Christ is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia! Christ is risen indeed!

April 12, 2020 Resurrection of the Lord

Prelude Jesus Christ Is Risen Today Wendy L. Stevens

Greeting The Lord be with you. And also with you.

Focus on Ministry

Litany for Easter Christ is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia! Christ is risen indeed!

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Alleluia! Christ is risen indeed!

This is the good news we have received, in which we stand, and by which we are saved: Alleluia! Christ is risen indeed!

That Christ died for our sins, and was buried, and rose again on the third day. Alleluia! Christ is risen indeed!

He appeared to Peter, and to the twelve, and to many faithful witnesses. Alleluia! Christ is risen indeed!

At last he came to us, that we might come to believe and proclaim this good news to the world. Alleluia! Christ is risen indeed!

God of mercy, we no longer look for Jesus among the dead, for he is alive and has become the Lord of life. From the waters of death you raise us with him and renew your gift of life within us. Increase in our minds and hearts the risen life we share with Christ, and help us to grow as your people toward the fullness of eternal life with you, through Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

Gathering Hymn 232 Jesus Christ Is Risen Today Stanzas 1 and 4

Prayer of Confession We come running, looking for you, Risen Christ, but you are not where we expect you to be. As always, you are to be found among the living— those living at the edge, those living with uncertainty, those living in ways we cannot imagine and may not approve of. We come running, our hands full of things and our minds full of self-reliance, only to find that you have been here already, you have rolled away the stone and called us to trust your word.

If this good news is true, it means everything is different now. We confess that our excitement is a little bit nervous— it’s hard for us not to be in control.

Today as we peer once again into your empty tomb, remind us of all you have told us, and then guide our feet to follow. Fill the empty tombs of our hearts with your love that cannot be contained. Breathe new life into us, into your church, into your world, and overcome our fear of change so that we too may be found among the living. Turn our expectations upside down, and lead us into the new and different world you are creating, even now, even here. Let us silently contemplate and confess our sins before God.

Time of Silent Confession

Words of Assurance Christ enters each of our homes this day reminding us that new life, new hope, and a new day exist even among deepest sorrow. Through the risen Christ we are forgiven! Alleluia! Christ is risen indeed! Amen

Response Hymn 240 Alleluia, Alleluia! Give Thanks Refrain and Stanza 1

The Peace

The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. You may comment a message of peace in the

comment section below the live stream if you wish.

Prayer for Illumination Living God, with joy we celebrate the presence of your risen Word. Enliven our hearts by your Holy Spirit so that we may proclaim the good news of eternal and abundant life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

The First Lesson Jeremiah 31:1-6

Response Holy wisdom, holy Word. Thanks be to God.

Response Hymn 243 Be Not Afraid

The Gospel Lesson Matthew 28:1-10 Read from Spark Bible

Response The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon “Good morning, Professor Death!” Sam Massey

Affirmation of Faith Let us confess the faith of our Baptism. I believe in God, the Father almighty,

Maker of heaven and earth,

and in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried;

he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven,

and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;

from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer

Self Offering We are invited, in silent prayer, to offer our lives and our world to God.

Silent Prayer

Prayer of Dedication God of life, in raising Jesus from the dead, you triumphed over the power of the grave and opened the way to your kingdom of life. You have called us to bear witness to your good news. Let the gifts we dedicate, and the lives we lead, proclaim the glory of the risen Christ, in whose name we pray. Alleluia! Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen

Sending Hymn 826 Lift High the Cross Refrain and Stanzas 1 and 4

Charge and Blessing

Postlude Crown Him with Many Crowns Zach Unke

Sermon Notes:

1. How do you feel about COVID19? Fear? Confidence? How far are you willing to go to survive it?

2. Have you ever spent time reflecting on death? Why or why not? What can it teach you?

3. In Christian spirituality, the resurrection of Jesus tells us that he has tamed the power of death and turned it into a teacher. What are the lessons God is teaching us through the constant presence of death in our lives?