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The Celebration of the Gospel
GREETING
In the darkness of our sin, the grace of God rises like the dawn.
In the coldness of our hearts, hope rises like the sun.
Into all that is dark and cold in our lives, the light of God shines.
From the sleep of sin and the dust of our death
a new day rises, and with it our hearts.
O God of grace, shine your light upon us!
Come to us, and renew us, O God of life!
May the light of Christ, rising in glory,
dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds.
Thanks be to God for the light of Christ. Alleluia!
GOSPEL — John 20.1-10 (or Mark 16. 1-8)
SONG (Resurrection Light, Steve G-H. Tune: Joyful, Joyful) *
Lord, we come in early morning as the light begins to rise,
like the women bearing spices to the grave where Jesus lies.
Here we bring our shattered hopes, our broken hearts, our deep despair.
Lord, we come as tender mortals, needing you, in humble prayer.
Now we look into the grave, the dark of death, the depth of sin,
all that would prevent our loving, all that kills the life within.
Here is buried our Beloved: wine poured out and broken bread.
But we find the grave is empty! Christ is not among the dead!
GOSPEL — John 10.11-18 (or from 1 Corinthians 15.1-22**)
SONG (Resurrection Light)
In your mercy you have shattered every tomb we cannot flee.
From whatever binds and traps us you have set your children free:
free to live in every moment life that is a gift from you,
life unfettered, in your Spirit, life unbounded, always new.
Help us to receive this life that rises up and soars above.
Grant us courage for self-giving; grant us trusting, fearless love.
Help us lose the lives we cling to; with compassion and delight
give our lives, receiving new ones, bright with Resurrection light.
SCRIPTURE — Romans 6.3-11 (or From Exodus 14.10 – 15.1***)
ACCLAMATION
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
Christ is risen indeed! ALLELUIA!
The stone has been rolled away!
The tomb where they laid him is empty.
This is the work of God, wonderful in our eyes!
Jesus gave of himself in love, even his very life.
And God has given him life, life beyond all death.
Christ has died with our sin, taking it it to the grave,
and Christ is risen in glory, setting us free.
And we have been buried with Christ in death,
so that just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of God,
we too might live whole new lives.
Christ, in your rising, we are brought to life.
Victorious Savior, have mercy on us all!
MEDITATION
PSALTER — Psalm 118. 1-2, 14-24 (paraphrased):
O give thanks to the Holy One, who is good;
God’s steadfast love endures forever!
Yes, God’s steadfast love endures forever!
The Lord is my strength and my song;
God has become my salvation.
Listen to the glad songs among God’s grateful:
The Beloved has a hand in our lives!
The Beloved has a strong and gracious hand in our lives.
Death can’t touch me now: I can live deeply,
I can fearlessly bear forth the love of God.
God created me fragile, and I am broken,
but God steadfastly gives me life.
Open my heart to gratitude, for this is the gate to God.
This gratitude, this wonder is the way to the Holy One.
I think you, God, that you hear me and you save me.
The stone the builders rejected has become the keystone.
This is the Beloved’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day which God has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
(Alternate Psalter: Psalm 107.1-2, 10-15)
O give thanks to the Holy One, for God is good.
God’s steadfast love endures forever!
Let the redeemed of the Beloved say so,
whom God has redeemed from trouble.
We sat in darkness and in gloom,
prisoners in misery and in irons,
for we had rebelled against the words of God,
and spurned the counsel of the Most High.
Our hearts were bowed down with hard labor;
we fell down, with no one to help.
Then we cried to God in our trouble,
and God saved us from our distress.
God brought us out of darkness and gloom,
and broke our bonds asunder.
Oh God, we thank you for your steadfast love,
for your wonderful works to humankind. SONG
PRAYER OF BLESSING
The Day of Resurrection has dawned upon us, for Christ, our life, has risen. We give abundant thanks and praise to you, O God! In your victory, O Christ, help us shed all sin and death. In your rising, help us receive new life. In your grace, direct our lives as your new creation. Grant that we may live new lives in you, free of our old ways, free of fear and distrust. Sustain us with your mercy, and bestow upon us your deep peace and gladness, so we may find joy in serving you. O Christ, you are our life, which is eternal. We thank you. Grant us grace to receive the gift of life, and by your Spirit to live as fearless servants of your love. Amen.
THE PRAYERS
SONG
BLESSING
God of love, you have raised Jesus from death to life!
Lead us always into newness of life.
Light of Christ, rising as the sun on a new day,
overcoming the darkness of sin and death,
shine on our path, chase away all darkness,
and lead us to the heart of God.
Light of Christ, rising in glory,
be the light of our hearts!
Spirit of Resurrection, grant us your grace.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
SENDING FORTH & PASSING THE PEACE
_____________
* Alternate song, may be divided into two sections as above.
(Tune: Now The Green Blade Rises)
Early in the morning we come to the tomb,
bearing sins and sorrows, wounds and hearts of gloom.
But what is this? The stone is rolled away!
And the tomb is empty! Wonder and dismay!
___
So we ask the gardener where the body is—
and we hear the voice and know that it is his.
“Why do you weep?” Such sadness fills our eyes.
Then we see and fill with joy and glad surprise.
Christ now stands before us, living as he said.
Oh, what hope he brings us, rising from the dead!
Night was so dark, but with the rising sun
everything is changed now, in this grace-filled dawn.
We give God our spirits, buried just like seeds,.
and emerge forgiven, healed, made new and freed.
Sorrow and dread are changed to joy instead.
Spring now blooms, for Christ is risen from the dead!
**1 Corinthians reading, abridged from 1 Corinthians 15.1-11
I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
*** Exodus reading, abridged from Exodus 14.10 – 15.1
As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked back, and there were the Egyptians advancing on them. In great fear the Israelites cried out to God. But Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that God will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again. God will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.”
Then God said to Moses, ” Tell the Israelites to go forward. But, Moses, lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the Israelites may go into the sea on dry ground.
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. God drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land; and the waters were divided. The Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left.
The Egyptians pursued, and went into the sea after them, all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and chariot drivers. Then God said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and chariot drivers.” So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at dawn the sea returned to its normal depth. As the Egyptians fled before it, God tossed the Egyptians into the sea. The waters returned and covered the chariots and the chariot drivers, the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea; not one of them remained.
But the Israelites walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. Israel saw the great work that God did against the Egyptians. So the people feared God and believed in God and in God’s servant Moses.
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to God: “I will sing to the Holy One, for God has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider God has thrown into the sea.”
———————
Suggested Songs
Christ Is Our Sunrise (Tune: Morning Has Broken)
Christ is now living— Alleluia!—
wondrously giving life out of death,
hope gently spoken when we were hopeless,
when we were broken, life-giving breath.
God, you have sought us deep in our suffering,
and you have brought us out of our fear,
gently revealing your presence in us,
tenderly healing, drawing us near.
Christ, in your rising you are our sunrise,
drawing surprising green from the seed.
Still your light finds us, wrapped in our grave clothes;
from all that binds us, now we are freed.
God, your grace gives us brand new tomorrows.
As Christ forgives us we are made new.
Now liberated from sin and sorrow,
newly created, we follow you.
Morning Is Breaking (Tune: Morning Has Broken)
Morning is breaking, sorrowful morning,
as we are making haste to the tomb:
cold and despairing, numb and defeated,
painfully bearing darkness and gloom.
But in the dawning we see the grave now,
empty and yawning, bright like the sun.
Angels in glory say he is risen!
“Go tell the story: Death is undone!”
We came to grieve our crucified Jesus,
but, loving God, you opened his grave!
Jesus is living! Yours is the victory,
great in forgiving, mighty to save.
God, you have greeted sin with forgiveness;
you have defeated evil and fear.
Light of his rising, shine in our courage,
pure, energizing, radiant and clear.
Morning is breaking bright in our hearts now,
as we are waking, light in our eyes.
With him we offer love without fear, for
with him we suffer, with him we rise.
Spring Now Blooms (Tune: Now The Green Blade Rises)
Early in the morning we come to the tomb,
bearing sins and sorrows, wounds and hearts of gloom.
But what is this? The stone is rolled away!
And the tomb is empty! Wonder and dismay!
* Verse 2, Synoptic version:
Then an angel greets us, speaking to our fear,
saying “Christ is risen. See, he is not here.”
Now our despair itself has passed away,
and we feel new life rise in the dawning day.
* Verse 2, John version
So we ask the gardener where the body is—
and we hear the voice and know that it is his.
“Why do you weep?” Such sadness fills our eyes.
Then we see and fill with joy and glad surprise.
Christ now stands before us, living as he said.
Oh, what hope he brings us, rising from the dead!
Night was so dark, but with the rising sun
everything is changed now, in this grace-filled dawn.
We give God our spirits, buried just like seeds,
and emerge forgiven, healed, made new and freed.
Sorrow and dread are changed to joy instead.
Spring now blooms, for Christ is risen from the dead!