It wasnt that I didnt like it but I didnt bring anything homr to think about from the service.

Crazyheart,  our service started at 10:30 am.

There was scripture readings of the story.

There was a sermon which was regarding the "nonsense" of the Easter story....quite wonderful it getting past the specifics to the core of belief 

The room was full of flowers, including bouquets tied to the pews which went home with the elderly in the congregation.

There were no lilies due to allergies.

There was communion by intinction served with a delightful set of pottery

There was also a dedication of new cloths for the communion table & alter to be used during communion and high services.  

There was wonderful music of joy and celebration, including our junior bells...and senior bells, and choir and guest trumpeters and tympanies, and congregation singing of hymn.  If anything, we didn't sing any more voices, and I found the hymns to not match where my understanding of the joy and hope of Easter is; however, I do not mind as I knwo for some it is important to hear those messages

There was teaching re the new Paschal candle and the cloths ..obivously I failed as I can't remember the cloth's name other than it started with "a"

it was surrounded by friends and family, new & old.  It was with a full belly after eating the breakfast provided by our ucm.  

Unlike Pinga's church, we had lots of hymns from More Voices and a couple from Voices United. The early service was held in our chapel with just a few of us attending (about a dozen including the minister and organist). The communion loaf and cup were shared by passing it around the circle and we sang lots of familiar hymns. The second service was attended by over 200 and included a brass quartet made up of UVic music department students and a mass choir (three of our choirs combined) - as well as a TV camera - lol! There were two transferral of memberships (one was done in absentia, which I didn't know was a possibility). My favourite part was the Hallelujah Chorus postlude. It was meant to be done by the quartet only, but everyone spontaneously stood up and joined in.

My church is trying some new things...and I hope interest in this new style grows. Ours is a big church, so there wasn't a huge turnout for this event, but a significant sized group of all ages. There was more than one service--I imagine the earlier more traditional service was busier as that's what people are used to-- I went to the contemporary service, with a jazzy/ folk/ gospel instrumental/ vocal ensemble, and a short sermon and telling of the Easter story, several modern hymns. Stations were set up around the sanctuary with different "rituals"/ themes. One was a station for everyone to write a prayer of thanks/ colour/ draw on a scroll of paper laid out, another was "light a sparkler" and say a silent prayer (safer than a candle i guess, and also a neat idea--reminded me of Christ's goodness and light bursting into the world), the music played throughout and there was a circle dance in one area...someone leading it...I'm assuming sort of Russian Orthodox/ European style dancing (but to the music that was playing), with everyone joining in. There was a station with a water bowl for spinkling/ cleansing/ prayer/ contemplation, and there was a communion table where all were welcome...with bread and wine (juice actually)...and cheese and fruit. Oh, and at the end there was chocolate! A fondue actually. It was like a wedding almost.

It was quite wonderful actually. Uplifting, spiritual, creative, fun, contemplative, and very communal/ participatory. I loved it.  Best Easter service I've ever been to. Hallelujah!

sounds divine, Kimmio and somegal.  I am aware of watching the posts of ministers who are sooo busy during Holy Week.  I trust you have multiple staff who each take a different service or aspect?

Yes, in the case of my church, it was two of the young adult group ministers who lead this...actually very similar to the types of activities the young adult group does...but it seems all ages are taking an interest.

Edit: It just occured to me Pinga that your question may have been directed to ministers here, and if so, I apologize for the misunderstanding ( as that doesn't apply to me). I assumed it was to somegal and myself.

really appreciate your sharing about it, kimmio.  thanks

Somegal, is your service going to be broadcast somewhere?

Here is our Order of service:

http://www.stpaulsuc.ca/bulletin/bulletin.htm

thanks Gord, what is a flower cross?

It is where we had fols come forward to insert the flowers they were handed upon entering into the wire cage wrapped around the cross.  If someone got a picture of it (and if they share it with me) I'll share it.

thanks gord, sounds great.

crayheart, that is a short day 11:00 -12:15.

My day was 6:30-12:45 (services... I was up at 4 a.m. and home by 2:30 pm.)

Sunrise
It started with a fire on the lake with the loon calling, keeping vigil... the sun peeking over the hill of granite... gathered by a fire "He is risen! He is risen indeed!"....praying, reading scripture, singing Halle Halle Halle (there were about 15 of us)
 

There was fellowship and breaking of bread at breakfast.

Reg Services: (3x's)
Opening :Jesus Christ is Risen Today
Prayer ...talking about standing on mystery's edge... how the resurrection changes us .... allelujahs
Prayer for and Assurance of Grace... with mention that we can get in the Holy's Spirit's way

A Children's Time that had the children pass out flowers for the Flower Cross and then "teach" Halle Halle Halle with maracas made with pill pottles we filled full of coins for leprosy. As we sang, people came forward with flowers

Acts 10: 34-43 
Easter Prayer VU 174
I Danced in the Morning
Mark 16: 1-8

Meditation on moving from terror or amazement to Easter joy

A musical group did "From Jerusalem to Jericho"

We went out to Halle Halle Halle

The last church had a lunch after services for those who are without family to go home to.

Hi crazyheart,

We had a chronologically close to sunrise service out at the Waterford Ponds at 7am.  It included a communal read of John Chrysostom's Easter Homily (Which I still think rates as the best sermon ever written), a hymn, and prayers.

Then we went back to the Church for Breakfast.

Regular worship at the regular hour included Holy Communion and a message which was the theological lightness to Good Friday's theological darkness followed by time of fellowship following worship and a massive egg hunt for the kids throughout the Church.

I am always present at the door at the beginning and ending of the service.

Grace and peace to you.

John

One does not always have the luxury of standing at the door, somtimes it is a dash to the next service....

This link should take you to a picture of the flower cross....

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151485311635317&set=o.199289736...

HI folks,

if you are interested, the Communion PRayer we used yesterday can be found here:

http://worshipofferings.blogspot.ca/2012/03/easter-communion-liturgy.html

and the sermon recording from yesterday (which finally worked well for the first time in 2 months--last week was full of static and Friday it recorded 12 minutes of silence instead of what I said {which might have been better...}) has been posted here:

http://stpaulsuc.podbean.com/2012/04/09/for-they-were-afraid/

Hi SG,

Very true in multi-point charges.

If one does not have three services back to back then one can meets and shake hands at the opening of one service and the closing of the other.

Grace and peace to you.

John

Many here are still 3 point charges

Here is what I posted as my FB status this morning.  It was the only less-than-planned event in our worship:

SO, during children's time yesterday we are talking about why the day is special. WE have talked about who was visited by a large rabbit and what the rabbit brought. Then I ask if that is the only reason the day is special. Miriam calls out, clear as day, nice and loud YES!

always nice to get such support from one's own children

Pinga - at my church we have the luxury of two ministers. We also worked together with some of the other United Church congregations in town to offer services during Lent. At the service I went to on Good Friday, for example, we had three clergy - which I hope meant less prep work for each of them.

SG - your morning service sounds like an amazing experience. There's nothing quite so hauntingly beautiful as the call of a loon in the early hours of the morning.

Kimmio - I'll post the clip of our service when I get it.

wow, a fire by the lake, the sun rising...the sound of the loon, how powerful.

I have experienced Easter Sunrise service by the banks of the grand river and it was also powerful

I also think ending a silent retreat on easter morning would be powerful

thans for all those images, folks

gordw.... I like the active part of the congregants in taking back the cross, transforming it through their own actions.....powerful symbolism for me, thank-you...plus a beautiful addition.  

I am not going to be popular but everyone mentioned what I call “the church for us”.  None of us mentioned what we did in our community – the community we live in – not the church buildings we worship in.  Wow, what a wakeup call.  While the things listed are important to some, in the big scheme of things the church service we described was for “us” – what did your church do for the folks not in the church – your members in nursing homes – for those who are looking after an elderly parent  …  I am sure Christ really cared if there we bells, flowered crosses, powerpoint, ladies wearing Easter bonnets (there we in mine….) music etc while there are those in our own church community – and those who are not, need our support.   

Stats show that churches working “with community” live, grow and work together better…..

Perhaps, instead of paying church staff to make sure we have a nice worship service we invest in our future – in our local communities – otherwise, as so many UCC congregations, we are irrelevant – only to serve ourselves and whine when no one new comes to church – or spend lots of energy thinking of the things that we can do to get people into our church – heaven forbid that we go into theirs…..

I am sure there are UCC’s out there that do these types of things – interesting that they haven’t responded…

It sounds like everyone had nice Easter services. I like the outdoor idea. I imagine it would be harder to organize and get people interested  in sunrise nature/ outdoor services for the urban churches, but it sound does like it was beautiful. Maybe if rides were arranged etc.(many don't drive)  it could be done at the urban churches too.

So, were the eggs chocolate, RevJohn?.

Jobam - Crazyheart asked about our Easter Sunday church service. If she had asked what our church did this weekend, I would have told a very different story - one of going out into the community and feeding the homeless.

Our church does invest time and resources throughout the year in community and social action, and there are many congregants who are themselves not "middle class"  or mainstream,  who attend, as it's a downtown church...people generally don't dress up much...but it is fair to say we didn't hold a special social action or charity event  yesterday.y

Edit: Actually, the church did collect  and deliver bags of food for homeless yesterday.  This happens throughout the year also, as we have a drop off box.

But, as others have said, crazyheart asked about what others' church services were like.

Asked about the Sunday worship service, that is what I mentioned. Yet, I did make note that there was an Easter lunch for those without family to be with. Also, that I did not note, instead of all the flowers wilting and going to waste, they were bundled back into bouquets and given to those in the community who are alone or shut-ins or in hospital (they are community members and not church members)

Thanks folks - I will try and learn to stay on topic.....once I re-read the post, I was off topic for sure.....

Hi Kimmio,

Nope.  There is some concern that having the minister left unattended with 300+ chocolate eggs lying around is going to lead to a severe chocolate egg famine.

The eggs are hollow and prizes are given out for most eggs collected right on down to no eggs collected.  All of the kids participating found at least one egg.  From observation the prizes awarded do not appear to differ much from most to least.

Grace and peace to you.

John

Pinga,

I think sitting the vigil, in a silent retreat from Friday to Sunday sunrise would be awesome!!!

Or a minister with a really sore tummy and a sugar high.

Hi Kimmio,

It doesn't have to be either/or.

Grace and peace to you.

John

gotcha...both a chocolate egg famine, and a minister with a sore tummy on a sugar high. Just an unpleasant situation all around.

What your congregation did alternatively sounds like it was fun for the kids.