EASTER 2020
PRELUDE
“The
Empty Tomb”
“Christ
the Lord is Risen Today”
CALL TO WORSHIP
Joy to the World, the Lord is
Risen,
Let earth receive it’s King
and Savior.
He is risen!
He is risen, indeed!
Let’s shout it again, “He is
Risen!”
He is risen indeed!
HYMN “Up
from Grave He Arose!”
PRAYER
God of light, when
everything was dark, and it seemed that the sun would never shine
again, your love broke through. Your love was too strong, too wide,
too deep for death to hold. Today, your love is too strong, too
light to be dimmed by the troubles of our present circumstances. We
pray for those whose lives are darkened on this day by illness,
grief, isolation and fear. Pour out the radiance of your grace upon
them and lift their burdens and give them comfort, healing and hope.
Gracious God, we praise
you for the light of new life made possible through Jesus. We pray
that the Easter light of life, hope and joy, will live in us each day
and that we will be bears of that light into the lives of others. We
pray this in the name of our living Savior, Christ our Lord, who
first taught us to pray by saying,
Our
Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy
kingdom come, thy will be done on earth
as
it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.
And
forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those
who
trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation,
but
deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom,
and
the power, and the glory forever. Amen
SPECIAL
MUSIC Easter
Version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
“An Easter Surprise”
The
title of today's Bible lesson is "An Easter Surprise." But
the Easter Surprise in our lesson isn't about finding something that
wasn't expected. It’s about NOT finding what was expected. Listen
to what happened with "An Easter Surprise."On
the Sunday after Jesus was crucified, Mary Magdalene and another
woman named Mary went to visit the tomb where Jesus had been buried.
When they arrived, the stone that had covered the tomb had been
rolled away, and an angel was sitting on it. The two women were
shocked and a bit afraid.
Can
you help me with this Easter Surprise story? Every time you hear the
name “Jesus,” say “He is risen!” Let’s practice….Jesus
(Kids say, “He is risen!”)
"Don't
be afraid," the angel said to them. "I know you are looking
for Jesus (Kids say, “He is risen!”) who was crucified. He is not
here, He has risen, just as He said He would. Come, see the place
where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples."
The
two Marys looked in and saw that the tomb was empty and hurried away.
They were surprised! They were afraid! But they were filled with joy.
As they ran to tell the disciples, they met Jesus. (Kids say, “He
is risen!”) They ran to him and grabbed him and worshiped him.
Jesus
(Kids say, “He is risen!”) said to them, "Don’t be afraid!
Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me
there."
Now,
that is what I call a real Easter Surprise. They went to see Jesus
(Kids say, “He is risen!”) in the tomb, but He was not there. He
was risen! That is why when we see our friends on Easter we greet
them by saying, "He is risen!" and our friends reply, "He
is risen indeed!"
Dear
God, we thank You for this glorious celebration of the resurrection
of our Lord Jesus (Kids say, “He is risen!”). We are not
surprised that the tomb was empty. He has risen just as He said He
would. In His name we pray. Amen.
SPECIAL
MUSIC “He’s
Alive”
GIVING
THANKS
Even
though we are not able meet together, please continue to financially
support the mission of God and the ministry of Christ through your
gifts and offerings by contributing either through the mail or by
electronic giving. Thank you.
HYMN
“He Lives”
PRAYER
O
God, you unconditionally share your only son with all who believe in
your name. On this holy day, receive our offerings as an
affirmation of our commitment to be your faithful disciples.
Strengthen our ability to be gifted stewards of your created world.
We pray in the name of the Resurrected One, Jesus Christ, the
Messiah. Amen.
SCRIPTURE
John
20:1-8
EASTER
MEDITATION #1 “He
Is Risen!”
by
Pastor
Dave Barrett
HE
IS RISEN!
HE
IS RISEN, INDEED!
This
is the traditional Russian Orthodox greeting. I have always loved
it! It is spoken with enthusiasm, conviction and certainty. Say it
with me again, and say it like a proud Russian.
HE
IS RISEN!
HE
IS RISEN INDEED!
In
the movie Doctor
Zhivago, Alexander
Gromeko, (Doctor Zhivago’s father-in-law) makes an astute
observation. He is with Yuri and Tonya. They have been forced to
leave their home in Moscow and move to their summer home at Varykino
in the Ural Mountains. It is Spring, and the three of them are
planting a garden. Alexander says, “Scratch any true Russian and
you will find a peasant who loves the land, will plant a garden and
can raise potatoes.”
I
would like to add that you can scratch any true Russian and you will
find a member of the Russian Orthodox church whom will proudly
proclaim, “He is risen! He is risen indeed”. I know this I
because have lived with one for over thirty years.
John’s
account of that first Easter morning is truly beautiful and moving.
We can see the action as Peter and John run to the grave. We can
feel the uncertainty as they wonder what they observed. But we
empathize with Mary as she weeps. We share and understand her loss.
But
the true beauty of this scripture lesson remains with Mary. Christ
speaks directly to her. Christ calls her by name. Christ instructs
her as to the present conditions. Christ directs her as to what
comes next. And she complies.
We
are to emulate Mary. Christ speaks directly to us. Christ calls us
by name. Christ instructs us as to the present conditions. Christ
directs us as to what comes next. And we are to comply. That is our
responsibility as true disciples of Jesus Christ.
When
you go to Israel, your guide will direct you to a garden in
Jerusalem. It is often referred to as the Garden Tomb. It is
located immediately outside the old city, near the Damascus gate.
The garden is owned and operated by British missionaries, whom have
done so for over a hundred years. Inside the garden a volunteer
guide will direct you to a site where they believe Christ was
crucified and to the tomb where he was placed. On the wooden door to
the tomb is the following inscription: “Why do you seek the living
among the dead?”
HE
IS RISEN!
HE
IS RISEN INDEED!
AMEN!
SPECIAL
MUSIC “I
Will Sing of My Redeemer”
EASTER
MEDITATION #2 “Easter
Happens Anyway” by Pastor Lane Van
As
dawn was announcing the beginning of the third day, there was a soft
knock followed by a familiar female voice. In the darkest hour, the
deepest valley of lost hope and despair, the
disciples of Christ would
learn that Easter happened anyway.
Easter
is like that. It happens anyway. This morning, in crime-riddled
neighborhoods where drive-by shootings and drug deals on the local
corner are common place, where people hide behind barred windows and
triple and quadrupled locked doors, Easter happened, anyway.
This
morning, where people hide from bombs and terrorism and
in
refugee camps sheltering
those who have been driven from their homes by war, we can be sure of
one thing. Easter happened anyway.
This
morning, as we self-shelter in our homes, we watch, concerned and
uncertain of when life
will get back to normal
as our world is overtaken by a pandemic. Even
though we can’t gather together as a
community of faith as we have done traditionally for generations,
even though family
Easter dinners have been canceled and there’s a shortage of Peeps,
Easter has happened anyway.
As
closely as we hold dear the traditions of our faith, those traditions
are not what we base our hope on. To quote an old hymn, “our hope
is based on nothing less than Jesus and
his righteousness.” The joy of Easter, the reason for celebration
is not about hymns or lilies or Easter egg hunts. No matter where we
are, no matter what our circumstances, we rejoice because the love
and power of God triumphs over the darkness and brokenness of our
world.
We
have
hope for a future that goes beyond this life because the
glory of Christ cannot be held by the grave. We sing Easter
hallelujahs because the light of of the love of our Savior cannot be
overcome by the darkness or any virus. We can with confidence shout,
“Hosanna” (God saves us) because every day the Light breaks forth
in human hearts, changing lives, giving us hope and the
assurance
that Jesus, our Emanuel (God with us) is here.
Easter
happens anyway. So let’s be thankful for all that God has done for
us through Christ Jesus. And,
no matter where we are, together or apart, we are bound together by
the love of God.
Blessed
Easter! In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen.
HYMN
“Christ
is Alive”
BENEDICTION
May
the loving power of God, which raised Jesus to new life,
strengthen you in hope, enrich you with his love and fill you with joy.
strengthen you in hope, enrich you with his love and fill you with joy.
In
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
POSTLUDE
“In
Christ I Stand”
ANNOUNCEMENT
Please
join us this morning for a livestream event and participate in the
Sacrament of Holy Communion at 11:30 am on youtube.com. Please have
ready a small glass of grape juice/grape beverage and a piece of
bread for each person in your household. Use this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iADRMPcd_jM
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