Liturgy

Morn’s glitt’ring ray adorns the sky,
heaven thunders forth its victory cry,
the glad earth shouts its triumph high,
and groaning hell makes wild reply:

While Christ, the king of glorious might,
treads down death’s strength in death’s despite,
and, trampling hell by victor’s right,
brings forth Christ’s sleeping saints to light.

Entombed behind the stone of late,
securely sealed, where soldiers wait,
now shining in triumphant state,
Christ rises victor from death’s gate.

Hell’s chains are loosed and demons fled;
captivity is captive led;
the angel, crowned with light, has said,
“The Lord is risen from the dead.”

We pray you, King of glory crowned,
let this our Easter joy resound,
for we, who once by death were bound,
through you have life and freedom found.

— Latin hymn, fifth century

Community Confession

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

God of the empty tomb, we come today
to celebrate the knowledge that you have made this day.

Let us focus only on you this week,
and guide our timid eyes to the cross.

Remind us again of the tomb; filled and now empty.

Remind us again of Mary’s tears; of sorrow and now joy.
Remind us again of Peter’s words; denial and now telling.

God of the empty tomb,
grant us the grace to accept
both the cost and the joy of following you.
Lord of our lives, have mercy on us.

We bless you, oh God,
and thank you for the gift of your Son,
that we may have life in abundance.

We pray to our God in community, holy in One.
Amen.

Reflection

Who are the family that we need to be restored with?
How can we dance in God’s delight of us?
What is the garden we need to create and tend and in order to restore God’s creation?

Benediction

You had not imagined
that something so empty
could fill you to overflowing

and now you carry the knowledge
like an awful treasure,
or like a child that roots itself
beneath your heart:

how the emptiness will bear forth
a new world that you cannot fathom
but on whose edge you stand.

So why do you linger?
You have seen and so you are already blessed.
You have been seen and so you are the blessing.

There is no other word you need.
There is simply to go and tell.
There is simply to begin.

Go and proclaim the wonderful the name
of the Father,
of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit, amen.

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

— Jan L. Richardson

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

[Photo by Peter and Danka @ Flickr]