Happy Easter!
Christ is Risen!
Below is an Easter Service of Readings and Hymns that might parallel a Christmas Eve service. Enjoy the readings. May you also experience Easter mystery, awe and wonder.
Joel
An Easter Service of Readings and Hymns
Invitation to Worship
L: Alleluia! Praise
be to God! Christ has risen indeed.
P: We bring our
joyful alleluias to this place today!
L: The tomb is
empty, and new life hovers in this dawn.
P: We praise God
for the mystery and the excitement of new life present in this day!
Hymn “Hail the Day That Sees Him
Rise”
#312
Opening
Prayer:
This is the day, Lord God, that you have made! Raising Christ from the
dead, and raising us with Christ, you have fashioned for yourself a new people,
washed in the flood of baptism, sealed with the gift of the Spirit, invited to
the banquet of the Lamb! In the beauty of this Easter morning, set our minds on
the new life to which you have called us; place on our lips the words of witness
for which you have anointed us. We ask this through our risen Savior, Christ
the Lord. Amen.
EASTER
ACCOUNTS – “ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK…”
(Note that these accounts are arranged in probable chronological order.)
The
First Account: ~70 CE
Words at the Tomb........................................................................................... Mark
16:1-8a
When
the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome
bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the
first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had
been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the
entrance to the tomb?” When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was
very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a
young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were
alarmed. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of
Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is
the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going
ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” So they
went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and
they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
HYMN: Christ is Alive (v.
1-3)......................................................................................................................
#318
The
First Account, Amended
Continuation ............................................................................................... Mark
16:8b-20
And all that had been commanded them they told briefly to those
around Peter. And afterward Jesus himself sent out through them, from east to
west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation
Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared
first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went out
and told those who had been with him, while they were still mourning and
weeping. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they
would not believe it.
After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were
walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did
not believe them.
Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at
the table; and he upbraided them for their lack of faith and stubbornness,
because they had not believed those who saw him after had had been risen. And he
said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole
creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who
does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who
believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new
tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly
thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they
will recover.”
So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up
into heaven and sat down at the right hand of god. Andy they went out and
proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.
HYMN: Christ is Alive (vs
4-5)......................................................................................................................
#318
Another
Account: ~80-95 CE
Words at the Tomb...................................................................................... Matthew
28:1-10
After the Sabbath, as the first
day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the
tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord,
descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His
appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him
the guards shook and became like dead men. But 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. Come, see the place where he lay.
Then go Quickly and tell his disciples, ‘for he has been raised, as he said.
Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He
has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee;
there you will see him,” This is my message for you.” So they left the tomb
quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus
met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet,
and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my
brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
HYMN: Easter People, Raise Your
Voices..............................................................................................................
#304
Another
Account: ~85 CE
At the Tomb................................................................................................... Luke
24:1-12
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came tot eh
tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled
away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body. While
they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood
beside them. The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but
the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not
here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee,
that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on
the third ay rise again.” They the remembered his words, and returning from the
tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary
Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother o James, and the other women with them who
told this to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they
did not believe them. But peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and
looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at
what had happened.
HYMN: Christ the Lord is Risen Today (vs.
1-2).....................................................................................................................
#
302
Two
More Accounts: ~ 85 CE
Walking on the Road.......................................................................................... Luke
24:13-35
Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called
Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all
these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus
himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing
him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you
walk along?” they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was
Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not
know the things that have taken place there in these days?” He asked them,
“What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a
prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our
chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and
crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and
besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place.
Moreover, some women of our group astounded u. They were in the tomb early this
morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us
that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some
of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had
said; but they did not see him.” Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you
are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was
it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter
into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted
to them all the things about himself in all the scriptures.
As they came near the village to which thy were going, he walked
ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with
us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in
to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed
and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they
recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other,
“Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road,
while he was opening the scriptures to us?” That same hour they got up and returned
to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together.
They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!”
Then they told what had happened on the road, and how the had been made known
to them in the braking of the bread.”
HYMN: On the Day of
Resurrection...............................................................................................................
#309
Yet
Another Account: ~85 CE
While they were talking................................................................................ Luke
24: 36-53
While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among
them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
HYMN: Christ the Lord is Risen Today (vs.
3-4).....................................................................................................................
#
302
In
the Garden .................................................................................................... John
20:1-18
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. So she ran and went to Simon
Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They
have take the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid
him.” Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The
two were running together; but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the
tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings laying there,
but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the
tomb. He saw the linen wrappings laying there, and the cloth that had been on
Jesus’ head, not laying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by
itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and
he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he
must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she
wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 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. 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.”
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she
did not know that it was Jesus. 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.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” she turned and said to him in
Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). 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.’” 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.
HYMN: In the Garden (v. 1) ..................................................................................... #
314
Evening
of the First Day ................................................................................. John
20:19-23
When it was
evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house
where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and
stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed
them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the
Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me,
so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven
them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
HYMN: Christ the Lord is Risen Today (vs. 3-4) .................................................... #
302
Silent Reflection (or
Your Account 2012)
HYMN:
He Lives .............................................................................................................. #
310
Benediction:
Hear
the Good News – The tomb is empty – Christ has been Raised from the dead.
Alleluia, Alleluia.
Go
in Peace and Celebration to share the Good News that has happened to us this
day!
Go
in Peace and with the Spirit as you Love and Serve the Risen Lord.
Amen.
