April 12 | Easter

Above: Come Unto Me  © 2009 James Fissel | Eyekons

 

 

Gathering

 

Prelude

Christ Is Alive! Let Christians Sing

 

 

Greeting

 

 

 

Call to Worship

 

“Come and see,” the angel beckons. “Come and see that Christ is risen!”
Come and hear the good news of grace.
Come and sing songs of praise.
Come and extend your hands to receive.
Come and open your heart to the Spirit.
Come and worship our God who reigns.

 

 

Sing: Christ the Lord is Risen Today

 

1. Christ the Lord is risen today! Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say: Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high; Alleluia!
Singing, heavens, and earth, reply: Alleluia!

2. Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the victory won; Alleluia!
Jesus’ agony is o’er; Alleluia!
Darkness fills the earth no more. Alleluia!

3. Lives again our glorious King; Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now your sting? Alleluia!
Once he died, our souls to save; Alleluia!
Where your victory, O grave? Alleluia!

 

 

 

 

Sing: I Know That My Redeemer Lives

 

1 I know that my Redeemer lives!
What joy this blest assurance gives!
He lives, he lives, who once was dead;
he lives, my everlastng head!

4 He lives to bless me with his love;
he lives to plead for me above;
he lives my hungry soul to feed;
he lives to help in time of need.

6 He lives and grants me daily breath;
he lives, and I shall conquer death;
he lives my mansion to prepare;
he lives to bring me safely there.

7 He lives, all glory to his name!
He lives, my Savior, still the same;
what joy this blest assurance gives:
I know that my Redeemer lives!

 

 

 

 

Listen: The Lamb Has Overcome

 

 

 

Call to Confession

 

Christ has died, and death has been defeated! Christ will come again, and we will reign with him.
But in the in-between, as we live in the triumph of Easter and await the fullness of the New Creation,
our world continues to groan beneath the weight of sin and sorrow.

And so we bring our lament and our confession before God,
in the assurance that He who was raised from the dead now intercedes on our behalf.

 

 

Prayer of Confession

 

King of Kings,
there is much to celebrate on this day, but our hearts are yet heavy.
On this day of rejoicing, we are far from one another.
We are afraid for our loved ones, and ourselves.
We are anxious about our incomes, our plans, our education.
Healer of the nations, rest your hand upon this groaning world.

Lord of Lords,
in our worry and anxiety, we turn inward,
buffeting ourselves against those who make demands of us.
But you call us to pick up our cross.

We become bogged down in despair and lash out in frustration.
But you call us to live in the hope of the resurrection.

Jesus, forgive us when we do not turn to you.

Call us back to yourself,
to your love and your mercy.

Amen.

 

 

 

Words of Assurance

 

Romans 6:5-10: For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.
6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—
7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.
10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

 

 

 

 

Sing: Because He Lives (Amen)

 

1. I believe in the Son
I believe in the risen One
I believe I overcome
By the power of His blood

refrain:
Amen, Amen
I’m alive, I’m alive
Because He lives
Amen, Amen
Let my song join the one that never ends
Because He lives

2. I was dead in the grave
I was covered in sin and shame
I heard mercy call my name
He rolled the stone away

refrain

Because He lives
I can face tomorrow
Because He lives
Every fear is gone
I know He holds my life my future in His hands

refrain

 

 

 

 

 

Word

Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 31:1-6

 

31 “At that time,” declares the Lord, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.”

² This is what the Lord says:

³ The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying:

 

 

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 28:1-10

Jesus Has Risen

28 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

² There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. ⁴ The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

⁵ The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

⁸ So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹ Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

 

 

 

Message: Come And See

 

 

 

 

Sing: See, What a Morning

 

1. See, what a morning, gloriously bright,
With the dawning of hope in Jerusalem;
Folded the grave-clothes, tomb filled with light,
As the angels announce, “Christ is risen!”
See God’s salvation plan,
Wrought in love, borne in pain, paid in sacrifice,
Fulfilled in Christ, the Man,
For He lives: Christ is risen from the dead!

2. See Mary weeping, “Where is He laid?”
As in sorrow she turns from the empty tomb;
Hears a voice speaking, calling her name;
It’s the Master, the Lord raised to life again!
The voice that spans the years,
Speaking life, stirring hope, bringing peace to us,
Will sound till He appears,
For He lives: Christ is risen from the dead!

3. One with the Father, Ancient of Days,
Through the Spirit who clothes faith with certainty.
Honor and blessing, glory and praise
To the King crowned with pow’r and authority!
And we are raised with Him,
Death is dead, love has won,
Christ has conquered;
And we shall reign with Him,
For He lives: Christ is risen from the dead!

 

 

 

Prayer

 

Take time to pray for the needs of those gathered and the needs of the world. ​
Consider structuring your prayer in the following way: ​

Offer a request or praise aloud, concluding with the words, “Lord in your mercy,”​

And let the others respond, “Hear our prayer.”​

Or simply designate a family member to pray on your behalf.

As you close in prayer, meditate on the words God spoke to Israel through Jeremiah:
“I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.”
God does not abandon us but came into the world. In Christ’s death, we were freed from sin, and in his resurrection, we are given life. Thanks be to God, whose love endures forever.

 

 

 

Response of Faith

The Apostles’ Creed (in the time of social distancing!)

 

 

 

 

Blessing

 

 

May God go before you to guide you.
May God go behind you to protect you.
May God go beneath you to support you, and beside you to befriend you.
Do not be afraid.
May the blessing of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
settle in among you and remain with you always.
Do not be afraid, But go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

Amen.

 

 

And, finally,

stand and sing the Hallelujah Chorus with our friends from the Grand Rapids Symphony!

 

 

 

 

 

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Other Resources

Songs

• A great little sermonette from Keith Green (and Easter Song)

 

• I Know That My Redeemer Lives (ANTIOCH) – a song you know to a great shapenote tune
• Awake, O Sleeper – an Easter hymn paired with an old English folk melody
• Living Hope – Phil Wickham