FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 503 West Sixth Street PH: April 30, :30 a.m. * HYMN OF TRUST No. 464 Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

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1 Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Christ, all people here below; Praise Holy Spirit evermore; Praise Triune God, whom we adore. Amen. *Prayer of Dedication One: Source of Joy and Goodness, we thank you for the gifts of love and laughter. Many: Here we return to you a token of all you ve given to us. Help us to share everything we have with those who don t have much at all, and may we do it with glad and joyful hearts. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. * HYMN OF TRUST No. 464 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. 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. * CHARGE AND BLESSING * CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE Alleluia, alleluia! Give thanks to the risen Lord. Alleluia, alleluia! Give Praise to His Name. (Tune: No. 106) * POSTLUDE * The congregation may stand. FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 503 West Sixth Street PH: April 30, :30 a.m. WORDS OF PREPARATION The stirring wildness of God calls brittle bones to leaping and stone hearts to soaring. Old women dance among the stars. Ann Weems ORGAN PRELUDE RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS INTROIT CALL TO WORSHIP One: This is the day that the lord has made! Many: Let us be glad and rejoice in it. One: This is the time to rejoice! Many: What better time than now. One: This is the day to laugh. What did the cabbage pastor say to the people? Many: Lettuce pray! One: What s the greatest joke ever? Many: The one God played on death on Easter morning!

2 *HYMN OF PRAISE No. 139 Come, Thou Almighty King (Prayer Request cards are collected by the Usher.) Come let us laugh, pray and sing! We have been given everything. This is our chance we can let it all hang out, Never more have a doubt, giggle and snort and shout It s time to dance! Jesus is raised from the dead, this is the word we just have to spread! Now is the time let it in waves just roll, Try not to take control, don t sound too meek or droll Like bells we ll chime! Life has been turned around, death conquered, grace abounds. Our God is great! We have been freed from fear, Grinning from ear to ear, wiping away each tear Weeping can wait! This is the day to rejoice! Give every child of God a voice. Everyone hear! We ve been redeemed and blessed To care about the rest. Joy is our lasting guest Year after year. *PRAYER OF CONFESSION (unison) You know better than we do, Amused God, what important people we think we are. Believing we have to be serious all the time, we miss the joy of your creation. Choosing to feast on the pain of this world, we skip the picnic offered in paradise. Clinging to the despair that is our best friend, we ignore Jesus, who can bring us home to your heart. Forgive us, Heart of Joy, and make us open to the startling, and upside-down, ways in which you work. Fill us with Easter s laughter, fill us with your healing joy; fill us with love poured into us through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen. *SILENT PRAYER *ASSURANCE OF PARDON One: The gospel tells us over and over again that joy comes to us through Christ. When Jesus was around, lives were changed, the sick were healed, the sorrowful began to laugh with joy. Many: The good news is that this joy is not given just to us. Through the Holy Spirit, we are gifted with joy. We are sent forth to bring good news to the oppressed, to bring healing to the broken, and to anoint everyone with the oil of gladness. Thanks be to God. *PRAYER RESPONSE Hymn No. 595 Alleluia, alleluia: alle, alleluia; Alleluia, alleluia: alle, alleluia. A TIME FOR YOUNG DISCIPLES OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Psalm 126(read responsively) CHOIR ANTHEM Jesus Paid It All arr. John E. Coates NEW TESTAMENT LESSON Luke 24:36-53 Leader: The Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God! SERMON Rev. Heidi Bolt *HYMN OF HOPE No. 302 I Danced in the Morning *AFFIRMATION OF FAITH We believe in God, in Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit, and in you and in me. We believe the Holy Spirit has freed us to worship as a community. We believe the Holy Spirit works through balloons and ministers, daisies and wiggly children, clanging cymbals and silence, drama and the unexpected, choirs and banners, spontaneity and planning, faith and doubt, tears and laughter, hugging and kneeling, dancing and stillness, words and listening, Scripture and alleluias, through you and me, through Love. We believe God s Holy Spirit lives in this community of dancing, hand-holding people where lines of age and politics and lifestyles are crossed. We believe in praising God for Life. We believe in old people running and children leading. We believe in the Kingdom of God within us. We believe in Love. PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE Petitions Pastoral Prayer The Lord s Prayer Response (p. 16 in hymnal) WORSHIP THROUGH TITHES AND OFFERINGS Offertory: *Doxology No. 591

3 Luke 24: Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles* from Jerusalem, 14and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17And he said to them, What are you discussing with each other while you walk along? They stood still, looking sad.* 18Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days? 19He asked them, What things? They replied, The things about Jesus of Nazareth,* who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.* Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. 22Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. 24Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him. 25Then he said to them, Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26Was it not necessary that the Messiah* should suffer these things and then enter into his glory? 27Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. 28 As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 29But they urged him strongly, saying, Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over. So he went in to stay with them. 30When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. 32They said to each other, Were not our hearts burning within us* while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us? 33That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34They were saying, The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon! 35Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread. THE CONGREGATION S MISSION: First Presbyterian Church of Red Wing is a congregation that seeks to grow in the love of Jesus Christ and to share that love with the community and the world. In Ministry Choir Director Pianist Organist Pastor Pastor Lay Leader PARTICIPANTS The Congregation Peter Dulak Lynn Dulak JoAnne McNamara The Rev. Greg Bolt The Rev. Heidi Bolt Brenda Hendrix FRIENDS AND GUESTS: Welcome to First Presbyterian Church. May God s presence be with us and God s blessings be upon us as we worship together today. Please join us for refreshments at 11:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall (lower level). PRAYER REQUESTS: Blue Prayer Request cards may be completed and given to an usher or placed in the basket at the Sanctuary door SUNDAY MORNING ADULT ED DISCUSSION GROUP meets every Sunday morning at 9:15 (until 10:00) in the Conference Room. Each week a different topic is discussed, based upon relating current events, life issues, or theological topics to Christian faith. Come by and join in to deepen, broaden, and refresh your faith in Christ

4 Psalm 30 (Read responsively) 1 I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up, and did not let my foes rejoice over me. 2 O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. 3 O LORD, you brought up my soul from Sheol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit. * 4 Sing praises to the LORD, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name. 5 For his anger is but for a moment; his favour is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning. 6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, I shall never be moved. 7 By your favour, O LORD, you had established me as a strong mountain; you hid your face; I was dismayed. 8 To you, O LORD, I cried, and to the LORD I made supplication: 9 What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? 10 Hear, O LORD, and be gracious to me! O LORD, be my helper! 11 You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, 12 so that my soul * may praise you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever. GREETERS: USHER: FLOWERS: FELLOWSHIP: Min and David Oakes Don Olson Edith, Corrine and Diane Williams in memory of Kenneth Williams Brenda Hendrix and Dolores Rootes ANNOUNCEMENTS FIRST PREZ HAPPENINGS THIS WEEK: TODAY, 9:15 a.m. Sunday School 10:30 a.m. Worship 11:30 a.m. Fellowship 11:30 a.m. Christian Ed. Cmte. 11:30 a.m. Mission Cmte. Mon., 04/24, 10:00 a.m. Mandy s Café Tues., 04/25 6:55 p.m. JuBELLation Ringers Wed., 04/26, 6:15 a.m. Men s Book Study 5:30 p.m.--confirmation Thur., 04/27, 7:30 a.m. Women s Book St. James 6:00 p.m. League of Women Voters FOOD SHELF NEWS: April s goal is to collect 75 cans of soup and/or Ramen Noodles. Please leave your food items or donations on the shelf in the lounge. Thank you all for your kindness and generosity in helping others in need! FLOWER BASKETS: First Prez youth are selling Hallstrom's flower basket vouchers to support their upcoming mission trip to Chicago. Basket vouchers are $24 and can be redeemed at Hallstrom's Greenhouse between May 1 and May 14. Please stop by the Flower Basket table after church or contact Jennifer Beck! Thank you! You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

5 You are invited to attend the installation service for Pastors Greg and Heidi Bolt on Sunday, May 7, at 3:00 PM. Campers Many Clearwater Forest campers participate in non-traditional summer camps each year, and our 2017 camp schedule features a variety of specialty camps! For those entering 3 rd -6 th grade, we have the aptly named First Timers camp and the environmentally focused ECO Camp. For our junior high campers, we offer adventure programs like Pedal, Paddle, Climb Camp, Sailing Camp, and a Boundary Waters Canoe trip, as well as Junior High ECO Camp. For senior high campers entering 9 th grade to those who are graduating this spring, we offer Servant and Leadership Training (SALT) Camp, Sailing Camp, Beach Camp, Two-Week Camp, and Endless. To learn more about these specialty camps or our traditional camps, please visit