Liturgy
On this Easter Sunday, how are you showing up?
Whether in grief or joy, recently betrayed or reconnected,
we are invited to awaken to what is here and now.
O, infinite One of radical acceptance,
help us have the faith to welcome ourselves
and each other, as we are.
Whether dimly seeing through layers of disillusionment
or with the clarity of glasses that are just right,
we are invited to awe and embody
the diverse presence of the Divine.
O, infinite One of peculiar creativity,
may you grant us the hope to have our imagination
refreshed for how you are present.
Where can you hold with curiosity a discontent
or desire, that might be a calling?
Whether in ambivalence or passion,
we are invited to continue sacred work.
O, infinite One of playful delight,
would you rouse our love for that which you awaken
in our individual and collective heart this Easter morning.
In the name of God, our Queen who repairs,
Christ, our Prophet who sees clearly,
and Spirit, our Priest who welcomes.
Amen.
(Vox Prayer Team)
Scripture Reading
We invite you to hear from the Gospel according to Mark 16:1-6
1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of
James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.
2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen,
they went to the tomb. 3 They had been saying to one another, “Who will
roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 When they
looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already
been rolled back. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man
dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of
Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look,
there is the place they laid him.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
The grass withers and the flower fades,
but the Word of the Lord endures forever. Amen.
Homily and Reflection
Podcast: Being At Home- What would be different if I felt “at home” in my body?
- How might I practice “name it to tame it” with my emotions?
- Who do I wish to tell or express my love to this week?
Resources:
- Book: Black Liturgies: Prayers, Poems, and Meditations for Staying Human by Cole Arthur Riley
- Video: “That’s Emotions, Mama!”: 4-Year-Old Has Heartfelt Conversation About His Feelings by Jonisa Padernos via Storyful
- Book: Old Path White Clouds by Thich Nhat Hanh
- Book: Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed
Benediction
Let us leave with a benediction.
As a loving parent
offers their child the security
of repair after relationship rupture…
May we go in the faith that Jesus’ resurrection
is an ever-present invitation to imagine repair
in our individual and collective lives.
So, with the empty tomb behind us,
Go and rest.
Go and play.
Go and hope.
Go and heal.
Go and reclaim.
Go and love.
The God whose face bears every race, gender, and ability…
Is behind us at resurrections past,
with us in resurrections present,
and before us in resurrections to come.
May we go forth and rejoice,
in the name of God, our loving Parent,
Christ, our forgiving Sibling,
And Spirit, our companioning Guide.
Amen
(Vox Prayer Team)
[Photo by: Annie Spratt]