VERSION: 25 February 2002
EASTER EVENING
FIRST SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEARS A, B, C
In 2002: 31 Mar
In 2003: 20 Apr
In 2004: 11 Apr
In 2005: 27 Mar
In 2006: 16 Apr
In 2007: 8 Apr
In 2008: 23 Mar
In 2009: 12 Apr
In 2010: 4 Apr
In 2011: 24 Apr
In 2012: 8 Apr
In 2013: 31 Mar
In 2014: 20 Apr
In 2015: 5 Apr
In 2016: 27 Mar
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Note: For explanations and suggestions on the various resources provided, see the documents 'General notes and resources' and 'Easter season' in the 'General and seasonal' folder.
LITURGY
SENTENCE
See the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder for suggestions on using a Sentence.
Stay with us, O Lord, because it is almost evening; alleluia;
and the day is now nearly over. Alleluia! (Luke 24:29 NRSV)
OR, use one of the standard Easter Sentences in the document 'Easter season', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.
PRAYER OF THE DAY (COLLECT)
Traditional
Almighty God,
since you have overcome sin and death
by the death of your Son,
and have restored innocence and eternal life
by his resurrection,
so that we may be delivered from the power of the devil
and live in your kingdom:
Grant that we may confidently believe this
and always praise you with our whole heart;
through your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.
OR, modernised traditional
Almighty God,
you have overcome sin and death
through the death of your Son,
and have brought forgiveness and eternal life
through his resurrection.
Help us confidently to believe this
and always praise you with our whole heart.
We ask this through your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.
OR, another traditional
Almighty God,
you have overcome death
through your Son Jesus Christ,
and have opened for us
the gate to eternal life.
As you give us good desires,
help us continually
to bring them to good effect.
We ask this through your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.
OR, new (revised alternative)
(Let us pray that we rejoice in Christ's victory. [silence])
Everliving God,
we thank you that you have overcome
the old powers of sin and death
through the mighty resurrection of your Son,
and have made all things new in him.
Make us dead to sin and alive to you in Jesus Christ.
For he lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.
FIRST READING
Isaiah 25:6-9 God will prepare a banquet
PSALM
Psalm 114
Antiphon:
Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord. (Ps 114:7a NRSV)
SECOND READING
1 Corinthians 5:6b-8 Remove the old yeast of sin, and be pure
ALLELUIA VERSE
Alleluia, alleluia.
(Since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again;
death no longer has any power over him.
Alleluia!)
Were not our hearts burning within us
while the Lord was opening the Scriptures to us?
(Luke 24:32 NRSV alt)
Alleluia.
GOSPEL
Luke 24:13-49 Jesus made known in the breaking of the bread
PRAYER AFTER THE GOSPEL
This is the gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ (, raised to live forever).
Thank you, Lord Jesus,
for revealing yourself in the Scriptures and the breaking of the bread.
Strengthen our faith through your word and sacraments.
Amen.
OFFERING PRAYER
Living God,
cleanse our lives of darkness and sin,
and let us celebrate together the new life of Christ.
Strengthen our faith through the Scriptures
and come to us through your holy meal,
so that we may go out to serve and to witness to others.
Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
Call to prayer
Our risen Lord Jesus revealed himself in the breaking of the bread. Here at this meal, let us pray that we may be fed with the bread of life.
The regular response, OR:
Father, feed us with the bread of life,
so that we may hunger no more.
Suggested intercessions
*
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For the hungry and the starving throughout the world
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*
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For those who hunger and thirst for righteousness and peace
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*
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For farmers who struggle to make a living producing food for others
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*
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For the sick and the dying, who hunger for health
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*
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For those who hunger for understanding, that God's word may be revealed to them
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*
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For the whole communion of saints, that we may see Jesus in the breaking of bread.
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Concluding prayer
Father, in the resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ, you have swallowed up death forever, and opened up the way for all people to sit with you at the feast of eternal life. Feed us now and always with the bread of life, our Lord Jesus Christ, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
SEASONAL PREFACE
It is indeed right and good,
Lord God, holy Father,
that we should at all times and in all places
give thanks to you,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
But most of all we praise you
for the glorious resurrection of your Son,
the true Passover Lamb,
who has taken away the sin of the world.
By his death he has destroyed death,
and by his rising again he has restored life.
And so, with Mary Magdalene and Peter
and all the other witnesses of the resurrection,
with earth and sea and all their creatures,
and with angels and archangels,
cherubim and seraphim,
we adore and praise your glorious name:
COMMUNION INVITATION
Jesus says: 'Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day.'
(Thanks be to God.)
Come, everything is ready.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
For an Easter post-communion prayer, see the document 'Easter season', under 'Prayer after communion', in the 'General and seasonal' folder. Alternatively, use this prayer:
Stay with us, Lord Jesus Christ,
because it is almost evening
and the day is nearly over.
As we have heard your word
and seen you in the breaking of the bread,
send us into the world
with the good news of your resurrection.
For you live and reign
with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.
SEASONAL BLESSING
This seasonal blessing is used together with (ie before) the usual blessing in the order of service.
(May) the God of peace,
who raised from the dead our Lord Jesus,
provide you with every good thing you need
in order to do his will; . . .
DISMISSAL
Go with the peace and new life of Christ our Lord.
Thanks be to God. OR In the name of Christ. Amen.
HYMNS AND SONGS
FOR THE READINGS
Please note: * = Modernised version available
G3, G4 . . . = Guitar chords available in the Music Package 3, 4 . . .
GS = Guitar chords in the Supplement to LH
First reading: Isaiah 25: 6-9
LHS
834
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At the Lamb's high feast we sing G3
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841
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O welcome, all ye noble saints of old GS
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842
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Praise the Lord, rise up rejoicing G3
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847
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The Lamb's high banquet called to share (tune 227) G5
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AT
77
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O welcome, all ye noble saints of old
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TIS
516
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Here, gracious Lord, we see you face to face (holy communion)
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529
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By your priestly power, O risen Lord (holy communion)
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545
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Shout for joy! The Lord has let us feast (after holy communion)
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Second reading: 1 Corinthians 5 : 6b-8
LHS
89
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Christ Jesus lay in death's strong bands * G5
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90
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Christ the Lord is risen again
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91
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Christ the Lord is risen today G4
|
834
|
At the Lamb's high feast we sing G3
|
842
|
Praise the Lord, rise up rejoicing G3
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847
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The Lamb's high banquet called to share (alt tune 227, G5)
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AT
TIS
359
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Hymn of the Risen Christ (v 1)
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361
|
The day of resurrection
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364
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Christ Jesus lay in death's strong bands (omits LHS v 3)
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365
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Christ the Lord is risen again
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543
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God's Paschal Lamb is sacrificed for us
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Gospel: Luke 24 : 13-49
LHS
96
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Ere yet the dawn has filled the skies G4
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181
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Abide, O dearest Jesus* G5
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541
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Abide with us, the day is waning
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764
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Now the green blade rises GS
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AT
178
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I can't hear your voice until you
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241
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On the day of resurrection
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297
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Let us talents and tongues employ
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304
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Stay with me, I'll stay with you
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343
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Jesus come and stand among us
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TIS
254
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O changeless Christ, forever new
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360
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Light's reddening dawn gleams (Pt 2)
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361
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The day of resurrection
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382
|
Now the green blade rises
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395
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Alleluia, Christ is risen
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424
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Christians, lift up your hearts
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499
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Lord Jesus, joy of loving hearts
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514
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Be known to us in breaking bread
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524
|
Come, risen Lord, and deign to be our guest
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529
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By your priestly power, O risen Lord
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551
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O stay with us, Lord Jesus
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586
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Abide with me; fast falls the eventide
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PSALM 114
For musical settings of Psalm 114, see Music Package 3.
Here is a metrical version of Psalm 114 by David Sch¸tz. It is sung to the tune Warum sind der Tr‰nen, LH 298. If reproducing this version, please put 'Words (c) David Sch¸tz' at the beginning or the end of the psalm.
When Israel left Egypt, left that foreign land,
where they'd been held prisoner under Pharaoh's hand:
God appointed Judah as his sanctuary,
and he made a kingdom out of Israel.
When the Red Sea saw them, it turned back and fled,
and the flowing Jordan banked up at its head.
When the mountains saw them, they skipped up like rams,
and the hills before them, jumped about like lambs.
Why, O Red Sea, did you turn and flee away?
Why, O River Jordan, cease to flow that day?
Why, O mountains, did you quake and skip like rams?
Why, O hills, why did you jump about like lambs?
Earth, now quake and tremble, here comes Jacob's God;
tremble as you see the coming of the Lord.
He alone turns dry ground, flint and rock and stone
into flowing rivers, he and he alone.
IONA COMMUNITY SONG
From John L Bell & Graham Maule, Wild Goose Songs vol. 2 Enemy of Apathy
Note that the Iona Community is willing to allow a church or worship assembly to reproduce the words only of a song from these publications on a service sheet or overhead transparency that is to be used once only on a non-commercial basis, provided that the title of the song and the name of the copyright holder is clearly shown.
SONGS FROM PRAISE FOR ALL SEASONS
Praise for All Seasons (Acorn Press, 1985), edited by Ellaine Downie and Digby Hannah, is a collection of 100 songs for worship by Australian songwriters. It contains the following songs that are appropriate for this occasion:
PFAS 11
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Jesus is alive © Digby Hannah
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PFAS 18
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Emmaus © Dave Brown, 1982
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VISUAL
VISUALS FOR THE READINGS
Pictures or symbols could be displayed on banners or the overhead screen during the readings. For instance, the gospel could be accompanied by a picture of Jesus walking with the two disciples, or of Jesus breaking bread, or of the risen Jesus standing among the disciples.
DRAMA
'MEGA DRAMA'
See a drama for the day in Mega Drama resources (Openbook Publishers), originally included in these worship resources when they were released on disks.
DRAMATISING THE READINGS
The readings can be read by more than one person to make the dramatic meaning of the text clearer. For instance, the gospel from Luke could be read (and partially acted out) by three readers: narrator (the pastor), Jesus, Cleopas.
CHILDREN
CHILDREN AND THE READINGS
Children could be shown a picture such as one suggested above under 'Visuals for the readings', and/or be involved in the dramatic reading of the gospel.
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