“The kingdom of heaven occurs when people take the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount to heart and live into them.” ~Amy-Jill Levine
Today is the fifth day of the Great Fifty Days of Easter. The proclamation from this past Sunday continues to echo: “Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed!! Hallelujah!” Now what?
That’s the question we’ll be exploring during the Season of Eastertide. One of the best approaches to the question is to consider the life and teachings of Jesus. What is his life calling us to do? Who is his life calling us to be? Jesus does not pit doing versus being. Jesus brings doing and being together.
Now what? The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) reveals the heart of Jesus. We’re entering into a deep dive on this pivotal teaching. A key resource is Amy-Jill Levine’s excellent book, Sermon on the Mount: A Beginner’s Guide to the Kingdom of Heaven. Amy-Jill Levine is Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School and co-editor of another excellent resource, The Jewish Annotated New Testament.
The Sermon on the Mount invites us to put resurrection into action. Each part of the sermon is an invitation to bring heaven to earth each day. The continuing good news of the resurrection of Jesus is that heaven is not only a place up yonder beyond the here and now. Jesus invites us to embody this line from the Prayer That Jesus Taught that we pray each Sunday: “. . .Your Beloved Community come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Do it here. Be it now.
Amy-Jill Levine writes, “That kingdom of heaven is a place and a time when past, present, and future unite, when we recline at table with our ancestors, and when borders are open to the east and west so that Jews and Gentiles worship God together.”
Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Creator” (John 14:12). The resurrected Jesus has entrusted us with holy work. I invite you to join MCCDC at 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. Eastern this Sunday for real worship online… as we begin a new series with a mission to bring heaven to earth.
By Faith,
Rev. Elder Dwayne Johnson
Senior Pastor
Older Adult Ministry
Older Adult Ministry will be holding it monthly meeting via Zoom. Apr 11, at 1 PM. This month topic DACL/Seabury Resources LGBTQ and MCCOAM. Guest Speaker for this months meeting is:
Kirstan Fuller LGBTQ Program Coordinator
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82495523942
Meeting ID: 824 9552 3942
Call In,
+13017158592,,82495523942# US (Washington DC)
Meeting ID: 824 9552 3942
C19 Vaccine
Public health officials are urging us to help ensure people who are 65 and older know that they are eligible for the C19 vaccine. (Depending on your location, people with certain underlying health conditions are also eligible.) For more information, visit these links—District of Columbia, Maryland & Virginia —for vaccine procedures and answers to frequently-asked questions.
Another Web site reported by News 4 today helps you manage/plan your C19 appointment in one place no matter what state you live in. Click here to go to the web site.
“Church Ministries & Events”
Virtual Choir
Come and join the Virtual Voices of MCC Choir! Lift your voice in our virtual rehearsals while singing from the comfort of your home. For more info, email Music Minister Deidre Mouton Gray at msdeedeemusic@gmail.com.
Spiritual Gifts, Get Involved!
Your’re invited to consider sharing your spiritual gifts by making a Scripture Reading Video or sharing a Video Testimony on what MCCDC means to you.
It does not have to be long and the AV team is standing by to help you with the video. Please email me at revdwayne@mccdc.com for more information.
Moving Spirit Dance Ministry
Come dance for God! No experience needed. Email Cathy Batson at cathybatson1@verizon.net for more information. Check out past performances on our YouTube channel, including “I Can Only Imagine” (April 2019) and “Mighty River”(February 2018).
Singing to God
Join the Virtual Voices of the MCC Choir. Lift your voice in our virtual rehearsals while singing from the comfort of your home. Email Music Minister Diedre Gray at msdeedeemusic@gmail.com
JOIN REV. DWAYNE IN PRAYER FROM NOON TO 12:30 PM Monday thru Saturday
Phone Number: 646-558-8656, Code: 407 740 6668
Intercessory Prayer Team
Meets the 2nd and 4th Thursdays each month at 7 pm
Contact LaMar Jenkins at 202-750-08887
Bible Study
Tuesdays at 7:00 pm Eastern
Click here to Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/434566329
or Dial: (301) 715-8592 ,Meeting ID: 434 566 329
Contact Dale Madyun-Baskerville at mccdcbiblestudy@mccdc.com for more information.
Pastoral Care Meeting
Meet 1st and 3rd Wednesday, each month at 6::30pm
Contact pastoralcare@mccdc.com for more information or interest in joining this vibrant church ministry this Fall
Writer’s Ministry
The MCCDC Writers’ Ministry mission is to offer to our church and the world more reflections and devotionals throughout the year. If you’d like to join this project, now or in the future, please contact Rev. Dr. Robin Hawley Gorsline, Writer-Theologian in Residence, at writer@robinhawleygorsline.com
“Ministry Spotlight”
Join Us on YouTube and subscribe to the MCCDC YouTube Channel!
Click here to see more MCCDC Videos
LiveStream Volunteer’s Needed!
Volunteer! No experience is required. We will train you or someone you recommend. (Perhaps a student interested in picking up new skills?) Opportunities include:
o Producing the livestream itself on Sundays and for special events (greatest need)
o Assisting on Sundays by video recording and managing cameras
o Video editing (this requires access to your own computer and video editing software)
Share our message! Inspired by Rev. Dwayne’s spiritual instruction? Moved by a praise & worship song? Post it on Facebook. Send a link to friends and family. They can tune-in to our livestream or watch worship services on demand at livestream.com/mccdc, through our website at mccdc.com, or browse clips on our YouTube Channel.
Click here to visit MCCDC YouTube channel
Email Johanna at mccdclive@gmail.com or talk to any one of the AV team members to volunteer or for more information
The Soundboard Ministry Needs YOU!
Soundboard volunteers are needed for 9 am and 11 am services. No experience needed!
You will be trained on a state of the art soundboard and learn how to set up mics for services.
Ideally, you will train at the 9 am service and continue training at the 11 am service, but we are flexible.
Please contact Michael Cunningham at mjcunningham2013@gmail.com or stop by to talk with any soundboard volunteer.
Prayer Corner
Please lift the following people up during your prayer time:
Please lift the following people up during your prayer time:
*Jerry Giem’s Son, Jason and Nephew, Travis * Valeria Myers’ daughter Chantelle * Michelle Lax * George Kerr, III * Mama Cee’s sister and niece
* Rose Williams * Randy Punley * Lynn Sulyma * Esther Smith * Marcus Garnett * Renee Valentine * Rose Herring * Elaine Durden-Hunter’s mother, Earline * T. Green * Evelyn Jones * Valeria Myers’ son Donald * Bob Jones’ son Chuck & wife Karen * Steve Sloane * Glenn Conrad * Arden Shutt * Renee Valentine’s brother * Kim Battle * Juanita Dara * Jeffrey Luckenbach * Anthony Goode *Diedre Gray * Elaine Durden-Hunter’s friend Saint Williams family * Cathy Batson’s niece Lisa * Cynthia Melman * Delores Fowler * Bill Stanclift’s brother James, niece Krista, nephew Paul, and several cousins *Buck Carlson at the loss o
