Happening This Sunday

Who's Preaching Where on Sunday?

• Easter Vigil | 6 am in the Julia Garden & Church  – The Rev. Libby Garfield
• Traditional Services | 9 am & 11:15 am in the Church – The Rev. Dr. R. Leigh Spruill
• Awesome Worship Service for Families | 9:15 am in the Hall Life Center – The Rev. Sutton Lowe
• Modern Worship | 11:15 am in the Hall Life Center – The Rev. Reagan Cocke
• Easter Evening Service | 5 pm in the Chapel – The Rev. Reagan Cocke
  
  Note: There is no 8 am Chapel Service this week.

Worship Online

• Traditional Service in the Church (9 am - with Order of Service & Announcements)
• Modern Worship in the HLC (11:15 am - with Announcements)
  

All-Ages Education Hour — 
10:15 am Administration Building

There are no groups meeting or Sunday School this week. 

Children's Nursery

• Birth - age 2, Rm 104
• Age 3 - Kinder, Rms L8, L9
• Grades 1 - 3, Scout Rm
• Grades 4 & 5, L19 & L 20
  

Happening Today

Easter Vigil
Greet the dawn of Easter day at 6 am by lighting the Easter fire in the Julia Garden, and celebrating the Eucharist with choir, organ, brass, and timpani in the church.

Traditional Easter Service (9 am)
This traditional Easter service in the church features familiar readings, joyous choral anthems, and a sermon. Nursery and childcare are available. Following communion, the congregation stands for the St. John the Divine Chorale's triumphant rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus. An Easter egg hunt follows the service. This service is livestreamed.

Awesome Easter
Our Awesome Easter Worship at 9:15 am in the Hall Life Center is a special service designed for children through 3rd grade and their families. The music, led by the SJD Worship Band, is upbeat and fun with hand motions demonstrated by young people from the stage. An Easter egg hunt follows the service.

Traditional Easter Service (11:15 am)
This traditional Easter service in the church features familiar readings, joyous choral anthems, and a sermon. Nursery and childcare are available. Following communion, the congregation stands for the St. John the Divine Chorale's triumphant rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus.

Modern Easter Worship
Modern Easter worship is rooted in the Episcopal liturgy with modern music and hymns led by the SJD Worship Band at 11:15 am in the Hall Life Center. This service is livestreamed. All egg hunters are asked to come early for the 10:30 am Easter egg hunt.

Easter Evening Service
Gather in the Chapel at 5 pm on Easter evening for an intimate service in this sacred and special space. Hymns accompanied by the Chapel organ.

The Collect of the Day

Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord's resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Luke 24:1-12

24:1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” 8 And they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.

Musical Offering in the Church

Today we raise our voices together in glorious song as we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord, with grand music arranged for choir, organ, brass, and timpani. As is the tradition at St. John the Divine, our worship begins with the beloved hymn of praise “Crown him with many crowns.” The brass arrangement was commissioned for the re-consecration of the church in 2005 following a significant renovation which included the installation of the Letourneau organ and a much-improved acoustic. It was written by composer and organist Richard Webster who served many years as Director of Music at Trinity Church, Boston. Today we premier a Festive Fanfare commissioned specifically for this morning as an introduction to our singing of this hymn. It is written by the same composer “For John Meier and Steve Newberry” in celebration of the ministry of John Meier and Steve Newberry and their many Easter celebrations together as a team.

At the Offertory we hear a festive setting of Canticle 18, “A Song to the Lamb,” as set to music by Gerre Hancock in the 1970s when this canticle was first included in the “Services for Trial Use” which later was included as part of the Book of Common Prayer, 1979. A canticle is a hymn that is taken directly from scripture. “A Song to the Lamb” is from the Book of Revelation and speaks directly about Christ the Lamb that was slain for our redemption. This canticle is a song of praise and worship to Christ the Lamb who sits on the throne. The composer, Gerre Hancock (1934-2012), a native of Lubbock, Texas, made a substantial contribution to sacred music in America. He mentored several generations of church musicians and inspired many during his tenure as Director of Music at St. Thomas Church, NY and leader of the church’s renowned choir of Men and Boys.