Home service sheet for Easter Sunday 2020
Call To Worship Psalm 118:14-17
Heavenly Father, on this Easter morning of now done darkness we lift our hearts with praise,
we open our lives with joy! We thank you for our Saviour, the Light of the world who has brought death to death, and life to life. We come into your presence with singing, our hearts echoing the chorus of the ages, “Hosanna! Alleluia forever and ever! Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord!” Help me this morning to celebrate your resurrection, and be aware of your risen presence with me. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen.
Sing or read Christ the Lord is risen today by Charles Wesley
https://youtu.be/15dmjnB8FZU
1 Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!
2 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!
3 Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once he died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where's thy victory, boasting grave? Alleluia!
4 Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like him, like him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!
5 Hail the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia!
Praise to thee by both be given, Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!
Hail the Resurrection, thou, Alleluia!
6 King of glory, soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, thy power to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing, and thus to love, Alleluia!
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, For ever and ever. Amen.
Old Testament Reading Jeremiah 31:1-6
New Testament Reading John 20:1-18
Reflection
Christ is risen, hallelujah! That’s what we expect to hear and proclaim together at Easter, and it’s as true today as it always is. However, that’s not where our reading from Jeremiah starts. “The time is coming when I will be the God of all the tribes of Israel, and they will be my people.” Jeremiah spoke God’s word during a very tough time in Israel’s history when exile again looked likely for many. Yet, God again restates his promise to his people to remain their God, even through the darkest of times.
In a time of change our God is still constant, a firm foundation, on which we can rely. Back in Genesis 17:7-8 God said something very similar to Abraham, and he continues to speak that message throughout the Bible. He will be our God, and we will be his people. Notice how God says ‘all the tribes of Israel’ because I think this is significant. It’s not just the twelve historic tribes in view here, but rather it is us Gentiles who are grafted onto the true vine that is Jesus Christ (see John 15).
God speaks of his mercy and love towards Israel too, and in verse 6 the call is issued as far afield as Ephraim, “Let’s go up to Zion, to the Lord our God.” This is a call that ultimately will be issued to all who will hear and respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Despite not being born into God’s covenant people, all who place their faith in Christ are drawn in to God’s family where we may worship him as our God.
We hear a similar call given to Mary Magdalene in verse 16 of our reading from John’s Gospel, “go to my brothers and tell them that I am returning to him who is my Father and their Father, my God and their God.” She is to call the disciples back to following Jesus from the depths of their confusion, disbelief and possible despair following the crucifixion. We see some of that as Peter and John race to the tomb only to find it open and empty. John seems to believe while Peter is confused – common responses to Jesus’ resurrection even today.
Through Jesus’ message to Mary, and the one that Jesus would subsequently give to his disciples (Matthew 28:18-20) we ourselves have come to faith in Christ. The call is issued to us to continue to spread the Good News that Christ has died, Christ is risen and Christ will come again. God’s message to humanity has remained consistent – I will be your God if you will be my people. The only way we can do that is through living by faith in Jesus! By this we can be part of God’s people and he will be our God. Hallelujah!
Prayers of intercession
Almighty and Everlasting God, whose goodness and grace overflowed when you raised Jesus from the dead, let your goodness and grace continue to flow upon your people today.
• We pray for those, like the women of old, whose lives have been stopped because they couldn’t roll away a stone that was blocking their path to new life and hope. May the light of Jesus Christ shine into the darkness to bring joy and warmth again.
• Roll away the stone for those still stuck at Good Friday, those whose strength is failing through ill-health, whose spirits are flagging through depression, whose determination is being sapped through addiction. Lord God roll away the stone that they might better see the path stretching out before them.
• In the light and the glory of the resurrection we pray for our world: for all those suffering with, caring for or living in fear of Covid-19, for areas of violence and hostility, for lands where famine and disease are rife, for peoples who look in vain for the rains to come to guarantee a harvest, and for all those who struggle to find joy in the resurrection story.
• On this Easter Day hear our prayers in silence for those nearest and dearest to our own hearts, confident that you care and that you hear our prayers…
We offer these prayers to you Lord God in the name of your son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Prayer of Blessing
May the God of peace, who raised from the dead our Lord Jesus, provide us with every good thing we need in order to do his will; and the blessing of almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be with us now and forever. Amen.