April 24, 2011

Call to Worship

Whom do you seek at the tomb?
We seek Jesus of Nazareth.
He is not here; He is risen!
He is risen, indeed!

Alternate Call to Worship

The tomb is empty; Jesus is not here! Christ is risen from the grave!
We shall not die, but live. Let us raise glad songs of victory!
This day God has brought life from death, and opened the gates of righteousness.
Let us enter God's gates with thanksgiving!

Opening Prayer

Holy, eternal, creator God, through Jesus Christ we are redeemed, by your Spirit we are refreshed. Help us seek the things that are above, where Christ our risen Lord is seated with you. Wrest our minds from things that are on earth, and set our minds on things that are above. Draw close and reveal Christ, in whom you reveal our lives.

Prayer of Confession

Lord God who triumphed over sin and death, we confess to you our casual disbelief. Despite the celebration of this day, there have been times and places we doubted the truth of your resurrection. We have succumbed to sin. We have embraced defeat. We have submitted to despair. Forgive, we pray, the timidity of our faith. Free us from the chains of doubt and despair. Deliver us into the joy of eternal life through Christ our risen Lord. Amen.

Words of Assurance

Hear the good news! “Death has been swallowed up in victory. . . . The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:54, 56-57) Christ is risen and goes before you.

Litany

New life is all around us.
We see it in the leaves, the flowers, and the new green grass of springtime.
We see it in the eyes of a new believer.
We see it in a relationship healed, a grief comforted, a hope renewed.
All: We celebrate new life all around us. Alleluia. Amen.

Offering Prayer

Baptized, we have died with Christ, and with Christ, we have been raised. Reveal, O God, your Christ in glory, and reveal to us our lives in Christ. Strengthen us to walk your paths, and set our minds on things above.

Benediction

Christ is risen! Go forth in joy! Preach to all people everywhere! Testify of Jesus, the anointed one who forgives sins and reconciles us to God. This is the Lord's marvelous doing. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.