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Spring Sermon Series

The Easter season lasts from Easter sunday until Pentecost on June 9. This season we will feature a series called “Reconcile: How Christ can reconcile humanity’s deepest divisions.”

On Easter, we celebrate that Christ is Risen? To be faithful however, we must examine what that means. For our faith to be more than simply an intelectual endeavor, we must be willing to ask, “So what?”

The “So What?” of Easter is this: Reconciliation. Paul reminded us that all who follow Christ must be a part of sharing the “message of reconciliation.” For seven weeks we will examine how Christ can reconcile some of the deepest divisions that we humans have created.

As usual, there will be a Bible study to accompany this series. Each on Monday the small group will meet to discuss the upcoming Sunday’s topic and Bible passage.

April 28 – How it all started, Genesis 11:1-9

May 5 – Family of Many Colors, The barrier of race. Number 12:1-15

May 12 – Truth will make us free, The barrier of gender. John 4:1-30, 39-42

May 19  – There’s nothing to prevent you, The barrier of sexual orientation. Acts 8:26-40

May 26 – Living on the Margins, The barrier of age. Acts 20:7-12

June 2 – Another plate at the table, The barrier of class. 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

June 9 – Pentecost, a Celebration of Diversity, Acts 2

 

 

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Blue Christmas

Christmas is a season of good cheer, but for some it can mean a time of sharpened pain. Christmas can bring anxiety, stress, and deeper sense of loss. The Blue Christmas service on Wednesday, December 21 at 6:00 p.m. is a chance a time to speak this truth about Christmas. It is okay to be hurting at Christmas. This doesn’t mean you are less faithful. It doesn’t meant that there is something wrong with you. It doesn’t mean that you are a “Scrooge.” It just means that you are human.

The Blue Christmas service will be a short time of quiet reflection, prayer, and contemplation. There will be a song of lamentation – or complaint. There will be a time of quiet prayer. There will be a chance to speak publicly to the pain of the season – but this is certainly not required. There will also be a short ritual of transformation and an invitation to Christ’s table.

Click below to see Pastor Robb on Paula Sands Live for last year’s service.

http://kwqc.com/2016/12/08/blue-christmas/

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Beatles Sunday


Beatles Sunday

 

On July 23, Two Rivers United Methodist Church will present a special day of worship featuring music from The Beatles. Members of the Quad Cities’ own “Generations Band” will help lead the church in worship with classic Beatles songs such as “Help,” and “All You Need is Love.” The service will be built much like a regular worship service, but all the music will be provided by the band in an acoustic style. Pastor Robb McCoy, a long time Beatles fan, will share a message of love, hope, and peace.

The day will be a fun time of worship, and is a great chance to invite people to experience a new kind of worship service. According to Pastor Robb, “This is further evidence that we are willing to have a little fun, and try something new in worship.” The service will begin at 9:30 as usual, and people are encouraged to invite others to this special experience.

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Summer sermon series

TRANSFORMED (1)

 

The next sermon series will examine different stories in the Bible about transformation. The very first story of the Bible is one of God transforming chaos into order. The rest of the Bible is full of stories of God doing work in people, transforming them for God’s purposes. All are called to be transformed by the Spirit of love and grace.

June 18 – From Isolation to Community — Romans 12:1-18

June 25 – From Separation to Reconciliation—2 Corinthians 5:13-20

July 2 – From Hidden to Leader – Esther 4

July 9 – From Persecutor to Champion—Acts 9:1-19 

 

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After Easter

RISEN flyer

The Easter season is a seven-week celebration of the Risen Christ. For this season, Two Rivers UMC will celebrate a new series called, “Risen.” Providing a strike contrast from the seven weeks of Lent called “Forsaken,” this new series will take a closer look at the stories of Jesus after the Resurrection.

April 23 – Sending – Matthew 28:16-20

April 30 – Empowering – John 20:19-31

May 7 – Fishing – John 21:1-14

May 14 – Forgiving (and Restoring) – John 21:15-19

May 21 – Teaching (and Revealing) – Luke 24:13-35

May 28 – Promising – Luke 24:44-53

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Lent

Lent Series

Lent is a time of preparation leading up to Easter. It is a chance to focus on the life, ministry, and sacrifice of Jesus. Tradition has churches wait until the last week before Easter to examine the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus. Often, this means that congregations rush through some of the most important stories about Jesus.  This year, Two Rivers will use this seven-week period of Lent to take a closer look at the last days of Jesus. This series, entitled “Forsaken,” will walk through the last few chapters of the Gospel of Matthew. Starting with the Last Supper on March 5, we will examine who Jesus was betrayed, denied, disappointed, abandoned, sentenced, and finally executed.