It May Be Friday, But Sunday’s Coming!

Dear Resurrection Family,

It’s EASTER weekend!!!

I am so excited about worship this weekend. My sermon title, borrowed from a host of pastors, largely in the African American tradition, is It May Be Friday, But Sunday’s Coming! (literally true as you read this!). Christ was crucified on Friday, and evil and darkness seemed to have the final word. We’ve all known our own Fridays. But Easter Sunday, in Christ’s resurrection, light and life, love and hope have the final word. We all need hope. Everyone you know needs hope. We can’t live without it.

Invite a friend, neighbor or family member to join us for worship. We’ll be on KMCI Channel 38 in Kansas City at 8, 11 am and 2 pm (click here to find where KMCI is on your local cable provider). This week, the TV service will be the traditional service and concludes with the Hallelujah Chorus. Online will include Modern and Traditional options at cor.org/live Saturday at 5 pm, Sunday at 7:30, 9, 11 am and 5 pm. You can also follow us on YouTube by clicking here. The services are on demand on YouTube starting Saturday night at 5 pm. Stream our worship to your smart TV via Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV or Google TV. To find our channel on those devices, just search for “Resurrection Online” and look for our cross and flame logo against a blue background.

We’re back open in person for Easter. To maintain a safe experience, we are only utilizing about 40% of our seats at each location, and we’re requiring a reservation system for in-person attendance. The 9 and 11 am services are full at most campuses, but there are currently plenty of openings at 7 am at each campus. It was early in the morning that the women went to the tomb and found it empty. If you want to experience a beautiful in-person Easter as these women did, “early in the morning,” click here to make a reservation for 7 am at the campus of your choice. Click here to reserve childcare for children 2 and under.

Wherever and whenever you choose to worship, it’s going to be an amazing weekend as we celebrate the resurrection. Be sure to let us know you are worshipping by registering your attendance at cor.org/next or by clicking here. And, while you’re at cor.org/next, check out the opportunities coming up in the next week.

It may be Friday, but Sunday’s coming!

Social Distancing During In-Person Worship

I want to remind you that if you are worshipping in person, please do not congregate in the lobby or aisles. Wear your mask, and make sure that you are maintaining 6 feet of distance between yourself and those not in your household. In our worship spaces, be respectful of other people’s space, spreading out through the entire Sanctuary, leaving 2-3 seats between parties and trying not to sit directly in front of or behind others.

This is an expression of love for your neighbor as we help maintain a safe experience for all.

Ways to Mark Good Friday – Christ’s Crucifixion

We have several powerful ways to help you commemorate and to walk with Jesus on this day when, nearly 2,000 years ago, Jesus was crucified.

Online On-Demand Tenebrae Service

Throughout the day today, there is a Tenebrae service in which Pastor Scott summarizes Mark’s gospel, with a particular focus on the events leading up to Good Friday. Then, with 15 minutes of music (mostly hymns), our musicians and vocalists, along with Pastor Cheryl Bell, walk us through the Seven Last Words of Jesus as they extinguish the candles. Filmed in the Resurrection Overland Park (former Valley View) original sanctuary, you can access this Tenebrae service by clicking here.

Outdoor Prayer Walks and Online Prayer Vigil

Join us during daylight hours at either Resurrection Leawood or Resurrection West for a prayer walk. The Leawood Prayer Walk and the West Prayer Trail are open during daylight hours. You can pick up a printed guide at the beginning of the walk or download the digital guides to follow as you spend time in prayer, remembering and reflecting on Jesus’ life through stations along the walk. We’ve just opened a new Station One at Leawood about remembering the baptism of Jesus (as we remember our own baptism).

You can also join a virtual Good Friday Prayer Vigil. Set aside time during the day, and go to the prayer website where you will find guided prayers for today.

A Word About Our Easter Offering

Each year Church of the Resurrection provides grants from our Easter Offering to organizations in the community that are providing hope to those in need. This year we have chosen to focus on mental health in response to the increasing demand for mental health services we are seeing throughout our community.

Through our Easter offering, we will help two wonderful organizations expand their capacity to serve those who struggling with mental health and their families. We will be providing grants to Kansas City Assessment and Triage Center in Jackson County, Missouri, for expanded transitional housing, and to Pathway to Hope in Johnson County, Kansas, for expansion of their Clubhouse, a day program for people struggling with mental health.

Variety of New Classes Launch After Easter

Learn more and sign up!

• “No Stupid Questions” – Wednesdays, 6:30 pm. Join Rev. Cheryl Jefferson Bell and other Resurrection staff members as we explore basic questions about race and bias in the scriptures, culture and our daily lives.
• “Let’s Show Up” – Wednesdays, 8:30 pm. Join your KiDSCOR Directors from all campuses along with Blake Thomas, Rev. Tiffany Baker and Pastor Anne & Eric Williams to talk about how we can show up for our families no matter what age or stage we’re in.
• “New Books, New Ideas” – Wednesdays, 6:30 pm. Join authors Dr. Judy Fentress-Williams, J. Christopher Collins and Matthew Sleeth as they speak about their newest books and inspire new theological ideas and practices.
• Meet Your Bible – Wednesdays, 9:30 am or Thursdays, 6:30 pm. Get an overview of every book in the Bible – the epic story of God’s saving work!

“Be the Bridge” Class explores Racial Reconciliation

As our church continues its pursuit of racial justice and inclusion, we invite you to sign up for “Be the Bridge,” an online class starting Sunday, April 11, from 3-4:30 pm. “Be the Bridge” is an 8-week journey led by local facilitators that will help you unpack the spiritual and systemic root causes of racial disparities, and equip you to become a bridge-builder for racial reconciliation.

We are especially looking for more men to join this class. To truly move racial justice and reconciliation forward we need all voices at the table, and yours is currently missing in our registrations. Learn more and register here.

VBC Registration Opens this Weekend

Registration for Vacation Bible Camp this summer or preschoolers – 5th graders opens on April 4!. When you sign up you’ll get an awesome kit and the opportunity to experience VBC in a number of ways from outdoor family events, to Zoom calls, to at-home activities and hopefully some in-person gatherings at a Resurrection campus. The cool thing is you’ll get to pick how your kids experience VBC this summer. If you are outside the KC area we will ship your kit to you! The link to learn more and register is at cor.org/VBC.

I’m looking forward to the Prayer Walk today as I walk with Jesus during his hours on the cross, and I’m so excited about Easter! Somehow this year has left me longing for this day when light triumphs over darkness.

It may be Friday, but Sunday’s coming!

Adam