Call to worship

Isn't Easter a special service?

It certainly was at First Presbyterian Church of Shreveport's 11 a.m. service where our new pastor the Rev. Pen Peery presided for the first Easter. (He told us later that this was his first Easter sermon, a landmark event for a minister.) His sermon: "Seeing Beyond Our Fear."

His sermon, the music, the Scriptures. All meaningful to me. Easter and the beauty of nature signal such a renewal in our world.

But, sometimes, through no one's fault, things go awry, even when well planned.

On Sunday, somehow the "Call to Worship" was left out, so we started with that most wonderful of songs, "Jesus Christ is Risen Today" for the processional.

However, words and the the message of the "Call..." are so powerful that I wanted to share them:

"Among the poor, among the proud,
"Among the persecuted and the privileged."

Congregation: "Christ is risen to make all things new."

"In the private house, in the public place,
"At the wedding feast and in the court of justice.

Cong.: "Christ is risen to make all things new."

"In Beijing, Baghad, and Belfast,
"In Washington, London and Shreveport,

Cong.: "Christ is risen to make all things new."

"That the Kingdom will come, that the world might believe."

"Christ is risen to make all things new.
"Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!"

Do you agree that it is a powerful statement?

Do you have news to share about your own church's Easter service?