God will wipe away every tear, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more
Minister – Christ is Risen
All – Christ is risen indeed. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
Welcome and intimations
Leader: The Lord is our strength and our song; he has become our victory!
All: You are our God, and we will praise you
Leader: Loving God, we gather in the early morning of your Resurrection.
All: How glorious is this day of new life. Here, in this remarkable place, we remember that you are alive. Leader: Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
All: We give thanks Amen
GATHERING UNISON PRAYER
How glorious is this day of new life. Here, in this beautiful setting, we remember that you are alive. Now our tears of sorrow turn to tears of joy as we feel your presence among us. Today, we begin to understand that joy can come from grief. You call us to go into the world to share this good news, and because we are not left alone, we can pray your prayer: (Lord’s Prayer.)
Hymn – Jesus Christ is Risen Today
1 Jesus Christ is ris’n today, Alleluia! our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
who did once upon the cross, Alleluia! suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!
- 2.Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia! unto Christ, our heav’nly King, Alleluia! who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia! sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia!
- 3.But the pains which he endured, Alleluia! our salvation have procured; Alleluia!
now above the sky he’s King, Alleluia! where the angels ever sing. Alleluia!
- 4.Sing we to our God above, Alleluia! praise eternal as his love; Alleluia! praise him, all ye heav’nly host, Alleluia! Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Alleluia!
Reading – John 20: 1-18 The Message
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
Prayer
Reflective music
Meditation
Hymn – Thine Be the Glory
Thine be the glory, risen, conqu’ring Son;
endless is the vict’ry Thou o’er death hast won.
Angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away,
kept the folded grave-clothes where Thy body lay.
Thine be the glory, risen, conqu’ring Son;
endless is the vict’ry Thou o’er death hast won.
Lo, Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb.
Lovingly He greets us, scatters fear and gloom;
let His church with gladness hymns of triumph sing,
for the Lord now liveth; death hath lost its sting.
Thine be the glory, risen, conqu’ring Son;
endless is the vict’ry Thou o’er death hast won.
No more we doubt Thee, glorious Prince of life!!
Life is nought without Thee; aid us in our strife;
make us more than conqu’rors, through Thy deathless love;
bring us safe through Jordan to Thy home above.
Thine be the glory, risen, conqu’ring Son;
endless is the vict’ry Thou o’er death hast won.
BENEDICTION
“This is the Easter message, that awakening is possible, to the goodness of God, the sacredness of human life, the sisterhood and brotherhood of all.” ~Anne Lamott
Urquhart & Glenmoriston Parish Church 