Worship Resources
for
the Center for Faith and Giving
Easter Day
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
I Corinthians 15:19-26
Luke 24:1-12
It’s Easter Day! Plan to engage the whole congregation as much as possible,
and plan for visuals, music, and voices to celebrate Jesus raised from death!
Call to Worship (Adapted from Thankful Praise, CBP Press, 1987. p. 107)
With energy, the worship leader invites the congregation to, “Rejoice today, repeating after me.”
Death dies.
Praise God.
Hope soars.
Peace comes.
Love grows.
Live now
with power.
Christ lives!
Praise God!
We live!
Praise God!
Opening Prayer
God of all creation, today we rejoice
because you raised Jesus from the tomb,
and showed the world what LOVE can do.
We praise you for the first disciples, claiming your victory;
for Mary Magdalene, Joanna and the other women, first to hear
“he is not here, but has risen!”
Today we praise you for resurrection life which calls to us.
And we ask you to enliven US this day.
Fill us with joy, and allow us to “fear not” even as we share the good news of Jesus the Christ, AMEN
Moment for Stewardship
God knows we want to be resurrection people!
We want to live, REALLY live, filled with gratitude and joy!
Sometimes, the rigors of life wear on us;
the disappointments, the grief, the trials
all drag us down.
So today, we celebrate our ability to take action!
To put our money where our hearts are!
To vote with our tithes, our gifts, our offering…
demonstrating our desire to allow the empty tomb
to fill us to overflowing!
With support for this congregation,
for the ministries to which we’re called here, and around the world,
we cast our vote for the Resurrected Christ
alive and at work today!
Prayer of Thanksgiving
God of Power,
With the women, we went to the tomb,
expecting to be met by the cold hardness of stone.
Instead, we found Good News!
The stone rolled away, the empty tomb, and the promise of L.I.F.E!
So help us use these gifts as we offer them to share this Good News!
Empower us live as disciples of the resurrection Jesus,
sharing the joy of Easter morn each and every day,
Alleluia! Amen!
Invitation to Communion
Before we go into the world this Easter Day,
we come here to this table.
We were just here a few nights ago,
remembering how Jesus shared a meal with his disciples before he was arrested.
Now, we recognize this is the table of our risen Lord.
Not looking back or ahead,
today, we celebrate the Life which we find in these symbols of bread and cup,
Whoever you are,
wherever you have been,
come and celebrate this holy feast on this Easter day,
for Jesus lives again, earth can breathe again…
pass the Word around, loaves abound!
(Use “Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ” CH #422 as your communion hymn.)