Liturgy
We are not eye-witnesses to an event, as
were Mary and the disciples; we have not
journeyed through a dangerous city to
seek answers or consolation;
we have not seen angels gathering
at the rim of this day, or wept in the
garden that morning because we
could not find Him.
But we are here to attest to a story
that has not lost its power during
twenty centuries of change and conflict.
We are here because those before
us carried this story as if it were
precious gold; cherished it as if it
were the key to a hidden wisdom.
Sisters and brothers in Christ,
take your places here today
in celebration and in awe.
What we are about to hear again,
has the capacity to change the world.
Your very presence attests to the rising
up of life from the tomb of despair, and
to the uncontrollable power of God.
So come, worship and celebrate
the eternal name of the Father,
of the Risen Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Community Confession
When we keep our faults and failures locked safely away, we have
no need to confess. But God engages our hearts when we least
expect, so we can be filled with forgiveness, with hope, with peace.
God of empty tombs and empty people: when we hesitate
to speak of your hope, forgive us, and give us voice.
When we find it difficult to love another, forgive us, and give
us new compassion. When we want to stand with the high and
mighty, forgive us, and put us next to the poor and oppressed.
When we stay locked behind our doubts and sense of
safety, forgive us, and send us out to share your grace.
When we can not believe your Word of new life, forgive
us, and fill us with your joy.
Christ inhabits every shadowed corner of our lives with
the light of Easter. Christ comes into the locked rooms
of our faults, and gifts us with grace and hope.
Christ lives, to fill us with peace, that we may
proclaim the good news of mercy and forgiveness.
Thanks be to you, oh God.
We praise the name of the Father,
of the Resurrected Son
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Sermon and Reflection
Sermon Podcast 4.19.15 – A Community of the Resurrection
How are others able to interpret the gospel through the way they engage with our community?
How do each of us practice resurrection in our lives and the Vox community?
What do we view the role of our community in the life of the church? Do we simply rely on key leaders or do we participate by embracing our role?
Benediction
Christ asks if we love him.
If we say yes, he says;
“Then care for one another.”
This is our opportunity to make a difference,
to live lovingly on the frontiers of his bright new world.
We can not promise to do it perfectly, but we can strive,
relying on his abundant wisdom to take our small love,
and fit it into the larger pattern of good for all creation.
May God bless the world in which you move,
and bless your home and your friends.
May God bless the eyes with which you see,
and bless the ears with which you listen.
May God bless the way you use your hands,
and bless the way you employ your tongues,
for our God has invited us into his story.
So go this week, proclaiming
the love 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.