St Clement Church Community EASTER DAY Service

 

Happy Easter – Jesus Christ is Risen today, Alleluia

 

At this time of so much darkness and sadness in so many countries and places around the world, may we hold tight to what happened two thousand years ago when darkness and sorrow was overcome by the glorious Resurrection of our Lord.                                                                                                   May we trust that the light of our Risen Lord will always shine through the darkness and sadness of our lives.

 

Jesus Christ is Risen today, Alleluia!

 

God Bless

With my love

Liz

  

Let us pray:

Lord God, you loved this world so much that you gave your one and only Son, that we might be called your children too.                                                                             Lord, help us to live in the gladness and grace of Easter Sunday, every day.                                                                                                                                                         Let us have hearts of thankfulness for your sacrifice.

Let us have eyes that look upon your grace and rejoice in our salvation.

Help us to walk in that mighty grace and tell your good news to the world.

We ask this in the name of the Risen Christ.    Amen.

 

Hymn: 95 When I survey the wondrous cross

 

Our prayers of Penitence

 

Loving God, we confess that at times we do not share in the joy of the resurrection but are caught up in the worries of the world.

We confess that we do not always live in the spirit of new life but remain discontent, grumbling and anxious.

Forgive us when we find it more comfortable to worry and complain than to risk the joy and encouragement of new life in Christ.

Call us back to your ways, O God, to seek hope and reconciliation, restoration and peace.

In the name of the Risen Christ.

Amen.

 

Let us pray our Collect for today.

 

Lord of all life and power, who through the mighty resurrection of your Son overcame the old order of sin and death to make all things new in him: grant that we, being dead to sin and alive to you in Jesus Christ, may reign with him in glory; to whom with you and the Holy Spirit be praise and honour, glory and might, now and in all eternity.

Amen

 

Old Testament reading:     Acts 10. 34 - 43

New Testament reading:   1 Corinthians 15. 1 - 18

 

Hymn: 120   Thine be the glory

 

(Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John (20. 1 – 18)

Response: ‘Glory to you O Lord

 

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.                                                                                                                                   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.’                                                       Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the tomb.                                  The two were running together but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.                                                                                                                     He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in.                                                                                                                                      Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself.

Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.                                                                                                                Then the disciples returned to their homes.                                                                               But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet.                                   They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’                                                                         She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’                                                                                                                 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.                                                                                      Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?’                                                                                                                                             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.’                                                                                                                                                        Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’

She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher).

Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’

Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

 

(This is the Gospel of the Lord.)

Response: Praise to you, O Christ.

 

Reflection

 

On Good Friday we listen to the Miserere by Allegri. This is something we have done for a number of years. It is a time of quiet reflection as we join in the darkness of our Lord’s death on Calvary.

The first Easter Day also begins with darkness as Mary Magdalene makes her way to the tomb before dawn with her whole body wrapped in the darkness of grief. On arrival at the tomb, Mary is further dismayed to find that the stone is pushed aside, indicating to her, that someone has been tampering with the tomb for some untoward, ghastly purpose. Mary doesn’t investigate any further, nor does she think she needs to – to her it’s obvious what’s happened. She runs to get help. (There’s a lot of running in this story but it’s mostly frightened, confused running, not leaping and shouting for joy.)

 Peter and the other disciple, presumably John, run to check out Mary’s terrible news. They investigate more thoroughly than Mary does. They do indeed confirm that not only is the stone pushed aside, but the tomb is empty save for the burial wrappings. That is the odd thing, the wrappings are both still there and neatly folded too.

Jesus isn’t there. The most obvious and logical reason is grave robbery, but whoever hears of a neat burglar? If you come home one evening to discover a burglar has been in your house, you expect to find a mess. The drawers the thief has searched for jewellery and money would have their contents rifled through and maybe even strewn across the floor. There might well be CDs, DVDs and books littered about. What you would not expect to see is that thief, who has stolen things from you, has also neatly put everything back in its proper place, straightening the curtains on the window he has broken and putting your drawers back, just so.

Scholars claim that it is highly unlikely some ancient grave robber would have taken the time required to unwrap a well-embalmed body. Thieves are usually interested in speed so as to limit the chances of getting caught. Also, at the end of chapter 19 we are told that Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea have covered Jesus’ body with about 75 pounds of aloe and myrrh and that would cause the wrappings to stick to the body like glue. If some thief has done the highly unlikely and arduous unwrapping of the dead body, you would not expect him to then be so neat and tidy as to fold and roll everything in the orderly fashion that Peter and John find.

Verse 8 tells us that John ‘believes.’

But, just what does John believe at this precise moment – that Jesus has been raised from the dead by the miraculous power of God? No, verse 9 makes it clear that both Peter and John do NOT understand this as a possibility, much less believe it. So, it seems likely that what John believes is, that there is no body there and maybe also that something funny is going on - this is NO grave robbery. Whatever tentative conclusions they come to at this moment, they are reported as- simply going home. Isn’t it strange – the most important of all Bible stories is told without a single emotion being described. We’re not told that they’re happy or sad, confused or elated, curious or oddly inquisitive. Nothing. They just go home. They don’t even say goodbye to Mary. They just silently walk away leaving Mary to weep by herself in the garden.

 Mary weeps. We begin this chapter ‘while it was still dark’ but no matter how much higher the sun has crept over the horizon by this point, there is a metaphorical sense in which the darkness persists. The  very first emotion we have described for us is one of sorrow. Mary is bawling her eyes out. This is where the Easter story begins: in darkness and lament, in confusion and the shadow of death.

God has clearly done something to and with Jesus’ body, but more than that, God has done a wholesale transformation of that body, not just a resuscitation of it. Our Lord is transformed into a new form of resurrection life – one effect of which is, as reported in all four Gospels – that Jesus’ form is not quite recognizable. There is something profoundly different about the Risen Jesus. He has to keep showing off his scars just to prove that He really is the Jesus who dies on the cross and the one who stands before them after Easter.

Mary looks right at him but at first mistakes him for a stranger. It is only when Jesus says her name in exactly the same way that He has said it – goodness knows how many times before – that she recognizes who it is standing there.

The rest of the story flows from there – Mary Magdalen becomes the first ordained evangelist as Jesus commands her to go out and preach the good news to the disciples. She discharges this duty gladly, though you have to admit the disciples don’t seem to take her seriously. Thomas, for instance, will keep on doubting for some time.                                                         Mary’s sadness is definitely lifted, and nothing anyone says to her, can make her question who it is that she has met in the garden that morning.                                    

It's strange isn’t it, Easter doesn’t so much burst onto the scene in John’s Gospel as it creeps onto the scene, emerging from the darkness and confusion, from the death and sadness that set this chapter’s tone.

But, here’s the good news of John 20: Easter still creeps up on us in the darkness! Easter comes to those who, like Mary, find themselves crying their eyes out some days (maybe many days.) The triumph of God’s life is real. Jesus lives! It is finally life and death that has the last, best, most glorious word. We serve a Risen Saviour who is worthy of every ‘Alleluia’ we can muster this morning and every day.

We must not forget that Gospel Good News emerges from the shadows of the real world in which we live. Death, darkness and sadness are the context of Easter. Death is Easter’s precursor not just in the sense that Jesus has to die before He can be resurrected; but death is Easter’s forerunner in also the widest sense – that Easter’s light shines more brightly precisely because it finds us in the very shadowlands of our lives.

Christ is here, now. He knows each of our names. No matter how deep the darkness of our lives may seem, we must listen for that voice, calling each of our names. Because He is calling, listen. Listen for that voice. Listen and then start living Jesus’ new life, right now, even while it is still dark.

Jesus Christ is Risen today, Alleluia!

Amen

 

An Easter Affirmation of our faith

 

Do you believe and trust in God the Father?

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

Creator of heaven and earth.

 

Do you believe and trust in his Son Jesus Christ?

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,

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.

Amen

 

Hymn: 271 Alleluia, sing to Jesus

Our Intercessions this week are by Helen Dunbar

 

Jesus lives for all time in glory; we can live the fullness of Resurrection life straight away.

 

Let us pray to the God who gives us so much and loves us so completely.

 

We pray for all people throughout the world of every race and religion. For the leaders of the nations of the world that they may give priority to those with greatest need in the distribution of the world’s basic resources.  We especially pray on this special day, for peace in the world and for countries where there is war and conflict.  Our thoughts go to all the people of the Ukraine, for all who are displaced and suffering terrible abuse at the hands of their aggressors.

 

Lord in your mercy; hear our prayer.

 

Lord, give us courage and strength on this day to follow you and have trust; help us to work in harmony with one another and deal with the difficulties we sometimes face in our daily lives, with love patience, and understanding.

 

Here at home we pray for our own congregation and community at St Clement and the surrounding area.  We ask your blessing on our teachers, doctors and health care workers and all people in public service.  We pray for our Archbishop Justin and our bishops Phillip and Hugh and our own much-loved Revd Diane and her family and ask God to guide her in her very demanding role in the diocese.

 

Ever-living Lord, help us to celebrate our joy in the resurrection of your Son and to express in our lives the love we celebrate.  Let us work to break down barriers between us, while learning to distinguish with sensitivity between our neighbours’ possible loneliness and need for company and their possibly real desire for privacy.  May all relationships be strengthened and hurts be healed.

 

We pray for Elizabeth our Queen and all members of the royal family. May they be guided by you, as they go about their duties.

 

Lord in your mercy; hear our prayer.

 

Lord we pray for those who are anxious or troubled about the future; for the chronically ill and for all who walk in darkness; for all who are in pain and all have lost hope and are filled with anxiety: may they find a new vision and comfort in the power and promise of the resurrection.  Here at home we pray for all known to us: Margaret, Ollie, Brian, Gavin, Paul and Jan, Terry and Dot, Daphne and Dave, Ken and Diane, June, Sally, Gill and family.

 

Lord, we remember all who have lost those whom they love and for whom they sorrow greatly.  May they be comforted this Easter by the promise of the resurrection.  And bring us, we pray, at our last awakening into the house and gate of heaven, where there shall be no darkness nor dazzling but one equal light; no noise nor silence but one equal possession; no ends nor beginnings, but one equal eternity, world without end.

 

Lord in your mercy; hear our prayer.

 

We remember those whose anniversary falls at this time.

 

Merciful father: accept these prayers for the sake of your son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ, Amen.

 

Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray with confidence as Jesus taught us;

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, the power and the glory,

for ever and ever. Amen.

 

Easter Joy by Joanna Fuchs

 

Jesus came to earth,

To show us how to live,

How to put others first,

How to love and how to give.

 

Then He set about His work

That God sent Him to do.

He took our punishment upon Himself.

He made us clean and new.

 

 

He could have saved Himself

Calling angels from above,

But He chose to pay our price for sin

He paid it out of love.

 

Our Lord died on Good Friday

But the cross did not destroy

His Resurrection on Easter morn

That fills our hearts with joy.

 

Now we know our earthly death

Like His, is just a rest.

We’ll be forever with Him

In heaven, where life is best.

 

So, we live our lives for Jesus

Think of Him in all we do.

Thank You Saviour; thank You Lord.

Help us love like You!

 

The Peace

 

Lord Jesus Christ, you know our faults and have heard our prayers. You have ripped apart the barriers that separate us from God and opened us to the grace of God through Your sacrifice of love on a cross, and Your resurrection from the dead.

Promise of God, fill Your people and give us peace.

The peace be with us all.

Amen

 

Hymn: 375   Lord of the dance

 

Blessing

 

May the glory and the promise of this joyous time of year bring peace and happiness to us all and those we hold dear.

May Christ our Risen Saviour always be there by our side to bless us abundantly and be our loving guide. Lord, we lift our hearts to You.

Jesus Christ is Risen today – Alleluia!                    Amen