A New Beginning ~ Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020

Welcome to Easter Sunday at Olympic View Virtual Church!

Prelude                                  

played by Annie Center

Welcoming/Announcements

Call to Worship

The stone was rolled away.
Christ is Risen!
The tomb was found empty.
Christ is Risen!
The angel said, “Do not be afraid.”
Christ is Risen!
No matter where we are, we proclaim now and always,
Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed!

Opening Hymn (video)

Up from the grave He arose     

Robert Lowry, performed by Daniel Thornton, posted on YouTube by isbaptist Toronto

Invocation

Good News God,
In the midst of deep sorrow and grief
your angels appeared to the faithful women of Jesus’ company,
bringing them news more awe-inspiring than they could imagine –
Christ is Risen!
Surely your angels can interrupt our lives, too,
breaking into our losses and sorrows
and offering a message of tremendous joy to change our lives.
Come this Easter morning, we pray,
and fill us with the joy of the women disciples,
the first witnesses to your resurrection,
that our lives may also be renewed in hope and glory.
Let us roll back the stone of the grave
and sing Alleluia once again!
In Christ we pray,
Amen.

Meditating on the Word (video)      He Reigns        Newsboys

Words of the Prophet           Jeremiah 31:1-8 NRSV

Scripture Video         Jeremiah 31    Bible Script Preview with Lacey Sturm

A Time of Prayer

Living God,
who came to this world
and entered human pain,
come and be in every painful place in our lives,
be in every painful place in our world.

Living God,
who in the secret darkness rose from the grave,
come and be in the secret, dark places in our lives,
be in every secret, dark place in our world.

Living God,
who sent the women to proclaim the resurrection
to the frightened, imprisoned apostles,
come and empower us in every frightened place in our confined lives,
empower all in every frightened, imprisoned place in our world.

Living God, Risen Son, Easter God,
come and make us your living Church,
Your risen Church,
Your Easter Church,
in every place in our world.

 

A Lesson for Young People

Gospel Reading          John 20:1-18 NIV

Gospel Video  John 20            ALLAUDIO BIBLE

Message – A New Beginning

 

Call to Serve

We are witnesses to the power of the Holy Spirit and the glory of God,
and now we turn in thanksgiving to share the good news
of forgiveness and grace to all the world.
Let our gifts of our time, talent, resources, and prayer be a living testimony
to those who most need the healing grace of Christ this morning,
cornerstones of faith and joy for the entire world.

If you’d like to support this ministry with your resources, offerings and tithes can still be mailed to the church office, or donations can be made through this link. As we continue to be beacons of God’s grace in continuing to support our staff financially, and showing leniency to our tenants, we are stepping out in faith and relying on the grace of others. May you give prayerful consideration to how you can support our faith community in these difficult times.

A Time for Reflection

Interlude by Annie Center

The Prayer of Thanksgiving

O God, you have become our light and our salvation –
let these gifts open the gates of joy
to all who hunger and thirst for your holy presence
on this and every day.
May they bear the gifts of Alleluia which we hold so dear,
and give away with great joy.
We pray in the name of our Risen Savior, Jesus the Christ!
Amen.

Blessing/Assurance

God of All Seasons, we are reminded that Your time is not our time. As we are in the midst of a difficult season, resurrection is at hand. In a time when we are called to stay indoors, we shout out loud that Christ is Risen. We wander in the darkness of uncertainty, wondering when restrictions will be lifted. We remember how the women discovered the stone was rolled away. We remember those who gathered at the tomb, their trembling and fear, their wonder and amazement. We remember their witness in the face of the unknown. Be bold in us, O God, to proclaim the resurrection now. Be bold in us, O God, to live out our faith by doing our part to care for our neighbors and loved ones. Be bold in us, O God, to trust in a future with hope that is beyond what we can perceive right now. Be bold in us, O God, to proclaim that Christ is Risen, Christ is Risen Indeed, and that the season of new life and resurrection has begun. Amen!

 

Closing Hymn  

Christ The Lord is Risen Today        Charles Wesley, performed by Hymns Triumphant Performers, posted on YouTube by mdragon1801

Benediction

God whispers in our hearts, “Do not be afraid.”
All things will be made new.
All things will begin again.
Hold on to the new life in Christ, and know that love and life are yours, now and always.
Go share the good news of Christ’s resurrection.
Amen.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *