Liturgy

Break the box and shed the nard;
Stop not now to count the cost;
Hither bring pearl, opal, sard;
Reck not what the poor have lost;
Upon Christ throw all away:
Know ye, this is Easter Day.

Build His church and deck His shrine;
Empty though it be on earth;
Ye have kept your choicest wine –
Let it flow for heavenly mirth;
Pluck the harp and breathe the horn:
Know ye not ’tis Easter morn?

Gather gladness from the skies;
Take a lesson from the ground;
Flowers do ope their heavenward eyes
And a Spring-time joy have found;
Earth throws Winter’s robes away,
Decks herself for Easter Day.

Beauty now for ashes wear,
Perfumes for the garb of woe.
Chaplets for dishevelled hair,
Dances for sad footsteps slow;
Open wide your hearts that they
Let in joy this Easter Day.

Seek God’s house in happy throng;
Crowded let His table be;
Mingle praises, prayer and song,
Singing to the Trinity.
Henceforth let your souls alway
Make each morn an Easter Day.

— Gerald Manley Hopkins

Community Confession

In prayer, let us confess to God as a community.

God, we are blind, but you open our eyes,
To see your glory revealed through your Son, Jesus Christ,
Who died and rose again to lead us into life.

God, we are deaf, but you unstop our ears,
To hear the power of your resurrection story,
Once we were dead but now in Christ we are alive.

God, we are ignorant and foolish, but you set free our tongues,
To rejoice and sing with all the hosts of heaven,

Holy, holy, holy is the one
who transfigures our world with the Spirit of life,
Holy, holy holy is the one
who redeems and makes whole all who respond,
Holy, holy holy is the one
in whose light we see that all creation will be made new.

We worship the risen King of kings,
praising the name of the Father,
of the Resurrected Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Reflection

Who are the “others” in our lives that we need to live out hospitality with?
How does resurrection and grace need to be lived out in our lives?

Benediction

When the world seems to crumble around you,
remember who you are…
We are his Resurrection people with Easter in our hearts.

When despair would seem to squelch all hope,
believe in who you have become…
We are his Resurrection people with Easter in our hearts.

When it is hard to persevere against all odds,
trust in the name God has given us…
We are his Resurrection people with Easter in our hearts.

Let us follow Christ into the world,
to share the good news,
and may God dwell in all we say and do
and live as his people with Easter forever in our hearts.

In the name of the Father,
of the Risen Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
Amen.

Go in peace and live the church.
See you throughout the week.

[Photo by vamitos @ Flickr]