April 8, 2021

Dear Road Church Friends,

In the church calendar Easter isn’t just one day in the year, it’s a season. According to the Book of Acts Jesus appeared to his disciples over a period of forty days teaching them the meaning of his life and death. This important information somehow escaped them prior to Jesus’ death and resurrection. The seven weeks between Easter morning and Pentecost was a time for them to absorb and comprehend the difference that the Easter faith makes for the world, and for our lives. We too need a season to reflect on the difference Easter faith makes in our lives.

The first words of the Risen Lord on Easter evening to his disciples were, “Peace be with you.” Peace signifies the dawn of a new day. These were words of forgiveness for past failures, and words of hope for the future. Jesus’ resurrection means that God’s dream of peace and reconciliation is about to begin breaking into the days of our lives. The Sunday sermon will be about Easter faith and the difference it makes.

SERMON TITLE:  The Easter Difference

SCRIPTURE:  John 20:19-23

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

MY DAILY CREED

Let me be a little kinder, let me be a little blinder,

To the faults of those about me, let me praise a little more.

Let me be when I am weary, just a little bit more cheery,

Let me serve a little better, those that I am striving for.

Let me be a little braver, when temptations bid me waver,

Let me strive a little harder to be all that I should be.

Let be be a little meeker with the brother that is weaker,

Let me think more of my neighbor, and a little less of me.

Author Unknown

PRAYER

May the strength of God pilot us,

May the power of God preserve us,

May the wisdom of God instruct us,

May the hand of God protect us,

May the way of God direct us,

May the shield of God defend us.  Amen

St. Patrick

Blessings to All,

Pastor Norm

April 11, 2021 Road Church service on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HR1K61gz_G0