April 20, 2014 Easter Early

Early Easter Morning Service

of Celebration and Remembrance

Service Location: Narthex
Time: 9:00am

The Gathering and Welcome

Dear God

• Hear the story we believe...            Mary at the Tomb, John 20:1-18
• Hear our song....                              "Christ Arose," Red #216, sts. 1, 3
• Your Son, our Savior, brings the light of a new day....

Leader: Dear Friends in Christ, we have come again to celebrate that occasion when our Lord passed from death to life. This is the Passover of Christ. If we honor the memory of his death and rising, celebrating his presence in our lives and in our world, we may be confident that we will share his victory over death.

People: O God, we would share in the light of your glory. Make us holy; inflame us with new hope. Purify our lives by this Easter celebration and bring us one day to the feast of eternal light; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

Leader: As we light this Easter candle, we proclaim Jesus Christ, light of the world, the same yesterday, today and forever. His are the times, the seasons and the years; to him be the glory forever and ever. May the light of Christ, rising in glory, dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds. Amen.

People: Christ is our light! Thanks be to God!

• Hear our song...                             "He Lives," Red #220, sts. 2, 3
• And now, like Mary, we encounter Christ the Risen Lord...

Leader: Jesus Christ, we greet you! Your hands still have holes in them, your feet are wet from dew; and with the memory of our names undmmed by three days of death, you meet us, risen from the grave. We fail to understand how; we puzzle at the reason why.
But you have come: Not to answer our questions, but to show us your face.
Unison: You are alive and the world can rejoice again! Amen.
  

• The joy you have given is more than we can contain so we share it with each other...  
• Hear our song...                            "Glorify Thy Name," Red #29, st. 2
• Walk with us, as we visit the tombs of those who have gone before us...    Mark 16:3-7
• Receive our offering of spices and faith, born on the wind... We throw our flower petals.
• Hear our song...                             "Because He Lives," Red # 213, st. 1
• Now, dear Lord, we are ready to act on your promise and move forward with you...

Unison: From this holy space filled with Easter light, we go forth to live resurrection: 
In the name of God who makes us, 
In the name of Christ who makes us free, 
In the name of the Spirit who makes us one. 
Christ is risen! Christ is risen, indeed! 

•  Spirit of power and life, we believe your word and trust your call...

Leader: Go in peace! Christ is risen! Death is swallowed up in victory! Alleluia!