Worship April 1, 2021 - Easter
Let us worship!
Christ has risen, he has risen indeed, Alleluia.
For you and for me, Christ has risen, Alleluia.
May his grace and peace be with you.
May he fill our hearts with joy.
May his ever-present Spirit surround us and uphold us this hour.
Christ has risen, therefore let us worship him together, with joy and hope!
A prayer to center you
Almighty and ever-living God,
We marvel at the mystery of Christ’s resurrection
And give thanks for your grace, love and compassion.
In boldness you exalt the humble and empower the weak.
In strength you snatched victory from the jaws of death.
In love you declared your crucified Son the savior of the world.
For our sakes you sacrificed everything.
You over came death and rose victorious.
We celebrate this good news and proclaim again your glory.
Amen
Holy Words from John 20:1-18
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[a] 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,[b] “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.
Reflection:
A long awaited Easter Morning! Alleluia! Amen
It feels like we have been waiting for this morning for well over a year now.
It was half way through the 2020 Lenten season when the number of corona virus cases started to rise on our shores and we were sent into what we hoped would be a short lockdown to flatten the curve. As it turns out, we have spent the majority of the last year sacrificing and changing our habits, isolated and challenged, surrounded by worry, concern and unknowing. But here we are today, proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel once again: Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again.
Good news indeed.
I have been needing some good news lately, an opportunity to celebrate. After a year of sacrifices, fear, worry, isolation and separation brought on by this pandemic, I am glad to have something joyful to proclaim—something made even richer because of this difficult past year. The truth of the resurrections speaks new hope to me this year. The reminder that Christ conquers all in the end has a richer meaning in light of all we have been through. Christ conquers hurt and fear. Christ conquers pain and sickness. Christ conquers isolation and separation. Christ even conquers death! Many of us have had to look at death differently this year. The threat of a new virus forced us to look at our mortality in new ways—hitting closer to home than ever before. This year when we shout that the tomb cannot hold our God it goes deeper than a hollow echo. It comes from deep inside us giving us new hope.
The story rang new for me with the slow dawning of new hope that the world around us may return to some closer form of normalcy in the near future. Christ conquers all things and with Christ we can face the road ahead of us with courage and hope. God’s promises hold true. God over comes even death. God is with us.
I shout this morning at the joy of risen Christ.
I shout with the hope I find in the empty tomb.
I shout for I know God is with us still.
Christ has risen, he has risen indeed.
Today is Easter morning.
Every day is Easter morning…
The stone is rolled away…
The tomb is empty….
The tomb remains empty…
Go out to proclaim what you know to be…
That you have seen the Lord!!!
Going out.
Go out into the world, seeking the light of Christ Jesus and may you see all around you the love, compassion, joy, generosity, and hope in the Kingdom of God.
and in all that you do, may the love of Christ Jesus uphold you,
the peace of God sustain you and may the Holy Spirit guide you each step of the way
Let all God’s people say: AMEN
