West Tokyo Union Church Weekly - Sunday, April 10, 2016 worship

Pastor:  Rev. Teresa Thompson Sherrill     wtucrev@gmail.com

April 10th – 9:30 AM – Multigenerational (in the cafeteria) and Adult (in the Sack`s living room) Sunday School

11:00 AM Worship Service – Covenant Players will bring dramatic plays as the sermon and parts of the liturgy. The Gospel for this Sunday is John 21:1-19. Youth and friends will lead the congregation in worship music. Please enjoy Fujiko Nielson`s Easter Season art installation. Our special Easter offering for Second Harvest Japan will be taken for those who have not yet had a chance to give. Our delightful robust fellowship time will be after the service.

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Sisters and brothers,

If you lift your net and it is empty,

Come here!

We’ll cast it out again into Christ’s abundance.

If you open your eyes but do not recognize the Holy One,

Come here!

We’ll find the Risen Christ here among us.

If your life is filled with mourning,

Come here!

Christ is leading a dance of joy.

Come here, sisters and brothers!

To give blessing and honor and glory to God!

~ Rev. Quentin Chin. http://uccfiles.com/pdf/FeedmySheepEaster3April14.pdf

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about the special Easter offering if you have not yet had an opportunity to give – Second Harvest Japan – Charles McJilton as director of Second Harvest Japan  shares about Japan`s first food bank. “We receive donations from manufacturers, retailers, farmers and individuals and then distribute them to those in need. All of the food that we handle is unexpired and safe for consumption. We give this food a second life by distributing it to welfare agencies, orphanages, women shelters, people without homes, and those in need. Second Harvest Japan aims to create a Food Safety Net in Japan. In order to do so, we deliver food to children’s homes, single-mother shelters, centers for the disabled, as well as many other welfare organizations and individuals in need. In order to deliver enough food to those who lack food security, 2HJ cooperates with food manufacturers and other companies, and hopes to use food to create new partnerships between corporations and the community. In our first year of incorporation, we delivered 30 tons of food. Since 2002, we have delivered over 12,000 tons valued at over Â¥5 billion yen. Your support of Second Harvest Japan helps us achieve our motto, ‘Food for all People’.

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Upcoming Preaching Ministry and Community Events

April 10 – Multigenerational and Adult Sunday Schools, Covenant Players in worship, Youth and Friends leading worship.

April 17 – Pastor Teresa preaching, Communion will be served.

April 24 – Multigenerational and Adult Sunday Schools, Hiro Morikawa preaching, Organ: Kazuko Sacon.

May 1 – Rev. Christian Zebley preaching, Communion will be served. Organ: Kazuko Sacon.

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Looking for mentors for our wonderful confirmands

This church year Aidan, Anna Z, Emma, Kai, Karen, Ken, Matai, Sophia and Tristan have been meeting monthly to prepare for confirmation on Pentecost, May 15th. They will be preparing their “creed” to read during the service. WTUC matches up a mentor with a confirmand to continue their journey of spiritual formation and growth. If you would like to be one of these grand kids mentors, please let Pastor Teresa know. Thank you for your prayerful consideration.

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Little Kidz: Please go with Sara to learn about Easter.

ES/MS Youth: Sun. April 24th  5:30-7pm. @ ASIJ for Pool fun, Devotion activity and Pizza!

Confirmation Class: Working on their “creeds” that they will share at Pentecost.

HS Youth: Still gathering usable cloth to continue with quilting projects.

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MULTIGENERATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL!! ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL!! 

We have Multigenerational Sunday School from 9:30AM in the cafeteria the second and fourth Sundays of the month. Who is welcome? All ages. We will be creating, discussing, playing games, acting out bible stories and more. At the same time, the Sacks host the Adult Sunday School, also at 9:30AM in their living room. The method used is the, “Swedish Bible study  method,” interacting with the texts for the service through our own life experiences. Their home is right across the Lutheran Campus from our sanctuary. Best coffee in town = ) Come and enjoy! (At times Adult Sunday School is held in the Upper Room, hosted by Dr. Toshi Sasao, on the 2nd floor above the Sanctuary.) All are welcome. Need more information, contact wtucrev@gmail.com any time = ) Next Sunday Schools – April 10th and 24th! All friends invited!

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WTUC  Announcements:  *Questions or concerns?  Feel free to email wtucrev@gmail.com anytime *Please enjoy and refer our website https://wtuc.net/ and FB page (West Tokyo Union Church) to others. Please make any suggestions for additions to the Pastor Teresa and/or Steering Committee. If you’d like to be added to the WTUC church email list, are interested in baptism or membership, please contact Pastor Teresa *If interested in joining the WTUC Prayer Chain, let Pastor Teresa or Prayer Chain Coordinator, Kayo Ozawa, know of your interest. Please submit prayers to wtucrev@gmail.com or Kayo. *Sign up for snacks for fellowship time with Ann or Jill. We appreciate your contributions to our community life!

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Text for the sermon – John 21:1-19 (NRSV)

Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples

21 After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. 2 Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin,[a] Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

4 Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards[b] off.

9 When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Jesus and Peter

15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” 19 (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”