Resurrection of the Lord, Easter Day

CALL TO WORSHIP

Come and join the celebration – Jesus Christ is risen today! Come and hear the amazing news – Jesus’ death is not the end! Come and share the joy and freedom – our sins are forgiven in Jesus’ name! Alleluia!

       HYMN

Thine be the glory, (551)

GATHERING PRAYER

Come! Shout for joy, for the Lord is risen, he has conquered the cross! Darkness has given way to light. Let shouts for joy and victory sound, for our Lord is risen! Hallelujah!

      PRAYER OF CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION

Father God, forgive our lapses of faith, when we fail to read, meditate on and understand the Scriptures. We’re sorry for the days when we neglect to look beyond the cross and wallow in the darkness of despair. Lord of life, we’re sorry for not always living in the light and hope of your resurrection, for not noticing you in all aspects of life. Lord, many people turned against you, hence your path to the cross. Forgive us when we turn our backs on people in need. Your Holy Spirit helps us live the resurrection life. Forgive us when we fail to live in the power of your cross and empty tomb. Father, Son and Holy Spirit living in unity, may we live in unity with you. May we live the resurrection life and help others shine on the path of faith. Amen.

Holy Lord and Saviour, your blood shed on the cross cleanses us from all sin. We live in the light of your forgiveness now and forever. Amen.

     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, the power, and the glory,

Forever and ever Amen.

HYMN

Christ the Lord is risen today (61)

READING 1

Psalm 118: 1-2, 14-24

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

2 Let Israel say: “His love endures forever.”

The Lord is my strength and my defence[a]; he has become my salvation.

15 Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: “The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things! 16 The Lord’s right hand is lifted high; the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!” 17 I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done. 18 The Lord has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death. 19 Open for me the gates of the righteous; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord. 20 This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter. 21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.

22 The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; 23 the Lord has done this, and it is marvellous in our eyes. 24 The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad.

READING 2

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.

HYMN

Alleluia, Alleluia. (6)

SERMON

I once heard someone say that every sunrise is a reminder of the resurrection. Each day, the sun rises, just like Jesus rose from the dead! It’s a daily reminder that no matter how dark the night was, joy comes with the morning. Resurrection means we can live in hope, knowing that every day is a new beginning.

Our Psalm this morning is known as part of the “Hallel songs” which is one of six psalms sung during Jewish Festivals some say they use them as a reminder of freedom from slavery in Egypt, I think we too can claim this psalm for today the day when we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, the forgiveness of our sins.

The passages today reflect the themes of gratitude for God's steadfast love, the triumph of Jesus over death, and the call to rejoice in our new life through the resurrection.

HYMN

He is Lord he is Lord (165)

      PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

Do you see what I see? The tomb is empty, the stone rolled away. Jesus is alive! We give thanks and praise you, Lord. We see you in nature, we see you in people. Do you see what I see? Jesus is living! We give thanks and praise you, Lord. Evidence abounds. We see you in changed lives and hearts. Share the good news – Jesus is alive! We give thanks and praise you, risen Lord. Amen.

Lord God, our hearts fill with joy today at the most wonderful news ever: Jesus is alive!

We thank you for all the signs of life that we see around us: sunshine, blossom on the trees, baby birds and animals, buds peeping through the ground; new life blooming everywhere. Thank you for the smell of spring, the warmer days and the lighter nights - all pointing towards the regeneration that comes from you.

Yours is the glory; risen, conquering Son. Endless is the victory over death you’ve won.

Lord Jesus, thank you that you went to the cross for us. Thank you that you love us so much that you willingly suffered all the pain and horror so that we might have a relationship with God. We rejoice that the curtain of separation was torn in two as you died, reconciling us to God. Thank you for love beyond measure. For us.

Yours is the glory; risen, conquering Son. Endless is the victory over death you’ve won.

Thank you, Lord, for the tremendous victory of the resurrection. Thank you for the hope, the joy, the fulfilment, the everlasting life that your rising brings. Words cannot fully express the amazing triumph of that silent moment in the garden when you once again began to breathe.

Yours is the glory; risen, conquering Son. Endless is the victory over death you’ve won.

Lord, we thank you for signs of resurrection in our own lives: perhaps something new learnt, a chance for rest and relaxation, a new job, a new member of the family, a recovery. There are so many ways that you bring new growth into our lives. We pause now to thank you for special times that we have recently experienced…

Yours is the glory; risen, conquering Son. Endless is the victory over death you’ve won.

Lord Jesus, as the women came to the tomb in sorrow, their eyes full of tears, we are aware of so much sorrow still in our world. We lift to you now all the places where conflict exists – between nations, between factions, between families, between partners.

We bring to you our suffering planet: where the beauty you have created is being squeezed by humanity’s selfishness and greed.

We bring to you all those who are in pain: those we know and love who are sick, full of sorrow, loneliness or despair.

Lord, we deeply desire that your resurrected presence will fill those people and places of pain and redeem them, bringing the new life that is so dearly needed. Touch every heart with your eternal love, filling each seemingly hopeless situation with the promise of resurrected, everlasting hope.

Yours is the glory; risen, conquering Son. Endless is the victory over death you’ve won.

Lord, the news of your rising was so amazing that even your closest friends struggled to believe it at first. We pray for all those we know who struggle to believe and trust in you. We ask you to help them ponder the evidence, just like Peter did, and to think seriously about what they see. Help us to show them, by our joy at your resurrection, that new life in Jesus is for everyone, for ever.

Yours is the glory; risen, conquering Son. Endless is the victory over death you’ve won.

As we celebrate your victory, Lord, go before us this week into every situation we face. Give us new eyes to encounter your freshness and new life. Help us to remember that your resurrection is for ever, not just for one day. Thank you for being alive in us now. Breathe your Spirit into our hearts this week so that we may be faithful witnesses to all that you are and all that you have done.

Yours is the glory; risen, conquering Son. Endless is the victory over death you’ve won.

Lord, on this most special of days, we once again say thank you with all of our being. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen.

       HYMN

The trees of the field (640)

 BLESSING

We’ve seen the good news – the tomb is empty, Christ is risen! Hallelujah! We’ve heard the good news – death is disrupted, God is on the loose! Hallelujah! We’ll take the good news and share it far and wide. Hallelujah! Christ is risen! Amen.