 Fruitland United Methodist Church April 5th, 2026 *(Please stand if you are comfortably able.) Prelude: “Panis Angelicus” by Cesar Franck *Processional Hymn: Alleluia TFW 2078 Words of Welcome Rev. Jorge R. & Jay Whitcomb Easter Proclamation Beloved, Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia! Our Savior is risen! Our Savior is risen indeed! Alleluia! Steadfast Love is risen! Steadfast Love is risen indeed! Alleluia! This is the day that the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it! Alleluia! Today is a day of celebration! Alleluia! Christ is risen indeed! AMEN. *Sharing the Peace of Christ. *Opening Hymn: “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today” (vs. 1-4) UMH #302 Scripture Reading: Acts 10:34-43 Pew Bible Pg. 1710 Jay W. Easter Prayer Rev. Jorge R. This is the good new of our Lord Jesus Christ for all people. Glory to God! Amen. We are Easter people: Raise us to new life, O God! Amen. Children’s Moment (Story Time) *Hymn: Up From the Grave He Arose UMH #322 Chase V. Scripture Reading: Colossians 3:1-4 Pew Bible pg. 1834 Jay W. Offering & Invitation to Generosity Rev. Jorge R. Offertory: “Breathe on Me Breath of God” by E. Hatch and R. Jackson *Doxology: Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow UMH 95 Gospel Reading: John 20:1-18 Pew Bible pg. 1685 Jay W. *Congregational Song “ Christ Is Alive” UMH #318 Chase V. Sermon: “From Darkness to Light: Encounter and Transformation” Rev. Jorge R. John 20:1–18 It is still dark. Not only because the sun has not risen, but because the heart has not found light either. Mary Magdalene walks alone. Her steps are slow and heavy. Each step carries the weight of a lost love, of a broken hope, of a Friday that still hurts. She is not going looking for miracles. She is going to say goodbye one more time. And if we are honest, many of us know what that walk feels like. That inner dawn, when everything seems finished. When God is silent. When faith does not illuminate but simply keeps us company in the dark. Today, we walk with Mary. And perhaps, in her story, we discover our own. Mary arrives, and something is not right. The stone has been removed. But this does not bring hope. It brings confusion, fear, and desperation. She is not thinking about resurrection. She is thinking about loss again. “They have taken the Lord,” she says, almost out of breath. She runs. She searches. She asks. Because when life surprises us with something we do not understand, the first thing we do is not believe, but try to explain. How many times has this happened to us? Situations that do not make sense, doors that close, unexpected changes. And we ask, “Where is God in all of this?” The removed stone does not always feel like good news. Sometimes it feels like chaos. Peter and the other disciple run. They too are restless. They too are looking for answers. They arrive at the tomb and look. They see the linen cloths and the folded cloth. Everything is there, but nothing makes sense. The text tells us something profound: they had not yet understood the Scripture. They see, but they do not comprehend. They observe, but they do not fully believe. And this is so human. Many times we also see what God is doing, but we do not understand it in the moment. We see signs, but we do not know how to interpret them. We see changes, but we do not recognize God’s work in them. It takes more than physical eyes. It takes eyes of faith. And those often open slowly. Everyone leaves. But Mary stays. She weeps. And there is something sacred about that. Because sometimes, the place of the miracle is not where we run, but where we choose to remain, even when it hurts. She looks into the tomb and sees angels. But even that does not change her sorrow. Because when pain is deep, even the extraordinary is not enough. Then it happens. Someone is there. Jesus. But she does not recognize Him. She thinks He is the gardener. Because pain also clouds our vision. Until something simple happens, yet deeply transformative. Jesus says just one word: “Mary.” And in that moment, everything changes. The darkness breaks. The confusion fades. The grief is transformed. Because when Jesus calls your name, there is no doubt. There is no distance. There is no death that has the final word. Brothers and sisters, the story does not end with Mary. The story continues with us. Because the same risen Jesus is still calling names. Not loudly from the sky, but deep within the heart. In the middle of sorrow, in the middle of uncertainty, in the middle of unanswered questions, Jesus says your name. You are not just one more. You are not invisible. You are not forgotten. You are called. The question is not whether He speaks. The question is: are we listening? Do we recognize His voice in the middle of our tears? Are we willing to move from the tomb to testimony? Mary arrived weeping. She left proclaiming. She arrived in darkness. She left in light. She arrived looking for a body. She left proclaiming life. “I have seen the Lord.” That is faith. Not an idea. Not a theory. An encounter. And today, that same encounter is available. Because the resurrection is not only something that happened. It is something that is still happening. In lives that rise again. In hearts that believe again. In people who discover that the story does not end in the tomb. As Violeta Parra once said, “life itself is a song.” And today, Christ invites us to sing. To live. To proclaim. To say with Mary: “I have seen the Lord.” The Great Thanksgiving Rev. Letha E. & Pastor Jorge The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise. And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest! And so, in remembrance of your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith: Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again. Pastor continues with the blessings of elements.... The Lord’s Prayer: Our Father and Mother, who art in heave, hallowed be thy name........ Service of Holy Communion *Hymn: One Bread, One Body UMH #620 *Benediction: May God’s abiding love and living hope give us new life. May God’s unmerited grace and mercy sustain us with hope. And may God’s restoring justice bring peace to all. For steadfast love is risen! Steadfast love is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen. *Song of Blessing: “Alleluia” (Honduras) TFWS 2078 Postlude: “Dona Nobis Pacem” (Grant us Peace) Rev. Jorge Rodriguez [email protected]
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