Fifth Sunday of Easter
May 7, 2023

Sources of Information for Today's Online Service
This page has links to information used or encountered in preparing this online service.

Bethel Worship Planning Documents
2023 Monthly Worship Calendar
2023 RCL 2 page Summary
Bethel Weekly Worship Planning worksheet
2023 Annual Program Planning worksheet

Guidance from UMC Discipleship Ministries

Weekly Worship Planning Series
This is the Fifth service of a Worship Series from the Discipleship Ministries
for the 7 Sundays of the Easter Season.
The graphics at the top of this page list the topics for the services of the Series.

Note: This material from UDM is not the basis for today's message
but is provided here for your personal study and reflection.

Click here for suggestions about how to use this material.

Worship Series: "A Living Hope"
from umcdiscipleship.org
The Easter season is about living into the new reality of the resurrected Christ. The shocking news that death is not the end of the human story takes some reorientation to begin to understand the implications of such a profound truth. So, Eastertide is where we let this knowledge wash over us, and we begin, with joy, to embrace this new way of living. I Peter says it this way: “By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3 NRSV). This series allows us to explore this hope and to know it well enough to recognize it when we encounter it in our own communities. We paired the epistle texts with the psalm for each week to give us a flavor of both the understanding and the experience of hope. Join us for this journey into the new world of a living hope that is ours in the resurrection as we give thanks to God.

This Service's Theme: "Like Living Stones"
Liturgical Resources
“You are my rock.” How many songs can we sing about the rock of our faith? Lots, no doubt. So, sing them, but also bring a rock to hand out to everyone who gathers.
Worship Planning Notes
Preaching Notes

Lectionary Scriptures:
Psalm 31:1-5,15-16; Acts 7:55-60; 1 Peter 2:2-10; John 14:1-14
Suggested Hymns . Music Notes . DM Accompaniments

Sources of Music for the following hymns are:
- UMH CD.....UDM - DM Accompaniment..... MM/DD/YY - Recorded Service

Hymns Considered For this week:
164 - . Verses - "Come, My Way, My Truth, My Life"
546 - . Verses - "The Church's One Foundation"
559 - . Verses - "Christ is Made the Sure Foundation"
2220 - . Verses - "We Are God's People"