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FAITH
Local clergy to deliver straightforward sermons this Easter
BY DAN WHISENHUNT
danwhisenhunt@reporternewspapers.net
The New Testament says Jesus Christ
died for the sins of mankind and rose
three days later. Some local clergy say
their Easter sermons won’t need to say
much more than that.
Christians celebrate
resurrection of Jesus
Christ on Easter Sun
day, which falls this year
on March 31. The res
urrection is the founda
tion of Christian belief,
and its celebration of
ten draws congregations
filled with more than the
usual number of guests,
nonmembers and infre
quent churchgoers. For
families gathering from
out of town, a highlight
is the collective trek to an
Easter service.
At Calvary Assembly of God, the
Rev. Brian Campbell said he wants to
make sure his sermon doesn’t upstage
his Dunwoody church’s musical cele
bration.
The Rev. Jim Duffy
“Easter, you know, for us, that’s like
the Super Bowl of the church,” Camp
bell said. “Our whole basis of and the
foundation and core value of what we
believe is rooted in the resurrection,
so the focus
of the mes
sage and the
focus of the
day is just
a huge cele
bration.”
Camp
bell said his
message will
be “stream
lined” and
his preach
ing style
“practical.”
Parishio
ners at Mount Vernon Baptist Church
in Sandy Springs can expect a similar
ly straightforward theme.
“I have creatively entitled my ser
mon ‘The Easter Sermon,”’ the Rev.
Aaron Menikoff said. “I keep the
same title every year, and I’m preach
ing from Mark, chapter 16, verses 1-8,
simply a verse-by-verse description of
that text focusing on the resurrection.”
Menikoff said it’s important to re
member that the message might be
going out to people who aren’t regu
lar churchgoers.
“Em
aware there
may be in
dividuals
who may
not be ad
herents, tru
ly,” he said.
“They may
be coming
out of ob
ligation. I
don’t feel
pres-
but I
The Rev. Aaron any
Menikoff sure
do want to
be clear about the essentials of the
Christian faith.”
The Rev. Jim Duffy of Our Lady
of the Assumption Catholic Church
in Brookhaven said Catholics are cel
ebrating a little early this year. The
The Rev. Brian
Campbell
Catholic Church has selected an Ar
gentinian, the former Jorge Mario
Bergoglio, who has taken the name
Pope Francis, to succeed Pope Bene
dict XVI, who resigned in February.
“From our perspective, with the
election of our new pope, I maintain
Easter has come early, bringing hope
and new expectations and
joy to our church,” Duffy
said.
ITe said his sermon
will focus on “hope.”
“The Paschal candle,
the big candle we light
on Saturday night, which
enters the church, the
candle shatters the dark
ness and brings light and
hope,” Duffy said. “We
are the Paschal candle.
We are baptized in Jesus
and we are the hope of
our world. When we en
ter the room, we are to illuminate and
dispel despair and darkness and bring
light and hope.”
The Rev. David Michael at Faith
Cornerstone Church in Brookhav-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 22
COMMUNITIES OF FAITH
Celebrate with us!
ST. JAMES UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
ON THE CORNER OF LORIDANS AND PEACHTREE-DUNWOODY
Good Friday Service
March 29th at noon
Please stay for a soup and sandwhich luncheon. No RSVP required.
Easter Sunday - March 31 st
Sunrise service at 7am
Community serve at Oglethorpe Presbyterian Church on the grounds
Worship services at 8:45am and 10:45am
Come early and enjoy a musical prelude
For more information, call the church office at 404-261-3121
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1928 PooU of Common draper
The Right Reverend Chandler Jones, SSC
Rector and Bishop Suffragan
Reverend Matthew E. Harlow, Curate
Please join us this Easter:
Saturday, March 30 - Easter Evening Service
8:00 pm (with incense)
Holy Communion of the Easter Vigil
Sunday, March 31 - Easter Day Services
9:00 am & 11:00 am
Holy Communion
4795 North Peachtree Road
Dunwoody, Georgia 30338
(across from Brook Run Park) • 770.457.1103
www.stbarnabasatl.org
The I
week
esus
DIED
Join Us As We Follow Christ Through The Week
That Changed The World.
Monday, March 25
11:30 a.m.
Devotion: Dr. Mark Wilbanks
$5 lunch
Tuesday, March 26
11:30 a.m.
Devotion: Rev. Matt Sapp
$5 lunch
Wednesday, March 27
11:30 a.m.
Devotion: Rev. Bill Givens
$5 lunch
Thursday, March 28
11:30 a.m.
Devotion: Joel Mills
$5 lunch
Thursday, March 28
Maundy Thursday Service
7:00 p.m.
Chape]
Friday, March 29
Good Friday Service
12:00 p.m.
Peachtree Presbyterian
Church
Saturday, March 30
North Atlanta
Easter Egg Hunt
10:00 a.m.-12:00p.m.
Easter Sunday, March 31
Bible Study - 9:30
Worship - 11:00
Wieuca Road Baptist Church
3626 Peachtree Road, N.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30326
404.814.4460 wieuca.org
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