The Resurrection of Our Lord Easter Dawn March 27, 2016
The Resurrection of Our Lord Easter Dawn The Church begins its celebration of the Resurrection of Our Lord early on Easter morning, for the Scriptures reveal that the rising of the Son took place before the rising of the sun! While congregations may reserve their highest festivities for later in the morning (the later services of Easter often include the Sacrament, for instance), worship at Easter dawn has its own significance and symbolic drama. The alleluias, symbolically removed from worship on the day of the transfiguration of Our Lord, return in joyful splendor. Again and again, believers shout Alleluia! with exuberant joy at the news that Christ is arisen. Musical instruments are no longer muted, and the color of purity and victory adorns the chancel. The paschal candle, a symbol of him who is the Light of the world, is lit as a visual reminder that Christ has destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light. Morning Praise (Matins) Opening Verses and the Return of Alleluia Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! Brothers and sisters in Christ: On this joyous morning, we celebrate that our Lord Jesus passed over from death to life. We join with all of God s people in recalling and celebrating his victory over death, and our deliverance from the bondage of sin and darkness to everlasting light. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. Eternal Lord of Life, through your Son you have given your people the brightness of your light. Kindle in our hearts and minds the holy desire to shine forth with the brightness of Christ s rising until we feast at the banquet of eternal light; through Jesus Christ, the Sun of Righteousness. Amen. The light of Christ rises in glory, overcoming the darkness of sin and death. Thanks be to God! Alleluia! [2]
Morning Hymn... Awake, My Heart, with Gladness (CW 156) 1. Awake, my heart, with gladness! 4. Now I will cling forever See what today is done; To Christ, my Savior true; Now after gloom and sadness, My Lord will leave me never, Comes forth the glorious sun. Whate er he passes through. My Savior there was laid He rends death s iron chain; Where our bed must be made He breaks through sin and pain. When to the realms of light He shatters hell s dark thrall; Our spirit wings its flight. I follow him through all. 2. The foe in triumph shouted 5. He brings me to the portal When Christ lay in the tomb. That leads to bliss untold, But lo, he now is routed; Whereon this rhyme immortal His boast is turned to gloom. Is found in script of gold: For Christ again is free; Who there my cross has shared In glorious victory Finds here a crown prepared; He who is strong to save Who there with me has died Has triumphed o er the grave. Shall here be glorified. 3. This is a sight that gladdens What peace it does impart! Now nothing ever saddens The joy within my heart. No gloom shall ever shake, No foe shall ever take The hope which God s own Son In love for me has won. Responsive Verses [3]
Oh, Come, Let Us Sing to the LORD (Venite) [4]
First Lesson... Isaiah 12:1-6 Hearkening back to Lent 4, this lesson from Isaiah underscores again the salvation that is ours with the risen Christ. Our trust has not been in vain. The well will not run dry. For the LORD, the God of free and faithful grace, has made good on his promises. He has risen, just as he said. Make known among the nations what he has done! 1 In that day you will say: I will praise you, LORD. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. 2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. 3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 In that day you will say: Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. 5 Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. 6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you. [5]
Hymn... The Strife Is O er, the Battle Done (CW 148) Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! 1. The strife is o er, the battle done; now is the victor s triumph won; Now be the song of praise begun. Alleluia! 2. Death s mightiest pow rs have done their worst, and Jesus has his foes dispersed; Let shouts of praise and joy outburst. Alleluia! 3. On the third morn he rose again glorious in majesty to reign; Oh, let us swell the joyful strain! Alleluia! 4. He closed the yawning gates of hell; the bars from heav n s high portals fell. Let songs of praise his triumph tell. Alleluia! 5. Lord, by the stripes which wounded you, from death s sting free your servants, too, That we may live and sing to you. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Second Lesson... 1 Corinthians 15:51-57 Draw near to behold the mystery as Paul discusses the risen Christ s miraculous promise, Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Because Christ has been raised, and death has been swallowed up in his victory, the mortal will be clothed with immortality. His victory is ours and we shall be changed for eternity. Death has no sting; the grave has no victory. Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: Death has been swallowed up in victory. 55 Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Verse of the Day...1 Corinthians 15:11 Alleluia. Alleluia. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. Alleluia. [6]
Gospel Lesson... John 20:1-18 So many will miss the point of this Easter Day. They will not understand the impact Christ s resurrection has had on our eternity. But the missing body and empty tomb are not the end of the story. Just as Jesus revealed himself in glory to Mary Magdalene, so he reveals himself to us that we might worship our Risen Lord. 1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don t know where they have put him! 3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying. 11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. 13 They asked her, Woman, why are you crying? They have taken my Lord away, she said, and I don t know where they have put him. 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. 15 He asked her, Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for? Thinking he was the gardener, she said, Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him. 16 Jesus said to her, Mary. She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, Rabboni! (which means Teacher ). 17 Jesus said, Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. 18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: I have seen the Lord! And she told them that he had said these things to her. [the lesson ends with the words] this is the Gospel of our Lord. Praise be to you, O Christ! [7]
Hymn of the Day... Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain (CW 142) 1. Come, you faithful, raise the strain of triumphant gladness! God has brought his Israel into joy from sadness. See the spring of souls today: Christ has burst his prison And from three days sleep in death as a sun has risen. 2. All the winter of our sins, long and dark, is flying From his light, to whom we give laud and praise undying. Neither could the gates of death nor the tomb s dark portal Nor the watchers nor the seal hold him as a mortal. 3. But today among his own Christ appeared, bestowing Blessed peace, which evermore passes human knowing. Come, you faithful, raise the strain of triumphant gladness! God has brought his Israel into joy from sadness. Sermon... 1 Corinthians 15:51-57 Death Has Been Swallowed Up in Victory! [8]
We Praise You, O God (Te Deum Laudamus) [9]
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Free-Will Thank-Offering Lord, Have Mercy (Kyrie) Prayer of the Church The Lord s Prayer 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 forever. Amen. Prayer for Grace O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to this new day. Defend us with your mighty power, and grant that this day we neither fall into sin nor run into any kind of danger; and in all we do, direct us to what is right in your sight, through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen. Closing Verses and Blessing [11]
Closing Hymn... Christ the Lord Is Risen Today; Alleluia (CW 150) 1. Christ the Lord is ris n today; Alleluia! Christians, hasten on your way; Alleluia! See the place where he was laid; Alleluia! Praise him for the ransom paid. Alleluia! 2. For the sheep the Lamb has bled, Alleluia! Sinless in the sinners stead. Alleluia! Christ is ris n, today we cry; Alleluia! Now he lives, no more to die. Alleluia! 3. Christ, the victim undefiled, Alleluia! God and sinners reconciled. Alleluia! While, in strange and awefull strife, Alleluia! Met together death and life. Alleluia! 4. Christ, who once for sinners bled, Alleluia! Now the firstborn from the dead, Alleluia! Throned in endless might and pow r, Alleluia! Lives and reigns forevermore. Alleluia! [12]