Good Friday & Easter Weekend
Dear Resurrection Family,
Today is Good Friday. As you read this, I hope you will join me in remembering the events of this day as Christ was crucified. I’ll tell you more about how you can do that below. Remembering these events and Christ’s final words makes Easter even more meaningful.
One up front announcement – if you attend Leawood, don’t forget this weekend there will be no Sunday night worship. We’ll hold our first Easter service Saturday at 5 pm, then on Sunday at 7, 9 and 11 am. I mention this as there was an ad in the Kansas City Star that was incorrect. We’ll also have a 10 am televised service on KSHB and a 6 am televised service on KMCI this weekend in addition to our regular 8 and 11 am services on KMCI.
My Easter message is called, “The Crucified and Resurrected Life.” We’ll look at Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. Then we’ll see how we each experience our own crucifixion moments – moments when life is painful, darkness seems to prevail, moments of unjust suffering or crushing grief. But, just as we experience crucifixion, we can also experience the resurrection. We can see the stone rolled away, we experience victory over pain, and triumph over tragedy by our faith in Christ. I’ll share with you inspiring stories of people in our congregation who have lived the crucified and resurrected life. It will be a message of hope – that the worst thing is never the last thing.
If you haven’t been to worship in a while, come back this Easter. We’ll have beautiful services online and on television, but if you are in Kansas City and physically able, I hope you’ll consider worshipping in person at one of our five locations. If you’re outside of the metro or not able join us in person, join us online or on television. At all of our services, we’ll have inspiring music and a message of hope. It’s going to be awesome! Here are all the times and locations:
Saturday, April 16 at 5 PM (Modern in the Sanctuary)
Sunday, April 17 at 7 AM, 9 AM, 11 AM (Traditional in the Sanctuary)
and simultaneous 9 AM and 11 AM (Modern in the Foundry)
Saturday, April 16 at 5 PM
Sunday, April 17 at 7:30 AM, 9 AM, 11 AM
Resurrection Downtown
Saturday, April 16 at 5 PM
Sunday, April 17 at 7 AM, 9 AM, 11 AM
Resurrection Blue Springs
Sunday, April 17 at 9 AM, 11 AM
Resurrection Overland Park
Sunday, April 17 at 7:30 AM, 9 AM, 11 AM
Resurrection Online at cor.org/live
Saturday, April 16 at 5 PM (Modern or Traditional)
Sunday, April 17 at 7:30 AM, 9 AM, 11 AM (Modern or Traditional)
Resurrection on Television
KSHB Channel 41, Sunday, April 17 at 10 AM
KMCI Channel 38, Sunday, April 17 at 6 AM, 8 AM, 11 AM
On demand on our YouTube Channel
Streamed to your smart TV on Apple TV, ROKU, Amazon Fire, or Google TV.
(Search for “Resurrection Online” and look for our cross-and-flame logo on a bright blue background.)
INVITE SOMEONE TO EASTER TODAY!
I’d like to ask you to try something today: I’d love you to be God’s messenger – God’s angel – inviting others to know that Christ is risen. This is the one Sunday a year when many of your friends who don’t go to church would consider going – and they would consider attending Resurrection precisely because you asked. We have tools to help you invite them. If you have a friend who isn’t involved in church, I encourage you to invite them to join you for worship this Easter. You can send them the link to our 60-second TV spot, and you can share the spot on your social media. Here’s an easy way to do it: Just click on this link to go to the video on YouTube and then click “Share” to email your friends or post on social media.
HELP WELCOME GUESTS THIS WEEKEND!
As we look forward to more people returning to in-person worship this Easter, volunteers are needed at all locations to serve in worship and KiDSCOR. Just select your location, service time and position to serve.
Volunteer to serve at Easter worship →
FIVE WAYS TO EXPERIENCE GOOD FRIDAY TODAY
Pause and Remember the Final Words of Jesus on the Cross. I do this every Good Friday. I’ll list them at the conclusion of this e-mail. Use these as a basis for praying throughout the day.
Stop, Drop and Pray Experience at 3 pm CT. Stop wherever you are, drop whatever you are doing, and pause to pray. We’ll be praying together as one church, at one time, at the very moment that Christ died for us, redeeming the world. Use this link to download a guide to use during your prayer time.
Fast Lunch Today to Recall and, Symbolically, Participate in Christ’s Suffering.
Walk and pray outdoors at our Leawood, Overland Park, or West locations. The Leawood Prayer Walk has stations representing various parts of Jesus’ life and the distance is approximately the distance Jesus walked to the cross in Jerusalem that first Good Friday. Click here for the Leawood Prayer Walk details and guide you can load on your phone. The Resurrection West Prayer Walk takes you through the Stations of the Cross. Click here for the West details and guide. Overland Park and Leawood both have sacred spaces for prayer in their Memorial Gardens.
Good Friday Tenebrae Worship Services at 7 pm CT at all five locations and cor.org/live. We’ll remember Jesus’ final hours as the light is gradually extinguished to represent the darkness before we look to the hope, light and celebration of Easter. This will be a powerful service of worship as we mark Good Friday and the wondrous love of Christ, and remember his final words.
HELP ME PREPARE FOR A SERMON SERIES ON RELATIONSHIPS
I’m excited about a new sermon series we’ll begin in May: “5 Keys to Relationships that Last.” If you are single, divorced, married, widowed or in a committed relationship (I think that should be everyone!), I’d love to have your input as I prepare. We’ve put together a survey that’s similar to one we did in 2017. It will be interesting to see if things have changed over the past five years. We’ll be asking everyone worshipping with us this Easter to take the survey, but you can be the first and complete it now. Here’s the survey link. Plan to join us for the series in May to see the results!
SERVE SATURDAY APRIL 16
You can begin your Easter weekend by joining us for family-friendly serving opportunities in the community on Saturday. Here’s the link to current serve opportunities. Just select where you would like to serve and sign up. One of the projects that still needs volunteers is building beds for refugees.
Also, throughout this month we are collecting disposable diapers and feminine hygiene products. We do ask that you wait until after Easter to bring these items to worship with you, but you can drop off donations on Saturday between 9 and 11 am at our Overland Park, Downtown and West locations.
LARA MORITZ TO SPEAK AT RESURRECTION RECOVERY APRIL 21
Lara Moritz, KMBC Channel 9 reporter and anchor, will share her personal story at Resurrection Recovery on Thursday, April 21, at 6 pm in the Leawood Foundry. Her testimony will be online as well as streamed to the Recovery programs at all locations that evening. Lara’s deep faith in Jesus Christ has guided her through many personal challenges including a life of sobriety since February 23, 2011. All are welcome to come at 5:30 pm for pizza and fellowship in the Leawood Foundry, followed by Lara’s testimony at 6 pm.
Resurrection Recovery groups meet on Thursday nights and welcome anyone who has been affected by substance, drug or alcohol abuse or addictions of any kind.
Learn more about Recovery and Support Groups →
VIRTUAL ESTATE PLANNING SEMINAR APRIL 23
The Church of the Resurrection Foundation will host an online Estate Planning Seminar on Saturday, April 23 from 9:30 – 11:30 am. Local estate planning attorneys will present helpful information to prepare you to take the next step with your professional advisor. Everyone is welcome, as the information presented will be relevant to all ages and life stages. Register here for this free seminar by Thursday, April 21. On Friday, April 22 you will receive an email containing the event handouts and a unique link to join this informative seminar.
JOIN ME TUESDAY NIGHT FOR VESPERS
Join me this coming Tuesday at 7:30 pm CT on Facebook Live, on my Facebook page: Pastor Adam Hamilton on Facebook for Tuesday Vespers. I’ll be coming to you from the Lake and will share some of the things I’d never seen before in Luke’s account of Easter, but which I didn’t have space to include in the sermon. You’ll also be able to view it on my Facebook page or on the Vespers YouTube page after Tuesday night
I am so looking forward to celebrating Easter with you!
Adam
P.S.
PAUSE TODAY AND REMEMBER JESUS’ FINAL WORD FROM THE CROSS:
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Ps. 22:1)
[To his mother and to John] “Dear woman, behold your son.” “Behold your mother.”
“Father forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.”
[In response to the thief who said, “Jesus remember me when yo come into your kingdom”] “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
“I thirst.”
“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Ps 31:5)
“It is finished.”
STOP, DROP AND PRAY AT 3 PM
Set your alarm for 3 pm to stop where you are, drop what you are doing, and pray as we remember Christ’s death. Here’s the link to the prayer guide.
Adam Hamilton
Resurrection Senior Pastor
Reverend Adam Hamilton is the senior pastor of Church of the Resurrection and the author of 22 books. He has been married to LaVon since 1982, and she has been a critical partner in every dimension of Adam’s work. They have two daughters and one granddaughter.
Adam’s writings are known for helping readers make sense of challenging theological questions, exploring the significance of the biblical stories, and equipping Christian leaders to be more effective in their work. He earned his MDiv from Perkins School of Theology and graduated with honors from Oral Roberts University with a degree in Pastoral Ministry.
