Shout it out loud!
Alleluia! Christ is Risen
Alleluia! He is Risen indeed
We meet in the name of the Father,
and the Son and the Holy Spirit
Amen
Song: Thine be the Glory https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbBOOmkMLmI
Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
We’re going to celebrate the Easter story today- in a different way. We’re going to use colours to remind us of the steps we’ve taken to get to this day. You could try and find all these different colours at home as we go along…
Our first colour is GREEN
We remember Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey- and how all the crowds cheered and waved their palm branches. They celebrate him as a hero. How they loved him!
Our next colour is ORANGE
This is to remind us of how the mood of the people around Jesus very quickly changed from praise to betrayal and arrest. Jesus met with his disciples, sharing the bread and wine to remember the Passover festival. Later, in the Garden of Gethsemane, as Jesus prayed and the disciples slept, Judas led a large crowd, armed with swords and clubs, to arrest Jesus, who had been betrayed by Judas’ kiss.
Our third colour is PURPLE
Purple is the traditional colour of royalty. This is to remind us of the fact that Jesus is King of all, and of how the soldiers and authorities mocked and humiliated him as he stood before the priests, Pilate the governor and Herod. Let’s remember now.
Our next colour is RED
This is to remind us of the painful death that Jesus went through; how he was forced to carry the cross to the hill of Golgotha; how two thieves were crucified with him, one of whom came to know God on the cross and join Jesus in heaven.
Our next colour is BROWN
This is to remind us of why Jesus died. All of us do wrong things, which get in the way of us being friends with God. Jesus did nothing wrong. His life was perfect. God gave his only Son to defeat sin, as a sacrifice for all our wrongdoing, so that each of us could be friends with God.
Look at your hands and use your hands to say sorry to God:
Make a fist - We are sorry for the times we have got angry with other people.
Point away from yourself with your index finger - We are sorry for the times we have blamed others and seen things wrong in others without recognising how much is also wrong in us.
Close up your hand and hold it close to your chest - We are sorry for the times we have kept things selfishly to ourselves and not been prepared to give to those who need our help.
Put your hand over your mouth - We are sorry for the foolish words we have spoken which have hurt other people.
Put your hand over your eyes - We are sorry that we have deliberately chosen not to see the good things we could have done to help other people.
Put your hand over one ear - We are sorry for the times we have not listened to the cries of those who are poor or who suffer injustice.
Hold out that same hand with an open palm upward, as if you are waiting to receive something.
Jesus says, 'If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest'. So we bring all that we are to Jesus - all our sins and our failure to love. Thank-you that you died for us so that we might be forgiven and start a new life in the power of your Holy Spirit.
Our next colour is BLUE
This is to remind us that it is through the death of Jesus that we are completely forgiven and that each time, when we come before God to say sorry, we have the chance of a new start.
Here the words that God proclaims over us:
May Almighty God
have mercy upon you,
forgive you your sins,
and bring you to everlasting life.
Amen
Song: I reach up high https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXF-HAURxmg
Collect:
God of glory,
by the raising of your Son
you have broken the chains of death and hell:
fill your Church with faith and hope;
for a new day has dawned
and the way to life stands open
in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen
Our next colour is YELLOW.
This is to remind us of the glory of Jesus when he rose from the dead.
Here is the account from Mark’s gospel.
Gospel Reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQZyfunKkNc
As we look at our colours
GREEN ORANGE PURPLE RED BROWN BLUE YELLOW
I’m reminded of the rainbows that are appearing in our windows everywhere.
We think of Jesus’ sacrifice for us- passing through a dark and sad day on Good Friday; waiting and hoping on Easter Saturday, and finding wonderful news on today Easter Sunday. As a country and in all the world, we are somewhere on that path.
Pain and sadness; waiting and longing for something to change and at the end, there will be wonderful news. The crisis will be over; death is defeated.
As we think about Jesus’ journey and his friends’ journey, though they met Jesus fully alive and never to die again on Easter Sunday, there was much more to come. Some of their next steps were joyful and triumphant; some brought them into further challenges.
But Jesus made an enormous difference.
Now he was there with them by his Spirit.
Now he would never leave them again.
Now whatever happened, even death itself, they knew they would be with him in heaven.
Now nothing could ever separate them from God’s love.
Now, they knew whatever they would go through, Jesus had been there first; Jesus knew pain and death and suffering and it hadn’t beaten him.
As we look at the rainbows in windows and online, I want us to follow that Easter experience.Today – as Jesus is alive again, we know that our future is safe with him- whatever that future maybe.
Song: Lord I lift your name on high https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COQ6cni_TG8
Second Reading: Acts 10:34-43
Our final colour is PINK.
Pink for us to share the Easter story. This is to remind us that Jesus’ friends were so excited at learning Jesus had risen from the dead that the first thing they did was to rush to tell their friends.
We might wonder how we’re going to do that what it feels strange and sad and our lives are on hold. I think those first Christians felt that wonder and excitement but also puzzlement, worry and fear too. Jesus met with them over the following weeks to help them understand. So we can ask him to help us too.
We can be people that are certain that God is with us- even when we stand with those who are facing sadness and loss.
We can encourage people when they feel alone. God is there in difficult times as well as good ones.
We can give hope- there is a way forward from this crisis because Jesus has gone through suffering with us and for us.
And whatever happens here on earth, it’s not the end. Jesus has come back to life and offers a way to heaven.
GREEN is for the palms of praise.
ORANGE is for the swords ablaze.
PURPLE is for the royal robes.
RED is for the death he chose.
BROWN is for the colour of our sin.
BLUE is for cleansing sin through him.
YELLOW is for the risen Christ in glory.
PINK is for us to share the Easter story.
Our Prayers lead by Julie: https://youtu.be/4JH86ovtkvY
The Peace:
The risen Christ came and stood among his disciples
and said, ‘Peace be with you.’
Then were they glad when they saw the Lord. Alleluia.
The peace of the Lord be always with you
and also with you.
Song: O Happy Day https://youtu.be/vlWPGWfIvwU
Holy Communion: https://youtu.be/EIMr33JGXrs
The Lord be with you
and also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give thanks and praise.
Almighty God, good Father to us all,
your face is turned towards your world.
In love you gave us Jesus your Son
to rescue us from sin and death.
Your Word goes out to call us home
to the city where angels sing your praise.
We join with them in heaven’s song:
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Father of all, we give you thanks for every gift that comes from heaven.
To the darkness Jesus came as your light.
With signs of faith and words of hope
he touched untouchables with love and washed the guilty clean.
This is his story.
This is our song:
Hosanna in the highest.
The crowds came out to see your Son,
yet at the end they turned on him.
On the night he was betrayed
he came to table with his friends
to celebrate the freedom of your people.
This is his story.
This is our song:
Hosanna in the highest.
Jesus blessed you, Father, for the food;
he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and said:
This is my body, given for you all.
Jesus then gave thanks for the wine;
he took the cup, gave it and said:
This is my blood, shed for you all
for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this in remembrance of me.
This is our story.
This is our song:
Hosanna in the highest.
Therefore, Father, with this bread and this cup
we celebrate the cross
on which he died to set us free.
Defying death he rose again
and is alive with you to plead for us and all the world.
This is our story.
This is our song:
Hosanna in the highest.
Send your Spirit on us now
that by these gifts we may feed on Christ
with opened eyes and hearts on fire.
May we and all who share this food
offer ourselves to live for you
and be welcomed at your feast in heaven
where all creation worships you,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
Blessing and honour and glory and power
be yours for ever and ever. Amen.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen.
Every time we eat this bread
and drink this cup,
we proclaim the Lord’s death
until he comes.
Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.
Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.
Father of all,
we give you thanks and praise,
that when we were still far off
you met us in your Son and brought us home.
Dying and living, he declared your love,
gave us grace, and opened the gate of glory.
May we who share Christ’s body live his risen life;
we who drink his cup bring life to others;
we whom the Spirit lights give light to the world.
Keep us firm in the hope you have set before us,
so we and all your children shall be free,
and the whole earth live to praise your name;
through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
May Christ,
who out of defeat brings new hope and a new future,
fill you with his new life;
and the blessing of God Almighty Father Son and Holy Spirit be with you nw nd remain with you always
Amen
Final Song: And can it be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu2uA6U4Fxg
With the power that raised Jesus from the dead at work within you,
go in the peace of Christ. Alleluia, alleluia.
Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.
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