Liturgy
Resurrection
starts with the cry of grief,
an empty place,
a familiar voice.
It’s tiny…
like the fingers of a newborn.
Seemingly insignificant…
like the grain that lands in the clam’s open mouth.
‘Often overlooked…
like the leaf bud on the tree.
Christ has risen.
Waiting for us to take notice.
Christ has risen.
Waiting for us to respond.
Christ has risen.
Christ has risen indeed!
Congregational Prayer
We gather today to confess what we believe.
We believe in Jesus the Christ.
Yet Easter has come and gone;
the lilies have faded and fallen,
the crowds have slipped away.
We believe in the life and teachings of Jesus.
Real life has crept into our worship;
sharing funerals for our friends,
saying goodbye to choirs for the season.
We believe that Jesus was betrayed, he suffered and died.
We begin to wonder if it really matters;
does our faith really affect our lives?
does God make a difference in the real world?
We believe in the Resurrection,
that suffering and even death are not the final word,
that God can and will triumph even over death.
We believe in the Father,
the Son,
and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Reflection
Where is God in your times of suffering and mourning?
In what ways are you seeking after God?
How can you both remember and long for encounters with resurrection?
How do we keep our personal encounter with Christ from being a private one?
Benediction
We go forth with renewed hope,
Trusting in the redeeming love of you, oh God.
You do not leave things as they are;
With you, all things are made new.
God, all of creation responds to your presence;
The world is alive with possibility.
We open ourselves to this truth;
With Christ, we trust our whole lives to this power.
Nothing is beyond the reach of you, our God;
Neither evil, nor hardship, nor death.
Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed.
We will pour out our joy and thanksgiving to our world
all in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Go in peace and live the church.
See you throughout the week.
[Photo by Pink Sherbet Photography @ Flickr]