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Easter Day C LECTIONARY GENERATED LITURGY Easter Day Year C Acts 10:34-43 or Isaiah 65:17-25; Ps.118:1-2,14-24; 1Corinthians 15:19-26 or Acts 10:34-43; John 20:1-18 or Luke 24:1-12. Recommended text - NRSV. Hymns are from the Australian Hymn Book (AHB) or Together in Song (TIS) unless otherwise indicated. Worship Leader - normal type. Congregational responses - bold type Permission is granted to churches to use this material in services of worship. This liturgy remains the property of Moira B Laidlaw Additional resources for Easter Day: The Symbols of the Resurrection- see below; An egg shaped container with ‘love’ printed inside; Uniting In Worship , Leader’s Book, Uniting Church Press, JBCE, Melbourne,1988; Uniting In Worship, People’s Book, Uniting Church Press, JBCE, Melbourne,1988; Australian Prayers. Bruce D Prewer, Lutheran Publishing House, Adelaide, 1983. CALL TO WORSHIP Based on Isaiah 65: 17-25 Be glad and rejoice in what God is creating - a new heaven and a new earth. The promise of joy and gladness for all people. The promise of Eden restored, where every living creature lives in harmony. Promises fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who died to defeat evil, and rose to give us life. So let us be glad and rejoice in what God has created in us - new life - the life of the risen Christ. Alleluia! Amen! TIS 362/AHB 280: “Jesus Christ is risen today” TIS 156/AHB 91: “Morning has broken” Everyone is seated as the symbols of the resurrection are processed in - include children/youth. THE SYMBOLS OF THE RESURRECTION THE SHROUD: Two people carry a plain white communion cloth and spread it on the bare communion table with these words: This reminds us of the cloth in which they wrapped the body of Jesus. On Easter morning it was found empty, lying in the tomb where Christ’s body had been placed. Alleluia! Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! THE FRAGRANT OIL A jar filled with fragrant oil is placed it on the communion table with these words: This fragrance reminds us that very early on Easter Day some women came to the tomb to prepare Jesus’ body for proper burial. The women were the first to hear of Jesus’ resurrection. Alleluia! Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! THE STONE: A stone( as large as possible) is placed on, or in front of, the table with these words: This stone reminds us that on the resurrection morning, the stone which sealed the tomb was rolled away. Alleluia! Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! THE BREAD: A large wholemeal loaf (home baked if possible) and plates with bread ready for communion are placed on the table with these words: This bread reminds us that on the first Easter evening, Jesus walked and talked with two of his followers on the road to Emmaus. It was not until he broke bread with them that they recognised who he was. Alleluia! Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! THE WINE: The chalice and communion trays are placed on the table with these words: This wine, representing Christ’s blood, helps us to remember that Jesus died for us. Alleluia! Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! THE CROSS: A rough hewn cross is placed against the front of the table with these words: The cross you see is an empty cross. Jesus is not dead. He is risen. Alleluia! Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! THE CANDLE: A lit ‘Christ candle’ is placed on the table or stand with these words: This candle reminds us that Jesus Christ is the light of the world. Alleluia! Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! (This has been adapted from a liturgy by Norman Hogg W.A. It was published in ‘On the Move’ some years ago) TIS 380/AHB 303 “Yours be the glory” PRAYER OF ADORATION AND PRAISE Yours is the glory, O God, for raising Jesus from the darkness of death. Yours is the glory, O Christ, for being prepared, through your sacrificial love, to conquer death and give us the gift of eternal life. And, as if that were not enough, you greet us by name, as you greeted Mary in the garden, and transform our lives forever with your Easter life. Risen Lord, we worship and adore you . We pray that the Holy Spirit, your life in us, will so conform us to your image that we radiate your glory here, through our rejoicing and praise, and in all the places where people’s lives are still affected by the powers of sin and death. Yours is the glory, risen Lord Jesus, and we rejoice that ‘endless is the victory that you over death have won’. Alleluia! Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! Amen If you have a CHILDREN’S TIME today - have an egg-shaped container - as large as possible (craft shops sell egg-shaped moulds) - paint or cover outside with paper so that inside is unseen. Put a sheet of paper inside with the word ‘love’ printed as big as possible on it. Ask the children what they may have eaten a lot of today already or will eat when they get home - chocolate eggs will no doubt feature highly! Then invite them to look at the egg you have and ask what might be in the egg... Open and unfold paper to show the word ‘love’. Then explain that Jesus was prepared to die and have his body put in a tomb because he wanted to show us that love is stronger than evil. Eggs have come to be a symbol of Easter because eggs remind us of the tomb, which contained not death, but life - contained the news that Jesus was alive again in a very special way. We receive gifts of eggs on Easter Day, and before long, they’re gone, finished, but Jesus gives us a very special gift, the gift of his love and his life and they last for ever. TIS 390: “Alleluia, alleluia, give thanks to the risen Lord” PRAYER OF CONFESSION God of love, like the first witnesses of the resurrection, we too come to the empty tomb with a variety of responses. We hear the good news that Jesus has risen, but so often the evidence for this is difficult to detect in our lives. Forgive us when we fail to make the risen Christ evident through our words, our actions and our lives . For so many people, the only good news of this weekend is that it provides the opportunity for a holiday in pleasant Autumn weather. Forgive us if we feel that this time of worship is an interruption to our planned holiday activities. As we come to the empty tomb seeking forgiveness for all our faults and shortcomings, help us to re-order our priorities so that we put the risen Christ first in our lives at all times. Forgive us when we forget that the tomb is forever empty because Jesus is here and is wherever Christians live and worship. Help us always to remember the costly act of Jesus Christ which led to victory over sin and death, an act which gives us the gift of a new beginning - guilt free and graced by love. The tomb is empty because Christ is risen. Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia. Amen! ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS Jesus “is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” (Acts 10: 42b,43) Hear, believe, and live the good news. In Jesus Christ we are forgiven! Thanks be to God! EPISTLE: Acts 10: 34-43 GOSPEL: John 20: 1-18 SERMON TIS 367/ AHB 299: “I know that my Redeemer lives” A Congregational Reaffirmation of Baptism follows. This can be found on page 49 of ‘Uniting in Worship Leader’s Book’ and page 30 of the ‘People’s Book’. Hymn following the Recollection of Baptism: TIS 487/ AHB 414: “Lord Jesus Christ, on this your day of light” Verses 1 and 4. AHB Tune 530: Chilton Foliat OFFERING OFFERTORY PRAYER Loving God, we thank you for this Easter Day - with its promise of new life, and new opportunities. Use us, and our gifts, to love and to serve you, and to witness to Christ whom you have raised, and in whose name we pray. Amen PRAYERS FOR OTHERS: “Easter” Page 54f. in Australian Prayers THE PEACE The peace of the risen Christ be with you. And also with you. Invite people to share a sign of peace with those round about. TIS 524/ AHB 442: “ Come, risen Lord, and deign to be our guest” TIS 543: “God’s Paschal Lamb is sacrificed for us” TIS 511/ AHB 433: “Let us break bread together with the Lord” - GREAT PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks to God. It is right to give God our thanks and praise. Living God, on this most joyous day we offer our thanks and praise to you; creator of heaven and earth; creator and lover of all humanity. When people rejected your ways, you never rejected them, but spoke words of mercy and love through the prophets; promising a new creation where people will live life to the full and delight in being blessed by you. And so, with all the company of heaven and earth we praise your holy name saying: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. Holy God, this meal which we share today is the celebration that death has been defeated forever. We celebrate also how the language of your love became audible through the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, your beloved Son, our beloved Lord; and how the shape of your love became visible through his life and sacrificial love. He graced lives with healing and hope, compassion and power and gave his very life for us. On the night of his betrayal, as he sat at the table and broke bread with his friends, he said: ‘Take and eat; this is my body which is broken for you. Remember me each time you do this.’ After they had eaten, he took the cup, and said: ‘Remember me as you drink from this, for it is my life, poured out for you - the beginning of a new relationship with God.’ God of all power, breathe your Holy Spirit upon us, and upon these gifts of bread and wine, that they may be for us the life of Christ, and that we may make that life visible through our faithful witness to him. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen THE LORD’S PRAYER BREAKING THE BREAD We break this bread and take this cup so that we can all share in the life of Christ. God’s gifts for God’s people. LAMB OF GOD DISTRIBUTION OF THE ELEMENTS PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION We give thanks that this has been no ordinary meal. It has been one in which we have been fed and nourished with the life of Jesus, our crucified and risen Lord. May we go from here, refreshed and eager, to share that life with others. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen TIS 531: “Sent forth by God’s blessing, our true faith confessing” TIS 525: “You we praise, high priest and victim” TIS 495/AHB 416: “Father, we give you thanks, who planted...” BENEDICTION Go in peace to love and serve our living Lord. We go in the power of Christ’s resurrection! Alleluia! May God, the creator of all life, Jesus Christ, the giver of eternal life, and the Holy Spirit, the power in each and every life, bless each one of us, this day and every day. TIS 362/AHB 280 - FINAL VERSE: “Sing we to our God above - Alleluia!” |