Today is Easter Sunday.
Rev. Benjamin Wines will bring the message, “From Fear to Faith” Our Scripture passage comes from Matthew 28:1-10 and our Call to Worship comes from Psalm 118. We look forward to joining you in this time of Worship.

Call to Worship (from Psalm 118)
Leader: O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
People: His steadfast love endures forever!
Leader: I thank you that you have answered me
People: And have become my salvation.
Leader: The stone that the builders rejected
People: Has become the chief cornerstone.
Leader: This is the Lord’s doing;
People: It is marvelous in our eyes.
Leader: This is the day that the Lord has made;
People: Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Leader: Save us, we beseech you, O Lord!
People: O Lord, we beseech you, give us success!
Leader: Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
People: We bless you from the house of the Lord.
Leader: You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
People: You are my God, I will extol you.
Leader: O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
People: For his steadfast love endures forever!

Questions for Further Reflection:
In this passage, the women who approach the tomb are asked to move from fear to faith, quickly.
What role does fear play in the life of faith?
How does God help us move past fear and place our faith in Jesus?

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, the 40 days that precede Easter. In Scripture, the number 40 reminds us of the rainy days and nights that Noah spent on the ark, of the years that Israel spent in the wilderness after the Exodus, and of the time Jesus spent in the wilderness facing temptation after His baptism. For us, Lent is an invitation to spend 40 days of renewal, 40 days to prepare ourselves to hear and absorb the amazing Good News of Easter. It is a season during which many Christians devote themselves more deeply to study, prayer, service, and even fasting or sacrifice. May this season reminds us that we are sinners who depend on God’s love and grace to overcome sin and death and that the resurrection of Jesus means that our mortality will give way to resurrection and new life.