April 4, 2021, Easter Sunday
Resurrection Sunday
Greeting Acts 118:22-24 (NRSV)
“The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This is the Lord’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.”
Opening Prayer
Creator of Life,
in raising Christ Jesus
up, through, out of, and beyond
the chains of death,
You opened for us the way
to eternal and abundant life.
May our Alleluias on this day
float high above the ceiling
of what we think we know
and transcend to the heaven of
what we believe--
and thus live.
Raise us up!
Renew our lives!
Resurrect our dreams!
Through Jesus Christ our Living Savior,
Amen.
~ written by Karen Turner, and posted on the Lifeway website. http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/files/lwcF_PDF_LW_MaundyThursday.pdf
Moment of Silence welcoming Christ into our midst/light altar candles
Call to Worship for Easter
Christ is Risen: The world below lies desolate
Christ is Risen: The spirits of evil are fallen
Christ is Risen: The angels of God are rejoicing
Christ is Risen: The tombs of the dead are empty
Christ is Risen indeed from the dead,
the first of the sleepers,
Glory and power are his forever and ever.
Amen
Written by Hippolytus (AD 190-236), reposted https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2016/03/easter-call-to-worship.html.
Scripture Mark 16:1-8 (NRSV)
Morning Message Terrified & Amazed
Key Point: The first women to witness Jesus’ resurrection responded in fear. What will our response be when facing this reality?
I want to ask you a question: When you think about Easter Sunday, what words come to mind? Celebration, joy, promises fulfilled, security, maybe?
We think of Easter Sunday as a joy-filled day. Which is interesting, because if you think about the last words of our Gospel reading today, Mark’s final word is “afraid.” Verse 8, “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.”
Mark’s gospel, according to pretty much everybody, was the first gospel written, and the one that Matthew and Luke used as a main source for their own gospels. Also, according to pretty much everybody, this first gospel originally ended at verse 8 of the 16th chapter, with verses 9-20 added on by someone else at a later date. If we accept the conclusion that Mark’s writing ended at verse 8, the last word of the earliest written gospel iss “afraid.”
Not joy, not celebration, not any of the feelings we associate with this day.
According to Mark, these women were terrified, and it’s not that they weren’t expecting to encounter some problems, because they knew they had some overwhelming challenges to face.
First, there was the matter of the Roman guards standing watch at the tomb. Matthew 27:62-66 says that Roman soldiers sealed the tomb. Then, they stood guard for the next three days. How many Roman soldiers were involved we do not know, but tradition tells us it could have been two to four at a time, possibly in four-hour shifts. It’s safe to say that getting past any number of Roman guards would have been a daunting, perhaps impossible, task for a few Jewish women.
Second, there was a huge stone blocking the entrance to the tomb. The entrance to the average Jewish tomb needed a stone approximately 4’-6’ in diameter, and about 1’ thick. Depending on the type of stone, it could have weighed as much as a ton.
These stones were rolled into channels that sloped downhill. And while rolling it into place could be done by a couple of strong men, rolling it back up out of that space would have been one more impossible thing the women would have to face.
Still, they went. But why?
The women had purchased spices on Saturday evening after the Sabbath had ended so they could go to the tomb early the next morning and anoint Jesus body.
There were no funeral homes back then.
When a family member or loved one died, they washed the body themselves, anointed it with spices, dressed it up in a burial shroud and laid the body in a tomb themselves.
And, months later, when nature and decomposition had taken their proverbial course, they returned to the tomb, gathered up the bones into a box and stored them, the way some of us do with ashes in an urn.
They knew, perhaps even more fully than we could ever know, that “dead” means dead, and they had no more of an expectation of any resurrection than we would.
They expected the guards and the stone to be their biggest obstacles.
So, again, why did they go? Because of love, devotion, and respect for Jesus. They set out to honor Jesus’ body. They were urged on by love and gratitude, even though they had so many questions.
But when they got to the place where Jesus had been buried, guards and a big stone ended up being the least of their worries. Because they were met with an open and empty grave, and greeted by an angel with an incredible message. “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here.”
With that stunning news, the women ran in “terror and amazement.” They didn’t speak a word to anyone, because they were afraid.
Maybe you’re still wondering why? Why were they not overjoyed at the news that Jesus had risen from the dead?
First, let’s keep in mind that we have the Bible, we have the whole backstory of God’s plan to redeem his people.
Second, close your eyes for a moment an put yourself in their sandals:
You go to the grave of a friend who was buried three days earlier. You get there to find an open grave, an open casket, and no body. Then some otherworldly man, dressed in white, taps you on the shoulder and says, “Hey, I know you’re looking for your friend, but he’s not here. He went ahead of you to Red Lion and said to tell you to gather the whole gang up and meet him there.”
I think we can agree that would be pretty weird, and we would probably run away in terror and amazement.
The bottom line is that they were afraid because no one was expecting a literal, physical, bodily resurrection. It wasn't even in anyone’s mind.
Yes, they'd heard Jesus say a number of times that he would be handed over to the chief priests and killed, and on the third day rise again.
At least eleven of them were there when he chewed Peter up one side and down the other for saying that such a thing could never happen to Jesus.
But none of them believed it. They chalked it up as a figure of speech, set it alongside the other incomprehensible things Jesus said and did and followed along, waiting for the revolution that would drive the Romans out.
Yet, these women, despite their initial reaction, are a model for us. We see in their response not something to frown upon, but a revelation of how people react, when they are first confronted, really confronted, by the Resurrection….…when they see it as something that really, actually did happen. They were frightened because they didn’t know what to make of it.
But at some point, they got it together and remembered the other part of the angel’s message, “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.”
And they followed Him. They became true disciples who followed Jesus, many of them even unto death.
They experienced the power of the Resurrection and become disciples who lived out their faith every day, day after day.
Because they saw. Because they believed in Jesus their Risen Savior.
Eastern Sunday is so important, not just because it’s a day of celebration, but because the Resurrection itself is vitally important for many reasons:
First, Jesus kept his promise to rise from the dead, so we can believe he will keep all of his other promises, too.
Second, the Resurrection ensures that the ruler of God’s eternal Kingdom will be the LIVING Christ, not just an idea, a hope, or a dream.
Third, Christ’s resurrection gives us the assurance that we will also be resurrected.
Fourth, the power of God that brought Christ’s body back from the dead is available to us to bring our morally and spiritually dead bodies back to life so we can change and grow. (1 Corinthians 15:21-22, “So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.”
Finally, The Resurrection provides the substance of the Church’s witness to the world; we proclaim the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Until Christ comes again.
Paul writes this is 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, “ O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Jesus’ resurrection, his defeat of sin and death on the cross, allows each of us to be reconciled with our Creator God, if we call on his name and ask him to be Lord of our lives. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, He empowers us to live transformed lives. However, if we, too, are not a little bit afraid as we face the reality of Jesus’ resurrection, then perhaps we are missing something very important.
“He is not here,” said the young man dressed in white. Tell the disciples, tell Peter, “He is going ahead of you ...”
“... going ahead of you” applies to us, too. Jesus has gone on ahead of us, we don’t know exactly where, but our faith tells us we need to follow him there. Going ahead of you could be our marching orders.
Jesus is, even now, going on ahead of us. We can follow him to where he is going.
Tradition tells us he’s coming again, but still, we can’t just sit here and wait, and we can’t even expect him to wait for us.
The work of the Kingdom will go on with or without you. This is a decision each of you have to make for yourselves: to join in this life-giving work, or to walk away from it. We have to look for where he is — somewhere, ahead of us! — and figure out where he’s going and follow him.
If the Resurrection is true, then everything Jesus said is true and he really does have a claim on your life.
Loving your enemies, living sacrificially, and becoming “fishers of men”-all true too.
There really is a heaven after we die — and with it, final judgement and accountability.
If Jesus rose from the grave on the third day, then everything he said is true, and that means that being a Christian, being a church, is about far more than coming to church, or taking care of those who are already here. You are either about the building, or you are about building God’s Kingdom. You are either a disciple of Jesus who makes disciples, or you are a church-goer.
Friends, the church’s mission-to send the Gospel to all the world, is filled with overwhelming obstacles.
Any of them appear devastating. Against human stubbornness, disease, danger, terrorism, loneliness, sin, greed, and even church strife and corruption, what can a few disciples hope to accomplish.
But like the women at Jesus’ tomb, we go out in love and gratitude for Jesus, and we leave the big obstacles to God.
We won’t win every battle we face. But praise, God, we are not called to win. We are called to be faithful. Amen.
Prayers of the People for Easter Sunday
Let’s offer our prayers and thanksgivings with one voice,
calling out the good news --
The tomb stands empty!
We look for our Savior among the living.
Jesus Christ is alive, and in our midst, today.
Gracious God, we pray for all faithful people --
for every human soul that turns to God in longing and in love.
Today and every day, pull us out of our graves and into your life.
The tomb stands empty.
We look for our Redeemer among the living.
Jesus Christ is alive and among us today.
We pray for the nations of the earth --
for those in authority, and for those under authority.
Come from the four winds, O Breath of Life,
and we shall live together in peace.
The tomb stands empty.
We look for our Mediator among the living.
Jesus Christ is alive and within us today.
We pray for this world, our garden home --
for the rain and the snow, the seed and the sprout --
for the birthing room and the last place of rest --
for every new creation.
The tomb stands empty.
We look for our Gardener among the living.
Jesus Christ is alive and beside us today.
We pray for those who are sick or suffering --
for anyone who needs extra help just now.
We pray especially for those named here today,
aloud and in our hearts . . .
(pause for names to be said or remembered)
Living Lord, renew them in Your love.
The tomb stands empty.
We look for our Sustainer among the living.
Jesus Christ is alive and with us today.
We pray for those who have died, and for all who mourn.
We pray especially for those named here today,
aloud and in our hearts . . . (pause for names) . . .
Eternal One, bring them home and gather them in.
The tomb stands empty.
We look for our Beloved among the living.
Jesus Christ is alive and in the midst of us today.
With joy and exultation,
we give thanks for the triumph of life over death,
offering special thanks for those joys, sorrows,
challenges and delights named here today,
aloud and in our hearts . . . (pause for thanksgivings) . . .
We are amazed at what has happened.
The tomb stands empty!
We look for our Creator among the living.
Jesus Christ is alive and, in our hearts, today.
Holy One, even before we call, you answer;
while we are yet speaking, you hear.
We offer up these prayers in the name of the Risen Christ --
our Savior, Redeemer, and Friend.
Amen.
Written by Margaret D. McGee, and posted on In the Courtyard. www.inthecourtyard.com, reposted https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2013/02/prayer-for-others-easter.html.
The Lord’s Prayer
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 that 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.
Easter 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 in the faith.
Posted on the Third Space website. http://third-space.org.uk/blog, reposted: https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2013/02/easter-benediction.html.
Resurrection Sunday
Greeting Acts 118:22-24 (NRSV)
“The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This is the Lord’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.”
Opening Prayer
Creator of Life,
in raising Christ Jesus
up, through, out of, and beyond
the chains of death,
You opened for us the way
to eternal and abundant life.
May our Alleluias on this day
float high above the ceiling
of what we think we know
and transcend to the heaven of
what we believe--
and thus live.
Raise us up!
Renew our lives!
Resurrect our dreams!
Through Jesus Christ our Living Savior,
Amen.
~ written by Karen Turner, and posted on the Lifeway website. http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/files/lwcF_PDF_LW_MaundyThursday.pdf
Moment of Silence welcoming Christ into our midst/light altar candles
Call to Worship for Easter
Christ is Risen: The world below lies desolate
Christ is Risen: The spirits of evil are fallen
Christ is Risen: The angels of God are rejoicing
Christ is Risen: The tombs of the dead are empty
Christ is Risen indeed from the dead,
the first of the sleepers,
Glory and power are his forever and ever.
Amen
Written by Hippolytus (AD 190-236), reposted https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2016/03/easter-call-to-worship.html.
Scripture Mark 16:1-8 (NRSV)
Morning Message Terrified & Amazed
Key Point: The first women to witness Jesus’ resurrection responded in fear. What will our response be when facing this reality?
I want to ask you a question: When you think about Easter Sunday, what words come to mind? Celebration, joy, promises fulfilled, security, maybe?
We think of Easter Sunday as a joy-filled day. Which is interesting, because if you think about the last words of our Gospel reading today, Mark’s final word is “afraid.” Verse 8, “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.”
Mark’s gospel, according to pretty much everybody, was the first gospel written, and the one that Matthew and Luke used as a main source for their own gospels. Also, according to pretty much everybody, this first gospel originally ended at verse 8 of the 16th chapter, with verses 9-20 added on by someone else at a later date. If we accept the conclusion that Mark’s writing ended at verse 8, the last word of the earliest written gospel iss “afraid.”
Not joy, not celebration, not any of the feelings we associate with this day.
According to Mark, these women were terrified, and it’s not that they weren’t expecting to encounter some problems, because they knew they had some overwhelming challenges to face.
First, there was the matter of the Roman guards standing watch at the tomb. Matthew 27:62-66 says that Roman soldiers sealed the tomb. Then, they stood guard for the next three days. How many Roman soldiers were involved we do not know, but tradition tells us it could have been two to four at a time, possibly in four-hour shifts. It’s safe to say that getting past any number of Roman guards would have been a daunting, perhaps impossible, task for a few Jewish women.
Second, there was a huge stone blocking the entrance to the tomb. The entrance to the average Jewish tomb needed a stone approximately 4’-6’ in diameter, and about 1’ thick. Depending on the type of stone, it could have weighed as much as a ton.
These stones were rolled into channels that sloped downhill. And while rolling it into place could be done by a couple of strong men, rolling it back up out of that space would have been one more impossible thing the women would have to face.
Still, they went. But why?
The women had purchased spices on Saturday evening after the Sabbath had ended so they could go to the tomb early the next morning and anoint Jesus body.
There were no funeral homes back then.
When a family member or loved one died, they washed the body themselves, anointed it with spices, dressed it up in a burial shroud and laid the body in a tomb themselves.
And, months later, when nature and decomposition had taken their proverbial course, they returned to the tomb, gathered up the bones into a box and stored them, the way some of us do with ashes in an urn.
They knew, perhaps even more fully than we could ever know, that “dead” means dead, and they had no more of an expectation of any resurrection than we would.
They expected the guards and the stone to be their biggest obstacles.
So, again, why did they go? Because of love, devotion, and respect for Jesus. They set out to honor Jesus’ body. They were urged on by love and gratitude, even though they had so many questions.
But when they got to the place where Jesus had been buried, guards and a big stone ended up being the least of their worries. Because they were met with an open and empty grave, and greeted by an angel with an incredible message. “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here.”
With that stunning news, the women ran in “terror and amazement.” They didn’t speak a word to anyone, because they were afraid.
Maybe you’re still wondering why? Why were they not overjoyed at the news that Jesus had risen from the dead?
First, let’s keep in mind that we have the Bible, we have the whole backstory of God’s plan to redeem his people.
Second, close your eyes for a moment an put yourself in their sandals:
You go to the grave of a friend who was buried three days earlier. You get there to find an open grave, an open casket, and no body. Then some otherworldly man, dressed in white, taps you on the shoulder and says, “Hey, I know you’re looking for your friend, but he’s not here. He went ahead of you to Red Lion and said to tell you to gather the whole gang up and meet him there.”
I think we can agree that would be pretty weird, and we would probably run away in terror and amazement.
The bottom line is that they were afraid because no one was expecting a literal, physical, bodily resurrection. It wasn't even in anyone’s mind.
Yes, they'd heard Jesus say a number of times that he would be handed over to the chief priests and killed, and on the third day rise again.
At least eleven of them were there when he chewed Peter up one side and down the other for saying that such a thing could never happen to Jesus.
But none of them believed it. They chalked it up as a figure of speech, set it alongside the other incomprehensible things Jesus said and did and followed along, waiting for the revolution that would drive the Romans out.
Yet, these women, despite their initial reaction, are a model for us. We see in their response not something to frown upon, but a revelation of how people react, when they are first confronted, really confronted, by the Resurrection….…when they see it as something that really, actually did happen. They were frightened because they didn’t know what to make of it.
But at some point, they got it together and remembered the other part of the angel’s message, “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.”
And they followed Him. They became true disciples who followed Jesus, many of them even unto death.
They experienced the power of the Resurrection and become disciples who lived out their faith every day, day after day.
Because they saw. Because they believed in Jesus their Risen Savior.
Eastern Sunday is so important, not just because it’s a day of celebration, but because the Resurrection itself is vitally important for many reasons:
First, Jesus kept his promise to rise from the dead, so we can believe he will keep all of his other promises, too.
Second, the Resurrection ensures that the ruler of God’s eternal Kingdom will be the LIVING Christ, not just an idea, a hope, or a dream.
Third, Christ’s resurrection gives us the assurance that we will also be resurrected.
Fourth, the power of God that brought Christ’s body back from the dead is available to us to bring our morally and spiritually dead bodies back to life so we can change and grow. (1 Corinthians 15:21-22, “So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.”
Finally, The Resurrection provides the substance of the Church’s witness to the world; we proclaim the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Until Christ comes again.
Paul writes this is 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, “ O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Jesus’ resurrection, his defeat of sin and death on the cross, allows each of us to be reconciled with our Creator God, if we call on his name and ask him to be Lord of our lives. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, He empowers us to live transformed lives. However, if we, too, are not a little bit afraid as we face the reality of Jesus’ resurrection, then perhaps we are missing something very important.
“He is not here,” said the young man dressed in white. Tell the disciples, tell Peter, “He is going ahead of you ...”
“... going ahead of you” applies to us, too. Jesus has gone on ahead of us, we don’t know exactly where, but our faith tells us we need to follow him there. Going ahead of you could be our marching orders.
Jesus is, even now, going on ahead of us. We can follow him to where he is going.
Tradition tells us he’s coming again, but still, we can’t just sit here and wait, and we can’t even expect him to wait for us.
The work of the Kingdom will go on with or without you. This is a decision each of you have to make for yourselves: to join in this life-giving work, or to walk away from it. We have to look for where he is — somewhere, ahead of us! — and figure out where he’s going and follow him.
If the Resurrection is true, then everything Jesus said is true and he really does have a claim on your life.
Loving your enemies, living sacrificially, and becoming “fishers of men”-all true too.
There really is a heaven after we die — and with it, final judgement and accountability.
If Jesus rose from the grave on the third day, then everything he said is true, and that means that being a Christian, being a church, is about far more than coming to church, or taking care of those who are already here. You are either about the building, or you are about building God’s Kingdom. You are either a disciple of Jesus who makes disciples, or you are a church-goer.
Friends, the church’s mission-to send the Gospel to all the world, is filled with overwhelming obstacles.
Any of them appear devastating. Against human stubbornness, disease, danger, terrorism, loneliness, sin, greed, and even church strife and corruption, what can a few disciples hope to accomplish.
But like the women at Jesus’ tomb, we go out in love and gratitude for Jesus, and we leave the big obstacles to God.
We won’t win every battle we face. But praise, God, we are not called to win. We are called to be faithful. Amen.
Prayers of the People for Easter Sunday
Let’s offer our prayers and thanksgivings with one voice,
calling out the good news --
The tomb stands empty!
We look for our Savior among the living.
Jesus Christ is alive, and in our midst, today.
Gracious God, we pray for all faithful people --
for every human soul that turns to God in longing and in love.
Today and every day, pull us out of our graves and into your life.
The tomb stands empty.
We look for our Redeemer among the living.
Jesus Christ is alive and among us today.
We pray for the nations of the earth --
for those in authority, and for those under authority.
Come from the four winds, O Breath of Life,
and we shall live together in peace.
The tomb stands empty.
We look for our Mediator among the living.
Jesus Christ is alive and within us today.
We pray for this world, our garden home --
for the rain and the snow, the seed and the sprout --
for the birthing room and the last place of rest --
for every new creation.
The tomb stands empty.
We look for our Gardener among the living.
Jesus Christ is alive and beside us today.
We pray for those who are sick or suffering --
for anyone who needs extra help just now.
We pray especially for those named here today,
aloud and in our hearts . . .
(pause for names to be said or remembered)
Living Lord, renew them in Your love.
The tomb stands empty.
We look for our Sustainer among the living.
Jesus Christ is alive and with us today.
We pray for those who have died, and for all who mourn.
We pray especially for those named here today,
aloud and in our hearts . . . (pause for names) . . .
Eternal One, bring them home and gather them in.
The tomb stands empty.
We look for our Beloved among the living.
Jesus Christ is alive and in the midst of us today.
With joy and exultation,
we give thanks for the triumph of life over death,
offering special thanks for those joys, sorrows,
challenges and delights named here today,
aloud and in our hearts . . . (pause for thanksgivings) . . .
We are amazed at what has happened.
The tomb stands empty!
We look for our Creator among the living.
Jesus Christ is alive and, in our hearts, today.
Holy One, even before we call, you answer;
while we are yet speaking, you hear.
We offer up these prayers in the name of the Risen Christ --
our Savior, Redeemer, and Friend.
Amen.
Written by Margaret D. McGee, and posted on In the Courtyard. www.inthecourtyard.com, reposted https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2013/02/prayer-for-others-easter.html.
The Lord’s Prayer
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 that 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.
Easter 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 in the faith.
Posted on the Third Space website. http://third-space.org.uk/blog, reposted: https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2013/02/easter-benediction.html.