NEWTOWN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Thursday Worship April 1, 2021 Prelude Welcome & Announcements Call to Worship (One, All) In the growing darkness we gather to hear the voices and stories of old who help us to remember. Our Lenten journey has brought us here. , our Teacher and Lord, sets before us the bread and the cup. He gives us an example and a commandment ever new: to love one another as he has loved us. This is how everyone will know we are his disciples, when we love each other and proclaim his . Let us remember and give thanks for this holy night.

Evening Prayer (Unison) God of love, during , we give you thanks for this night Jesus shared with his disciples. Between the public parade and the public charade is this intimate hour. Though even now we do not fully understand, we long to follow his example: to serve as he served, to love as he loved. Jesus promised that if we know these things and do them, we will be blessed. Help us, then, through the words, music, and prayers to remember all Jesus taught; to know and to follow in response. For although we continue to betray and deny in our own subtle ways, O Lord, we still come seeking a blessing, for this much we do know: we cannot live unless you bless us. In the name of Christ we pray, Amen.

From Bethlehem to Calvary A Tenebrae Presentation for By Carol Feickert

Opening Scripture Reading :1-18

Vignette #1 Zechariah & Elizabeth Luke 1:11-25

Vignette #2 Mark 14

Vignette #3 :1-6

Vignette #4 Jesus of Nazareth :1-17, Luke 22:7-20

Poem and Solo “I Wonder as I Wander “ written by John Jacob Niles

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Celebration of The Lord’s Supper Invitation to the Table Great Prayer of Thanksgiving (Leader, People) 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… The Lord's Prayer Words of Institution Blessing and Sharing of the Elements Eucharistic Prayer (Unison) Holy God, we give you thanks for this holy feast--the bread of heaven and the cup of salvation. As we go forth, help us to feed and nourish our neighbors as we have been fed and nourished this evening. Remind us that we are the body of Christ--in the world and for the world. In the name of Christ, Amen.

Charge and Benediction

Postlude ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Worship Leadership: Rev. Sam Massengill and Rev. Laura Ferguson Worship Liturgists: Andy Warren, Nyla Houser, Joanie Keehn, Mike McCollum Musicians: Jason Moore and Diana Golden, Cello Notes for this evening’s worship: From Bethlehem to Calvary is a dramatic interpretation of several key figures and witnesses to Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. Each vignette is based on a gospel text and imagines the Passion story from the perspective of these witnesses. The author intended these vignettes for a Maundy Thursday worship service as a way to offer a different experience of the Scripture lessons we remember during Holy Week. We invite you to read the Scripture in response to this service to further enhance your connection to these scenes and to the final events leading up to Christ’s death.

Musical Interludes between the vignettes are from Benjamin Britten’s Canto Primo.

From Bethlehem to Calvary is used with the special permission of Christian Publishers.

Join us for our other Holy Week and Services! Signups are available online through our church website: www.newtownpres.org

GOOD FRIDAY WORSHIP SATURDAY VIGIL Tomorrow at 12pm Chancellor Street Sanctuary Chancellor Street Sanctuary Open for prayer & reflection 9am - Dusk LENTEN PRAYER STATIONS Ettenger Hall EASTER SUNDAY Good Friday 7am, 9am, 11am and 5:30pm 1pm-8pm Historic Church Garden