EASTER SUNRISE SERVICE
Sunday, April 20, 2003
5:45 AM
GREENWICH POINT

THE YOUNG PEOPLE OF
THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH of GREENWICH
OLD GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT

PRELUDE

Mark Swicegood, piano

INTROIT Amazing Grace

EASTER PROCLAMATION Martelle Simpson

LEADER: Praise the Lord! Christ is risen!

PEOPLE: He is risen indeed!

LEADER: Christ has been raised from death to new life.

ALL: He is risen to proclaim God’s power. Risen to show God’s love.

HYMN Morning Has Broken (on insert) BUNESSAN

CALL TO WORSHIP Griffin Sandberg

LEADER: This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

PEOPLE: This is a new day. Not just another day.

LEADER: We do not gather as though mourning in the shadow of the cross!

PEOPLE: We meet as a resurrection people, joyfully convened in the light of the cross.

LEADER: May that light illuminate our faith,

PEOPLE: Enabling us to see the way your love reveals itself in unlikely places and events,

LEADER: Allowing us to see how your power works to reclaim, restore and renew life,

PEOPLE: Permitting us to see hope even in times of dark despair.

ALL: Let us worship with bright, uplifted spirits and with glad hearts.

UNISON PRAYER OF INVOCATION Stevie Eveland

Giver of new life, we come this morning with our alleluias, our drums and daffodils, guitars and song. We come to worship in beauty and in truth because we have faith that Jesus Christ is raised from the dead, because we have hope that the resurrection will enter into each of our lives and transform them, and because, through Christ’s spirit, we have come to love one another. Accept our celebration, gracious God. Be present with us as a daystar, miracle, and mystery and as the tender hands of grace. All this we ask in the name of Jesus our risen Lord, who taught us to pray...

THE LORD'S PRAYER (using “debts”)

WORDS OF FELLOWSHIP Kat Fountain

SCRIPTURE LESSON George Thalheim

I Corinthians 15: 1-11

ANTHEM “Come, Ye Faithful” (text on insert) R. S. Thatcher

The Youth Choir
Carolyn Paulus, director
Mark Swicegood, accompanist

AN EASTER STORY “Philip” written by Harry Prichett, Jr.

told by Sarah Fountain, Emily LaCivita and Julie Olsson

ANTHEM “El Shaddai” (text on insert) Michael Card

The Senior Pilgrim Fellowship

SCRIPTURE LESSON Jay Anderson

Mark 16: 1-8

PASTORAL PRAYER Jahn Sood

RESPONSE “Alleluia #1” Donald Fuhel

EASTER MEDITATION

“Good News” Sally Colegrove

ANTHEM “Tasks” (on insert) Brent Stansfield

The Senior Pilgrim Fellowship

HYMN “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today” (on insert) EASTER HYMN

BENEDICTION Tim Garlid

RESPONSE “Finale” from Godspell Stephen Schwartz

POSTLUDE Songs from Honduras

The Instrumentalists
Tom Oppedisano, Tenor

At the conclusion of the service this morning, you will receive a daffodil, a symbol of new life.
The daffodils for the East Sunrise Service are given in loving memory of
Kay Davidson.

The members of the Youth Program who have worked on this service include:
Rick Woodman, Joe McBride, Sally Colegrove, Bill Bausch, David Provoost, Juliana Pugliese, Emily LaCivita, Lucy Hoffman, Ginny Breismeister, Dylan Rose, Tom Hoffman, Tim Garlid, Kate Phyfe, Anna Briggs, Katharine Fountain, Meredith McLennan, Brad Craig, Tom Oppedisano, Aaron Sinay, jay Anderson, Jennifer Lang, Libby Craig, Daniel Shanks, Carolyn Paulus, Tim Mahoney, Jack Davison, Amy Videtto, T. J. Lepoutre, George Thalheim, Jahn Sood, Stevie Eveland, Betsy Kreuter, Charlee Tufts, Sarah Fountain, Griffin Sandberg, Will Bonnell, Yo Yo Zhang, Susie Craig, Peter Bonnell, Lisa Phyfe, Kate Bonnell and other members of the Senior Pilgrim Fellowship the Youth Choir and the 2003 Confirmation Class of The First Congregational Church of Greenwich.

The Instrumentalist this morning are:
Jan Sood, guitar
David Provoost, bass
Jack Davidson, percussion
Mark Swicegood, keyboards
Will Bonnell, keyboards

A reminder of the TWO FESTIVAL WORSHIP SERVICES being held
later this morning in the First Church Meetinghouse,
108 Sound Beach Avenue, Old Greenwich:
9:15 AM – Rev. Susan M. Craig, “Alleluia, Then and Now”
11 AM ~ Dr. Thomas L. Stiers, “From Darkness to Light”

THE YOUNG PEOPLE WISH TO THANK many of their friends for help with this service:

• The Senior Pilgrim Fellowship Task Force, its chairperson, Ginny Breismeister, and our parents for their continued support;

• The staff of The First Congregational Church of Greenwich, especially George Handley, Donna White and Mark Swicegood; and our custodians and Joe McBride for moving all of our equipment.

• and the Department of Parks and Recreation of the Town of Greenwich, for permission to use Greenwich Point.

This Sunrise Service is sponsored and supported by The First Congregational Church of Greenwich, United Church of Christ, and has been a project of the Senior Pilgrim Fellowship of this church
for over 60 years.

ANTHEM TEXTS

COME, YE FAITHFUL

Come, ye faithful, raise the strain
Of triumphant gladness;
God hath brought His Israel
Into joy from sadness;
‘Tis the Spring of Souls today,
Christ hath burst His prison,
And from three days sleep in death
As a Sun hath risen.

Now the Queen of seasons,
Bright with the day of splendor,
With the royal feasts of feasts,
Comes its joy to render;
Comes to glad Jerusalem,
Who with true affection
Welcomes in unwearied strains
Jesus’ Resurrection.

Neither might the gates of death,
Nor the tomb’s dark portal,
Nor the watchers, nor the seal,
Hold Thee as a mortal;
But today amidst the twelve
Thou didst stand, bestowing
That Thy peace which evermore
Passeth human knowing.


EL SHADDAI*

El Shaddai, El Shaddai
El Elyon na Adonai.
Age to age You’re still the same
By the power of the name.
El Shaddai, El Shaddai
Erkahm ka na Adonai.
We will praise and lift You high
El Shaddai.

Through Your love and through the ram
You saved the son of Abraham,
Through the power of Your hand
You turned the sea into dry land,
To the outcast on her knees
You were the God who really sees,
And by Your might You set
Your children free.

Through the years You made it clear
That the time of Christ was near,
Though the people couldn’t see
What Messiah ought to be.
Though Your word contained the plan.
They just could not understand
Your most awesome work was done
In the frailty of Your son.

El Shaddai, El Shaddai
El Elyon na Adonai.
Age to age You’re still the same
By the power of the name.
El Shaddai, El Shaddai
Erkahm ka na Adonai.
I will praise You till I die
El Shaddai.

*El Shaddai - God Almighty; El Elyon -- the Most High God;
na Adonai -- O Lord; Erkahm ka -- we will love You.


ALLELUIA #1
Alleluia, alleluia, give thanks to the risen Lord.
Alleluia, alleluia, give praise to his Name.

Jesus is Lord of all the earth.
He is the King of creation.
refrain

Spread the good news o’er all the earth.
Jesus has died and has risen.
refrain

TASKS

Jesus we have a song to sing, in praise of your name
And we’ll sing it to anyone who will hear it.
Jesus we have a message to bring, one that we must proclaim.
Tell the news to anyone who will listen.

Refrain:
This is our goal, this is our task,
We won’t hide it behind a mask,
We won’t try to turn our backs on what you’ve taught us.
This is our life, this is our time,
We’ve got to go and cross the line,
We’ve got to say what’s on our minds
Cause these are our tasks, these are our tasks.

People, we’ve got something to say
We hope you’ll want to hear.
It’s the story about a young man who came to die.
People, we’ve got a savior to bring to you
Even though he was always there.
Came to earth with good news, love and lots of care.
Refrain

People, he had a promise to bring
And new life for us all.
Now death where is thy sting?
He is risen.
People, we have nothing to fear.
He has triumphed o’er the grave.
Love lives in us always, just as he told us.

This was his life, this was his task,
He was the first, he was the last,
He never tried to turn his back on the message he brought us.
He is our joy, he is our song,
An innocent man who did no wrong,
He died and rose to make us strong
Cause this was his task.
Refrain.

HYMN TEXTS

MORNING HAS BROKEN

Morning has broken like the first morning,
Blackbird has spoken like the first bird.
Praise for the singing! Praise for the morning!
Praise for them, springing fresh from the Word!

Sweet the rain’s new fall sunlit from heaven,
Like the first dewfall on the first grass.
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden,
Sprung in completeness where His feet pass.

Mine is the sunlight! Mine is the morning
Born of the one light Eden saw play!
Praise with elation, praise every morning,
God’s recreation of the new day!


CHRIST THE LORD IS RISEN TODAY

Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Mortal tongues and angels say: Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, glad heavens, and earth reply: Alleluia!

Let the Victor’s people sing, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now your sting? Alleluia!
Dying once, Christ lives to save, Alleluia!
Where your victory, O grave? Alleluia!

Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids Christ rise, Alleluia!
God has opened paradise, Alleluia!

Soar we now here Christ has led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Christ, like Christ we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

First Congregational Church of Greenwich
108 Sound Beach Avenue, Old Greenwich, Connecticut 203.637.1791
Ministers:The Members of The First Congregational Church of Greenwich
Senior Pastor:Thomas L. Stiers
Senior Associate Pastor: Sally Colegrove
Associate Pastor: Susan M. Craig
Director of Middle School Ministries: Aaron J. Sinay
Director of Music/ Senior Organist: John Stansell
Associate Organist/Director: Mark Swicegood
Director of Medical Services, AIEH in Honduras: Dr. Reniery España