Little Falls United Methodist Church

 

Sunday Worship Service

 

April 5, 2026 - 10 am

 

139 Main Street, Little Falls, NJ 07424

Office Phone: (973) 256-0993

Website: www.LittleFallsUMC.org

Email: Info@LittleFallsUMC.org

 

We are “A Welcoming Community of Faith, Hope,

Mission and Outreach Sharing Christ’s Love”

Our Mission is “Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World”

 

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God,

to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God,

which is your spiritual worship.” (Romans 12:1)

 

 

Called to Praise

 

⭻Prepare your heart and body for Worship

 

Greeting & Announcements
 

• We have ‘In-Person’ & ‘Online Worship’ on Sunday, April 5, 2026, at 10am.

 

• You can join our Online Worship via YouTube or Facebook. Type “Little Falls United Methodist Church” in the search window on YouTube or Facebook. Please use the link below to join in Online Worship. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lfumc

 

• Prayer Concerns & Joys – If you would like to share your concerns and joys with the congregation, please email Pastor Jin (jkim@littlefallsumc.org) or complete the online form, www.littlefallsumc.org/prayer.

 

• Altar Flowers – Thank you, Marilyn Downing to provide the Altar Flowers in honor of Melissa’s Birthday. If you would like to offer the altar flowers, please contact Janet (973) 896-8936 or ladyteddy@aol.com. 

 

• Fellowship Time after Worship – Thank you, Bethany Hope (Melissa & Debbie) for hosting the Coffee Hour. Let us enjoy a good fellowship time every Sunday after Worship. Please help us with hosting the coffee hour. The Sign-up board is on the table in the Narthex. Please contact Cheryle or Kathy F. if you have any questions about the coffee hour.

 

• Happy Easter! We will celebrate Easter Sunday with joy and delight at Sunday Service at 10 am on April 5, 2026. Let us celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior together!

 

• Easter Egg Hunt – Sunday School will host Easter Egg Hunt at 9:30 am on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026. All Children are welcome!

 

• Ladies Tea and Auction – UMW host the annual Ladies and Auction at noon on Saturday, April 18, 2026. The ticket is $25 and will be available on March 1st. Save the date!

 

• Treasured Memories –The next meeting will be held at 7 pm on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. “Treasured Memories” is a grief group for those who have lost their loved ones. The ongoing meeting gathers every 2nd Wednesday of the month in Lee Lounge at 7 pm. Contact Allison for details (973) 800-4152.

 

• Young Adult & Family Gathering – Young Adult and Family Gathering will be held on Sunday, April 19, 2026, from Noon to 1:30pm.

 

• 2025-2026 Kids & Youths for Christ - ‘Kids & Youths For Christ’ is a fun Thursday night program for children (K-12th). We will have Christian education and fun activities such as games, crafts, cooking, biking, movies, mini sports, service projects, etc. The program will be held every first and third Thursday from 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. The first day is September 18, 2025, and the last day will be June 4, 2026. This program is free of charge and open to all students. Everyone is welcome. Sign up now at the church website and spread the word to your neighbors!

 

• Online Donation – Online donation is available now. Please visit the church website and click ‘Donation.’ The link is https://www.littlefallsumc.org/donation.  Your financial support and generosity are greatly appreciated and essential for our church ministry and mission. Please consider sending your tithes and offerings to Little Falls UMC (139 Main St. Little Falls, NJ 07424). You can send your offerings and tithes to the church every week. Or you can send offerings and tithes for a month with a check. Thanks again for your generosity!

 

• Shoprite Gift Card – To purchase a Shoprite gift card, contact Pete (973) 595-5765 or detroit50@aol.com.

 

• LFUMC FOOD PANTRY ITEMS NEEDED - Many families depend on the Food Pantry on a regular basis. The Pantry needs the following non-perishable items; canned vegetables, peanut butter, jelly, adult/children’s cereal, pasta & sauce, instant potatoes/rice, tuna, chicken, sardines, fruit, apple sauce, juice, and granola bars.

 

• SOCKS FOR SOULS - Do your feet get cold? Please help Unity Circle to provide new or gently used socks to the homeless. There is a constant need. Please drop off your socks in the large white sock in the Narthex. 

 

• Ongoing Collection - UMW collects postmarked stamp and can pull tabs. Items are donated to different charities and organizations.

 

• Emergency Pastoral Care – Pastor Jin will go on vacation from April 6-12, 2026. Rev. Park (the pastor of Caldwell UMC) will provide emergency pastoral care if you need. Please contact Beth Billig (862-686-3087, verybusybeth@aol.com), if you need an emergency pastoral care. Pete will contact the pastor for you.

 

† Passing The Peace

 

†Call to Worship

Leader: Christ is risen!

People: He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Leader: The darkness of night has passed—

People: The light of resurrection has come!

Leader: The stone has been rolled away—

People: The tomb is empty! Death is defeated!

Leader: What seemed like the end, God has turned into a new beginning!

People: It is not a period—but a comma in God’s story.

Leader: Hear the good news—Jesus calls us by name!

People: Our sorrow is turned into joy, our fear into hope!

Leader: Christ is risen! Come, people of God—rise with Christ!

People: He is risen indeed! We come with joy, we come with hope, we come to worship! Alleluia! 

 

†Praise Song                                  Christ the Lord is Risen Today         UMH 302 v. 1-4

 

Christ, the Lord, is risen today, Alleluia!

Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!

Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!

Sing, ye heavens, and earth, reply, Alleluia!

 

Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia!

Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!

Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia!

Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia!

 

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!

Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!

Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!

Where's thy vict'ry, boasting grave? Alleluia!

 

Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia!

Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!

Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!

Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

 

Children’s Time  

 

Hymn of Prayer               Because He Lives                        UMH 364

 

1. God sent his Son, they called Him Jesus,

He came to love, heal and forgive;

He lived and died to buy my pardon,

An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.

 

[Refrain]

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow;

Because He lives, all fear is gone;

Because I know he holds the future,

And life is worth the living just because He lives.

 

2. How sweet to hold a newborn baby,

and feel the pride and joy he gives;

but greater still the calm assurance,

This child can face uncertain days because He lives. [Refrain]

 

3. And then one day I'll cross the river;

I'll fight life's final war with pain;

And then as death gives way to victory,

I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He reigns. [Refrain]

 

Pausing for Silent Prayer and Confession

 

Prayers of the People (Response: God, in Your Mercy, hear our prayers.)

Risen Lord, We come with joy and thanksgiving, celebrating that the tomb is empty and Your love has conquered death. You have turned what seemed like the end into a new beginning, and we praise You for the hope of resurrection. Lord, we thank You for the joys of this day— for the gift of new life, for the beauty of spring, for the love of family and friends, and for this church family gathered in Your presence. We thank You for the hope that fills our hearts because Jesus is alive. Gracious God, we also bring our burdens before You— For those who are sick, bring healing. For those who are grieving, bring comfort. For those who are anxious, bring peace. For those who feel hopeless, renew their hope with the power of Your resurrection. Meet us in our need, call us by name, and remind us that our story is not over. Fill our hearts with Your peace and resurrection hope. Help us to live as witnesses of Your love, carrying light into the world. We pray in the name of the risen Christ. Amen. 

 

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

 

Called to the Word

Prayer for Illumination 

 

Leader: Lord, open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy Spirit, that, as the Scriptures are read and your Word proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you say to us today. 

All: Amen

 

NT Lesson                                                  Colossians 3:1-4

3 So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth, 3 for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

 

This ends the NT Lesson. 
Let us turn to the Gospel Lesson. Please stand, if able.

 

†Gospel Lesson                                        John 20:1-18

The Resurrection of Jesus

20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. 4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7 and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples returned to their homes.

 

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

 

This is the word of God for the people of God. 

All: Thanks be to God.

 

Message                               Not Period, but Comma                       Rev. Jin Kook Kim

Happy Easter to you, Church Family! After a long period of Lent, we finally face Easter Sunday with joy and happiness. It is God’s blessing for us to get together to celebrate Easter Sunday and worship God! What makes you joyful as you face Easter Sunday? Is it that you are free from the Lenten spiritual disciplines? Is it for Easter dinner with family and friends? Is it for joyful music? Or is it for Spring with warm weather? Each one has something that makes us joyful today as we have Easter Sunday. As church family, we have a common one that makes all of us joyful today. It is hope! I want us to consider hope that God gives us today through the Easter story, considering Mary’s story.

 

It was a long and dark night. It was darker in Mary’s heart for Jesus’ death, whom she loved so much. It was not an accident. He was arrested, tried, sentenced, and executed due to the accusation that she couldn’t understand. Jesus meant a lot to Mary. He saved her from an evil spirit that no one could make until she met Jesus. He was her savior, and she had a new life, the second life. This made her follow Jesus even to the cross. What would she feel when Jesus died? She was sad for his death as much as she thanked him and loved him. She was hopeless for his death. Death meant the end, period, because by death, Jesus couldn’t be with her anymore, forever in her thought. Mary had seen Jesus raise Lazarus—but now Jesus Himself was dead. And in her understanding, death meant the end. By his death, her hope for the kingdom of God that he proclaimed was gone. There was no hope in her anymore. She was dwelling in a prison of sorrow and hopelessness. Throughout the entire Sabbath, she must have been trapped in a sense of loss—having lost her beloved Teacher—and a feeling of utter helplessness, unable to do anything.

 

We too face such times of hopelessness in our lives. It can be the loss of our loved one, a layoff, a serious injury by an accident, a sudden diagnosis of a critical illness, or a failure of a project that was prepared for a long time, or an unsolved problem that has been prayed for a long time, such as years and decades. When we face such a moment, we lose our hope and are in prison of sorrow and hopelessness. When we don’t find any hope, we think it’s done or our life is done, period. Have you ever been there or is there anything that makes you hopeless these days?  What made or makes you hopeless? What should we do?

 

To the question, Jesus is answering us through Easter Sunday, with Resurrection, saying “It’s not done. Your life is not done. I am here for you. You thought it was a period—but in God’s hands, it was only a comma. Don’t be hopeless! You have hope if you believe that I am your hope.”

 

 After enduring that dark night, with a heavy heart, Mary rushed to the tomb as soon as the first light of dawn appeared. She wanted to respect him as his last moment on earth, although it was his dead body. However, what she found was the empty tomb. Jesus was not in the tomb where his body was supposed to be. Rather, she found risen Jesus. Jesus is risen. Jesus is risen indeed. Halleluiah! Death was not Jesus’ end. Jesus’ death didn’t mean that her journey with him was done. She was ok. Her life was ok for Jesus was resurrected.

 

Although Jesus was resurrected, she couldn’t find the risen Jesus right away. She couldn’t believe Jesus’ resurrection although angels told her about Jesus’ resurrection and even Jesus was standing in front of her. Why? It was non-sense for her. How can a dead person be alive again? Death means end literally. It is a common sense. Who can defeat death? So, she couldn’t imagine Jesus’ resurrection at all. Resurrection was not a possible scenario in her thought, understanding, knowledge, and reason so she couldn’t recognize the risen Jesus. Likewise, we often see the risen Jesus in our difficult time. We lose hope when we think there is no way to handle our life problem in our thought, knowledge, and understanding. However, God way is much higher, wider, and deeper. God way is not limited by anything. Jesus defeated death. Jesus’ resurrection was God’s way that Mary and others could imagine. God used an unexpected way in Mary’s life. Mary found the risen Jesus in the unexpected place. The truth of Easter is this: the risen Jesus meets us in places we least expect and in ways that we least expect. Mary went to the tomb expecting to find a corpse, but she found a living Savior. She was looking at a grave, but God was revealing a new beginning. Sometimes, in our own lives, we stand before what looks like a dead end—a failed relationship, a lost job, or a broken heart. We think it’s the end of the story. But right there, in the middle of your 'empty tomb' moments, the risen Jesus is standing. He is not limited by our logic or our expectations. When you think it’s over, God is often just beginning a new chapter. There is always hope because our living Lord appears in the very places we thought were occupied only by death."

 

The most beautiful truth of Easter is this: when we cannot recognize the risen Jesus because we are so overwhelmed by our problems and we become 'spiritually blind in our moments of deep despair, Jesus helps us to see him, calling our name. But look at what happens: Jesus doesn’t give her a lecture; He simply calls her name—'Mary.' In that one word, her eyes were opened and her hope was restored. Today, the same risen Jesus is calling your name. When you are too weak to find Him, He finds you. He speaks into your silence and your sorrow to let you know that He is here, He is alive, and He is with you always. You are not alone in your prison of hopelessness, for the Master of Life has come to call you out by name. Jesus calls us our name through God’s word, prayer, hymns and praise songs, mission and ministry, conversation with others including strangers, and even nature. Jesus leads us to open our eyes to see him in our lives.

 

In my own small garden at home, I have a few hyacinths blooming right now. These are flowers that we planted after the Easter services of years past. To me, the hyacinth is one of the most beautiful symbols of the resurrection. You see, after the spring passes, the flowers fade away. Through the long months of summer, autumn, and the freezing winter, not a single leaf remains. Looking at the bare soil, it seems as though everything is dead—gone and forgotten. There is absolutely nothing to see. Yet, as spring arrives, the miracle happens. Without fail, new green shoots pierce through the cold earth, and vibrant flowers bloom once again to announce that spring has returned. Just as we realize spring is here when we see these blossoms, I see more than just a flower when I look at my hyacinths; I see the very image of the Resurrection. They remind me that even when life seems hidden, silent, or completely gone, God is still working beneath the surface. Just as these flowers rise year after year, the Risen Christ assures us that life will always have the final word over death. Every bloom in my garden is like the Lord calling our names, whispering, 'I am alive, and you shall live also.

 

Looking at Mary’s life, we see a miraculous transformation—a move from a place of deep despair to a place of overflowing joy. Through the risen Jesus, her seat of sorrow became a throne of hope. My dear church family, this is my prayer for all of us today: that we would live every moment of our journey, including our times of darkness, with this Easter hope. Remember, our hope is not based on our circumstances, but on the living person of Jesus Christ. Because He is risen, your current struggle is not your final destination. It is merely a passage to the joy that God has prepared for you. May we walk out of this church today not as people trapped in 'Good Friday’s grief,' but as people empowered by 'Easter Sunday’s victory,' carrying the light of hope into every corner of our lives.

 

After meeting the risen Jesus, Mary didn’t keep the joy to herself. She didn’t just sit by the empty tomb to enjoy her own comfort. Instead, she rushed to the disciples and proclaimed, 'I have seen the Lord!' Her personal hope became a public message. Likewise, church family, we are called to be more than just 'consumers' of hope; we are called to be 'carriers' of hope. There are so many people around us—in our workplaces, our neighborhoods, and even in our own families—who are still trapped in their 'dark Friday' and haven't heard that bright Sunday has arrived. Our mission is to go to them and show them, through our words and our lives, that death is not the end and that Jesus is alive. Let us not just live with hope, but let us live for the hope of others, helping them to see the risen Christ in us. May we all leave this place today as messengers of the morning, leading those in despair to the light of the resurrection. Jesus is Risen! Go and tell the world! Amen.

 

Called to Share

Response to Our Generous God 

 

 †Doxology                 Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow                   UMH 95

 

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him, all creatures here below;

Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!

 

†Prayer of Dedication

All: Risen Lord, With grateful hearts, we bring these gifts before You, celebrating the new life You have given us through Your resurrection. What once seemed like an ending, You have made a new beginning. Receive these offerings as signs of our hope and trust in You. Use them to bring life where there is need, hope where there is despair, and love to all people. Transform not only these gifts, but also our lives, that we may live as people of the resurrection, serving You with joy and faith. In the name of the risen Christ we pray. Amen.

 

Called to the World

 

†Closing Hymn                             Up from the Grave He Arose                          UMH 322

 

1. On 1 Low in the grave he lay, Jesus my Savior, 
waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord! 

 

Refrain:
Up from the grave he arose, 
with a mighty triumph o'er his foes; 
he arose a victor from the dark domain, 
and he lives forever, with his saints to reign. 
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!

 

2 Vainly they watch his bed, Jesus my Savior; 
vainly they seal the dead, Jesus my Lord! [Refrain]

 

3 Death cannot keep its prey, Jesus my Savior; 
he tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord! [Refrain]

 

†Benediction                                                                                                         Rev. Jin Kook Kim

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you.  Amen.