METROPOLITAN

INTERDENOMINATIONAL CHURCH

CELEBRATING 35 YEARS OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

SUNDAY, April 24, 2016

FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

PREPARATION

The Pastor’s entrance and the beginning of the musical prelude

are the calls to silent, personal preparation for the worship of God.

THE GATHERING

We are standing on Holy ground, And I know that there are angels all around.

Let us praise Jesus now, We are standing in God’s presence on Holy ground.

LITANY

Leader: Behold, our God is Alpha:

People: The Beginning, the Genesis, the End of the Old, the Start of the New:

Let our God be praised!

Leader: Behold, our God is Birth:

People: The Womb, the Labor, the First Breath taken, the Cry of New Lungs:

Let our God be glorified!

Leader: Behold, our God is Youth:

People: The Test, the Growing, the Desire for Freedom, the Need for

Restraint: Let our God be praised!

Leader: Behold, our God is Age:

People: The Walk, the Changing, the Wisdom of the Past, the Hope for the

Future: Let our God be glorified!

Leader: Behold, our God is Death:

People: The Letting Go, the Brilliant Light, the Departure from One World,

the Destination of the Next: Let our god be praised!

Leader: Behold, our God is Omega:

People: The End, the Revelation, the Beginning of the New, the Finish of the

Old: Let our God be glorified!

OPENING HYMN “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”

Joyful, joyful, we adore thee, God of glory, Lord of love;

Hearts unfold like flowers before thee, Opening to the sun above.

Melt the clouds of sin and sadness, Drive the dark of doubt away;

Giver of immortal gladness, Fill us with the light of day.

All thy works with joy surround thee, Earth and heaven reflect thy rays,

Stars and angels sing around thee, Center of unbroken praise.

Field and forest, vale and mountain, Flowery meadow, flashing sea,

Chanting bird and flowing fountain, Call us to rejoice in thee.

Thou art giving and forgiving, Ever blessing, ever blest,

Wellspring of the joy of living, Ocean depth of happy rest!

Thou our Father, Christ our Brother, All who live in love are thine;

Teach us how to love each other, Lift us to the joy divine.

Mortals, join the happy chorus Which the morning stars began;

Father love is reigning o’er us, Brother love binds man to man.

Ever singing, march we onward, Victors in the midst of strife,

Joyful music leads us sunward In the triumph song of life. Amen.

SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM Joya Lee Burrell

WELCOME – Visitors standing

If you are here for the first time, we are delighted that you came. If you are dropping in for a second or third visit, we are glad you found something you were looking for. We hope you will be challenged by our worship and that you will come back again. If you are looking for a faith community, we would welcome you as a part of our church family. When you are officially welcomed as a visitor, you will receive a Visitor’s Information Card. Please fill it out, and return it to the Pastor, or place it in the offering plate. WELCOME!

CONCERNS OF CHURCH AND CITY D. Billye Sanders

OFFERTORY “For all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You.” 1 Chronicles 29:14

Your tithes and gifts help us: Pay the mortgage, utilities (heat, air, water, and telephone), maintenance, and security for the Metropolitan

Meeting House, Provide free pastoral counseling (spiritual, marital, grief, etc.) services to members of our congregation, Fund the programs of the First Response Center, where we serve more than 700 people living with HIV/AIDS,

and other at-risk persons, Pay for the personnel and operating costs of our ministries, Provide educational materials and resources to assist in the spiritual growth and development of our

community, Maintain meeting space for our ministries, including Girl Scouts, various recovery/support groups, and many

other community events, Fund our annual Anniversary and Homecoming celebrations, and Give emergency assistance to members of the congregation and the community through our benevolence

fund. Every gift of your time, talent and treasure makes a vital difference in

the life and ministries of Metropolitan Interdenominational Church. Thank you.

SONGS OF PRAISE The Voices of Metropolitan

Reginald Green, Minister of Music

DOXOLOGY Praise God from whom all blessings flow,

Praise God all creatures here below Praise God above ye heavenly host: Creator, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.

PROCLAMATION

THE WORD John 13:31-35

CHORAL RESPONSE Harry Emerson Fosdick

Grant us wisdom, Grant us courage,

For the living of these days, For the living of these days.

PREPARATORY PERIOD

MESSAGE THE SENIOR SERVANT

HOW’S YOUR LOVE LIFE? 31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been

glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has been glorified in

him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33 Little

children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said

to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 I give

you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you,

you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are

my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:31-35

SERMON NOTES

RESPONSE Please do not leave the sanctuary or in any other manner create a distraction

during the invitational period. This is a moment of unparalleled importance.

MOMENTS OF REFLECTION Voices of Metropolitan

INVITATION TO LIFE IN CHRIST

This church will welcome into its membership any persons who love and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and who promise to live according to His Laws of Love,

recognizing all people as brothers and sisters for whom He gave His life.

THE LORD’S SUPPER Communion Prayer

We do not presume to come to this, Thy table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in Thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs from under Thy table. But Thou art the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy. Grant us, therefore, gracious Lord, so to partake of this sacrament of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, that we may walk in newness of life and grow to reflect Thy Spirit in all things forevermore. Amen.

(We will eat and drink together after all have been served.)

FELLOWSHIP CIRCLE We’ve come too far to turn back now;

By the grace of God we’re gonna make it somehow.

Nobody knows the trouble we’ve seen; We’ve come too far to turn back now.

HE PRAYED FOR HIS FRIENDS In the final chapters in the Book of Job there appears a very searching sentence introduced

into the drama by the author. The sentence: God turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his

friends. He is suggesting that God was unable to find a resting place in the heart, in the life of Job,

until he, Job, altered fundamentally his attitude toward his friends. There seems to be a special

rancor reserved for friends when disaffection arises.

It seems simple, sometimes, to deal charitably with those who may be regarded as enemies.

There is something rather flattering and condescending about extending grace to one who is

beyond the pale. To pray for one’s enemies can be a very superior role. But to pray for one’s friends—

that is another matter. Always there is the implication that one’s friends should know better than to

behave as they have done. It is hard to forgive one’s friends for error in relationships, because each

error is regarded as betrayal.

Job’s experience is instructive. …

(From “Concerning the Disciplines of the Spirit,” For the Inward Journey, pp. 90-91) Howard Thurman

METROPOLITAN INTERDENOMINATIONAL CHURCH 2128 11th Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37208

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 280779, Nashville, TN 37228 Phone: (615) 72METRO (726-3876) Fax: (615) 259-9210 website: www.micwhosoever.org

Rev. Edwin C. Sanders, II, The Senior Servant Pastoral Staff: Rev. John Cross, Rev. Marcella Lockhart, Rev. Clifford Smith,

Rev. Christopher Davis, Rev. Terry Terrell, Rev. Mary Jo Smiley,

Rev. Regina McCrary, Rev. Neely Williams, Rev. Stephanie Thompson,

Rev. Cherie Booker, Rev. Christopher Goodwin

UPCOMING EVENTS MIDWEEK FELLOWSHIP: Wednesday, April 27, 2016 at 6:00 p.m.

Dinner by Circle 6; Bible Study 7:00 – 8:00, Classes for Adults and Children

Financial Freedom/Entrepreneurship Seminar Series meets Saturday mornings,

9:00–11:00, at the First Response Center, 1219 9th Avenue North, Nashville 37208 Call: 615-321-9791

REACH 2020 Nashville – Mobile Market: Fresh Fruit & Vegetables

Fridays, 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. at MetroCenter Teachers’ Apartments (Teachers’ Tower)

May 7, 2016 — Ecclesiastical Council Meeting, 2:30 – 4:30 p.m.

METRO Scholars Recognition, Sunday morning, June 12, 2016

Registration forms are available on the board in the vestibule.

Please submit a completed a form for each scholar by June 5th.

Friday evening Dancercise, 7 pm // Voices of Metropolitan Rehearsal, Saturday, 12 – 2 pm

Saturday Evening Worship, 6 – 7 pm; Second Saturdays: The Voices of Metropolitan

Support Metropolitan while you shop. Register your Kroger Plus card with Kroger’s

Community Rewards program, and shop Amazon through Smile.Amazon.com

BIBLE READINGS

Read… Pray… Sacrifice… Sixth Sunday of Easter April 25 – May 1, 2016

Acts 16:9-15 Psalm 67 Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5 John 14:23-29

~ Giving Summary ~ Date Offering - Budgeted Offering - Actual Offering – (Un)Realized Summary (Un)Realized

January, 2016 $ 28,850.00 $ 21,668.00 ($ 7,182.00) ($ 7,182.00)

February, 2016 $ 23,080.00 $ 22,536.10 ($ 543.90) ($ 7,725.90)

March, 2016 $ 23,080.00 $ 27,527.23 $ 4,447.23 ($ 3,278.67)

April 3, 2016 $ 5,770.00 $ 5,403.00 ($ 367.00)

April 10, 2016 $ 5,770.00 $ 6,372.33 $ 557.33

April 10, 2016 $ 5,770.00 $ 7,112.00 $ 1,342.00

April, 2016 $ 17,310.00 $ 18,887.33 $ 1,577.33

2016 Year to Date $ 92,320.00 $ 90,618.66 ($ 1,701.34) ($ 1,701.34)

SICK, SHUT IN, and RECOVERING MEMBERS Leon McKinley Corder 1902 Elliott Avenue; Nashville, TN 37204-2004 Send prayers, not visitors, please. Ella Louise Gant 908 Cannon Street; Nashville, TN 37210 615-242-0226 Lynda Hodgers P.O. Box 54; Guys, TN 38339 662-579-5317

Evelyn Martin 3253 Spears Road; Nashville, TN 37207 615-227-0095

Connie Ryans 1703 Pecan Street; Nashville, TN 37208 615-310-7855

Rev. Mary Jo Smiley Rm #200, Creekside Rehab. Center, 306 West Due West Ave, Madison TN 37115

Ernestine Williams 2712 Vista Lane; Nashville, TN 37207 615-876-7057

Mary Grace Williams 293 Becklea Drive; Madison, TN 37115 615-868-6810

Emmilye Wilson-Walton P.O. Box 78795; Nashville, TN 37207 615-262-9375

MIDWEEK FELLOWSHIP MEAL SCHEDULE May 4 Circle 7 May 25 Circle 3

May 11 Circle 1 June 1 Circle 4

May 18 Circle 2 June 8 Circle 5

METROPOLITAN INTERDENOMINATIONAL CHURCH

CELEBRATING 35 YEARS OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

Sunday, April 24, 2016, 2016

FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

Metropolitan Interdenominational Church is a community of believers inclusive of all and alienating to none, leading the way to spiritual growth

by sharing God’s love with the world.

THE LAW “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.

Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” – John 13:34

THE LAW is generally looked upon with an eye of suspicion by people whose

lives have been framed by experiences of systematic oppression. THE LAW

becomes synonymous with “The Man,” which is a common way of referring to

those persons who think of themselves as being commissioned to maintain the

status quo as it relates to the marginalized. Thus, law enforcers and lawmakers

are seen as suspect by those who most desperately need justice. The

contradiction is glaring, but when you look at the “new commandment,” in

John 13:34-35, we get some insight into that which perpetuates the world’s

problem regarding THE LAW. The difference between man-made law and

Jesus’ pronouncement of God’s law is that God’s law is grounded in personally

demonstrated love. He is not giving us a law that he sees himself as being

above; Jesus is clearly talking about us doing what he has done. God’s laws of

love are at the heart of who we see ourselves being at Metropolitan as we

profess to be a radically inclusive congregation. When THE LAW is God’s law,

as Jesus manifested in the flesh, we can celebrate it as the writer does in Psalm 119: 1-16 and move beyond our reservations. We must come to a place in our

lives where the love we have for one another is the evidence of THE LAW.

(Reprinted from Sunday, April 28, 2013) -Senior Servant