This is part of the worship series,
"Grief Over Injustice, Hope for Wholeness”
Introduction
Lent 1 | Lent 2 | Lent 3 | Lent 4 | Lent 5
Palm/Passion Sunday | Good Friday | Easter Sunday
EASTER SUNDAY
“I am neither an optimist nor a pessimist. Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.” —Lesslie Newbigin
Easter Sunday serves as the antithesis to the whole series, turning us from looking at injustice to looking at what is true justice. Christ’s victory over sin and death is our eternal hope for justice. It is amazing, breathtaking, and life changing, but the efficacy of this sacrifice goes far beyond our personal salvation. It is world changing! Jesus himself tells us that he was sent to earth to “proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God,” and through his death and resurrection the kingdom is come. The work of restoring the goodness of God’s creation has begun, to be completed on the day Christ comes again.
GATHERING
Welcome
Call to Worship
Alleluia! Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He has given us new life and hope.
He has raised Jesus from the dead.
God has claimed us as his own.
He has brought us out of darkness,
and has made us light to the world.
—Adapted from 1 Peter 1:3–5
God Greets Us
God’s People Greet Each Other
Songs
“Christ the Lord Is Risen Today” Wesley
“Crown Him with Many Crowns” (st. 1, 2) Bridge and Thring
“God So Loved” Bergthold and Cash
TABLE
Invitation to the Table
Isaiah shares a beautiful prophecy of all peoples gathering together at God’s messianic feast, celebrating the overthrow of evil and the joy of eternity with God. Today as we celebrate communion we look back on the sacrifice of Christ on the cross and anticipate this messianic feast in the joy of eternity with God.
Reading
On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,
of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.
And he will destroy on this mountain
the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
the covering that is spread over all nations;
he will swallow up death forever.
Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces,
and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken.
It will be said on that day,
“See, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.
This is the Lord for whom we have waited;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
—Isaiah 25:6–9 NRSVUE
We come rejoicing in the risen Christ this Easter Sunday!
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Nourished at this table, O God,
may we know Christ’s redemptive love
and live a new life in him.
Give us who are fed at his hand
grace to share our bread with the hungry
and with the hungry of heart.
Keep us faithful in your service
until Christ comes in final victory,
and we shall feast with all your saints
in the joy of your eternal realm.
Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ,
all glory and honor are yours, almighty God,
with the Holy Spirit in the holy church,
now and forever. Amen.
—Reprinted by permission from the Book of Common Worship, © 2018 Westminster John Knox Press. All rights reserved.
The Words of Institution
We give thanks to God the Father that our Savior, Jesus Christ,
before he suffered, gave us this memorial of his sacrifice, until he comes again.
At his last supper, the Lord Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks,
he broke it [the minister breaks the bread] and said,
“This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way, after supper he took the cup [the minister pours the wine] and said,
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this in remembrance of me.”
For whenever we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
—adapted from 1 Corinthians 11:23–26
Therefore we proclaim our faith as signed and sealed in this sacrament:
Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
The Prayer of Consecration
Lord, our God, send your Holy Spirit so that this bread and cup may be for us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. May we and all your saints be united with Christ and remain faithful in hope and love. Gather your whole church, O Lord, into the glory of your kingdom.
—Agenda for Synod 1994 © 1994, Christian Reformed Church in North America, p. 181.
Leader: We pray in the name of Jesus, who taught us to pray,
All: “Our Father in heaven . . .”
The Communion
Songs
“See How Good It Is (Psalm 133)” Kimbrough
“What a Beautiful Name” Fielding and Ligertwood
“Agnus Dei” Smith, SNC 39
Prayer after Communion
Eternal God, heavenly Father,
you have graciously accepted us as living members
of your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ,
and you have fed us with spiritual food
in the sacrament of his body and blood.
Send us out into the world in peace,
and grant us strength and courage
to love and serve you
with gladness and singleness of heart.
Through Christ, our Lord, amen.
—Leo Malania in The Book of Common Prayer, p. 365, according to the use of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. © 1977, Charles Mortimer Guilbert as custodian; public domain.
Children are dismissed for Children’s Worship.
WORD
Prayer for Illumination
Scripture
Matthew 28:1–8; Romans 8:1–6
Message
“Victory & Justice”
Song of Response
“Low in the Grave He Lay” Lowry
Prayer of the People
We Give Our Offerings of Thanks
SENDING
Call to Discipleship
As Christ burst forth from the tomb,
may new life burst forth from us
and show itself in acts of love and healing to a hurting world.
And may that same Christ, who lives forever
and is the source of our new life,
keep your hearts rejoicing and grant you peace
this day and always. Amen.
—Carol A. Wise in For All Who Minister: A Worship Manual for the Church of the Brethren, © 1993, Brethren Press.
God’s Parting Blessing
Song
“Victor’s Crown” Zschech et al.
Postlude
Revised Common Lectionary
Year A: Easter—Easter Vigil
Year A: Easter—Resurrection of the Lord
