Easter Liturgy

April 12th, 2020 | April Karli

Christ The Lord Is Risen Today!

by Charles Wesley

Christ the Lord is risen today! Alleluia!

Sons of men and angels say: Alleluia!

Raise your joys and triumphs high. Alleluia!

Sing, ye heav’ns and earth, reply, Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King! Alleluia!

Where O death is now thy sting? Alleluia!

Dying once He all doth save! Alleluia!

Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!

Love’s redeeming work is done. Alleluia!

Fought the fight, the battle won. Alleluia!

Death in vain forbids Him rise. Alleluia!

Christ has opened paradise. Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ has led. Alleluia!

Foll’wing our exalted Head. Alleluia!

Make like Him, like Him we rise. Alleluia!

Ours the cross, the grave, the skies. Alleluia!

Call to Worship

This Easter Season let’s join together

As participants and hosts,

Whether passionate believer or hopeful skeptic,

We gather today, to celebrate our joy that death ends in the resurrection.

If you are new to our liturgy,

we welcome you to be a full participant or a thoughtful observer.

Let’s pause together for a moment of quiet.

(Wait for a short moment of silence)

At the end of the Call to Worship your response will be in bold. All mics will be unmuted for us to respond together.

In the dark of the early morning,

It descended. The very breath of God.

Dawn approached. The Spirit filled the lungs of the fallen Son,

And his heart began to beat anew.

At the dawning of the third day,

He awoke. He opened his eyes.

He rose. Victorious!

They said his body was stolen, but we know otherwise.

Our sorrow and mourning now has comfort

Our fear and shame is no more

Our sin and death could not prevail

Our old ways and our old selves have been redeemed

Out of darkness, Light!

Out of death and decay, flourishing life

Forever entombed by Christ the Son.

He who has conquered death…

He who is risen…

He who reigns…

Alleluia Christ is Risen!

He is risen indeed, Alleluia

Kids Song

“Movin’ To The Beat” by GoFish

Hosanna

by Brooke Fraser

I see the king of glory, coming in the clouds with fire

the whole earth shakes, the whole earth shakes.

I see his love and mercy, washing over all our sin

the people sing, the people sing.

Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest

I see a generation, rising up to take their place

with selfless faith, with selfless faith

I see a near revival, starting as we pray and seek

we’re on our knees, we’re on our knees

Heal my heart and make it clean, open up my eyes to the things I see

Show me how to love like you have loved me.

Break my heart for what breaks yours,

everything I am for your kingdom’s cause,

as I walk from earth into eternity

Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)

by J. Newton, J. Rees & E. Excell arr. C. Tomlin & L. Giglio

Amazing grace, How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost, but now I’m found

Was blind, but now I see

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear

And grace my fears relieved

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed

My chains are gone, I’ve been set free

My God, my Savior has ransomed me

And like a flood, His mercy rains

Unending love, Amazing grace

The Lord has promised good to me

His word my hope secures

He will my shield and portion be

As long as life endures

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow

The sun forbear to shine

But God, Who called me here below

Will be forever mine

You are forever mine

Prayer of Confession

Confession allows us a moment to honestly reveal our hopes and pains.

Let us cry out to God as a community.

Our response will be in bold.

Christ has risen

and we have risen to new life with him.

Yet we must confess the ways we have

continued to remain in our tombs of sin and death.

Living Lord,

when we stand before the empty tomb

we don’t always feel the joy of resurrection.

We feel fear, doubt, and distrust.

We feel empty.

Forgive the fear that paralyzes us at the brink of new life.

Forgive our doubt of your love.

Forgive our distrust of your surprising, joyous plan.

Fill our emptiness with your glorious light.

Raise us to abundant new life

for the glory of your name.

Wake up, sleeper!

Rise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you.

Sisters and brothers,

Christ has forgiven our sins.

Christ calls us to new life.

Christ will lead us into righteousness.

Amen.

Prayers of the People

We now invite you into a time of prayer. This is an opportunity for us to support one another and participate by sharing our prayer requests.

Many may need to share. Please keep your prayers to a sentence or two so that everyone who wishes to share is able to.

We welcome any guests among us and welcome you to pray with us and share a prayer request as well.

If you have a prayer request, let us know in the chat box. We’ll unmute your mic so you can share.

If you have something you’re thankful for, end your prayer with…

“Let us bless the Lord” and we’ll respond together, “Thanks be to God.“

If you have something you’d like prayer for, end your prayer with…

“Let us pray to the Lord” and we’ll respond together, “Lord, have mercy.“

(Then start off with a prayer of your own as an example.)

“With the prayers that have been spoken, and those that are unspoken,

let us finish by praying this prayer together…”

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
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

Eucharist

(We now come to the center of our Liturgy, the Eucharist. Parents may invite your children back into the room at this time. Today we’ll receive the Eucharist in our homes, separated by space, but knitted together by God’s Spirit. Please examine your hearts and pray this prayer with me. Your responses will be in bold.)

The Lord is with us
He is with us indeed
———

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
———

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give thanks and praise.
———

It is right and good that with hearts and minds and voices
we should praise you, God almighty
—
On that first Easter morning, as the sun was dawning, Jesus rose triumphantly from the dead. The earth shook as the angel rolled the stone away.
No grave could hold his body down. He is risen. He is risen indeed!
—

As Mary Magdalene and the other Mary looked on in fear, the risen Lord revealed himself to them, and they departed with great joy.
Rejoice! And again I say rejoice! For Christ Jesus has broken the curse of death and destroyed the power that it once had over us.
—

The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is now given to those who believe in him.
Let us receive this spiritual power and use it wisely for the liberation of all God’s people!
—

Let us make a joyful noise unto the Lord. For there is none like him who can break the chain of oppression, evil, and the grave. He is risen and is seated at the right hand of God.
“Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”
—

For this is the Passover feast,
when Christ, the true Lamb of God, is slain
whose love consecrates the homes of all the faithful.
Glory to you for ever.
—

For the moment when you first saved our ancestors,
freeing Israel from her slavery and leading her safely through the sea.
Glory to you for ever.
—

For this most blessed of all moments! When hatred is cast out,
peace and justice find a home, and heaven is joined to earth
and all creation reconciled to you.
Glory to you for ever.
—

For Christ the morning star has risen in glory;
Christ is risen from the dead
and this flame of love burns within us!
Christ sheds his peaceful light on all the world!
Christ lives and reigns for ever and ever!
Amen.
—

On the night Jesus was betrayed, the nation of Israel was celebrating their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. In the midst of the meal, Jesus took the symbols of the feast and gave them new meaning.

He took the bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of Me.”

(Pause for everyone to take the bread together)

—

Later, Jesus took the wine. Again, He gave thanks, gave it to them, and said, “Drink this, all of you. This is My blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for you. Do this for the remembrance of Me.”

(Pause for everyone to take the wine together)

—

Let us finish our time of communion together with this prayer.

Christ, you are risen from the dead.

We are risen with you.

May our life never deny

this eternal life,

this peace and hope and joy.

Praise and glory to the God of life

who is stronger than all kinds of death.

We have seen with our eyes

and touched with our hands

the bread of life.

Strengthen our faith

that we may grow in love for you and for each other;

through Jesus Christ the risen Lord.

Alleluia, Christ is Risen

He is risen indeed, Alleluia!

Offering

We now come to the time where we remember that nothing in this life is truly ours, but that all is a gift from God.

Giving is an act of love for God and for our community. We encourage you to celebrate God’s generosity and to give back as God has given to us online at austinmustardseed.org/giving).

If you are new or participating in our liturgy for the first time, please be our guest this morning.

We will sing one more song together as we prepare to close. This time is now yours, and we invite you to participate in worship.

(Eucharist prayers adapted from the African American Lectionary and The Prayer Book of New Zealand)

Forever (We Sing Hallelujah)

by Kari Jobe

The moon and stars they wept

The morning sun was dead

The Savior of the world was fallen

His body on the cross

His blood poured out for us

The weight of every curse upon him

One final breath He gave

As Heaven looked away

The Son of God was laid in darkness

A battle in the grave

The war on death was waged

The power of hell forever broken

The ground began to shake

The stone was rolled away

His perfect love could not be overcome

Now death where is your sting

Our resurrected King has rendered you defeated

Forever, He is glorified!

Forever, He is lifted high!

Forever, He is risen!

He is alive!

We sing Hallelujah!

The Lamb has overcome!

Benediction

Austin Mustard Seed, as we sign off today:

Go with this truth firmly rooted in your heart

That our story does not end in Death.

But that through death we are invited into new life.

O death, where is thy sting?

O grave, where is thy victory?

Death! where is thy sting?

Grave! where is thy victory?

For the sting of death is sin,

and the strength of sin is the law,

but He has taken all our sin away!

He has restored us.

We are made new!

Praise God! Praise God!

He has taken all our sin away.

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

He is risen indeed Alleluia.

Go in Peace,

Live the Church,

See you throughout the week online at Community Groups and other meetups.

Stick around for an extended Passing of the Peace and say hello during the Easter Greeting Slideshow before we sign off.

Prayers today from:
Rev. Cambron Wright, Pastor of Faith United Methodist Church
Greg Scheer, http://www.gregscheer.com/
Eucharist prayers adapted from the African American Lectionary and The Prayer Book of New Zealand