Worship Connection for April 10, 2022

Good morning!  This page is intended to both serve as a continuing worship option for those participating in our worship service from home, and to serve in place of print resources during our in-person worship.  Following the worship service on Sunday, one or more video recordings from the service will be placed on this page, including the sermon.  This may take several hours, due to the time needed to process the videos.  We will email the congregation when the recordings have been posted.  If you would like to be added to our congregational email list, please contact pvcob.alive@gmail.com.

• Kids Connect – April 15 – Connect and reconnect with friends and other families with a simple meal, activities and time for adults to enjoy discussion with others their own age! 

• This year, to commemorate Easter, the Discipleship Focus Team invites you to a pedestrian/driver Cross Walk, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 14, 15, and 16 April, respectively. It will consist of seven stations around the exterior of Pleasant Valley, depicting passages of Scripture detailing events preceding and following the crucifixion of Our Savior, Jesus Christ. Barring inclement weather the stations will be accessible to everyone throughout the three days from morning until sunset. Greeters will be present at the start of the Cross Walk each of the three days, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 2:00-4:00 p.m. You will surely find it a thoughtful, contemplative  reminder.

• Youth SNL – April 24 – 6-12 Grade youth are invited to join with other area Church of the Brethren youth from 4-6 pm at Sangerville Church of the Brethren. The Inter-district Youth Cabinet (the same folks who plan   Roundtable!) is planning a fun evening that will include cooperative games, food, and devotion. 

• Brethren Woods is looking for donations for their Spring Festival on Saturday, April 30th.  Donations are needed for the yard sale and auction.  Item suggestions are: comforter’s/quilts, crafts, theme baskets, collectibles, artwork, wooden items, antiques and baked goods. I will be glad to take small items (that will fit in my car) to Brethren Woods.  These donations need to be dropped off in the Church Library by Sunday,April 24th. Plan to come out to bid, buy and take home a treasure. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Emily Ashby at 540-480-1313

• The 22nd Annual SDDA Golf Tournament is Friday, May 20th at Heritage Oaks Golf Course! You can pick up more   information in the Narthex found at the trifold display. If you have any questions, please contact Don Landes.

• Is there a special place in the Valley that brings you peace and clarity? As part of our mission of refugee resettlement, Isabelle Garber has started a new project, Places of Peace. She’s asking for submissions from the PVCoB community members that she will then compile into a bound book to give to the refugee family. This mission intends to serve their mental health, help them feel adjusted to the area, and help them get to know us better! If you’re interested, please write a short paragraph describing your place of peace and why it’s important to you (photos are also optional but encouraged!) Please email Isabelle Garber (garberisabelle@gmail.com) with submissions by April 15th (late submissions accepted)! 
  

  Backpack Pals are accepting donations of Pudding Cups and Ramen Noodles! Pudding cups are especially needed. Please leave any donations in the blue bin located in the Narthex.  Thank you!

Matthew 5:21-24 NRSV

‘You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not murder”; and “whoever murders shall be liable to judgement.” But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, “You fool”, you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.

Invitation

Brothers and sisters, we gather together at God’s invitation, to share in His blessing, to rest in divine love. For God spoke through the prophet Isaiah:

Isaiah 25:6-8
On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-matured wines,
of rich food filled with marrow, of well-matured wines strained clear.
And he will destroy on this mountain
the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
the sheet that is spread over all nations;
he will swallow up death for ever.
Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces,
and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken.

Luke 22:7-16 NRSV

Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, ‘Go and prepare the Passover meal for us that we may eat it.’ They asked him, ‘Where do you want us to make preparations for it?’ ‘Listen,’ he said to them, ‘when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house he enters and say to the owner of the house, “The teacher asks you, ‘Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ ” He will show you a large room upstairs, already furnished. Make preparations for us there.’ So they went and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.

When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. He said to them, ‘I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’

Blessing for Our Meal

Lord Jesus, we gather here before you this morning, to ask for sustenance that mere grain and water cannot provide. We pray for the nourishment of our souls, the renewal of our hearts, the fellowship that encourages each of us seeking your kingdom to throw up our hands in thanksgiving. Lead us through this time, O God, shaping us in your Spirit through repentance and hunger for your loving righteousness. Plant your grace in our hearts, that your sacrifice may bear good fruit for all the world to receive your love.

John 13:3-8 NRSV

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’ Jesus answered, ‘You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.’ Peter said to him, ‘You will never wash my feet.’ Jesus answered, ‘Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.’

John 13:12-17 NRSV

After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, ‘Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.