Sacred Space: A Resource for Small-group Ministry Year C Easter Sunday Scripture: John 20:1 18 NRSV Gathering Welcome Easter is the day Christians celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Easter is the most important day in the Christian calendar as we recognize the divine nature of Jesus and his eternal presence with us. Halleluiah! Prayer for Peace Ring a bell or chime three times slowly. Light the peace candle. Too many times we are entombed in anger and grief. We feel confused and even forgotten. Like the disciples of old we are unsure, paralyzed in fear. In spite of this, O God, You come to us. You patiently make yourself known to us. You resurrect us to new life, And you give us peace. Give us the courage to be your peace in the world. Amen. Spiritual Practice Hymn Meditation Note: You will need Community of Christ Sings hymnals for this practice. Read the following aloud: The story of death and resurrection constantly plays out. We are not the same person we were five, 10, or 20 years ago. The Earth is not the same as five, 10, or 20 years ago. We all are changing constantly and being reborn. Easter is a day when we celebrate rebirth. In this spiritual practice we will read an Easter hymn as a prayer, first aloud and then silently, allowing time to focus on the words and meaning.
For today s hymn meditation we will read Community of Christ Sings 482, Now the Green Blade Rises together aloud. Read the hymn text aloud together. Pause. Ask the group to read the hymn through silently. Once everyone has read the hymn silently and had time for meditation and reflection, invite response to the following questions: As you read and heard the text of this hymn as a prayer, what stood out to you as the message? How do you sense God stirring within you in response? Close with a brief prayer of thanksgiving for this time of meditation and sharing. Sharing Around the Table John 20:1 18 NRSV 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 toward 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? Whom are you looking for? 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. In John s account of Easter morning, different people came to faith in Christ along different paths:
The beloved disciple looked into the empty tomb, and believed instantly. What did he understand when he saw the empty tomb? What did he believe? John gives us no answer, but merely says faith was the result. Peter saw the empty tomb and empty shroud where the body had been. But, unlike the beloved disciple, Peter returned home without faith or understanding. Mary Magdalene saw the empty tomb, but understood only that the body was gone. Stolen? Moved to another location? The empty tomb did not prompt her to believe in the resurrection. She saw two messengers of God within the tomb, but that didn t lead to faith. She encountered the Risen Christ, but mistook him for the gardener. Her eyes were opened only when he spoke her name, recalling a familiar relationship of love and caring. From that point, relationship is the key theme of the story. Jesus tells Mary not to hold onto him. Don t expect this relationship to be a continuation of the old. Resurrection had transformed the old relationship into something new. Jesus directs Mary to go and tell the disciples. As she hurried to tell them what she had seen, she became the apostle to the apostles. Those who witnessed resurrection appearances did not keep silent. They were transformed. From their testimony and witness came a movement that grew and changed the world. Followers continued to encounter the Risen Christ in various ways through the centuries. Sharing that testimony still makes a difference in the world, bringing new life. Resurrection, therefore, is not a one-time event that came and went. It is a daily event as people receive God s grace, love, and new life through Jesus Christ. Questions 1. Whom are you looking for when you look into the tomb? Who is the resurrected Christ to you? 2. How have you experienced God calling you by your name? How has it transformed your relationship to God? To others? 3. How do you experience daily resurrection through God s love and grace? Generosity Statement Faithful disciples respond to an increasing awareness of the abundant generosity of God by sharing according to the desires of their hearts; not by commandment or constraint (Doctrine and Covenants 163:9). The offering basket is available if you would like to support ongoing small-group ministries as part of your generous response. This offering prayer for the Easter season is adapted from A Disciple s Generous Response: God of rejoicing, We share our gifts joyfully and with thanksgiving in response to the generous gifts you have given us. May the offerings we share bring joy, hope, love, and peace into the lives of others that they might experience your mercy and grace. Amen. Invitation to Next Meeting Closing Hymn CCS 478, Woman, Weeping in the Garden
Closing Prayer Optional Additions Depending on Group Sacrament of the Lord s Supper Thoughts for Children
Prayer for Peace Ring a bell or chime three times slowly. Light the peace candle. Too many times we are entombed in anger and grief. We feel confused and even forgotten. Like the disciples of old we are unsure, paralyzed in fear. In spite of this, O God, You come to us. You patiently make yourself known to us. You resurrect us to new life, And you give us peace. Give us the courage to be your peace in the world. Amen.
Spiritual Practice Hymn Meditation Note: You will need Community of Christ Sings hymnals for this practice. Read the following aloud: The story of death and resurrection constantly plays out. We are not the same person we were five, 10, or 20 years ago. The Earth is not the same as five, 10, or 20 years ago. We all are changing constantly and being reborn. Easter is a day when we celebrate rebirth. In this spiritual practice we will read an Easter hymn as a prayer, first aloud and then silently, allowing time to focus on the words and meaning. For today s hymn meditation we will read Community of Christ Sings 482, Now the Green Blade Rises together aloud. Read the hymn text aloud together. Pause. Ask the group to read the hymn through silently. Once everyone has read the hymn silently and had time for meditation and reflection, invite response to the following questions: As you read and heard the text of this hymn as a prayer, what stood out to you as the message? How do you sense God stirring within you in response? Close with a brief prayer of thanksgiving for this time of meditation and sharing.
Sharing Around the Table John 20:1 18 NRSV 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 toward 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? Whom are you looking for? 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. In John s account of Easter morning, different people came to faith in Christ along different paths: The beloved disciple looked into the empty tomb, and believed instantly. What did he understand when he saw the empty tomb? What did he believe? John gives us no answer, but merely says faith was the result. Peter saw the empty tomb and empty shroud where the body had been. But, unlike the beloved disciple, Peter returned home without faith or understanding. Mary Magdalene saw the empty tomb, but understood only that the body was gone. Stolen? Moved to another location? The empty tomb did not prompt her to believe in the resurrection. She saw two messengers of God within the tomb, but that didn t lead to faith. She encountered the Risen Christ, but mistook him for the gardener. Her eyes were opened only when he spoke her name, recalling a familiar relationship of love and caring. From that point, relationship is the key theme of the story.
Jesus tells Mary not to hold onto him. Don t expect this relationship to be a continuation of the old. Resurrection had transformed the old relationship into something new. Jesus directs Mary to go and tell the disciples. As she hurried to tell them what she had seen, she became the apostle to the apostles. Those who witnessed resurrection appearances did not keep silent. They were transformed. From their testimony and witness came a movement that grew and changed the world. Followers continued to encounter the Risen Christ in various ways through the centuries. Sharing that testimony still makes a difference in the world, bringing new life. Resurrection, therefore, is not a one-time event that came and went. It is a daily event as people receive God s grace, love, and new life through Jesus Christ. Questions 1. Whom are you looking for when you look into the tomb? Who is the resurrected Christ to you? 2. How have you experienced God calling you by your name? How has it transformed your relationship to God? To others? 3. How do you experience daily resurrection through God s love and grace?
Generosity Statement Faithful disciples respond to an increasing awareness of the abundant generosity of God by sharing according to the desires of their hearts; not by commandment or constraint (Doctrine and Covenants 163:9). The offering basket is available if you would like to support ongoing small-group ministries as part of your generous response. This offering prayer for the Easter season is adapted from A Disciple s Generous Response: God of rejoicing, We share our gifts joyfully and with thanksgiving in response to the generous gifts you have given us. May the offerings we share bring joy, hope, love, and peace into the lives of others that they might experience your mercy and grace. Amen.
Communion Statement Easter We come together to share in the Lord s Supper as a visible witness of loving Christian fellowship and shared remembrance of Jesus Christ s death and resurrection (Doctrine and Covenants 164:4a). All committed followers of Christ are invited to partake, but no one should feel pressured to receive the emblems. This Easter season let us experience the resurrected Christ as we share in Communion as an expression of blessing, healing, peace, and community. In preparation let s sing from Community of Christ Sings 522 Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ.
Thoughts for Children Materials: box or basket, palm frond or leaf, piece of bread, small cup, small cross, a large rock, small rocks to hand out to children. Place all the items in the box. Say: I have several items in this box that help tell the story of Easter. First, Jesus entered Jerusalem and people waved palm leaves (show the palm leaf). Jesus had dinner with his friends and told them to remember him whenever they shared bread and wine (show the bread and cup). Some people told lies about Jesus. They had him arrested, and he was put to death on a cross (show the cross). After Jesus died, his friends placed his body in a tomb and closed it up by putting a large rock at the opening (show the large rock). On Easter morning the women went to the tomb. They discovered the rock had been moved, and Jesus had been raised to new life (show the large rock). I have a rock for each of you. The rock helps us remember that Jesus was raised from the tomb and lives again in our hearts. Give each child a small rock. Rocks for infants and toddlers under 3 years old should be given to parents. Thank the children for participating.