Church guide

Visit the Thrift Shop at Park Place Church, 71 Park Place, Pawtucket. Wednesday and Saturday 8:30-12:30.

Some terrific mandolin music at the PMO concert tonight!

Music & Praise May 26th – 6 p.m. Featuring: Chancel Choir With Jane Bedia on Keyboard Come join us for a time of lively spiritually uplifting music and praise! Sing – A- long, clap your hands, join us, feel the moment! A free will offering will be taken. Refreshments and fellowship to follow downstairs. All are welcome!

Bible Study continues tonight! At 6 p.m. in the Hall downstairs! All are welcome! Please bring your Bible, paper and pen. All are welcome!

Dear friends, You probably thought the Easter Devotion was the final devotion for the Lenten season, and you would be correct. Today is just a few final thoughts about the journey we’ve taken. We serve an amazing God, who loves us and held nothing back to restore our relationship with him. God is far from dead. He is alive and watching over us, walking with us, listening to us, and speaking to us if we will only listen. God speaks to us through the lyrics of a song, through a pastor’s message, through our prayer time, through the words of a friend and through his word, the Bible. You know I’ve learned a valuable lesson as I’ve gotten older. When I was forty years old, I learned I couldn’t see close-up without glasses. So if I wanted to see, I better get my eyes tested and get some glasses, which I reluctantly did. Lately, when people speak to me, I find myself asking them to repeat themselves more than I did when I was younger. After a recent hearing exam, I’ve learned I may need to do something about that as well. God is speaking to each of us. Maybe there are times when you struggle to hear him, and you ask him to repeat himself. I’ve learned that listening to God doesn’t require a hearing aid, but it does require us to stop, be quiet, and focus. It’s amazing how taking time alone with God improves our ability to hear him. We tend to be impatient. We’re in such a rush today with so many demands on our lives that we sometimes leave God out. We ask for his help and then run off by ourselves. We ask him to listen, which he does, and then we get up and move onto our next assignment before waiting to hear his answer. I learned a long time ago, back when my job took me all over the country, flying from one city to another; back when my work day was 10-12 hours, and I was always on call; back when my daughters were younger and still in school – during those crazy years, I learned that time with God had to be deliberate. I had to make time for him. I had to make my time with him a priority; and not having enough time was not an acceptable excuse. As challenging as this may be to believe; setting aside that private time with God allowed me to accomplish everything without burning out. My private time became time reading God’s word, meditating on it and waiting for the Spirit to give me understanding. It meant quiet time in prayer. If you enjoyed this year’s devotions – if you read the Bible and scratch your head searching for understanding – if you would like to learn more, please consider joining our Bible Study. The devotions were designed to provide an introduction to our next Bible Study, “The Feasts of the Bible.” This will be a six-week study beginning Monday, April 29 @ 6:00 PM. It will be downstairs in the Fellowship Hall at Park Place Church. I hope you will consider joining us on this journey through God’s word. Blessings on each of you, Pastor Bill McMillan

Good Morning to you all on this most Blessed Day! Hallelujah Christ Has Risen Today! Happy Easter to you all! May you enjoy todays devotional and bring the good new with you… Read Matthew 28:1-7 Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. The angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying.” Matthew 28:2; 5-6 Each of the four gospel writers seem to have slightly different accounts of resurrection morning. However, rather than looking at the differences as skeptics like to do, let’s look at consistencies. The stone is rolled away, the body is gone, witnesses look into the tomb and see the linen wrappings still there, and finally there are angels present that say Jesus has risen. Now I suppose you can focus on the differences to the point that you miss out on the joy and excitement of the resurrection, or you can focus on the empty tomb and the risen Savior, just as Jesus promised. I remember one Sunday afternoon when I was much younger. I was outside playing when Dad called me into the house and said, “Get your bathing suit on. We’re going to the lake.” I asked if my friend Ronnie could come, and Dad said, “Not this time.” I complained and sulked as only a spoiled only child can do murmuring under my breath that it wouldn’t be any fun without my friend – there would be no one to play with in the water. Dad said, “We’ll take Ronnie next time, just not today.” I said OK, and went to get my suit on, but I was determined not to have fun. When we got to the lake I sat down on the blanket instead of jumping right in the water like I usually did. Dad asked if I was going in the water, and I said, ‘Not just yet.” It wasn’t long before I began to feel pretty stupid. I loved the lake. There were so many people splashing in the water having fun, and I was sitting on a blanket trying to prove how miserable I was. Eventually Dad jumped up and said, “I’m going in. You coming?” Although I wanted to jump up and race him to the water with him, I was bound and determined to show him how upset I was, so I said, “I don’t think so.” He said, “OK suit yourself. I’m going in.” It was only seconds before he was swimming in the cool waters of the lake. I looked at the time and realized if I didn’t get into the water soon, I would miss out completely. There are people today that are so focused on what they consider to be inconsistencies in the Bible that they miss the joy and excitement. They miss the truth. They’re like a young boy sitting on a blanket at a lake trying to be miserable. They’re so focused on who moved the stone, that they miss the empty tomb and the resurrected Christ. Today is Easter! Resurrection Morning! Don’t miss the joy! Prayer: Lord help us to get up off the blanket of criticism and moodiness and jump into the lake, drinking in the living water of our resurrected Lord. Amen

May Breakfast April 27, 2019 7 – 11 a.m. Breakfast is $8. p.p. Breakfast Menu: cereal, oatmeal, muffins, quiche, French toast, scrambled eggs, home-fries, sausage, fruit cup, ham, baked beans, juice, coffee, tea and milk. Also, May Baskets, fudge, baked goods and craft items will be available for your spring shopping pleasure!

Good Morning Everyone! Here is your Holy Week Devotional for Holy Saturday. Read Matthew 27:57-66 Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. Matthew 27:59-60 In an earlier devotion, we talked about the bread or matzah used during the Passover meal. We discussed it stripes or creases and also the pinhole piercing in each piece. Then we talked about the bag with three sections – and each section containing single piece of matzah. Remember, the middle piece is taken out of the bag and broken in half. Then one half is wrapped in linen and hidden. Later in the meal the hidden piece is returned and the head of the household breaks off a little piece for each person to eat. Now consider our understanding of the Trinity, our God who is one God, but in three persons. Three persons perfectly and completely united in one. As you consider Father, Son and Holy Spirit – could these three persons be represented by the three pieces of matzah in the bag? If so, is the middle piece representative of the Son? Remember the middle piece is broken as Jesus was broken on the cross. The middle piece is wrapped in linen, as Jesus body was wrapped in linen. The middle piece is hidden, as Jesus body was laid in a tomb, which was then sealed. Near the end of the meal the hidden piece is returned and each person receives a small piece broken from the returned matzah. Jesus body was hidden in a dark tomb for a short while, but on the first day of the week Jesus was resurrected so all could see and believe. When the middle piece of matzah is broken, one half wrapped in linen and hidden, the head of the household knows that later in the meal it will be returned and shared by each person in attendance at the meal. As Christians we know that Jesus has promised to return. Remember Jesus promise to his disciples. “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” (John 14:1-3) Prayer: Lord, as we watch the horrible events occurring around the world today, blatant discrimination, harassment and injustice; shootings for no apparent reason; bullying of young people just because they are a little different – Lord we watch this and ask, “Where are you? Why don’t you do something? Why do you allow this to happen? When will you return?” I believe our feelings of sadness and despair are very similar to the feelings of the disciples as your body laid in that tomb. Lord, with hope we look forward to resurrection morning – for a new day when your will is done here on earth, just as it in heaven. Amen

Easter Sunday Service 9:45 a.m. Our Chancel Choir will be setting the service up with beautiful Easter Celebration Anthems! Pastors Bill & Wayne will be leading you with the Celebration of the Risen Christ! Come, Pray, Sing, Celebrate with us!!! All are Welcome!

Good Friday Service April 19,2019 at 7 p.m. Service remembering Jesus last days told through narration, scripture, UCC missions, and music. Come and share in this moving Service of Remembrance.

Good Morning Everyone, Here is today’s Holy Week Devotional for April 18, 2019! Read Matthew 26:36-46 He went on a little farther and bowed his face to the ground praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Matthew 26:39 What is this “cup of suffering” Jesus is referring to? The devotion for March 20th, gave one idea on what the cup of suffering may have been. If you still have access to that devotion, I encourage you to go back and read it again. Today, however, let’s look at the last part of this familiar verse from Matthew: “Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Have you ever been given an assignment you didn’t want to do, either at work or with some group or organization that you belong to? You work for a good and fair boss, and you know he realizes the sacrifice you are going to be required to make in order to complete the assignment. You also realize you’re the most qualified person on the team to get the job done, which is why the boss called on you. Yet in spite of being the most qualified, maybe even the only person qualified to do the job, you really don’t want to accept the assignment. But if not you – then who? There doesn’t seem to be anyone else. You tell your boss you don’t want to do it, and he explains the impact your taking on the assignment will have for so many people. There are the needs of so many people at stake, which you understand fully. Understanding all of this you eventually accept the assignment, but with what attitude? It’s going to be a difficult assignment. If you go forward with an attitude of “Why me?” it will be even more difficult. If you go forward with, “It’s just not fair” you will continue to be miserable throughout the assignment. But then you look at your boss and you see in his eyes that he is hurting because he has no other choice but you for this assignment. With this realization it’s like you and your boss become one person. You both see the need. You both know there is no one else – there is no other way. So in this moment of acceptance you agree with an attitude of selfless service. You look at your boss and say, “OK, I’ll do what you want, because I agree and I want it done just as you do.” As difficult as the assignment is going to be, the toughest part is now behind you, once the decision is made. For Jesus, the beatings, the rejection by the people and the crucifixion were horrific – the pain was extreme. But the true agony for the Father and the Son was in the garden and it wasn’t relieved until the Son said, “Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Prayer: Loving God, thank you for carrying us through those most challenging times in our life. Amen

Good Morning Everyone! Here is your Holy Week Devotional for April 17, 2019. May you find understanding of our Lord as He knows and understands us. Enjoy… Read Matthew 25:14-30 Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. Matthew 25:14 First, what do we know about this “man”? We at least know he had three servants, maybe more, but the story only tells us about three. We know the “man” had enough resources to give silver to his three servants, and then go on a long trip. We know the “man” understood the skills and abilities of each of his servants because regarding the silver we’re told he “divided it in proportion to their abilities.” We know the money was only entrusted to them “while he was gone,” and we are not told when he will return. God knows each of us very well. He knows our skills, our talents, our abilities. He knows where we excel and where our limitations lie. Paul wrote to the Romans, “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In his grace, God has given each of us different gifts for doing certain things well.” (Romans 12:4 - 6a) This is so true in our church body – some can sing, some can teach, some can cook, some can visit the sick, some can knit, etc. Each of us are called to serve God using the gifts that he has given to us. Then the story tells us “after a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money.” (Matthew 25:19) Notice the man never told his servants when he would return. It is understood, however, that he will return since he “entrusted his money to them while he was gone.” Jesus has called us to work for his kingdom, to make disciples, using our specific talents, and we have no idea when he will return. But make no mistake about it – Jesus is going to return and there will be an accounting. The judgement of the third servant, “Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness…” can give the impression that salvation can be lost if you don’t work hard enough. It can give the impression that salvation is gained by working hard for the church and earning lots of points, but that is not the case. Salvation is a gift. You can’t earn it, and you can’t lose it. However, you can walk away from it. I have found that when you love someone, you have a desire to please them and to care for them. There certainly are degrees or levels of what you can do for someone based on your resources and talents, but love invokes action, and when there is no action, no attention paid, you need to question your love and commitment. So this third servant was like some people that sit in churches today, just going through the motions, just showing up to make sure their attendance card is marked “present”, but never really becoming part of the church family, never allowing the word of God to be absorbed into their hearts and minds to promote action and involvement. Please, God needs each of us on the team. See you in church. Prayer: Teach us and encourage us to use the talents you have given to each of us. Help us to put feet to our prayers and slip our love engines into gear. May we learn to love and serve from your example. Amen

All are welcome to join us on April 18: Maundy Thursday – Shadow of the Cross Cantata - A Contempory Service - 7 p.m. This service of darkness features both traditional and contemporary selections in an accessible and moving cantata for Holy Week. Seven readings accompanied by the extinguishing of candles to a meditative conclusion shrouded in darkness.

Good Morning Everyone, Here is your Tuesday, April 16 Holy Week Devotional. You are invited to partake, enjoy! Read Matthew 22:1-14 Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see. So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests. Matthew 22:9-10 When we receive an invitation to a wedding, we have the right to accept or refuse. With that in mind we may struggle a little with the king’s punishment of the people who refused to come. But we need to remember unlike a wedding, which in our culture lasts only one day, in Jesus’ day it lasted for at least a week, sometimes longer. So this king had prepared a feast that would feed all of his guests for a week. Notice the king invited the guests three times, just as God gives us many opportunities in our lives to respond to his invitation, not just to a wedding, but to the Kingdom of Heaven, which is an invitation to eternity. So with plenty of food and nothing but empty tables, the king sends his servants into the streets to bring in the “good and bad alike.” So the king has opened his home and invited everyone in to the banquet. Doesn’t it seem unfair to offer an open invitation and then throw one person out and punish him because he wasn’t dressed properly? However, the people Jesus was speaking to would have understood perfectly his message. It was customary for wedding guests to be given wedding clothes to wear to the banquet. It was unthinkable to refuse to wear these clothes. It would insult the host, who could only assume that the guest was arrogant and thought he didn’t need these clothes, or that he did not want to take part in the wedding celebration. The wedding clothes picture the righteousness needed to enter God’s kingdom – the total acceptance in God’s eyes that Christ gives every believer. Christ has freely provided these clothes of righteousness for everyone, but each person must choose to put them on in order to enter the King’s banquet (eternal life). This free gift of salvation, this gift of God’s complete forgiveness is offered to each of us, but Jesus will not force himself onto us. We have the free will to accept or not accept his forgiveness – to choose to live forever with him in paradise or like the guest in the parable to “be thrown into the outer darkness.” Where do we find ourselves in this parable? Are we like the guests who just never showed up, never accepted the invitation, always have something in our lives that seems more important than spending time with God? Or are we like the people who come, who attend the service, listen to the music and the sermon, but just aren’t willing, for whatever reason to acknowledge their sin, their need for forgiveness and therefore refuse to accept the clothing of righteousness? Prayer: Lord, today I come just as I am, and accept your gift of forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen

Music & Praise May 26, 2019 6 p.m. Featuring our Chancel Choir (Note: No April M&P service) Come join us for a time of lively spiritually uplifting music and praise! Sing – A- long, clap your hands, join us, feel the moment! A free will offering will be taken. Refreshments and fellowship to follow downstairs. All are welcome!

Good Morning Everyone! Here is today’s Holy Week Devotional – April 15. Please enjoy and do we see a little Deja Vu? Read Matthew 21:33-45 Then Jesus said to them, “Didn’t you ever read in the scriptures? The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.” Matthew 21:42 Sometimes we hear a familiar story or song, and we wonder; where did we hear that before. We know its familiar, we know we’ve heard it before, but we can’t remember where. Read again the parable in today’s devotion, then read Isaiah 5:1-7. Does it sound like the same story? The religious leaders should have been familiar with the story from Isaiah. I wonder how many of them, upon hearing the words of Jesus, would have been scratching their heads asking themselves, “Where have we heard this before? It sounds so familiar.” Then when they responded to Jesus question about what the vineyard owner should do, Jesus reminded them of another verse. Jesus’ words were a direct quote from Psalm 118:22-23. The religious leaders may have been a little slow to get the point, but eventually they realized Jesus was talking about them – they were the “tenant farmers” who murdered the vineyard owner’s son. Where do we see ourselves in this parable? Certainly we are not the vineyard owner and we are not the son. Are we the tenant farmers - or are we the grapes? Notice how valuable the harvest is to the owner. First he sent his servants to collect the harvest, but the farmers grabbed his servants; beat one, killed one, and stoned another. Then the owner sent a larger group of servants, but the results were the same. Finally he sent his son, but they grabbed him, dragged him out of the vineyard and murdered him. In trying to reach us with his love, God finally sent his Son. Jesus’ perfect life, his words of truth, and his sacrifice of love are meant to cause us to listen to him and to follow him as Lord. If we ignore God’s gracious gift of his Son, we reject God himself. Jesus refers to himself as “the stone that the builders rejected.” Although Jesus was rejected by many of his people he became the cornerstone of his new building, the church. Jesus used the metaphor concerning the stone to show that one truth can affect people in different ways, depending on how they relate to it. Ideally they will build on it; many however will trip over it by denying the truth. And at the Last Judgement God’s enemies will be crushed by it. In the end, Christ the “building block,” will become the “crushing stone.” He offers mercy and forgiveness now and promised judgement later. May we follow Joshua’s lead and like him say, “But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:14-15) Prayer: Loving God, thank you for the gift of salvation, for the forgiveness and new life which you offer. Amen

Some terrific mandolin music at the PMO concert tonight!

Beautiful music tonight

The Battle Hymn of the Republic, from our June Music Praise and Worship service!

A wonderful solo by Pastor Wayne!

The 23rd Psalm sung by Bro. Enoch John Valentine BSG.

Another wonderful anthem from tonight sung by our Pastors!

From tonight's Music, Praise and Worship service! More to come soon!

Here's a sneak peak of what's in store during Sunday night's Music, Praise and Worship service! If you want to hear more, join us on Sunday, June 24th at 6pm! Hope to see you there!

A quick burst of music to celebrate the long awaited first day of summer