HOLY WEEK SERVICES
Minister of Word and Sacrament – The Rev. Dan West
Maundy Thursday – April 17th
Prelude Lenten Hymns
(All rights reserved. Used with permission. Arr. A. Fraser.)
Gathering Song A New Commandment
(All rights reserved. Used with permission. Music: Anonymous. Words: John 13.)
Call to Worship
Prayer of The Day
Assurance of Pardon
*Hymn # 537 ‘Twas On That Night
1. ‘Twas on that night when doomed to know
the eager rage of every foe,
that night in which he was betrayed,
the Saviour of the world took bread.
2. and after thanks and glory given
to God who rules in earth and heaven,
that symbol of his flesh he broke,
and thus to all his followers spoke:
3. “My broken body thus I give
for you, for all; take, eat and live,
and oft the sacred rite renew
that brings my wondrous love to view.”
4. Then in his hands the cup he raised,
and God anew he thanked and praised;
the fullness of God’s grace he showed
and from his lips salvation flowed.
5. “My blood I thus pour forth,” he cries.
“to cleanse the soul in sin that lies;
in this the covenant is sealed,
and heaven’s eternal grace revealed.”
6. “With suffering love this cup is given;
let all partake the wine of heaven,
and when you gather, let it pour
in living memory of this hour.”
Hand Washing Ritual
Scripture Readings
Old Testament
Exodus 12:1-14 RSV
12 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. 3 Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household. 4 If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbour in obtaining one; the lamb shall be divided in proportion to the number of people who eat of it. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a year-old male; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembled congregation of Israel shall slaughter it at twilight.
7 They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 8 They shall eat the lamb that same night; they shall eat it roasted over the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water but roasted over the fire, with its head, legs, and inner organs. 10 You shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn with fire. 11 This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand, and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the Passover of the LORD. 12 I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from human to animal, and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. 13 The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
14 “This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance.
Responsive Psalm 116:12-19
12 What shall I return to the LORD
for all God’s bounty to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the LORD.
14 I will pay my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all God’s people.
15 Precious in the sight of the LORD
is the death of the faithful.
16 O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the child of your hand maid.
You have loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving
and call on the name of the LORD.
18 I will pay my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all God’s people,
19 in the courts of the house of the LORD,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!
Epistle Reading
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 RSV
23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
25 In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Gospel Reading
John 13:1-17, 31-35 RSV
13 Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
2 And during supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4 rose from supper, laid aside his garments, and girded himself with a towel. 5 Then he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded. 6 He came to Simon Peter; and Peter said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not know now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part in me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!”
10 Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but he is clean all over; and you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “You are not all clean.” 12 When he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.
17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of man glorified, and in him God is glorified; 32 if God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Response to the Word of God
Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
Thanks be to God for this word to us today.
Reflection
*Hymn # 224 An Upper Room Did Our Lord Prepare
1. An upper room did our Lord prepare
for those he loved until the end,
and his disciples still gather there
to celebrate their risen Friend.
2. A lasting gift Jesus gave his own –
to share his bread, his loving cup;
Whatever burdens may bow us down,
he by his cross shall lift us up.
3. And after supper he washed their feet,
for service, too, is sacrament;
in him our joy shall be made complete –
sent out to serve, as he was sent.
4. No end there is! We depart in peace;
he loves beyond the uttermost;
in every room in our Father’s house
he will be there, as Lord and Host.
The Apostle’s Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ,
God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.
Invitation to the Lord’s Table
The Great Prayer of Thanksgiving (#564 Book of Praise)
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give God thanks and praise.
…we lift our hearts in joyful praise:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
…as we proclaim the mystery of faith:
Christ has died,
Christ is risen,
Christ will come again.
…forever and ever. Amen.
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil
for thine is the kingdom,
and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Sacrament of Communion (served by modified intinction)
Prayer After Communion
*Benediction
Please leave in silence
*****
Good Friday – April 18th
Prelude Cross of Sorrow
(All rights reserved. Used with permission. Esther S. Higgins.)
Gathering Song Nothing Can Trouble
(All rights reserved. Used with permission. Taize Community.)
Welcome and Announcements
Call to Worship
Blessed be the name of the Lord our God
who redeems us from sin and death.
For us and for our Salvation,
Christ became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.
God did not withhold his own Son but gave him up for us.
Will God not also give us everything else with Christ?
Blessed be the name of the Lord.
Now and forever.
*Hymn # 237 Oh Come And Mourn With Me Awhile
1. Oh come and mourn with me awhile;
oh come ye to the Saviour’s side;
oh come, together let us mourn;
Jesus, our Lord, is crucified.
2. Have we no tears to shed for him,
while soldiers scoff and foes deride?
Ah! look how patiently he hangs:
Jesus, our Lord, is crucified.
3. Seven times he spoke, seven words of love,
and all three hours his silence cried,
“Forgive: they know not what they do.”
Jesus, our Lord, is crucified.
4. O love of God! O human sin!
In this dread act your strength is tried,
and victory remains with love:
for Christ, our Lord, is crucified.
Prayers of Adoration and Confession
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil
for thine is the kingdom,
and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
Anthem God So Loved the World
Soprano – Leslie Ray
Alto – Denise Low
Piano – John Low
(All rights reserved. Used with permission. John Staynor.)
Children’s Time
*Hymn # 242 What Wondrous Love Is This
1. What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, that caused the Lord of bliss
to lay aside his crown for my soul, for my soul,
to lay aside his crown for my soul.
2. To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing
to God and to the Lamb, I will sing.
To God and to the Lamb, who is the great I Am,
while millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing,
while millions join the theme, I will sing!
3. And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on,
and when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on.
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing and joyful be,
and through eternity I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on,
and through eternity, I’ll sing on!
Scripture Readings
Old Testament
Isaiah 52:13-53:12 RSV
13 Behold, my servant shall prosper,
he shall be exalted and lifted up,
and shall be very high.
14 As many were astonished at him –
his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,
and his form beyond that of the sons of men—
15 so shall he startle many nations;
kings shall shut their mouths because of him;
for that which has not been told them they shall see,
and that which they have not heard they shall understand.
53 Who has believed what we have heard?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or comeliness that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions,
he was bruised for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that made us whole,
and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned every one to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb,
so he opened not his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
9 And they made his grave with the wicked
and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to bruise him;
he has put him to grief;
when he makes himself an offering for sin,
he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days;
the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand;
11 he shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous;
and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong;
because he poured out his soul to death,
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
Responsive Psalm 22
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from helping me,
from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer;
and by night, but find no rest.
3 Yet you are holy;
enthroned on the praises of Israel praises.
4 In you our ancestors trusted;
they trusted and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried, and were saved;
in you they trusted, and were not put to shame.
6 But I am a worm, not human,
scorned by everyone, and despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me;
they make mouths at me, they shake their heads and say to me:
8 “Commit your cause to the LORD;
let the Lord deliver –
let the Lord rescue the one in whom the Lord delights!”
9 Yet it is you, who took me from the womb;
you kept me safe on my mother’s breast.
10 On you I was cast from my birth,
and since my mother bore me you have been my God.
11 Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.
12 Many bulls encircle me;
strong bulls of Bashan surround me.
13 they open wide their mouths at me,
like a ravening and roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
it has melted within my breast.
15 My mouth is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.
16 For dogs are all around me;
a company of evildoers encircles me.
My hands and my feet have shriveled;
17 I can count all my bones.
They stare and gloat over me;
18 they divide my clothes among themselves,
and for my clothing they cast lots.
19 But you, O LORD, do not be far away!
O my help, come quickly to my aid!
20 Deliver me from the sword,
my life from the power of the dog!
21 Save me from the mouth of the lion!
From the horns of the wild oxen you have rescued me.
22 I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you;
23 You, who fear the LORD, praise God!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify God;
stand in awe, you offspring of Israel!
24 For you, Lord, did not despised or disdain
the affliction of the afflicted;
you did not hide your face from me,
but heard me when I cried to you.
25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will pay before those who fear you.
26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek the Lord shall praise the LORD!
May your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the LORD;
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before you.
28 For dominion belongs to the LORD
who rules over the nations.
29 All who sleep in the earth
shall bow down to the Lord;
all who go down to the dust,
shall bow before the Lord;
and I shall live for God.
30 Posterity shall serve the Lord;
future generations will be told about the Lord,
31 and proclaim deliverance to a people yet unborn,
saying that God has done it.
Gospel Reading:
Luke 22:54-23:49 RSV
54 Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house. Peter followed at a distance; 55 and when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.
56 Then a maid, seeing him as he sat in the light and gazing at him, said, “This man also was with him.” 57 But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” 58 And a little later some one else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” 59 And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him; for he is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are saying.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept bitterly.
63 Now the men who were holding Jesus mocked him and beat him; 64 they also blindfolded him and asked him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” 65 And they spoke many other words against him, reviling him.
66 When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes; and they led him away to their council, and they said, 67 “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe; 68 and if I ask you, you will not answer. 69 But from now on the Son of man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” 70 And they all said, “Are you the Son of God, then?” And he said to them, “You say that I am.” 71 And they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.”
23 Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.”
3 So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“You have said so,” Jesus replied.
4 Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”
5 But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”
6 On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. 7 When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. 9 He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. 11 Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. 12 That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies.
13 Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16 Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.”
18 But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” 19 (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)
20 Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21 But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
22 For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”
23 But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.
26 As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. 28 Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then
“‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”
and to the hills, “Cover us!”’
31 For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”
36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”
38 There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews.
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.
47 The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” 48 When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. 49 But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
*Hymn # 233 Were You There
1. Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
2. Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
3. Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
4. Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
5. Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
6. Were you there when he rose up from the dead?
Were you there when he rose up from the dead?
Oh! Sometimes I feel like shouting “Glory, glory, glory!”
Were you there when he rose up from the dead?
Sermon Put Away The Swords
Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession
*Hymn # 231 When I Survey The Wondrous Cross
1. When I survey the wondrous cross
on which the Prince of glory died,
my richest gain I count but loss,
and pour contempt on all my pride.
2. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
save in the death of Christ my God;
all the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to his blood.
3. See from his head, his hands, his feet,
sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
or thorns compose so rich a crown?
4. Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were an offering far too small;
love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.
*Benediction
*Response Jesus, Remember Me (sing twice)
Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.
Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.
(All rights reserved. Used with permission. Book of Praise # 206. Taize Community.)
Postlude Balm In Gilead
(All rights reserved. Used with permission. Arr. Roger C. Wilson.)
Please leave in silence
*****
Easter Sunday
Prelude and Gathering Song Don’t Cry
(All rights reserved. Used with permission. Kirk Franklin. Arr. Joel Raney.)
Welcome and Announcements
Call to Worship
Risen life shines like a radiant light around us! Within its mysteries we will see the Christ beside us ad bright rays of hope hovering over the world.
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come gain.
Risen life transforms all reality, painting pictures of a different world, a world in which death will lose its power, and where the life of God reigns in justice, love, and peace.
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
*Hymn # 247 Christ The Lord Is Risen Today
1. “Christ the Lord is risen today,”
all creation join to say.
Raise your joys and triumphs high;
sing, ye heavens, and earth, reply.
Love’s redeeming work is done,
fought the fight, the battle won:
lo! our sun’s eclipse is o’er;
lo! he sets in blood no more.
2. Vain the stone, the watch, the seal;
Christ hath burst the gates of hell.
Death in vain forbids him rise;
Christ hath opened paradise.
Lives again our glorious King:
where, O death, is now thy sting?
Once he died our souls to save;
where thy victory, O grave?
3. Soar we now where Christ hath led,
following our exalted Head;
made like him, like him we rise;
ours the cross, the grave, the skies.
Hail! The Lord of earth and heaven!
Praise to thee by both be given;
every knee to thee shall bow,
risen Christ triumphant now.
Prayer of Adoration and Confession
Assurance of Pardon
*Hymn# 250 I Danced In The Morning
1. I danced in the morning when the world was begun,
and I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun,
and I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth;
at Bethlehem I had my birth.
Refrain:
Dance, then, wherever you may be;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,
and I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
and I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.
2. I danced for the scribe and the Pharisee,
but they would not dance and they wouldn’t follow me;
I danced for the fisherman, for James and John;
they came with me and the dance went on.
Refrain:
Dance, then, wherever you may be;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,
and I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
and I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.
3. I danced on the Sabbath and I cured the lame;
the holy people said it was a shame.
They whipped and they stripped and they hung me high,
and they left me there on a cross to die.
Refrain:
Dance, then, wherever you may be;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,
and I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
and I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.
4. I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black;
it’s hard to dance with the devil on your back.
They buried my body, and they thought I’d gone,
but I am the dance, and I still go on.
Refrain:
Dance, then, wherever you may be;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,
and I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
and I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.
5. They cut me down and I leap up high;
I am the life that’ll never, never die;
I’ll live in you if you’ll live in me;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he.
Refrain:
Dance, then, wherever you may be;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,
and I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
and I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.
Anthem On the Third Day
Soloist – Leslie Ray
(All rights reserved. Used with permission. Allen Pote.)
Children’s Time
*Hymn # 348 Tell Me The Stories Of Jesus
1. Tell me the stories of Jesus
I love to hear,
things I would ask him to tell me
if he were here:
scenes by the wayside,
tales of the sea,
stories of Jesus,
tell them to me.
2. First, let me hear how the children
stood round his knee,
and I shall fancy his blessing
resting on me:
words full of kindness,
deeds full of grace,
all in the lovelight
of Jesus’s face.
3. Tell me about the disciples
from far and near,
and I will listen among them
eager to hear.
Whose loaves and fishes
did Jesus bless,
showing the people
God’s tenderness?
4. Tell me, in accents of wonder,
how rolled the sea,
tossing the boat in a tempest
on Galilee,
and how the Master,
ready and kind,
chided the billows
and hushed the wind.
5. Into the city I’d follow
the children’s band,
waving a branch of the palm tree
high in my hand;
one of his heralds,
yes, I would sing
loudest hosannas:
Jesus is King!
Welcoming of New Members
Scripture Readings
Old Testament
Isaiah 65:17-25 RSV
17 “For behold, I create new heavens
and a new earth;
and the former things shall not be remembered
or come into mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice for ever
in that which I create;
for behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing,
and her people a joy.
19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
and be glad in my people;
no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping
and the cry of distress.
20 No more shall there be in it
an infant that lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not fill out his days,
for the child shall die a hundred years old,
and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.
21 They shall build houses and inhabit them;
they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 They shall not build and another inhabit;
they shall not plant and another eat;
for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
23 They shall not labour in vain,
or bear children for calamity;
for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the LORD,
and their children with them.
24 Before they call I will answer,
while they are yet speaking I will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
the lion shall eat straw like the ox;
and dust shall be the serpent’s food.
They shall not hurt or destroy
in all my holy mountain,
says the LORD.”
Responsive Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
Refrain # 3
This is the day that the Lord has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
1 O give thanks to the LORD, for God is good;
God’s steadfast love endures forever!
2 Let Israel say,
“God’s steadfast love endures forever.”
Refrain # 3
This is the day that the Lord has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
14 The LORD is my strength and my might;
and has become my salvation.
15 There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous:
“The right hand of the LORD does valiantly;
16 the right hand of the LORD is exalted;
the right hand of the LORD does valiantly.”
17 I shall not die, but I shall live
and recount the deeds of the LORD.
18 The LORD has punished me severely,
but has not given me over to death.
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the LORD.
20 This is the gate of the LORD;
the righteous shall enter through it.
21 I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
22 The stone that the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This is the LORD’s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Refrain # 3
This is the day that the Lord has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Gospel Reading
John 20:1-18 RSV
20 Now on the first day of the week Mary Mag′dalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. 4 They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first; 5 and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, 7 and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not know the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.
11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rab-bo′ni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” 18 Mary Mag′dalene went and said to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
Response to the Word of God
Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
Thanks be to God for this word to us today.
*Hymn # 249 The Day Of Resurrection
1. The day of resurrection –
earth, tell it out abroad,
the Passover of gladness,
the Passover of God!
From death to life eternal,
from earth unto the sky,
our Christ hath brought us over
with hymns of victory.
2. Our hearts be pure from evil,
that we may see aright
the Lord in rays eternal
of resurrection light,
and, listening to his accents,
may hear, so calm and plain,
his own “All hail!” and, hearing,
may raise the victor strain.
3. Now let the heavens be joyful;
let earth its song begin;
let the round world keep triumph,
and all that is therein;
invisible and visible,
their notes together blend,
for Christ the Lord hath risen,
our joy that hath no end.
Sermon Seeing Is Believing
Offering
Offertory I Know that My Redeemer Liveth
(All rights reserved. Used with permission. G.F. Handel.)
*Doxology All Things Are Yours
All things are yours,
we make that true
when we return our gifts to you.
And so we give, and so we share.
In Christ’s strong name expressing care.
(All rights reserved. Used with permission. Worship & Rejoice # 687.)
Offertory Prayer
Nicene Creed
I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
Invitation to the Lord’s Table
The Great Prayer of Thanksgiving (#564 Book of Praise)
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give God thanks and praise.
…we lift our hearts in joyful praise:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
…as we proclaim the mystery of faith:
Christ has died,
Christ is risen,
Christ will come again.
…forever and ever. Amen.
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil
for thine is the kingdom,
and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Sacrament of Communion
Prayer After Communion
*Hymn # 258 Thine Be The Glory
1. Thine be the glory, risen, conquering son,
endless is the victory thou o’er death hast won;
angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away,
kept the folded grave clothes, where thy body lay.
Refrain:
Thine be the glory, risen, conquering son;
Endless is the victory thou o’er death hast won.
2. Lo! Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb;
lovingly he greets us, scatters fear and gloom;
let the church with gladness hymns of triumph sing,
for her Lord now liveth; death hast lost its sting.
Refrain:
Thine be the glory, risen, conquering son;
Endless is the victory thou o’er death hast won.
3. No more we doubt thee, glorious prince of life;
life is nought without thee; aid us in our strife;
make us more than conquerors, through thy deathless love;
bring us safe through Jordan to thy home above.
Refrain:
Thine be the glory, risen, conquering son;
Endless is the victory thou o’er death hast won.
*Benediction
*Response Sing Hosanna
Sing hosanna, sing hosanna, sing hosanna to the Servant King;
sing hosanna, sing hosanna, sing hosanna let us sing!
(All rights reserved. Used with permission. Book of Praise # 655.)
Postlude Alleluia! Alleluia!
(All rights reserved. Used with permission. Based on Hyfrydol by Rowland W. Prichard.)
Scripture Readings for Next Week
Acts 5:27-32
Psalm 118:14-29
John 20:19-31