Call to Worship
Psalm 150
Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe,
praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.
God’s Greeting
1 Peter 1:3-4,8
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth
into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an
inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him;
and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible
and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Song
Christ The Lord is Risen Today
Prayer of Confession
(inspired by John 20:19-31)
Creator God,
we confess that at times we are skeptics.
At times we doubt that You exist
because of the evil we have seen in the world.
Oppression, marginalization, and plain hate still plague our world,
and it is hard to see Your love and light.
Sometimes, even those who bear Your name
do not walk in Your ways.
Help us to see Your goodness in this world.
Help us to know Your love.
Fill us with Your love and goodness,
so that we might love one another,
and lift up one another in faith. Amen.
Words of Assurance
Hear these words from Psalm 40
“I am sure I shall see the goodness of our God in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”
Know that you do not wait alone.
God has given us one another for this journey of faith, to help one another.
Know that you do not wait alone; Christ is with us.
Be encouraged, and encourage one another. Go and share the Good News.
Friends, may God’s peace be with you.
And also with you.
Profession of Faith
Our World Belongs to God
Standing in our place, Jesus suffered during his years on earth,
especially in the tortures of the cross.
He carried God’s judgment on our sin—his sacrifice removed our guilt.
God raised him from the dead:
he walked out of the grave, conqueror of sin and death—Lord of Life!
We are set right with God, given new life, and called to walk with him
in freedom from sin’s dominion.
Message: New Creation
Passage John 20:1-10
20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb
and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon
Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the
tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” 3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb.
4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.
5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter
came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there,
7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying
in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the
tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.
9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the
dead.) 10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.
Song of Response
Before the Throne of God Above
Easter Prayer
Risen Lord Jesus,
as the rising sun scatters the darkness,
let fear and the memory of failure
be scattered from our souls
that we may live in the glorious freedom
of the children of God
We raise up into your resurrection light
all who are excluded from fullness of life
by poverty, unemployment or stigma,
by injustice, criminality or neglect,
by homelessness, landlessness or war,
remembering in particular the people around the
world who are suffering from Covid-19
or have lost loved ones in this pandemic.
Risen Lord Jesus,
let us be baptized by your resurrection light.
May we trust in you above all else,
hope in you above all else,
seek you in all things,
find you in every place,
meet you among all people,
know you through everything,
and love you beyond all telling.
We pray in your name, living Lord. Amen.
Blessing
So as you celebrate the risen Christ today, may the Lord bless you and keep you, may
he make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the living God turn his face
toward you and give you his peace. Go in peace.
Resources for Liturgy
Confession and Assurance written by Rev. Mindi
Closing Easter Prayer found in Christian Aid website
