The Celebration of the Gospel
April 1, 2018 Easter Sunday
“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.”
–Mark 16.6
—————— We Gather as the Body of Christ—————
GREETING
PRELUDE “Easter” from Five Mystical Songs Ralph Vaughan Williams
* GOSPEL Mark 16. 1-8
[The women come to Jesus’ tomb and discover it is empty. The story ends abruptly as the women rush out, bewildered—as if we ourselves are meant to finish the story.]
When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint Jesus’ body. 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.
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* RESPONSE
Leader: Jesus emptied himself, shared in our sufferings, and received our scorn.
All: In humility and trust he became obedient to death, even death on a cross.
But Christ is risen!
Christ is risen indeed!
God has raised the Crucified One to new life!
Death no longer has dominion!
God has rescued us from the power of darkness,
and brought us into the dominion of God’s Beloved.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia! ALLELUIA! Alleluia! ALLELUIA!
* SONG Christ the Lord Is Risen Today Blue hymnal # 302
Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high: Alleluia!
Sing ye heavens, and earth reply. Alleluia!
Love’s redeeming work is done; Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won: Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids his rise; Alleluia!
Christ has opened paradise. Alleluia!
Lives again our glorious King! Alleluia!
Where, O Death is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once he died our souls to save; Alleluia!
Where’s thy victory, boasting grave? Alleluia!
King of glory, Lord of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this: Alleluia!
Thee to know, thy power to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing, and thus to love! Alleluia!
CHILDREN’S TIME
———————— We Attend to the Word ———————
THE WORD IN SONG Worthy Is The Lamb Pepper Choplin
PRAYER
Holy God, we thank you and praise you for the mystery of your grace. For on the cross Jesus your Christ bore all that separates us from you and from life; yet sin and oppression and suffering and death were overcome by the power of love. In raising Christ you have delivered us from the power of death. Eternal God, make us die every day to sin. Birth us anew, so that we may walk in newness of life with Christ, in the joy of eternal life and in the company of the Holy Spirit, O God, our Creator and our Redeemer. Amen.
NEW TESTAMENT Acts 10: 34-43
[Peter tells the story of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.]
Peter said to them: Truly God is not partial, but in every nation anyone who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to God. You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem.
They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he 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.”
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* PSALTER from Psalm 118
[A song of God’s victory. What we thought was failure God has made triumph: “the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”]
Response: This is the day the Lord has made;
let us rejoice, let us rejoice, let us rejoice and be glad.
God is my strength and my power;
the Holy One has become my salvation.
I shall not die, but I shall live,
and recount the deeds of the Faithful One.
Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them
and give thanks to God.
This is the gate of the Lord;
the righteous shall enter through it.
Response
I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
This is God’s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Response
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SERMON
* RESPONSE
Leader: Alleluia! God of Love, the sun of your grace rises upon us.
Alleluia! You have raised Jesus your Christ from the dead.
Jesus bore our sorrows, and shared our suffering;
and you raised him from the dead.
He accepted our mistreatment and bore our injustice,
and you raised him from the dead.
He confronted evil; and the powers of oppression killed him,
and you raised him from the dead.
He experienced our loneliness, and stood in the gap between us and you,
and you raised him from the dead.
We poured out on him all our judgment, yet he forgives us entirely
and you raised him from the dead.
God of grace and miracle, you have joined us to Christ,
so that as you raised Christ from the dead by the power of your love,
you have raised us from the dead with Christ, to walk in new lives.
God of resurrection, fill us with the power of your love,
love that overcomes evil and death, love that is the light of life.
Spirit of love, create new hearts in us, and make us a new and holy people,
the Body of Christ, risen in love. Alleluia!
* SONG Goodness Is Stronger than Evil Black hymnal # 2219
Goodness is stronger than evil, love is stronger than hate;
light is stronger than darkness, life is stronger than death.
Victory is ours, victory is ours, through him who loved us.
Victory is ours, victory is ours, through him who loved us.
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
[Anyone who wishes may share a prayer concern at the microphone.]
PASSING THE PEACE
————————We Share at Christ’s Table ——————
OFFERING OUR GIFTS Song Of The Dawn Robert J. Powell
* COMMUNION SONG Doxology Steve G-H
Gladly we praise you and bless you, Creator, O God, of Life.
Christ, we adore you and thank you, Compassion of God, our Light.
Great Holy Spirit, by you we are born from above.
Alleluia! Praise the God of blessing!
Alleluia! Bless the God of Love!
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
Beloved, God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Faithful One, our God.
It is good to give God thanks and praise.
We thank you God, for in the beginning in love you called light out of darkness.
In mercy you brought Israel out of slavery.
By your grace you raised Christ from the dead.
And in your faithfulness you raise us with Christ, out of death and into new life.
In Jesus you have accepted the dough of our brokenness with love,
buried it in the oven of death, and raised us, bread of life, made new.
Therefore we come to feast on the bread of your grace,
singing your praise with all Creation.
[Sanctus]
Blessed are all who come in your name, and blessed is Jesus, your Christ.
He healed and taught with love; he confronted injustice with courage,
and he gathered a community of grace, forgiveness and healing.
He poured himself out for us. He loved us to death.
The powers of oppression crucified him—but you raised him from the dead.
Alleluia!
[The Blessing and Covenant…]
Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.”
As often as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection until he comes again.
Remembering these, your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving
as a living and holy sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
[For the food gathered for the food bank] Pour out your holy Spirit on these gifts of food,
that those who receive them may experience your love and grace.
[For the bread and cup] Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that we may be for the world the Body of Christ, crucified and risen,
fearless in sharing the suffering of the world
and trusting the power of your love.
In this meal may we be transformed, raised to new life, and filled with your light.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
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.
Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.
SHARING THE HOLY MEAL
[Everyone is welcome at the table of Christ’s self-giving love.
The bread is wheat-, soy- and dairy free. We dip the bread in the juice.]
PRAYER OF BLESSING
Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. Like a grain of wheat that has fallen into the earth, Christ has died and been raised in us, and we are now the Body of the Risen Christ, continually reborn by your grace. Send us into the world to proclaim your good news, to love as you have loved us, to serve the poor, to work for justice, and to prepare your Realm on earth; in the name of the risen Christ and the power of your Holy Spirit, who live and reign with you forever. Amen.
————We Are Sent in Ministry to the World———
THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD
* SONG Alleluia, Alleluia Blue hymnal # 162
Refrain:
Alleluia. Alleluia! Give thanks to the risen Lord
Alleluia, alleluia! Give praise to his name.
- Jesus is Lord of all the earth. He is the king of creation.
2. Spread the good news o’er all the earth: Jesus has died and has risen.
3. We have been crucified with Christ. Now we shall live forever.
4. Come, let us praise the living God, joyfully sing to our Savior.* THE BLESSING AND SENDING FORTH* RESPONSE “Hallelujah” from Messiah G. F. Handel
All who wish to participate Are invited to sing along!
POSTLUDE Toccata Regale Anthony Giamanco