Livestream broadcast will be available at 10:45 AM: (Please note that the “Order of Worship” below is an edited shorter version of the Sunday Bulletin)
“REFLECTIONS”
THIRD AVENUE UNITED CHURCH
WELCOMES YOU WORSHIP!
Order of Worship
April 19, 2026
Third Sunday of Easter
ORDAINED MINISTER: Rev. Jo-Ann Hills
ORGANIST / PIANIST: Ilene Wettergreen
HANDBELL DIRECTOR: Kathleen Link
OFFICE COORDINATOR: Jodi Hargreaves
SCRIPTURES READER:
PIANO/ORGAN PRELUDE
ACKNOWLEDGING TERRITORY:
We are gathered today to worship on land that is treaty 6 people. For thousands of years, they have lived on this land, honouring the Creator and living with respect for creation. We acknowledge their stewardship of the land and their relationship with the land and its plants and animals, and the lakes and streams with their life forms throughout the ages. We accept the responsibility we have to nurture and protect this legacy. Used with permission from Gathering: Lent/Easter 2023; Jeanne Wilson
WELCOME, TIME OF CELEBRATION OF BIRTHDAYS, ANNIVERSARIES, ANNOUNCEMENTS
CANDLE LITURGY
The disciples of Jesus struggled to identify the resurrected Jesus when he appeared to them. He was different, yet there. He walked through locked doors and ate fish and bread. Mary thought he was the gardener. Yet, they came to believe in his presence. We light this Christ candle as the symbol of the resurrected Jesus we believe in and seek to follow. Used with permission from Gathering Lent/Easter 2026; Bill Perry
SUNG RESPONSE: VU 157 “Christ the Lord is Risen today” Verse 1 seated
1. Christ the Lord is risen today, Hallelujah!
all creation join to say; Hallelujah!
raise your joys and triumphs high; Hallelujah!
sing, O heavens, and earth reply: Hallelujah!
1. CALL TO WORSHIP:
We come today as we are. God welcomes all into the realm of love and acceptance.
We come with questions, doubts, and fears. Jesus, resurrected, meets us where we are and offers us peace and the assurance of his continued presence in our lives.
Let us worship God, together sharing in the spirit of love and peace, gifted to us through Jesus, the resurrected Christ. Used with permission Gathering Lent/Easter 2026; Stephanie Richmond
2. OPENING PRAYER: Our preparation for Easter, gracious God, is a crucifixion, a death, and the ending of Jesus' story. But the story didn't end; Jesus' tomb was discovered empty. The resurrected Jesus appeared at different times and in a variety of settings to his astonished, and yes, confused disciples. What was an absolute end, death, became the opening, the unfolding story of God's grace in our midst in Jesus Christ. We open ourselves to that unfolding in this time of worship today. Blow through us with your Holy Spirit, live-giving God. Amen. Used with permission Gathering Lent/Easter 2026; Bill Perry
3. LEARNING TIME
4. HYMN VU 371 “Open My Eyes, That I May See”
1. Open my eyes, that I may see
glimpses of truth thou hast for me;
place in my hands the wonderful key
that shall unclasp and set me free. Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my eyes,
illumine me,
Spirit divine!
2. Open my ears, that I may hear
voices of truth thou sendest clear;
and while the wavenotes fall on my ear,
everything false will disappear.
3. Open my mouth, and let me bear
gladly the warm truth everywhere;
open my heart and let me prepare
love with thy children thus to share.
5. PRAYER OF YEARNING:
God of Easter hope when our gaze is cast within, it is easy to miss your presence in our midst. When we fail to recognize you on the road, touch our minds with your wisdom and truth, and set our hearts on fire with your holy love. During times of confusion and doubt, open our eyes to your life-giving presence, and rekindle our Easter faith. Amen. From the Abingdon Worship Annual 2026.
Copyright @2025 by Abingdon Press. Used by permission
6. WORDS OF ASSURANCE:
In the resurrection of Jesus, we find hope and an imperishable seed of faith. Risen with Christ, we are born anew. From the Abingdon Worship Annual 2026.
Copyright @2025 by Abingdon Press. Used by permission
7. HYMN: VU #158 “Christ is Alive”
1. Christ is alive! Let Christians sing.
The cross stands empty to the sky.
Let streets and homes with praises ring.
Love, drowned in death, shall never die.
2. Christ is alive! No longer bound
to distant years in Palestine,
but saving, healing, here and now,
and touching every place and time.
3. In every insult, rift, and war,
where colour, scorn, or wealth divide,
Christ suffers still, yet loves the more,
and lives, where even hope has died.
4. Women and men, in age and youth,
can feel the Spirit, hear the call,
and find the way, the life, the truth,
revealed in Jesus, freed for all.
5. Christ is alive, and comes
to bring good news to this and every age,
till earth and sky and ocean ring
with joy, with justice, love and praise.
8. PASSING OF THE PEACE:
Welcome Christ as a fellow traveler on the journey of life. As you share signs of his peace with one another, see his eyes looking back at you. From the Abingdon Worship Annual 2025.
Copyright @2024 by Abingdon Press. Used by permission
MINUTE FOR MISSION - Published On: March 18, 2026
In Chipman, New Brunswick, along the Salmon River, community isn't just an idea-it's how life flows. For over 126 years, Chipman United Church has been woven into the heart of the town.
The congregation is small-mostly seniors with a handful of youth, four of whom now help lead worship-and the choir is modest. But the impact is anything but small. Each month, about sixty meals are prepared and delivered through the LIFT program, feeding children, seniors, and neighbours who can't leave home. The church hall hosts community groups and sports programs, and members pour hot chocolate at the Christmas parade. Service here isn't occasional; it's a habit. When some members could no longer attend in person, the church brought worship online. What was expected to reach twenty people drew thousands. Prayer requests now arrive by email, and a painting of the sanctuary is being turned into cards to remind those who feel alone that they belong. This is rural ministry: rooted, connected, and alive. Mission and Service helps sustain communities like Chipman, keeping churches at the centre of town life.
We can make a difference together. When we give to Mission and Service, we help ensure that churches like Chipman continue to feed, care for, and connect their communities. Donate today and be part of keeping this heart of the town alive.
9. INVITATION TO OFFERING:
What shall we return to the Lord for God's many gifts? What praises shall we sing to honor God's manifold blessings? In the presence of God's people, let us pay our vows to the Lord with heartfelt gratitude, as we present our morning offering.
From the Abingdon Worship Annual 2026.
Copyright @2025 by Abingdon Press. Used by permission
10. OFFERTORY: VU 540 “Grant Us, God the Grace”
Grant us, God, the grace of giving,
with a spirit large and free,
that ourselves and all our living
we may offer faithfully.
11. OFFERING PRAYER OF DEDICATION: Loving God, you come to us in moments of grief when we have lost our ability to perceive your presence. Receive our thanks for meeting us on the road and for quickening our spirits. Receive our praise for opening your word to us and for enlightening our minds. May the gifts we bring before you now reflect the stirring of our hearts, as you heal the broken places in our lives. May the offering we bring forth stir the hearts of those in need of your mercy and your grace. Amen. From the Abingdon Worship Annual 2026.
Copyright @2025 by Abingdon Press. Used by permission
Please give by contributing online using “E-transfers” or PAR (Pre-Authorized Remittance) or by placing your offering in the plate.
E-transfers can be sent to: thirdaveunited@sasktel.net answer to security question is: “payment”
12. PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND LORD'S PRAYER:
THE LORD'S PRAYER
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom
and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. AMEN.
13. HYMN: VU 429 “May the Blessing of God Be upon You”
May the blessing of God be upon you.
May God's love light all your way.
May the grace of Christ enfold you
and peace around you stay.
May the Spirit of God dwell within you.
May you live in joy each day.
14. BLESSING:
As you meet strangers on the road, learn to recognize Christ in your midst. As our hearts burn within us, we will recognize his whispers to our souls.
As you experience Christ in the smile of another, share the love of God with one another. As the scales fall from our eyes, we will see Easter miracles all around us.
Go with God's blessings.
15. THREE FOLD AMEN:
SCRIPTURE LESSONS:
Acts 2: 14a, 36 - 41
Responsive Reading Psalm 116 VU page 836 REFRAIN: “How can I repay you, God, for all the goodness you show to me”
1 Peter 1: 17 - 23
Luke 24: 13 - 35 Jesus Appears to Two Disciples
Next Sunday: Fourth Sunday of Easter April 26, 2026: Acts 2: 42 - 47
Psalm 23; 1 Peter 2: 19 - 25; John 10: 1 - 10.
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