Alleluia. Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Through Lent we have journeyed for more than 40 days with Jesus, and in this past week we’ve experienced with him his suffering and his death. Today he is risen!
We are in unusual, challenging and often-dark times, but celebrating the events of Holy Week and Easter are a vivid reminder to us of the core of the gospel message – that in Jesus Christ there is hope where there was despair, light where there was darkness and new life where there was only death.
Please take time to worship, pray and celebrate using the short service we have provided below. (Alternatively, you can download it as a PDF for reading or printing.) We wish you a very special day.
Service for Easter Day
Alleluia. Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed. Alleluia.
Christ our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed for us.
Let us therefore rejoice by putting away all malice and evil
and confessing our sins with a sincere and true heart.
Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
we have sinned against you
and against our neighbour
in thought and word and deed,
through negligence, through weakness,
through our own deliberate fault.
We are truly sorry
and repent of all our sins.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
who died for us,
forgive us all that is past
and grant that we may serve you in newness of life
to the glory of your name.
Amen.
Almighty God,
who forgives all who truly repent,
have mercy upon us,
pardon and deliver us from all our sins,
confirm and strengthen us in all goodness,
and keep us in life eternal;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Gloria in Excelsis
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.
He Has Risen! Luke 24:1-5
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in, they did not find the body. 4 While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. 5 The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen”.
Affirmation of Faith
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.
Intercessions
In joy and hope let us pray to the Father.
That our risen Saviour may fill us with the joy of his
glorious and life-giving resurrection …
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
That isolated and persecuted churches
may find fresh strength in the good news of Easter …
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
That God may grant us humility
to be subject to one another in Christian love …
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
That he may provide for those who lack food, work or shelter …
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
That by his power war and famine may cease through all the world …
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
That he may reveal the light of his presence to the sick,
the weak and the dying,
to comfort and strengthen them …
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
That, according to his promises,
all who have died in the faith of the resurrection
may be raised on the last day …
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
That he may send the fire of the Holy Spirit upon his people,
so that we may bear faithful witness to his resurrection,
we pray to the Father.
Hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father,
you have delivered us from the power of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of your Son:
grant that, as his death has recalled us to life,
so his continual presence in us may raise us to eternal joy;
through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
With Peter and the other disciples who came in haste and left believing
Glory and praise to God.
With Mary of Magdala who stayed to weep and saw the Lord
Glory and praise to God.
With all the people of God who have come in sorrow and found their joy fulfilled
Glory and praise to God.
Glory and praise to God
For life conquers death and hope conquers fear.
When Christ our life is revealed
We will share his glory.
Blessing
The God of peace,
who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,
that great shepherd of the sheep,
through the blood of the eternal covenant,
make us perfect in every good work to do his will,
working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among us and remain with us always.
Amen.
Closing Prayer
Risen Christ,
for recognising you in the scriptures;
for finding you in the stranger:
we give you thanks.
Risen Christ,
for times of doubt and struggle,
for times of confusion and chaos,
we thank you for being with us.
For thankfully you are present
in bread and in battle,
in darkness and in doubt,
in every corner of our lives,
in every place in our world,
for you have gone before us.
Send us out with thankful hearts
to live and work in your name and
to your glory.
