Easter Sunday Service

 

Welcome to Easter Sunday!

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83556211775?pwd=dXp6NE9nMW1lTTNVUmdYa2dBVElHQT09

Meeting ID: 835 5621 1775

Passcode: 489409

 

Prayers at the Easter Garden

 

Alleluia. Christ is risen.

He is risen indeed. Alleluia.

 

The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said.’

Matthew 28.5,6

 

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,

the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

To you be glory now and for ever.

In your great mercy you have given us a new birth

into a living hope

through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

By your blessing, may we who have prepared this garden in celebration of his victory

be strengthened in faith,

know the power of his presence,

and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory.

Blessed be God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Blessed be God for ever.

 

Risen Lord Jesus,

as Mary Magdalene met you in the garden

on the morning of your resurrection,

so may we meet you today and every day:

speak to us as you spoke to her;

reveal yourself as the living Lord;

renew our hope and kindle our joy;

and send us to share the good news with others.

Amen.

 

We return to the Church.

 

We light the Easter Candle

We put the nails into the symbol of the cross

By his Holy and Glorious wounds,

may Christ our Lord

guard us and keep us.

 

Alleluia Christ is Risen

He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

 

We meet in the name of the Father,

and the Son and the Holy Spirit

Amen

 

Song: Thine be the Glory https://youtu.be/bmJgbpJQHYU

 

Almighty God,

to whom all hearts are open,

all desires known,

and from whom no secrets are hidden:

cleanse the thoughts of our hearts

by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,

that we may perfectly love you,

and worthily magnify your holy name;

through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

 

Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed

for us.

Let us therefore rejoice by putting

away all malice and  evil

and confessing our sins

with a sincere and true heart.

 

Almighty God, our heavenly Father

we have sinned against you,

through our own fault,

in thought, and word and deed and in what we have left undone.

We are heartily sorry

and repent of our sins.

For your Son our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake,

forgive us all that is past;

and grant that we may serve you in newness of life

to the glory of your name.

Amen

 

May Almighty God

have mercy upon you,

forgive you your sins,

and bring you to everlasting life.

Amen

 

Song: I Reach Up High https://youtu.be/wXF-HAURxmg

 

The Collect

God of glory,

by the raising of your Son

you have broken the chains of death and hell:

fill your Church with faith and hope;

for a new day has dawned

and the way to life stands open

in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen

 

 

First Reading: Acts 10:34-43

³⁴ Peter began to speak: “I now realize that it is true that God treats everyone on the same basis. ³⁵ Those who fear him and do what is right are acceptable to him, no matter what race they belong to. 

³⁶ You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, proclaiming the Good News of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 

³⁷ You know of the great event that took place throughout the land of Israel, beginning in Galilee after John preached his message of baptism. 

³⁸ You know about Jesus of Nazareth and how God poured out on him the Holy Spirit and power. He went everywhere, doing good and healing all who were under the power of the Devil, for God was with him. 

³⁹ We are witnesses of everything that he did in the land of Israel and in Jerusalem. Then they put him to death by nailing him to a cross. ⁴⁰ But God raised him from death three days later and caused him to appear, ⁴¹ not to everyone, but only to the witnesses that God had already chosen, that is, to us who ate and drank with him after he rose from death. ⁴² And he commanded us to preach the gospel to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God has appointed judge of the living and the dead. 

⁴³ All the prophets spoke about him, saying that all who believe in him will have their sins forgiven through the power of his name.”

 

This is the word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

 

Song: Lord I lift your name on high https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COQ6cni_TG8

Gospel Reading John 20:1-18  https://youtu.be/KWDUpelqKhc

 

Sermon

The empty tomb of Easter morning made public the victory of Good Friday and showed that the cross was not some great mistake but it also answered some of the questions and mysteries of this momentous weekend.

We’re thinking about:-

·       Things that shocked !

·       Things that confused?

·       Things that were final.

·        !  the horror of Good Friday. What did it all mean? Crucifixion was a cruel and shocking death. The faithful women who followed Jesus to the site of his cross were devasted, grief stricken. Watching Jesus die in agony must have been terrible.

·        ?  the confusion of the Easter Saturday. What now? The disciples hid, huddled together in the upper room. They had believed Jesus; they had followed Jesus; they had left everything for Jesus. And Jesus had died.

·        . Does it mean the end of all their hopes. Death. Is that it? Any way forward from now seemed impossible. The tomb was guarded and sealed.

 

But there had also been the great cry from the cross at the end.

·        ! = "It is finished!" - in the Greek, it is a word that suggests completion such as when a bill had been paid (i.e. account paid). A debt has been settled.

·        ? The puzzle of the curtain in the temple being torn. How could that happen? It was huge and separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple. The High Priest went in only once a year. The curtain said No Entry to God’s presence- what did the tear mean?

·        .  The empty tomb says something final. However impossible, however extraordinary- the evidence is there before us. Or rather the body is not there at all.

In our reading from Acts, Peter is talking to the crowds – he says 3 times you know

You know the message

You know of the great event (Jesus’ ministry)

You know about Jesus of Nazareth – God was with him.

 All these point forward to Jesus’ death and the events that followed.

Peter says we are witnesses- we were there and we saw it happen. We saw Jesus back to life after 3 days.

 

Many people think that the events of this story are just too much (!) to believe;

others are not sure and would like to believe it (?).

Peter, and all those who have come after him believe that this unique event is what turns life's full stop (.) into a comma (,). Death is not the end. Not for Jesus and not for us.

There is more. Our debt has been paid, access to God made possible and assurance of heaven is available. Amen!

Our Prayers https://studio.youtube.com/video/js5vXJA02Uo/edit

 

We pray to Jesus who is present with us to eternity.

Jesus, light of the world,

bring the light and peace of your gospel to the nations …

Jesus, Lord of life,

in your mercy, hear us.

 

Jesus, bread of life,

give food to the hungry …

and nourish us all with your word.

Jesus, Lord of life,

in your mercy, hear us.

 

Jesus, our way, our truth, our life,

be with us and all who follow you in the way …

Deepen our appreciation of your truth

and fill us with your life.

Jesus, Lord of life,

in your mercy, hear us.

 

Jesus, Good Shepherd who gave your life for the sheep,

recover the straggler,

bind up the injured,

strengthen the sick

and lead the healthy and strong to new pastures.

Jesus, Lord of life,

in your mercy, hear us.

 

Jesus, the resurrection and the life,

we give you thanks for all who have lived and believed in you …

Raise us with them to eternal life.

Jesus, Lord of life,

in your mercy, hear us,

accept our prayers, and be with us always.

Amen.

The Peace

The Risen Christ came and stood among

his disciples and said,

Peace be with you.

Then they were glad when they saw the Lord.

Alleluia

The peace of the Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

Song: O Happy Day https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlWPGWfIvwU

Holy Communion

The Lord is here.

His Spirit is with us.

 

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

 

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give thanks and praise.

 

And now we give you thanks

because through him you have given us eternal life and delivered us from the bondage of sin and the fear of death

into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

 

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord,

Holy is the Lord God Almighty

Who was and is and is to come

Holy Holy Holy is the Lord

 

We praise and bless you, loving Father,

through Jesus Christ, our Lord;

and as we obey his command,

send your Holy Spirit,

that broken bread and wine outpoured

may be for us the body and blood of your dear Son.

 

On the night before he died he had supper with his friends

and, taking bread, he praised you.

He broke the bread, gave it to them and said:

Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you;

do this in remembrance of me.

 

When supper was ended he took the cup of wine.

Again he praised you, gave it to them and said: Drink this, all of you;

this is my blood of the new covenant,

which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.

 

 

So, Father, we remember all that Jesus did,

in him we plead with confidence his sacrifice

made once for all upon the cross.

Bringing before you the bread of life and cup of salvation,

we proclaim his death and resurrection

until he comes in glory.

 

Dying you destroyed our death,

rising you restored our life:

Lord Jesus, come in glory.

Lord of all life,

help us to work together for that day

when your kingdom comes

and justice and mercy will be seen in all the earth.

 

Look with favour on your people,

gather us in your loving arms

and bring us with all the saints

to feast at your table in heaven.

Through Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

all honour and glory are yours, O loving Father, for ever and ever.

Amen.

 

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins

as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation

but deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power,

and the glory are yours

now and for ever.

Amen.

 

We break this bread

to share in the body of Christ.

Though we are many, we are one body,

because we all share in one bread.

 

Alleluia! Christ  our Passover is sacrificed for us

Alleluia! Let us keep the feast!

 

Prayer of Spiritual Communion 

 

Thanks be to you, Lord Jesus Christ, 

for all the benefits you have given me, 

for all the pains and insults you have borne for me. 

Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, 

I ask you to come spiritually into my heart. 

O most merciful redeemer, friend and brother, 

may I know you more clearly, 

love you more dearly, 

and follow you more nearly, day by day. Amen

Song: And Can it be? https://youtu.be/Tu2uA6U4Fxg

Father of all,

we give you thanks and praise,

that when we were still far off

you met us in your Son and brought us home.

Dying and living, he declared your love,

gave us grace, and opened the gate of glory.

May we who share Christ’s body live his risen life;

we who drink his cup bring life to others;

we whom the Spirit lights give light to the world.

Keep us firm in the hope you have set before us,

so we and all your children shall be free,

and the whole earth live to praise your name;

through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

The Blessing

God the Father, by whose glory

Christ was raised from the dead,

strengthen you to walk with him in his risen life;

and the blessing of God Almighty

Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be with you now

And remain with you always.

Amen

 

Song O Praise the Name https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqBpifDpNKc&ab_channel=HillsongWorship

 

Dismissal

Alleluia. Christ is risen.

He is risen indeed. Alleluia.

Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He has given us new life and hope.

He has raised Jesus from the dead.

God has claimed us as his own.

He has brought us out of darkness.

He has made us light to the world.

Alleluia. Christ is risen.

He is risen indeed. Alleluia.