VERSION: 9 April 2002
A RESURRECTION CELEBRATION
First Corinthians 15 with Easter hymns
NOTES
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This Easter celebration may be held as a minor service on Easter Day (eg in the afternoon or evening), during the following week, or on the following Sunday.
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It may be adapted or shortened according to circumstances, or parts of it may be used within a regular Easter service.
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The reading from 1 Corinthians 15, in the Contemporary English Version (CEV), gives most of the chapter, broken up for two readers, A and B. More readers could be used if desired.
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Other hymns/songs could be used, eg 'Now the green blade rises' (LHS 764, ATN 15, TIS 382) instead of LHS 479, TIS 366.
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A RESURRECTION CELEBRATION
First Corinthians 15 with Easter hymns
PROCESSION
Processional song: LH 95 modernised, TIS 379
He is risen, he is risen!
Tell it with a joyful voice:
he has burst his three days' prison,
let the whole wide world rejoice.
Death is conquered, we are free,
Christ has won the victory.
Come with high and holy gladness,
sing our Lord's triumphant song:
not one touch of twilight sadness
dims his resurrection morn;
brightly dawns the radiant east,
brighter far our Easter feast.
He is risen, he is risen!
He has opened heaven's gate:
we are free from sin's dark prison,
risen to a holier state;
soon a brighter Easter beam
on our longing eyes will stream.
OPENING RESPONSES
Christ has risen!
He has risen indeed!
This day belongs to the Lord!
Let's celebrate and be glad. (Ps 118:24 CEV)
Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Because of his great mercy he gave us new life by raising Jesus Christ from death.
This fills us with a living hope,
and so we look forward to possessing the rich blessings that God keeps for his people.
He keeps them for you in heaven,
where they cannot decay or spoil or fade away.
(1 Pet 1:3,4 TEV)
EASTER DIALOGUE
A dramatised presentation of the message of the angel at the empty tomb, such as the Easter dialogue or the extract from The Resurrection, may be performed. See under ‘Drama’ in the documents: 'Easter Day A' in the 'Year A, Lent to Trinity' folder; 'Easter Day B' in the 'Year B, Lent to Trinity' folder; 'Easter Day C' in the 'Year C, Lent to Trinity' folder.
OPENING PRAYER
Let us pray.
Almighty and merciful God,
we thank you that 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.
HYMN:
LHS 886, ATN 2
This is the day, this is the day
that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made.
We will rejoice, we will rejoice
and be glad in it, and be glad in it!
This is the day that the Lord has made,
we will rejoice and be glad in it!
This is the day, this is the day
that the Lord has made!
This is the day, this is the day
Jesus rose again, Jesus rose again.
We will rejoice, we will rejoice
and be glad in it, and be glad in it!
This is the day Jesus rose again,
we will rejoice and be glad in it!
This is the day, this is the day
Jesus rose again!
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:1-8
Reader A.
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St Paul writes in his First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 15:
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My friends, I want you to remember the message that I preached and that you believed and trusted. You will be saved by this message, if you hold firmly to it. But if you don't, your faith was all for nothing.
I told you the most important part of the message exactly as it was told to me. That part is:
Reader B.
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Christ died for our sins, as the Scriptures say.
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He was buried, and three days later
he was raised to life, as the Scriptures say.
Christ appeared to Peter, then to the twelve.
After this he appeared
to more than 500 other followers.
Most of them are still alive, but some have died.
He also appeared to James,
and then to all of the apostles.
Reader A.
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Finally, he appeared to me, even though I am like someone who was born at the wrong time.
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HYMN:
LH 97 modernised, TIS 367
The strife is past, the battle done;
now is the victor's triumph won;
now let the song of praise be sung:
Alleluia!
Death's mightiest powers have done their worst,
and Jesus has his foes dispersed;
let shouts of praise and joy outburst:
Alleluia!
On the third day he rose again,
glorious in majesty to reign;
let us take up the great refrain:
Alleluia!
He closed the frowning gates of hell;
the bars from heaven's high portals fell;
let hymns of praise his triumph tell:
Alleluia!
Now by your stripes, our wounded King,
your servants free from death's dread sting,
that we may live in you, and sing:
'Alleluia!'
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:12-19
Reader B.
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If we preach that Christ was raised from death, how can some of you say that the dead won't be raised to life? If they won't be raised to life, Christ himself wasn't raised to life, and if Christ wasn't raised to life, our message is worthless, and so is your faith. If the dead won't be raised to life, we have told lies about God by saying that he raised Christ to life, when he really did not.
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Reader A.
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So if the dead won't be raised to life, Christ wasn't raised to life. Unless Christ was raised to life, your faith is useless, and you are still living in your sins. And those people who died after putting their faith in him are completely lost. If our hope in Christ is good only for this life, we are worse off than anyone else.
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HYMN:
LH 103 modernised, TIS 376
I know that my Redeemer lives;
what comfort this sweet sentence gives!
He lives, he lives, who once was dead;
he lives, my ever-living head.
He lives to bless me with his love,
he lives to plead for me above,
he lives my hungry soul to feed,
he lives to help in time of need.
He lives, my kind, wise, heavenly friend,
he lives and loves me to the end;
he lives, and while he lives, I'll sing;
he lives, my prophet, priest, and king.
He lives, and gives me daily breath;
he lives, and I will conquer death;
he lives my new home to prepare,
he lives to bring me safely there.
He lives, all glory to his name!
He lives, my Jesus, still the same;
O the sweet joy this sentence gives:
I know that my Redeemer lives!
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:20-28
Reader B.
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But Christ has been raised to life! And he makes us certain that others will also be raised to life. Just as we will die because of Adam, we will be raised to life because of Christ. Adam brought death to all of us, and Christ will bring life to all of us.
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Reader A.
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But we must each wait our turn. Christ was the first to be raised to life, and his people will be raised to life when he returns. Then after Christ has destroyed all powers and forces, the end will come, and he will give the kingdom to God the Father.
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Reader B.
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Christ will rule until he puts all his enemies under his power, and the last enemy he destroys will be death. When the Scriptures say that he will put everything under his power, they don't include God. It was God who put everything under the power of Christ. After everything is under the power of God's Son, he will put himself under the power of God, who put everything under his Son's power. Then God will mean everything to everyone.
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HYMN:
LH 104 modernised
Awake, my heart, your praises sing
to Christ, your risen Lord and king!
Stone, seal, and watch were all in vain,
Christ rose and broke death's heavy chain.
So lift your voice in triumph high,
your Saviour lives, you will not die.
Your praise forever sing
to Christ, your risen king.
Awake, my heart, no longer fear;
in death's dark hour your king is near;
for though his saints on earth must die,
they go to live with him on high.
To him your lifeless body trust,
for he will raise your sleeping dust.
Your praise forever sing
to Christ, your risen king.
Awake, my heart, his triumph tell,
who burst the bonds of death and hell;
doubt not his mighty power to save,
look, and behold his empty grave.
With joy his mighty deeds acclaim,
and shout aloud the victor's name.
Your praise forever sing
to Christ, your risen king.
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:35-44
Reader A.
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Some of you have asked,
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Reader B.
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'How will the dead be raised to life? What kind of bodies will they have?'
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Reader A.
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Don't be foolish. A seed must die before it can sprout from the ground. Wheat seeds and all other seeds look different from the shoots that come up. This is because God gives everything the kind of body he wants it to have. People, animals, birds, and fish are each made of flesh, but none of them are alike. Everything in the heavens has a body, and so does everything on earth. But each one is very different from all the others. The sun isn't like the moon, the moon isn't like the stars, and each star is different.
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Reader B.
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That's how it will be when our bodies are raised to life. These bodies will die, but the bodies that are raised will live forever. These ugly and weak bodies will become beautiful and strong. As surely as there are physical bodies, there are spiritual bodies. And our physical bodies will be changed into spiritual bodies.
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HYMN:
LH 479 modernised, TIS 366
Jesus, my Redeemer lives,
death is overcome and banished.
O what joy this knowledge gives!
Now my fears of death have vanished;
though its solemn hour will come,
he will take me safely home.
Jesus, my Redeemer, lives;
likewise I to life shall waken.
Endless life my Saviour gives;
shall my courage then be shaken?
I belong to him, my head;
can he rise and leave me dead?
No, I am too closely bound
by my hope to Christ forever;
faith's strong hand the rock has found,
grasped it, and will leave it never;
even death now cannot part
from its Lord the trusting heart.
I am flesh and must return
to the dust from which I'm taken;
but by faith I now discern
that from death I shall awaken
with my Saviour to abide
in his glory, at his side.
I shall see God with these eyes,
shall behold my blessed Saviour;
earthly is the seed, and dies:
heavenly springs to life forever.
Glorified we then ascend
to the life that has no end.
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:45-58
Reader A.
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The first man was named Adam, and the Scriptures tell us that he was a living person. But Jesus, who may be called the last Adam, is a life-giving spirit. We see that the one with a spiritual body did not come first. He came after the one who had a physical body. The first man was made from the dust of the earth, but the second man came from heaven. Everyone on earth has a body like the body of the one who was made from the dust of the earth, and everyone in heaven has a body like the body of the one who came from heaven. Just as we are like the one who was made out of earth, we will be like the one who came from heaven.
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Reader B.
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My friends, I want you to know that our bodies of flesh and blood will decay. This means that they can't share in God's kingdom, which lasts forever. I will explain a mystery to you. Not every one of us will die, but we will all be changed. It will happen suddenly, quicker than the blink of an eye. At the sound of the last trumpet the dead will be raised. We will all be changed, so that we will never die again. Our dead and decaying bodies will be changed into bodies that won't die or decay. The bodies we now have are weak and can die. But they will be changed into bodies that are eternal.
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Reader A.
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Then the Scriptures will come true,
'Death has lost the battle!
Where is its victory? Where is its sting?'
Sin is what gives death its sting, and the Law is the power behind sin. But thank God for letting our Lord Jesus Christ give us the victory!
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Reader B.
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My dear friends, stand firm and don't be shaken. Always keep busy working for the Lord. You know that everything you do for him is worthwhile.
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HYMN:
LH 99 modernised
Welcome, our Victor in the fight,
now welcome from the grave!
Today we triumph in your life,
for you are strong to save.
Your people, Lord, rejoice and sing
the Easter victory song;
for you are with us now and bring
the peace that you have won.
We've died with you, so let us live
our lives each day to you;
the blessings you have died to give,
each day in us renew.
Now fearless we go to our tomb
to sleep the night away,
for you are there to break the gloom
and call us back to day.
Death's power to hurt us now is gone,
and pointless are death's darts;
God's favour here on us has shone,
and joy fills all our hearts.
CONFESSION OF FAITH
What can we say about all this? If God is on our side, can anyone be against us? God didn't keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won't he freely give us everything else? If God says his chosen ones are acceptable to him, can anyone bring charges against them? Or can anyone condemn them? No indeed! Christ died and was raised to life, and now he is at God's right side, speaking to him for us. Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, suffering, and hard times, or hunger and nakedness, or danger and death? It's exactly as the Scriptures say,
'For you we face death all day long.
We are like sheep on their way to be butchered.'
In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us.
I am sure that nothing can separate us from God's love . . .
not life or death,
not angels or spirits,
not the present or the future,
and not powers above or powers below.
Nothing in all creation
can separate us from God's love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!
(Rom 8:31-39 CEV)
CLOSING PRAYER
Let us pray.
Heavenly Father,
we thank you for bringing hope to fallen humanity
through the death and resurrection of your Son.
Help us to rejoice in his new life
and bear the fruits of his resurrection in our lives.
Bring his light and life
to those in darkness and death.
For he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.
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.
HYMN:
LH 386 modernised, ATO 364, TIS 200
In you is gladness in all our sadness,
Jesus, joy of every heart;
by you are given blessings from heaven,
true Redeemer, our delight.
Our sins you've taken, our bonds you've broken;
trusting you surely, we build securely,
we stand forever. Hallelujah!
Our hearts are turning to you with yearning,
on you relying, living or dying,
we're yours forever. Hallelujah!
In you is calmness; nothing can harm us:
world, or death, or Satan's plans.
In our distresses you see and bless us;
you have all things in your hands.
Our heart rejoices, we lift our voices,
singing your glory, telling your story
now and forever. Hallelujah!
With adoration, in celebration,
we love and praise you, eagerly raise you
glad hymns forever. Hallelujah!
CLOSING RESPONSES
To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honour and glory and power, forever and ever!
(Rev 5:13 NIV)
Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. (Rev 19:6 NRSV)
HALLELUJAH CHORUS
The choir may sing the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah, or a recording of it may be played.
BLESSING
[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; and the blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,+ be with you always.
Amen.
RECESSION
Recessional song: LH 102 modernised
Hallelujah, hallelujah!
Hearts to heaven and voices raise;
sing to God a hymn of gladness,
sing to God a hymn of praise;
he who on the cross a victim
for the world's salvation bled,
Jesus Christ, the king of glory,
now has risen from the dead.
Christ has risen, Christ the first-fruits
of the holy harvest field,
which will at his second coming
all its full abundance yield;
then the golden ears of harvest
will their heads before him wave,
ripened by his glorious sunshine
from the furrows of the grave.
Christ has risen, we have risen;
shed on us your heavenly grace,
rain and dew and gleams of glory
from the brightness of your face;
so that we on earth are fruitful
till our final hour has come,
then by angel-hands are gathered,
safely to our harvest home.
Hallelujah, hallelujah!
Glory be to God on high;
hallelujah to the Saviour,
who has gained the victory;
hallelujah to the Spirit,
fount of love and sanctity;
hallelujah, hallelujah
to the Triune Majesty!
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