Saturday, January 12, 2013

Early Morning Service March 31, 2013

 Theme: A Celebration of Memory and Resurrection
Like the Women who gathered at the Easter Tomb,
we gather around the memories of friends and loved ones who have since last Easter.
Like the Women who brought spices to prepare Jesus' dead body for burial,
we come to this moment with the dried rose petals
from the casket sprays of our deceased friends, neighbors and loved ones.
And like the Women at the Tomb of Jesus,
we are astonished to find not death but new life—
new life that is found in the future of God's love and grace!
The Women who came to the tomb,
laid aside theirs spices and ointments.
We take our dried rose pedals,
and throw them to the wind celebrating and proclaiming the new life
we see in those who have gone before us.
We go out to all the world and proclaim,
Christ is Risen!
He is Risen indeed!
New life is found for you, for me,
for all in Christ the Risen Lord!

Scripture: 
Luke 24:1-12
24 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words.
9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. 12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.


We will worship in the narthex at 9:00am

Tracie, everything below goes in the bulletin! Thanks! 

A Celebration of Memory and Resurrection

Words of Welcome & Preparation

The Women at the Tomb: A Dramatic Reading

Easter Proclamation:                                                                       5 Readers
Reader 1: Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing, choirs of angels!
Jesus Christ, our Light, is risen!
Sound the trumpet of salvation!
Reader 2: Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendor,
radiant in the brightness of your Sovereign!
Reader 3: Christ has conquered! Glory fills you!
Night vanishes forever!
Reader 4: Rejoice, O servant church! Exult in glory!
Reader 5: The risen Savior shines upon you!
Let this place resound with joy,
echoing the mighty song of all God's people!

The Mighty of Song of God's People: Number 220......He Lives.....stanzas 1 and 3

Greetings:
Leader: God be with you!
People: And also with you.
Leader: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them to God.
Leader: Let us give thanks to God Most High.
People: It is right to give God thanks and praise.

Scripture Reading: Luke 24:1-12


We Remember and We Celebrate:
With these dried rose petals we remember the life of our loved ones who have gone before us, 
and we celebrate the new life they find in Christ the Risen Lord.

Unison Prayer:
 Almighty and ever-living God, we gather to marvel at the mystery of Christ's resurrection. In boldness you exalted the humble, empowering the weak. In strength you snatched victory from the jaws of death. In love you declared your crucified Son the savior of the world. We celebrate this good news in an Easter festival of life. With you we join in this gladsome day.

Easter Hymn 105, He Is Lord.....refrain

Leader: Alleluia! Christ is risen!
People: Christ is here! Alleluia!

Go To All the World:
Scripture: Luke 24:9-10
When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others.  It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 

The women were the first to tell the Easter message, “He is Risen!” It is now our turn to tell the world. May we now take the Easter flowers that are displayed before, take them into the sanctuary and decorated the sanctuary for our Easter Sunday morning worship. Let this activity that we share together, be a symbol of our call to go and tell the world, “Christ is Risen!”

Postlude

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