Bulletin – Sunday, April 12, 2020

April 12, 2020
Easter

Approach

Lighting the Christ Candle

Call to Worship

Christ is risen!
He is risen, indeed!

The risen one came to those at the tomb and changed their sadness into joy.
With joy in our hearts they proclaimed, “We have seen the Lord, he has risen, indeed!

The risen one came to the disciples on the Emmaus road and turned their despair into hope.
With hope in their hearts, they returned to Jerusalem with the words: “Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed!”

As we gather in this place of prayer and praise, we bring our troubles and our fears. May this time of worship be our tomb, our Emmaus road, the place where we meet the risen one and joy and hope is born anew. In faith, let us proclaim that Christ is risen.
He is risen, indeed! Hallelujah!

Hymn – VU #175 “This is the Day that God has Made”

Prayer

This is the day that you have made, God, permeated through and through with your beauty, full of your faithfulness, full of your holiness.
We give you thanks. We open our hearts and our minds and our spirits to your transforming presence.

It is not easy to open ourselves to your presence, God: our hearts are restless, finding it hard to settle into your love; our minds wander, caught up in urgent cares and worries; our spirits are uneasy before the mystery of your holiness.
It is not easy and we are grateful that you don’t give up on us. Even as we turn away from you, you keep turning toward us.

So, here, now, for this time together, we ask you to move among us, awakening us to your Spirit reaching out to us, calling to us, showing us your new creation in our midst.
This is the day that you have made, God. We are open to your grace, your love, your summons to join your holy work, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Hymn – VU #155 “Jesus Christ is Risen Today”

The Word

Scripture Reading:

Matthew 28:1-10
Colossians 3:1-4

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
Thanks be to God.

Hymn – VU #166 “Joy Comes with the Dawn”

Meditation – “Unexpected Glory”

Solo – “Because He Lives”

The Response

Communion

God is with you.
And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.
We lift our hearts to God.

Let us give thanks to God, our God!
We give God our thanks and our praise!

On this day of celebration – on this day of renewing our faith – on this day of walking with the Christ, to Jerusalem…to Golgotha…and beyond – we give your thanks, great and loving God.
Thank you, loving God!

From the very beginning, you have loved us. You created all that is, calling it into being. With the ruach – the Spirit – with the Wind and the Word, you saw what you had created, and called it, “Good!”
Thank you. Loving God!

Time and time again, in history and in our story, we have turned away from your love. We have turned away from your hope. We have turned away from you. We have wandered away, thinking we knew best.
But you never left us to walk by ourselves, loving God. Even when we turned away. Even when we turn away. You walk the road with us.

Through prophets, priests and storytellers, through mothers and grandmothers, through fathers and grandfathers, through teens and children and infants, you called us back to your love.
Thank you, loving God!

There came a time when you sent Jesus to speak to the world.
To speak to us.

To teach us your love.
To give abundant life.

To make us new.
Thank you, loving God!

He lived a life as one of us – a child, a youth, an adult. He laughed with those who laughed, he cried with those we cried. In all this, he walked the hard road –
the way of the Cross and the way of the Resurrection.

As we gather at this table we remember a story told mere days ago and yet also an age ago. We remember that Jesus gathered with his closest friends in an Upper Room to share the feast of liberation and while sharing the ancient story of freedom, he called them to the promised freedom of God’s Kingdom. We remember that at that table he took the bread, gave thanks for it, blessed it, broke it, and passed it among them saying: this is my body, broken by and for the world. Whenever you eat it remember me. Then later he took the cup of wine, blessed it and passed it among them saying: this is the cup of the New Covenant, sealed in my blood. Whenever you drink it remember me, and look toward the fulfilment of God’s Kingdom. And so we break the bread and pour the cup and we remember with hope.
On this Easter Day we share in the Banquet of Freedom to celebrate Life Victorious!

God of Life, in the beginning your Spirit hovered over the water, calling forth life, creating and inspiring, Send Your Spirit upon we who gather to share this meal, infuse this bread and this juice with the Spirit’s power.
As we eat and drink may we feel the power of Life Triumphant pulse in our veins, the fire of hope blaze in our hearts, and the joy of the Empty tomb dance in our souls.

Christ who dies is now alive!
Alleluia! Amen.

Come and be with us Holy Spirit bless what we do in this place, enliven our souls with your grace. Give us the confidence to know that as we walk this road with Jesus we are not alone, you are always with us. We ask that your Spirit rest now on those from this community whom we lift up in prayer today…And continue your abiding presence as we continue to pray in the words that Jesus taught us…
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 and ever. Amen.

I invite you all to now take your bread. This is the bread of new life, broken for us that we might be one with God this day and always. We eat to remember that God is always with us.

Music – “Bread for the Journey”

I invite you all to now take your cup. This is the cup of the new covenant that God has made with each and every one of us. We drink to remember God is always with us.

Music – “Bread for the Journey”

Going Forth Prayer

As we go out from this table we go as God’s people. We journey with praise on our lips. As we go out from this table we go as followers of Jesus. We join the parade of the broken, the lost, the hopeless, for that is where Jesus may be found. As we go out from this table, we go as symbols of the Spirit’s peace as we share the warm embrace of love and reconciliation with all we meet. Amen.

Closing Song – VU #179 “Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Give Thanks”

Benediction

Response – VU #974

          Amen! Amen! Hallelujah, amen!
          Amen!  Amen! Hallelujah, amen!