We are glad that you are here this morning. We hope this time of worship nurtures
your faith enlivens your spirit and engages your mind as we celebrate God’s
love and healing for the world with the resurrection of Christ, our Risen Lord.

Before you begin, remember to download and print the 05.07.23 – Bulletin

Then grab your Bible, a cup of tea, or coffee, and prepare your heart for worship.

If this is your first Sunday with us, welcome! We’re glad you choose to worship with us.
Please take a moment to fill out the online Friendship Form and let us know.

We’d love to know if you joined us. Please take a moment to fill out the Friendship Form found below.

READ THE SERMON

May 7, 2023  | 5th Sunday of Easter

Pastor Denise Clark-Jones

“TBA”

As with all the scripture readings for the Easter season, today’s texts examine life in light of the resurrection. What does it mean to be a Christian community? For the early Christians, persecution challenged their faith. The psalmist speaks of suffering, either the threat of death or persecution by his enemies, and protests his innocence. He testifies that God heard his pleas and rescued him. Addressing the congregation, he praises God and invites others to trust in God’s steadfast love. The tragic tale of Stephen’s stoning is the subject of our reading from Acts. As the first Christian martyr, Stephen follows in the way of Christ as he prays for the forgiveness of those who are stoning him, just as Jesus prayed for the forgiveness of those who crucified him. Like Jesus, Stephen entrusted his spirit to God. The way of Jesus for his disciples, in view of his crucifixion and resurrection, was and continues to be, the way of forgiveness. In John’s gospel, Jesus identifies himself as the way, the truth, and the life, and he invites his disciples to join in his life. In our epistle reading from 1 Peter, the author speaks of disciples as living stones who will be gathered and bound together for the building of a spiritual house—the Church.

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“As a newcomer to Westminster,  I’ve found it to be a most welcoming fellowship.  I look forward to going to services and events and find the warmth of the congregation to be most helpful to a newcomer to the entire area.  I find sermons challenging … music beautiful and well prepared … and a dignity in the worship that is all too lacking in most Protestant congregations.  Mix this with an open atmosphere where it is OK to question and still be seen as a good Christian, and I know I’ve found one important ‘home’ in Central Illinois.”