Letting Joy and Laughter Overflow Pray: Where God’s Surprises Are Expected and Cherished The Easter People Gather Gathering Meditations: "Humor is the foundation of reconciliation." FRANCIS DE SALES "The fullness of joy is to behold God in everything." JULIANA OF NORWICH “The Christian should be an alleluia from head to foot.” AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO *Please rise in body or spirit Prelude, Welcome and Ways of Discipleship *Call to Worship (based on Psalm 66) L: Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth! P: Sing of God’s glorious name, glorify him with your praise! L: Everything on earth will worship you; P: they will sing your praises, shouting your name in glorious songs. L: Come and see what our God has done, P: what awesome miracles he has done for us! L: Let the whole world bless our God and sing his praise. P: Our lives are in his hands, and he keeps our feet from stumbling. *Opening Song #333 I’m Goin’a Sing When the Spirit Says Sing 1. Sing 2. Pray 3. Laugh 4. Shout Opening Prayer~ from the United Church of Canada’s Bay of Quinte Conference O Great Laughing God, we come into your presence with joy and longing to be sur- prised. We thank you that you have given to us the gift of laughter and delight. These things give hints as to the nature of your purpose for us and for all the earth. May we find that in giving up to laughter there is healing and hope and abundance and blessing. Tickle our souls with the brush of your Spirit to renew our worship and our living. Amen. Time with Our Young Disciples 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. Amen. Holy Humor Sunday -2 nd Sunday of Easter April 23, 2017 Hebrew Reading Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 Sermon A Time For Everything Sharing our Joys and Prayer Concerns Prayer Song Take Time to Be Funny …see insert (tune of Take Time to be Holy#395) Responsive Prayer of Confession L: We believe in God, who made us in His image. P: We live, we love, we laugh, because we are like Him. L: We believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Lord and Savior. P: He had the last laugh on the devil when He rose from the dead. L: We believe in the Holy Spirit, coequal and coeternal with the Father and the Son. P: Our counselor, our guide, our motivator - He is our joy! L: Forgive us, Lord, when we take ourselves too seriously, when we don't claim the happiness that is rightfully ours as your children, when we forget that you will have the last laugh in this world. P: Restore to us the joy of our salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Silent Reflection and Meditation Pastoral Prayer Invitation to Stewardship "Tithe if you love Jesus. Anyone can honk!" Offertory *Doxology Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise God, all creatures here below; Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise God, the source of all our gifts! Praise Jesus Christ, whose power uplifts! Praise the Spirit, Holy Spirit! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! *Prayer of Dedication *Closing Song Christians, We are Made for Laughter …see insert (tune of “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”#89) *Benediction *Postlude Laughing and Dancing in the Streets of the Kin-dom Today’s bulletin sponsored by Delmer & Diane Loveland in honor of their 57th wedding anniversary.
Transcript
Letting Joy and Laughter Overflow
Pray: Where God’s Surprises Are Expected and Cherished
The Easter People Gather
Gathering Meditations:
"Humor is the foundation of reconciliation." FRANCIS DE SALES "The fullness of joy is to behold God in everything." JULIANA OF NORWICH
“The Christian should be an alleluia from head to foot.” AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO *Please rise in body or spirit Prelude, Welcome and Ways of Discipleship *Call to Worship (based on Psalm 66) L: Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth! P: Sing of God’s glorious name, glorify him with your praise! L: Everything on earth will worship you; P: they will sing your praises, shouting your name in glorious songs. L: Come and see what our God has done, P: what awesome miracles he has done for us! L: Let the whole world bless our God and sing his praise. P: Our lives are in his hands, and he keeps our feet from stumbling.
*Opening Song #333 I’m Goin’a Sing When the Spirit Says Sing
1. Sing 2. Pray 3. Laugh 4. Shout
Opening Prayer~ from the United Church of Canada’s Bay of Quinte Conference O Great Laughing God, we come into your presence with joy and longing to be sur-prised. We thank you that you have given to us the gift of laughter and delight. These things give hints as to the nature of your purpose for us and for all the earth. May we find that in giving up to laughter there is healing and hope and abundance and blessing. Tickle our souls with the brush of your Spirit to renew our worship and our living. Amen. Time with Our Young Disciples 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. Amen.
Holy Humor Sunday -2nd Sunday of Easter April 23, 2017 Hebrew Reading Ecclesiastes 3:1-13
Sermon A Time For Everything
Sharing our Joys and Prayer Concerns
Prayer Song Take Time to Be Funny …see insert (tune of Take Time to be Holy#395) Responsive Prayer of Confession L: We believe in God, who made us in His image. P: We live, we love, we laugh, because we are like Him. L: We believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Lord and Savior. P: He had the last laugh on the devil when He rose from the dead. L: We believe in the Holy Spirit, coequal and coeternal with the Father and the Son. P: Our counselor, our guide, our motivator - He is our joy! L: Forgive us, Lord, when we take ourselves too seriously, when we don't claim the happiness that is rightfully ours as your children, when we forget that you will have the last laugh in this world. P: Restore to us the joy of our salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Silent Reflection and Meditation Pastoral Prayer
Invitation to Stewardship "Tithe if you love Jesus. Anyone can honk!" Offertory
*Doxology Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise God, all creatures here below; Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise God, the source of all our gifts! Praise Jesus Christ, whose power uplifts! Praise the Spirit, Holy Spirit! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
*Prayer of Dedication *Closing Song Christians, We are Made for Laughter …see insert
(tune of “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”#89) *Benediction *Postlude
Laughing and Dancing in the Streets of the Kin-dom
Today’s bulletin sponsored by Delmer & Diane Loveland
in honor of their 57th wedding anniversary.
BULLETIN BLOOPERS
The following announcements actually appeared in various church bulletins
* Bertha Belch, a missionary from Africa will be speaking tonight at Calvary Memorial
Church in Racine. Come tonight and hear Bertha Belch all the way from Africa.
* The cost for attending the Fasting and Prayer conference includes meals.
* "Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth
keeping around the house. Don't forget your husbands."
* The sermon this morning: "Jesus Walks on the Water". The sermon tonight: "Searching for
Jesus".
* Barbara remains in the hospital and needs blood donors for more transfusions. She is also
having trouble sleeping and requests tapes of Pastor Jack's sermons.
* This evening at 7 pm there will be a hymn sing in the park across from the Church. Bring a
blanket and come prepared to sin.
* A new loudspeaker system has been installed in the church. It was given by one of our
members in honor of his wife.
* Thursday at 5 p.m. there will be a meeting of the Little Mothers Club. All wishing to be-
come Little Mothers, please see the minister in his private study.
* The Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10. All ladies are invited to lunch
in the Fellowship Hall after the B.S. is done.
* The Pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him their electric
girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday morning.
* Low Self-Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 to 8:30 p.m. Please use the back
door.
* Ushers will eat latecomers.
* The third verse of Blessed Assurance will be sung without musical accomplishment.
* Eight new choir robes are currently needed, due to the addition of several new members and
to the deterioration of some older ones.
* Pastor is on vacation. Massages can be given to church secretary.
* Don't let worry kill you - let the church help.
* Thursday night - Potluck Supper. Prayer and medication to follow.
* Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church and community.
* For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.
* This afternoon there will be a meeting in the South and North ends of the church. Children
Briggsville United Methodist Church, 8:30am Moundville United Methodist Church, 9:45 am
Trinity Endeavor United Church of Christ, 11:00 am
Your loose change offering
in April, May and June
supports Endeavor Food Pantry
??? Mystery Dinner ???The Endeavor Church is hosting a mystery
dinner on Sunday, May 7 starting at 4:30
pm in Schaller Hall at the church. If you
have never been to one you don't want to
miss this. Seating is limited to 25 guests.
The first 25 to make reservations will en-
joy an evening of fun and laughter. There
is no cost for the event. Come and enjoy
trying to figure out the clues to your din-
ner.
For reservations call: Joanie Ingram at
586-5974 after 6 or 608-403-8239 and
leave a message. Don’t delay: The dead-
line for reservations is Sunday April
30 unless already filled.
SPRC Survey give you a chance to speak up about church services
The Staff-Parish Relations Committee would like to learn your preferences for church times. Would you like an evening Service? Which day? Do you like the way it is now? If you did not complete the survey that was in the bulletin last week, please pick up a copy from the narthex, and return the completed survey to the box in the back of the church or to the church office. Surveys may also be completed online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/STCPHD5
The SPRC wants to make sure that the par-ish services are reach-ing as wide an audience as possible. What works best for your family?
Parsonage Open House April 29 You are invited to view the parsonage up-
*HOLY HUMOR HYMN: “TAKE TIME TO BE FUNNY.” LYRICS BY Robert L. Anderson 2001 MUSIC BY George C. Stebbins “Holiness” (tune: Take Time to Be Holy) Take time to be funny, rejoice in the Lord Let laughter explode and have fun with God’s Word For laughter is healing, gives strength to the weak God loves to see smiles, they lift up the meek. Take time to be silly, it’s good for the soul Too many are somber, grabbing control. Let go and let God’s love wash over your soul Hea-ven-ly transcendence can be your life’s goal. Old Sarah and Abraham – a child they lacked But God’s angels promised and she birthed Isaac In Hebrew that’s “laughter”, you check if you want Ge-ne-sis Seven-teen is where it is found. For humor is holy, it sanctifies life, Replenishes hope and oft softens advice It undercuts sorrow, deflates haughty pride So smile and hang on, rejoice in life’s ride.
CHRISTIANS WE ARE MADE FOR LAUGHTER by Jo Cassiday-Maloney (tune: Hymn to Joy, “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”) Christians, we are made for laughter, born to giggle and guffaw! Even in the great hereafter mirth is interspersed with awe. So don’t hold back, let it fill you, let your muscles do their thing! Don’t you worry, we won’t drill you! Just let go and laugh and sing. This is how our great God made us – faces, lungs, and hearts for glee And it’s how God would parade us, showing forth most joyously All the love and all the gladness, such a great capacity For the joy that drives all sadness out of every you and me. We are people with a Savior who was not above a joke, Play with words was his behavior, he loved puns with all the folk. Joy Christ showed us, joy Christ showers everywhere on everyone Turn your face up like the flowers, catch the joy and have some fun! Christ was dead and now he’s risen! Isn’t that a cause for glee? Love has shattered all the prisons we have built so carefully. Now unfettered, free as breezes, giggles, snorts, and glee abound! Even when our laughter wheezes, we praise God with every sound.
