Subject: Sunday, April 1, 2007 – Passion/Palm Sunday / Sacrament of Holy Communion
Dear Centenary Church Family:
We are nearing the conclusion of our Lenten journey to Jerusalem as we mark the beginning of Holy Week on this Passion/Palm Sunday, April 1, 2007. As we gather for Worship at 10:15 AM, we will hear “Hosanna to the Son of David” sung by our Chancel Choir in a special Palm Sunday antiphon, followed by the Palm Sunday Proclamation from Luke 19:29-40. Congregation and choir will join together to sing “The Palms” by J. Faure as a Processional Hymn and Act of Praise. Our Harris Ringers will play “Sing Hosannas” by Hart Morris. Michael Savoia will bring a special Palm Sunday message to the children, after which children and youth will be invited to participate in Sunday School classes. My morning Message, The King Nobody Wanted, will be based on the Palm Sunday reading from Luke and the Passion Sunday epistle, Philippians 2:5-11. Our Chancel Choir will sing “Prepare the Royal Highway” by Allen Pote during the Offertory, and a special anthem, “Remember Me” by John Innes and Ron Krueger as we share in the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Our Celebration of Found Coins for April will be designated for the Red Bird Mission in Beverly, KY…a mission outreach project to Appalachia in the Red Bird Missionary Conference of The United Methodist Church. Our United Methodist Women annually request gloves/mittens and hats to share with the children at Red Bird Mission School. You can learn more about the Red Bird Mission at http://www.rbmission.org/index.htm.
Read MoreSunday, April 1, 2007 – Palm/Passion Sunday / Sacrament of Holy Communion
9:00 AM Adult Class (The First Easter Series)
10:15 AM Worship & Sunday School for Pre-K children through 12th Grade youth
Preacher: John D. Painter Theme: The King Nobody Wanted
Lectionary Readings: Luke 19:28-40 (Palms) Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 (Palms)
Isaiah 50:4-9a (Passion) Philippians 2:5-11 (Passion)
Psalm 31:9-16 (Passion) Luke 22:14-23:56 (Passion)
11:45 AM Annual Pot-Luck Brunch & Easter Egg Hunt (Children’s Ministries)
5:30 PM Junior Choir Rehearsal
6:30 PM Centenary United Methodist Youth Fellowship
Music: Our Harris Ringers (handbells) will play during the service. Our Chancel Choir will open the service with a Hosanna antiphon (Gregorian Chant); join with the congregation to sing The Palms by J. Faure as a Processional Hymn; sing Prepare the Royal Highway by Allen Pote during the Offertory; and, offer a special anthem during the serving of Holy Communion.
Celebration of Found Coins: Red Bird Mission in Appalachia (Tennessee)
Holy Week 2007
Centenary United Methodist Church
200 Hillside Avenue – Metuchen, New Jersey
Saturday, March 31 — 10:00 AM-3:00PM in the Sanctuary – Walking in His Footsteps
A multi-media, labyrinth journey through Jesus’ last week. You may come to share in this experience in our Sanctuary at any time between 10:00 AM & 3:00 PM.
Sunday, April 1 — Passion/Palm Sunday
10:15 AM —Worship Service & Distribution of Palms
Preacher: John D. Painter Theme: The King Nobody Wanted
Special Music by our Chancel Choir and Harris Ringers
11:45 AM — Pot-Luck Lunch and Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by Children’s Ministries
Thursday, April 5 — Holy Thursday
6:30 PM — Soup & Sandwich Supper
(Bring a Sandwich, if you wish; Soup & Beverages will be provided)
7:30 PM — Holy Thursday Service & Sacrament of Holy Communion at Tables
Friday, April 6 — Good Friday
12:00 – 3:00 PM –Ecumenical Good Friday Preaching Service
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Middlesex Ave. & Oak St., Metuchen
7:30 PM — A Service of Tenebrae – Passion Narrative
interspersed with brief Bach Chorales
Sunday, April 8 — EASTER Sunday
6:30 AM — Sunrise Service & Sacrament of Holy Communion
7:15 AM — Easter Breakfast sponsored by our Sunday School & Children’s Ministries
($3.00 per person donation requested)
9:00 AM — Easter Worship Service — Easter Pageant: The Glorious Rainbow of Easter
10:30 AM — Easter Worship Service & Sacrament of Holy Communion
Preacher (10:30 AM): John D. Painter Theme: Lord, We Have Come…
Festival Brass at both Easter Services / Chancel Choir at 10:30 AM
—Please invite your friends, neighbors and family to share in our
Holy Week and Easter Services and activities—
Podcast/Sermon – Homecoming (From the story of the Prodigal/Lost Son)
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Delivered by The Rev. Terrilisa Durham Bauknight-Harmon
At Centenary United Methodist Church Metuchen, New Jersey 18 March 2007
There is a song by Roberta Flack that talks about how this young singer, a young man, who Roberta decides to go and see after hearing much about him, puts her whole life out there for the world to see through the lyrics of his music. Embarrassed and shaken, there is nothing that she can do. “Killing me softly with his song,” is what she says. That is exactly what I thought when I read the words of the gathering meditation by The Rev. Dr. Safiyah Fosua. As I read the words – I could see the life – my life actions and faults put before God and the world – no way to him them any loner I thought. I did not expect Pastor to use this meditation when I mentioned it to him, but I am glad that he did. But then I wonder, how many of you are thinking, feeling the same thing I am? Saying to yourself, “well, it’s out there” – even though no one has spoken the exact words of our action past, we still think and feel and continue to say to ourselves – “all my business in print.” But instead of getting hung up on that, listen, there is a message for us all, once again, as we turn to the story of The Prodigal Son or as other say The Lost Son. Let us pray…Lord, still us in this moment, quiet our fears that stem from the fact that we have been discovered; sold out by a writers words, who we don’t even know. And still in our imperfections, send a word that speaks to our needs of healing and redirection, food for our spirit and direction for our will. In the name of Jesus we pray, AMEN.
Read MoreSunday, March 18, 2007 – The Fourth Sunday in Lent / One Great Hour of Sharing
Dear Centenary Church Family:
We will gather in our Sanctuary at 10:15 AM this Sunday, March 18, for Worship and Sunday School, as we observe the Fourth Sunday in Lent. Traditionally each year on this Sunday we receive a special One Great Hour of Sharing offering, which is dedicated to supporting the operations of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). Your generous gift combined with those from millions of other United Methodists, makes it possible for 100% of the emergency UMCOR disaster & relief appeals to be designated for the specific projects. Please use the envelope you received with your March Lamplighter, or the one which will be in your bulletin this Sunday, to share your gift.
Read MoreSunday, March 11, 2007 – The Third Sunday in Lent
9:00 AM Adult Class (The First Easter Series)
10:15 AM Worship & Sunday School for Pre-K children through 12th Grade youth
(Note: Daylight Saving Time begins at 2:00 AM on March 11th)
Preacher: John D. Painter Theme: Another Year…
Lectionary Readings: Isaiah 55:1-9 1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Psalm 63:1-8 Luke 13:1-9
11:30 AM Fellowship Time
5:30 PM Junior Choir Rehearsal
6:30 PM Centenary United Methodist Youth Fellowship
Music: Our Chancel Choir will sing .Come to the Water by Dan Foley
Celebration of Found Coins: Nothing But Nets Anti-Malaria Campaign
Daylight Saving Time returns at 2:00 AM on Sunday, March 11, 2007. Don’t forget to turn your clocks and watches ahead one hour before you go to sleep Saturday evening, or you will arrive an hour late for Worship and Sunday School on Sunday morning. You may also consider changing the batteries in your residential smoke and carbon dioxide detectors at this time, as recommended by safety personnel.
“No Turning Back…”
A Sermon Delivered by The Rev. John D. Painter at
Centenary United Methodist Church, Metuchen, New Jersey
March 4, 2007 (The Second Sunday in Lent)
Texts: Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 13:31-35
Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the ex-ample you have in us. For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also en-ables him to make all things subject to himself.
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