INVITATION & CALL TO WORSHIP
Written by Yelena Pakhomova

In worship, we gather to meet God through music, prayer and sacraments.
In worship, we gather as the followers of the risen Christ to be reminded that resurrection is just under the surface and can emerge in our life any time. 
In worship, we wait for the Holy Spirit to guide us into the fullness of the new life God envisions for us and the world around us. 

So we sing, pray, and share the Eucharist today to remember that God is present with us in all the changes we face in our lives and in our desires for new beginnings. 

Psalm 103

Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise God's holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul,
and do not forget all God's benefits—
who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

MUSIC
Curated by Kevin Borst
Kristian Stanfill - King of Glory
Brooke Ligertwood - Ancient Gates
Bethel Music - Heaven Come
Mission House - Whole Heart
Mission House - I Don't Have Much
Chris Tomlin - Holy Forever
The McCurles - Reign Above It All
Brooke Ligertwood - A Thousand Hallelujahs

REFLECTIVE PRAYER
Written by Yelena Pakhomova

The season of Easter is intentionally long as it invites us to take our time with new life.
Eastertide tells us:
Don't rush it!
Wait expectantly for what is about to emerge.
Learn from the wisdom of creation.

And as we see the land go from dark to green, we remember that some seasons in our life are also dark, and we learn to wait and trust the subtle work of the Spirit to bring forth new blossoming in those places of darkness. And we take 50 days to notice hope, practice joy, and make room for fresh starts.

As part of our worship today, I invite you into a moment of reflective prayer. We will have three questions to reflect on as we invite God into all the new beginnings we hope for this season.

Let us pray.

Loving God,
Your Spirit blows where it wills,
gently weaving through the ordinary moments of our lives,
nudging us to notice where our soul feels most alive.
But our new beginnings come with a lot of emotion.
We are excited about the change,
but also anxious about what it might cost us
in terms of our time and relationships.
We are afraid of failure and disappointment.
And so, as we name and hold all those mixed feelings,

we ask - where do we need your hope right now?
God of all hope, would your Spirit of comfort enter all our emotions
and renew our imagination for what is possible.

Loving God,
Our dreams and our hopes come waiting for space and time to grow.
But in our love for a quick fix, we tend to rush things.
In our busy schedules, we struggle to choose what matters.
And in the effort we put in, it is hard for us to let go of control.
So as we reflect on our new beginnings and how we tend to get in their way, we ask - where do we need to make more room for a new life in us?
Creator of all life, would you grant us patience, insight and a profound sense of fulfilment even in our smallest steps.

Loving God,
We live deeply interconnected lives,
And we realize that our new beginnings are not just for us.
There are so many people with whom we belong
and to whom our joy and our flourishing matter.
So as we welcome our fresh starts, we ask - who could we invite to be part of our journey? Who can support us and share our joy?

God of all joy,
bless the new stories we create as we share our lives,
bless the relationships that give us the courage to step into new adventures,
bless the unexpected discoveries that will come along the way.
For all that goodness, we give you thanks.
In the name of the risen Christ, we pray.
Amen

EUCHARIST INVITATION
Written by Yelena Pakhomova

Join us at the table of Christ.

On the day of Jesus' resurrection, two of his followers were going to a village called Emmaus. Jesus joined them on the road and explained everything that had happened in Jerusalem and how they were also a part of the unfolding story of God making all things new. But they did not recognize him.

Later Jesus was at the table with them. He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and handed it to them. At that moment, their eyes were opened, and their imagination for the new life was renewed. 

So, as we share in this meal today, may our eyes be opened to the possibility of new life in and around us too. 

Now, receive this invitation: 

Come to this table, not because you must but because you may,
not because you are strong, but because you are weak.
Come, not because any goodness of your own gives you a right to come, but because you need mercy and help.
Come, because you love Christ a little and would like to love him more. 
Come, because God loves you and gives you life, always.
Come and meet the risen Jesus, for we are his Body.

Let's eat together.