easter 2020, page 52. Used with permission.
Hymn Give To Us Laughter VU 624
- Give us to laughter, O Source of our life.
Laughter can banish so much of our strife.
Laughter and love give us wholeness and health.
Laughter and love are the coin of true wealth.
- Give us to laughter as sign of deep joy;
let us in laughing find Christian employ,
joining with stars and with bright northern lights,
laughing and praising and sharing delights.
- Why do we worry that we will lose face?
Why act like king for the whole human race?
Often in family, and often with friend,
laughing at pride causes anguish to end.
- Even in sorrow and hours of grief,
laughter with tears brings most healing relief.
God, give us laughter, and God, give us peace,
joys of your presence among us increase.
Gospel Lesson: John 20: 19-31
Reflection
Special Music
Thanksgiving
Hymn Joy Comes with the Dawn VU 166
Refrain: Joy comes with the dawn;
joy comes with the morning sun;
joy springs from the tomb
and scatters the night with her song,
joy comes with the dawn.
- Weeping may come;
weeping may come in the night,
when dark shadows cloud our sight. Refrain
- Sorrow will turn,
sorrow will turn into song,
and God’s laughter make us strong. Refrain
- We will rejoice,
we will rejoice, and give praise,
to the One who brings us grace. Refrain
The Offering
When we give of ourselves – of our time, of our talent, and of our treasure – we experience God’s squeals of delight from within as joyous fulfillment.
Laughter bubbles like champagne kisses of blessing in dedication. Continue to bless what we offer, O God, in Christ’s liberating name.
Amen.***
***Written by Gord Dunbar, Gathering, Lent/Easter 2020, page 52. Used with permission.
Pastoral Prayer
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
Lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil
For thine is the kingdom,
The power and the glory
Forever and ever. Amen.
Sending Forth
Hymn You Shall Go Out with Joy (Isaiah 55) VU 884
You shall go out with joy
and be led forth with peace;
the mountains and the hills
will break forth before you;
there’ll be shouts of joy,
and all the trees of the field
will clap, will clap their hands!
And all the trees of the field will clap their hands,
(clap, clap)
the trees of the field will clap their hands,
(clap, clap)
The trees of the field will clap their hands
(clap, clap)
while you go out with joy.
Benediction
Choral Amen Amen! Amen! Hallelujah, Amen! VU 974
Postlude
