Sunday, April 6, 2008 – Native American Ministries Sunday / Holy Communion
Dear Centenary Church Family:
The Third Sunday of Easter is observed as Native American Ministries Sunday in our United Methodist Church. Members of our Centenary United Methodist Youth Fellowship will lead us in our 10:15 AM Worship service as we share in prayers, acts of worship, and music reflective of Native American Christians. We will begin our time of Worship with a congregational Act of Centering drawn from the a traditional prayer of the Lakota Tribe.
Read MoreThrough Closed Doors
A Sermon Delivered by The Rev. John D. Painter at Centenary United Methodist Church Metuchen, New Jersey March 30, 2008 (The Second Sunday of Easter)
Text: John 20:19-31
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
Sunday, March 30, 2008 – The Second Sunday of Easter
9:00 AM — Adult Class — Serious Answers to Hard Questions
10:15 AM — Worship & Sunday School (PreK Children through 12th Grade Youth)
Preacher: John D. Painter
Theme: Through Closed Doors
Lectionary Readings: Acts 2:14a, 22-32; 1 Peter 1:1-9 Psalm 16 John 20:19-31
11:30 AM Fellowship Time
5:45 PM Junior Choir Rehearsal
6:30 PM United Methodist Youth Fellowship
Music: Our Chancel Choir will sing Alleluia by Ed Harris
Celebration of Found Coins: “Nothing But Nets” Anti-Malaria Campaign
From the Other Side of Death
A Sermon Delivered by The Rev. John D. Painter at Centenary United Methodist Church Metuchen, New Jersey March 23, 2008 (Easter Sunday)
Text: Matthew 28:1-10; John 20:1-18
After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.
Do, Lord, Remember Me
A Sermon Delivered by The Rev. John D. Painter at The Good Friday Ecumenical Preaching Service?St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Metuchen, New Jersey- March 21, 2008
Text: Luke 23:26, 32-34, 39-43
Now that you’ve gotten comfortably reseated, I’m going to ask you to stand back up..come on, you could use the exercise at this point in the service. I want you to join me in singing another song. And I want to quiet Mrs. Diehl’s anxiety at this intrusion…we won’t need to have organ accompaniment for this one. I’m sure many of you are familiar with the Afro-American spiritual Do Lord, Remember Me. Lets’ give it a try…and, by the way, hand clapping and body-swaying are allowed.
Sunday, March 23, 2008 – EASTER Sunday
Dear Centenary Church Family:
At 1:48 AM this morning the Sun passed directly over Earth’s Equator on its journey north, marking the beginning of Spring. The first full Moon of Spring will occur tomorrow and, according to the formula adopted by our forebears in the faith at the First Council of Nicaea in A. D. 325, that means this Sunday, March 23, is Easter…the earliest Easter Day since 1913! We will have several opportunities to celebrate this great Day of Resurrection at Centenary.
Read MoreA Donkey or a Rolls?
A Sermon Delivered by The Rev. John D. Painter at Centenary United Methodist Church, Metuchen, New Jersey March 16, 2008 (Passion/Palm Sunday)
Sunday, March 16, 2008 – Passion/Palm Sunday
Dear Centenary Church Family:
With the ringing of the hand bells by our Harris Ringers in a Palm Sunday Fanfare by Henry Purcell (as arranged by Martha Lynn Thompson), the reading of the Palm Sunday Proclamation from Matthew 21:1-11, our acclamations of “Hosanna in the Highest!”, and the singing of “All Glory, Laud and Honor,” we will begin our 10:15 AM Passion/Palm Sunday Worship Service at Centenary this Sunday, March 16. The Junior and Chancel Choirs will combine to sing Hosanna by Christian Gregor, arranged by Roberta Bitgood. Assistant Pastor Terrilisa Durham Bauknight will bring a special Palm Sunday message to the children,
Read MoreI’ll Be Somewhere…Listening for My Name
A Sermon Delivered by The Rev. Terrilisa Durham Bauknight
Centenary United Methodist Church Metuchen, New Jersey
Sunday, 9 March 2008 (The Fifth Sunday in Lent)
Text: John 11:1-45
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
Read MoreSunday, March 9 – The 5th Sunday in Lent / Daylight Saving Time Begins!
Dear Centenary Church Family:
We will gather in our Sanctuary for Worship at 10:15 AM (Eastern Daylight Saving Time) this Sunday, March 9, the Fifth Sunday in Lent. Michael Savoia will share a word with the children, after which those from Pre-K through 12th Grade youth will be invited to participate in Sunday School classes. Assistant Pastor Terrilisa Durham Bauknight will bring the morning Message, I’ll Be Somewhere, Listening for My Name, based on the Gospel reading of Jesus’ raising of Lazarus from the dead in John 11:1-45. We will also hear the Epistle reading from Romans 8:6-11. Our Chancel Choir will sing When Jesus Wept, by William Billings. Our Celebration of Found Coins for March is designated for the “Nothing But Nets” Anti-Malaria Campaign of The United Methodist Church.
Read MoreThe God Who Is with Us
A Sermon Delivered by The Rev. John D. Painter at Centenary United Methodist Church – Metuchen, New Jersey March 2, 2008 (The Fourth Sunday in Lent) Text: John 9:1-41
As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work.
Read More