Happy Easter Dear Family!
Alleluia !The Lord is Risen!
He is Risen Indeed. Alleluia!
Wow we made it all through Ash Wednesday, Lent, Holy Week, and now we are in the season of Easter for the Great 50 Days! Yes we are in another season not just Spring time. Easter is where it's at and that means more time spent on our own personal resurrection and reflecting upon all those lessons we have learned during Lent and even further back Epiphany. I hope everyone had a good day today and didn't get wrapped up in all the Easter Hype as we do the holiday frenzies and hype. Usually I buy a new Easter ensemble to wear but this year I shopped my closet and found perfect pieces and learned how to live simply. The same with dinner Stouffer's Lasagna With Meat Sauce, and carrots, No fancy Easter Brunch with Mimosas. either. What did all of these things tell me? They told me that I could be happy without the above and know that Jesus is the reason for all of the seasons. Today I spent time in The Faith Factory a.k.a. the church and that was the more important place to be. God is Good and on Easter Sunday we find ourselves needing and longing to the God News a.k.a. The Good News a.k.a. The Gospel. Some churches during Holy Week go through a transformation just like a butterfly does when it goes through a process of metamorphosis. This process has the interior go from a sanctuary adorned for Palm/Passion Sunday and gradually by Good Friday where the interior has become a shell without the vestiges of a worship space. We go through this too. I don't know about you but Holy Week and Easter reminds me of the book by Eric Carle The Hungry Caterpillar. If you aren't familiar with it I suggest you get a copy and read it. Towards the bottom of the blog I will have a link to the video and story. This is your meditation and time to become a kid again. Tonight let us spend time in our Easter Evening Worship with the Lessons for the Evening Service on Easter Sunday. Just a little change up from the usual going to the empty tomb and finding Jesus missing and risen! There is much more to read, see, feel, and experience than just the empty tomb on Easter Sunday.
Let us start with the "Be Stills"
Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
Repeat until you feel relaxed and ready for our virtual candlelight prayer vigils.
Alleluia! Christ is risen.
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!
On this day the Lord has acted; we will rejoice and be glad in
it. Psalm 118:24
Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that
are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Colossians 3:1
Christ has entered, not into a sanctuary made with hands, a
copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in
the presence of God on our behalf. Hebrews 9:24
You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon
you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all
Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8
The Lord is risen from the tomb, * alleluia, alleluia.
The Lord is risen from the tomb, alleluia, alleluia.
Who for our sake hung upon the Tree:
Alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The Lord is risen from the tomb, alleluia, alleluia.
V. The disciples were glad, alleluia:
R. When they saw the risen Lord, alleluia.
Let us light our candles and be at prayer. Tonight we pray for the peace of the world and especially the victims of terrorist acts around the world . We pray for the families who lost loved ones and friends. We pray for and end to violence and terror of all kinds and that our family members who are driven to commit these terrible acts may learn that this isn't the way to live or treat others. Help us to continue to love God, love our neighbors, and ourselves. We pray for all who are actively involved in making peace and striving for justice and universal human rights of others. We pray that we may be CALM (compassionate, accepting, loving, and merciful) Help us we pray to take time for our physical, spiritual, and mental health. We give thanks O God for the gift of your son as our savior and redeemer and brother. We give thanks to Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and the love model he continues to show us daily.Let us remember this tonight: The Light of Christ In Me recognizes the Light of Christ in you! Amen.
Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord's resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
In exitu Israel
1 Hallelujah!
When Israel came out of Egypt, *
the house of Jacob from a people of strange speech,
2 Judah became God's sanctuary *
and Israel his dominion.
3 The sea beheld it and fled; *
Jordan turned and went back.
4 The mountains skipped like rams, *
and the little hills like young sheep.
5 What ailed you, O sea, that you fled? *
O Jordan, that you turned back?
6 You mountains, that you skipped like rams? *
you little hills like young sheep?
7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, *
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
8 Who turned the hard rock into a pool of water *
and flint-stone into a flowing spring.
1 Corinthians 5:7-8; Romans 6:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:20-22
Alleluia.
Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us; *
therefore let us keep the feast,
Not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, *
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Alleluia.
Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; *
death no longer has dominion over him.
The death that he died, he died to sin, once for all; *
but the life he lives, he lives to God.
So also consider yourselves dead to sin, *
and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Alleluia.
Christ has been raised from the dead, *
the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since by a man came death, *
by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die, *
so also in Christ shall all be made alive. Alleluia.
On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,
of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.
And he will destroy on this mountain
the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
the sheet that is spread over all nations;
he will swallow up death forever.
Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces,
and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken.
It will be said on that day,
Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.
This is the Lord for whom we have waited;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
Exodus 15:1-6, 11-13, 17-18
Especially suitable for use in Easter Season
I will sing to the Lord, for he is lofty and uplifted; *
the horse and its rider has he hurled into the sea.
The Lord is my strength and my refuge; *
the Lord has become my Savior.
This is my God and I will praise him, *
the God of my people and I will exalt him.
The Lord is a mighty warrior; *
Yahweh is his Name.
The chariots of Pharaoh and his army has he hurled into the sea; *
the finest of those who bear armor have been
drowned in the Red Sea.
The fathomless deep has overwhelmed them; *
they sank into the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, O Lord, is glorious in might; *
your right hand, O Lord, has overthrown the enemy.
Who can be compared with you, O Lord, among the gods? *
who is like you, glorious in holiness,
awesome in renown, and worker of wonders?
You stretched forth your right hand; *
the earth swallowed them up.
With your constant love you led the people you redeemed; *
with your might you brought them in safety to
your holy dwelling.
You will bring them in and plant them *
on the mount of your possession,
The resting-place you have made for yourself, O Lord, *
the sanctuary, O Lord, that your hand has established.
The Lord shall reign *
for ever and for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen
1 Corinthians 5:6b-8
Do you not know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch, as you really are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Luke 1:46-55
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
Morning Prayer II 91
From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen
Now on that same day, the first day of the week, two of the disciples were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, "What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?" They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose NAME was Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?" He asked them, "What things?" They replied, "The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him." Then he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?" Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.
As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?" That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!" Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, "Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.
Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you-- that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."
The Song of Simeon Nunc dimittis
Luke 2:29-32
Lord, you now have set your servant free *
to go in peace as you have promised;
For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *
whom you have prepared for all the world to see:
A Light to enlighten the nations, *
and the glory of your people Israel.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen
Jesus we give thanks for your rising from the dead and redeeming us from sin, fear, and invisibility.
Jesus we give thanks for the women in your life who bore witness to your resurrection and thereby gave us a place in ministry with you.
Jesus we give thanks for your institution of the Holy Eucharist and making us aware of who you truly are in the breaking of the bread and in fellowship with one another.
Jesus we give thanks for your acceptance of all of us and including us on your journey with you.
Jesus we give thanks for your healing power everyday that we live move, and have our being.
Jesus we give thanks for you who came down from heaven to be among us and live as we are from babyhood and until your resurrection.
Jesus we pray for all who are in need of healing now, be with them and may they feel your love and give them courage.
Jesus we pray for all clergy and lay ministers who are in need of rest after this Lenten season, Holy Week and Easter day.
Jesus we pray for all who mourn any kind of loss that they may feel your comforting hands upon them.
Jesus we pray that all nations and family members may lay down the all weaponry of hate and that peace may prevail upon Earth. We pray that we may learn to use our words not bombs, weapons, to foster peace, engage in compassionate compromise and end all forms of violence and wars.
Jesus, we pray for sound government. and that divisions may cease.
Jesus we pray and give thanks for this night all that is on our hearts minds and we pray especially for those who have asked us for our prayers.
Jesus , receive these our prayers in your name. Amen.
Easter Wings by George Herbert
Let us be at prayer
God we pray for peace in the world and an end to violence , hatred, terror and abuse. We pray that we may be examples of your son Jesus and that we may be loving and light bearing to the dark places in this land and in the world.
Loving and Merciful God we lay our burdens down and take time to rest and have holy conversation with you.
We pray that we won't be asking just for ourselves alone but on behalf of others who need a boost and who are afraid to be in a loving conversation with you.
We pray for a sense of calmness when we begin to feel anxious about anything. We lift up all those who have any kind of mental or memory related illness. For research into the root causes of these illnesses and especially for family and friends who care for them.
We pray for courage to be whom God has made us to be and that we may live authentically without fear, shame, or guilt.
We pray for the Missing Girls of Nigeria, The Victims of Human Trafficking, The many young children and girls who are being sold as sex slaves by Daesh, The missing and exploited children all over the world. and that they may be found safe and released from harm. We pray for an end to human trafficking of any kind.
We pray for all places of political unrest and for the safety of all our family members throughout the world that the leaders of the nations may remember "To do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God and let Justice Roll Down"
We pray for all those who are struggling to make ends meet and the unemployed who are seeking well paying jobs that are permanent.
We pray for all those who are ill and infirm and who are lonely in care facilities. We pray for all those who have Cancer, Alzheimer's disease, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, and all orphan, chronic, and autoimmune diseases. We pray for better medications and treatments for the relief of pain.
We pray for all who travel and we pray for all those who drive in town and we pray for all young and elderly drivers. We pray that we all may know when it is time to have the conversation about taking car keys away from our family members.
God we pray especially for______________________
We give thanks to you O God for___________________
We Celebrate this day for________________
We remember those who now reside in the Thin Places remembering especially _____________And their loved ones who mourn their loss.
We lift up these our prayers this night to you O God of Love and mercy. Amen.
The Beatitudes
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. (5:3)
Blessed are those who mourn: for they will be comforted. (5:4)
Blessed are the meek: for they will inherit the earth. (5:5)
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they will be filled. (5:6)
Blessed are the merciful: for they will be shown mercy. (5:7)
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they will see God. (5:8)
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they will be called children of God. (5:9)
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (5:10
The Prayer of St. Francis
Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is
hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where
there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where
there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where
there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to
be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is
in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we
are born to eternal life. Amen
++++
Now it is time for your bedtime story!
Good Night Dear Ones! I love you ! May God Bless you and know that you are appreciated and loved.
With love and blessings!
Sara
Resources:
The Book of Common Prayer
Enriching our Worship
Book of Occasional Services
Eric Carle -THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR VIDEO
No comments:
Post a Comment