Easter Sunday

This is part of the worship series, "Via Doloroso—The Way of Sorrows” Series Introduction Lent 1 | Lent 2 | Lent 3 | Lent 4 | Lent 5 Palm Sunday | EasterEaster SundayThe End of the Via Dolorosa: Why Are You Crying?Scripture Text: John 20:15Auxiliary Scripture: A litany of Mark 16:1–5, “Low in the Grave He Lay,” and Matthew 28:7–10, helped us move experientially from the doubt and confusion of early Easter to the celebration of later that day, and today.SermonThis sermon tried to show how the resurrection of Jesus brought Mary, and all like her, to the end of their personal Via Dolorosa. The risen Christ asks all of us the same question the angels asked her, “Why are you crying?”We spent some time reflecting on her grief, which is really the heart of the world’s grief—“They have taken my Lord away, and I don’t know where they have put him.” The absence of God in a world of pain fills millions with deep sorrow. On Easter, Christ comes into such a world with this penetrating question: “Why are you crying?”Like Mary, however, the world doesn’t recognize Jesus. We asked why Mary didn’t know her Master and concluded that the bottom- line reason was that she hadn’t expected to see him there. So it is with a grief-stricken world. Jesus is there behind us all the time, but we keep staring into the empty tomb, at the losses and disappointments of life. And even when we do see him, we don’t recognize him.We never will until we respond to his personal call (“Mary!”) and turn toward him as she did. Only then can we turn toward others and say, “I have seen the Lord.” And only then will our Via Dolorosa come to an end.We closed the sermon and the series with an invitation to leave the Via Dolorosa and enter the Via Gaudeam, the way of joy, because, by faith, we have seen the Lord.Congregational PrayerThis prayer of praise and thanksgiving was a celebration of the victory of Christ, which transforms human life from a trail of tears in the darkness to a journey through the dappled territories of human existence into the unbroken sunshine of heaven.Children’s SermonWe used an empty plastic egg (an old L’Eggs pantyhose container) to illustrate the empty tomb. “What do you think is in this egg?” “Nothing!” Just like Jesus’ grave. “He is not here, he is risen.” So we can rejoice.       Music SuggestionsGathering“Christ the Lord Is Risen Today” WesleyAnthem: “Jesus Christ Is Risen Today” arr. C. J. FavreauAnthem: “This Is the Day” Jacobus Gallus (Concordia)“The Strife Is O’er” Symphonia Sirenum, Colonge, 1695Word“Give Thanks to God” (Psalm 118) WiersmaResponseAnthem: “Alleluia! Christ Is Risen” W. Mathias (Oxford)“Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain” John of Damascus, 8th cent.“I Serve a Risen Savior” AckelyRevised Common LectionaryYears A, B, C: Easter—Resurrection of the Lord

This call to worship and greeting from God originally appeared in "Our Living Guarantee—Easter 6: Living the Guarantee of Ultimate Victory."Gathering Sentences Alleluia! The Lord is risen!Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!God, mark us with grace and blessing! Smile on us! The whole country will see how you work, all the godless nations will see how you save.Let people thank and enjoy you, O God! Let all people thank and enjoy you!Let all far-flung people become happy and shout their happiness because you judge them fair and square.Let people thank and enjoy you, O God! Let all people thank and enjoy you!Earth, display your exuberance! You mark us with blessing, O God, our God.Let people thank and enjoy you, O God! Let all people thank and enjoy you!May all the best from God and Christ be yours.Grace be with you.—adapted from Psalm 67:1-6 MSGRevised Common LectionaryYear A: Season after Pentecost—Proper 15 (20)Year C: Easter—Sixth Sunday of Easter