Call to Worship
We are still isolated,still feeling like we have been
left alone in a shadowed place,
but this is the day:
hope tiptoes us awake;
light guides us through the shadows.
We are keeping a safe distance from others,
we are quarantining ourselves,
we are not gathering as God's people,
but this is the day the Lord:
plants joy in our winter hearts;
drowns out despair’s cries with laughter.
This is a time of uncertainty and fear,
we wonder what today will bring,
we worry about the coming tomorrow,
but this is the day the Lord has made
the day grace does cartwheels in graveyards;
resurrection wonder outshines the brightest sun;
an empty tomb fills us with good news.
Prayer of the Day
Each morning,
we are putting on those
comfortable garments
of burdens and worries,
but now they we are dressed
in joy and wonder,
which we will wear every day!
Each day,
we walk through life,
alone, apart, afraid,
our good and faithful
friend, death, at our side,
constantly whispering
in our ears,
but now death has lost its power,
now a new Friend walks with us!
Each evening,
we empty our worries
out of our pockets, leaving
them on top of the dresser,
but now, the dresser has been wiped down,
everything has been sanitized with joy!
We could continue to live
in the same old ways, the same old days,
but now, resurrection life is ours,
and we can sing, dance, and rejoice with you,
God in Community, Holy in One,
as we pray together, saying,
(The Lord’s Prayer)
Call to Reconciliation
We find ourselves living in the shadows these days, afraid to follow the light. We wander in our backyards, alone, looking for God in these days. Yet we are still, we will be again, we are always Easter people! Let us speak of our fears of having the resurrection promise wiped away by the virus of fear and panic, as we pray together, saying,
Unison Prayer for Forgiveness
Unable to gather together, still on this day, as we walk through the shadows of our lives, we come to you, God who dispels our fears. Too often, we believe our foolishness is hidden from you; too often, we stand before the open door of hope, wondering if we dare enter. Uncertain of the good news offered to us, we would rather return to the comfort of our familiar ways rather than trusting in you.Yet you come, as persistent as Mary at the tomb,
Joy of our hearts,
to open the gates of hope,
so we might walk in the gardens of hope;
you come, to open the gates of grace,
so we might plant peace in the wilderness of the world;
you come, to open the gates of resurrection,
so we might know our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Silence is kept
Assurance of Pardon
This is the day of resurrection and new life. This is the day God offers us steadfast hope and love which will never end.We will sing and dance on this day! We we are still, we will be again, we are always Easter people! We will rejoice and give thanks to the God who saves us. Amen.
Prayer of Dedication/Offering
Though alone, separated from others, we can still we offer our gifts on this joyous morning, praying that they may the bring light to those in the shadows, laughter to all who mourn, and hope to those longing for life anew. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
May resurrection’s God be with you!And also with you!
This is the day to offer yourselves to God.
We open our hearts to the One who fills them with grace.
Join in the glad songs of all creation this day.
Our voices praise the One who opens wide the gates of life.
When only emptiness stretched out,
you spoke at that time, Joyous God,
and goodness and beauty sprang forth:
swallows darting in the skies,
young rabbits scampering in the grass,
hippos splashing in rivers.
All this wonder and joy was your gift
to your children created in your image,
but we ran to play with death,
when sin opened the gates of seduction.
Time after time after time,
you sent the prophets to remind us
of your never-ending love, but
we chose to remain in sin’s tomb,
the stone of our rebellion locking us away.
So you sent your Hopeful heart,
your grace made flesh so
we might not be given over to death.
With those who see and believe,
with those who stand and question,
we lift our Easter songs to you:
Holy, holy, holy are you, God who has made this day!
All creation celebrates your constant love.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the One who is revealed on this morning.
Hosanna in the highest!
When he could have clung to your glory,
God who alone is holy,
Jesus chose to become human at that time,
so we might be filled with your grace.
When we stood against the wall
wondering if anyone noticed us,
he came to take us by the hand
to teach us new dance steps.
When our lives crumble around us
and we lie scattered on the ground,
he gathers us up, reshaping us
into your beloved community.
When we were unable to break
the power of evil over us,
he allowed sin to toss him
aside like a pebble in a shoe,
until he was raised from the tomb
because you refuse to give us
over to death.
As we stand before the empty tomb,
celebrating the great news of this day,
we would have that faith which is a mystery:
Christ died, so sin could not hold on to us;
Christ was raised, so death could not hold on to him;
Christ will come, to hold us in steadfast love and hope.
At this time, wherever we find ourselves,
at home, in apartments, in care facilities,
pour out your Spirit upon your people
and on the gifts of the feast of the resurrection.
May the bread which is broken open like the tomb,
strengthen us so we may go
to rebuild shattered hopes,
to bind up the hurts of the world.
May the cup which is filled
with the fruits of your steadfast love,
nourish us to leave the shadows
of our fears and doubts
to stand with the lonely and forgotten,
to listen to the cries of the world.
And in that time to come,
when we will be gathered
with our sisters and brothers
of every place and of every moment,
we will sing your praises,
God in Community, Holy in One,
as you hold on to us forever. Amen.
Sending
Scattered from one another,
we can still go with God into the world.
We will offer healing and hope to all
who wander in the shadows of life.
Separated from one another,
we can still go with Jesus to serve others.
We will listen to the ignored;
we will speak out for the forgotten.
Alone, stuck wherever we live,
we can still join the Spirit in offering steadfast love.
We will hold on to the fallen;
we will rebuild shattered communities.
© 2020 Thom M. Shuman
