The Easter Vigil April 19, 2014 Miriam & Cameron Davidson Lee Ann & Michael Cameron

Transcription

1 The Easter Vigil April 19, 2014 Miriam & Cameron Davidson Lee Ann & Michael Cameron 1) Announcements and prayer requests 2) Ceremony of Easter Vigil Fire In a few words name or describe in writing on your cross something you or someone you love has been struggling with this past year. Fold it with the cross on top and bring it with you to the fire. Once the fire is lit: We gather here together in this place and time to commemorate the rising of the Light from out of the darkness of the tomb. We honor the cross, symbol of human cruelty and suffering, and recognize its transformational role in the deliverance and transcendence of the Son of Humankind, who is us, the Body of Christ. We celebrate our conviction that like Him, leaving our crosses behind us, rolling back the boulders that entomb us, we too shall rise today and always. Make this new fire holy, and inflame us with new hope. May the light of Christ, rising in glory, dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds. Here before these Easter Vigil flames we surrender ourselves as He did. We offer up our illusions and delusions, our pains and shortfalls, our sufferings of body, blood, mind and heart to the Fire of the Holy Spirit that burns within us all. We surrender our personal crucifixions and those of the people we love. Crosses are dropped into the fire. As in the mystery of Cross and Resurrection, we endure and rise again like the ascension of these encryptions on the fires of your Love. Process back into house. Music: Ricky Lee Jones Running from Mercy

2 3) Lighting of the Paschal Candle Loving God, we share in the light of your glory through Jesus Christ, the light of the world. Make this new fire holy, and inflame us with new hope. Purify our minds by this Easter celebration, and bring us one day to the fullness of eternal light. We ask this in Jesus name. Amen. (As the Easter Candle is lit): May the light of Christ, rising in glory, dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds. Amen. Cantor sings three times, Lumen Christi, and all respond: Deo gratias! 4) Easter Proclamation Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing, choirs of angels! Exult, all creation. Jesus Christ is risen! Sound the trumpet of salvation! Rejoice, O Earth, in shining splendor, radiant in the brightness of Christ. Glory fills you! Let this place resound with joy, echoing the mighty song of all God s people. 5) Song: Christ, Be Our Light (#165) 6) A reading from the prophet Isaiah (55:1-11) Thus says Yahweh: All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat; come, without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk! Why spend your money for what is not bread, your wages for what fails to satisfy? Heed me, and you shall eat well, you shall delight in rich fare. Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life. I will renew with you the everlasting covenant. Seek Yahweh while God may be found; call upon God while Yahweh is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them return to God, who will have mercy on them, to God who will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says Yahweh. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your thoughts. The word of God. Thanks be to God. 2

3 7) Prayer (Hildegarde of Bingen, 12th century) Holy Spirit, Giving life to all life, Moving all creatures, Root of all things, Washing them clean, Wiping out their mistakes, Healing their wounds, You are our true life, Luminous, wonderful, Awakening the heart from its ancient sleep. 8) Acclamation, sung by all: Alleluia! (Celtic Alleluia) 9) Gospel Reading (Mark 16: 1-8) God be with you. And also with you. A reading from the Gospel of Peter. Glory to you, O God. When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go and anoint him. Very early when the sun had risen, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb. They were saying to one another, "Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back; it was very large. On entering the tomb they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a white robe, and they were utterly amazed. He said to them, "Do not be amazed! You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Behold the place where they laid him. But go and tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you.'" Then they went out and fled from the tomb, seized with trembling and bewilderment. The good news of salvation. Glory and praise to our savior Jesus Christ. 10) Silence and discussion 11) Celebration of Baptism (The blessing of water) 3

4 Sisters and brothers, let us ask God to bless this water which we shall use to recall our baptism. May God renew us and keep us faithful to the Spirit we have received. O God, bless this water: it makes the seed grow, it refreshes us and makes us clean. You have made it a servant of your loving kindness: through the waters of all creation, through the sacred waters of our birth, through water that set your people free and quenched their thirst in the desert. Let this water remind us of our baptism in Jesus name and our newness of life found in Christ. Amen. 12) Renewal of Baptismal Promises Through the Paschal Mystery we have been buried with Christ in baptism, so that we may arise with Christ in newness of life. Let us renew the promises we made in baptism. Will you proclaim by word and example the good news of God in Christ? We will. Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself? We will. Will you strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being? We will. 13) Sprinkling with Water God has given us a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit and forgiven all our sins. May God keep us faithful to Jesus Christ forever and ever. Amen. 14) Intercessions For the Church, joyful witness to the resurrection and body of Christ, renewed in faith, hope, and service, we pray: O God, hear our prayer. For the people of the world, to whom Christ s resurrection offers hope, we pray: O God, hear our prayer. 4

5 For leaders of nations and communities, that they may act with wisdom, compassion and courage, we pray: O God, hear our prayer. For those who suffer and long for healing, including we pray: O God, hear our prayer. 15) Breaking bread and sharing (Bread-breaking prayer) God be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to God. Let us give thanks to God our Creator. It is right to give God thanks and praise. Mother God thanks for giving us each other. Thanks for bringing us together. Thanks for your gift of bread, which comes from the rich Earth we live on and grew as wheat in the light of the sun. This wheat became bread in the work of our hands. And this bread is a sign of hope for the world. It stands for our hope that we will share what grows from the land and feed the hungry. May this bread help us grow and keep us strong. May it keep us healthy and help show us how to bring about a new world of justice in which no one will go hungry. Bless, O Mother of all life, our gift of bread. Loving God, we thank you that you have freed us and given us victory over death in Christ. In joy and thanksgiving we sing your praise: Santo, santo, santo es el Senor. Hosana en las Alturas. Bendito es el que viene en nombre del Senor. As bread that was scattered on the hillside was gathered together and made one, so too, we your people, scattered throughout the world, are gathered together around your table and become one. Let us prepare to eat as Jesus taught us: inviting the stranger to our table and welcoming the poor. May their absence serve to remind us of the divisions this breaking of bread seeks to heal. And may their presence help transform us into the Body of Christ we are called to be. Recognizing Jesus, as did the disciples of Emmaus, in the breaking of the bread, we pray as Jesus has taught us to pray: 5

6 Our Father... (sung) 16) Sharing of the bread and cup Let us share this bread and cup, giving thanks for all that holds us together in our humanity, that binds us to all who live and have lived, who have cried and are crying, who long for justice and peace, and who rejoice in God s gift of new hope. 17) Silent reflection Song: I m Getting Ready Michael Kiwanuka 18) Poem: Testimony by Stephen Dunn The Lord woke me in the middle of the night, and there stood Jesus with a huge tray, and the tray was heaped with cookies, and he said, Stephen, have a cookie, and that s when I knew for sure the Lord is the real deal, the Man of all men, because at that very moment I was thinking of cookies, Vanilla Wafers to be exact, and there were two Vanilla Wafers in among the chocolate chips and lemon ices, and one had a big S on it, and I knew it was for me, and Jesus took it off the tray and put it in my mouth, as if He were giving me communication, or whatever they call it. Then He said, Have another, and I tell you I thought a long time before I refused, because I knew it was a test to see if I was a Christian, which means a man like Christ, not a big ole hog. 6

7 19) Closing prayer and blessing Loving God, you have nourished us in this Easter vigil. Fill us with your Spirit and make us one in peace and love. This we ask in Jesus name. And may God bless us and keep us. May God s face shine upon us. May God be gracious to us and grant to us, and to all our broken world, peace. May the blessing of almighty God, the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit, come upon us and remain with us forever. Let us go in peace. Alleluia, alleluia. Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia. 20) Closing song: Join in the Dance #598 21) Sign of Peace 7

8 Running from Mercy Oh sacred place that sets my soul alive There's a rainbow above me that the storm clouds hide And kind works will never die Cuz the magic in kindness springs from the love, love, love Little acts of kindness and little words of love Make our earthly home heaven above And there is no sorrow heaven cannot heal A fire within, no cross, no crown Running from mercy, hidden and coy Swimming upstream down oceans of joy Die in the arms of a natural life Waking our happiness drowning in light Waking our happiness drowning in light Little acts of kindness, little words of love Make our earthly home like heaven above And there is no sorrow heaven cannot heal A fire within, no cross, no crown This thing would end up on the wind Slow to stop our ways sing (chorus) You, you wake up!, come on boy, come on little boy Don't you stop her, don't you stop her There's that door I've got that door I know where that door is Just follow me and you wake up Come on with me girl Tomorrow --Ricky Lee Jones 8