Easter Sunday - Year C
From the Archives of April 17, 2022 (and April 21, 2019; March 27, 2016; and March 31, 2013)
Worship Resources for April 17th, 2022—Easter Sunday
Revised Common Lectionary: Acts 10:34-43 or Isaiah 65:17-25; Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 or Acts 10:34-43; John 20:1-18 or Luke 24:1-12
Narrative Lectionary: Resurrection of our Lord, John 20:1-18 (Psalm 118:21-29)
Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed!
In the Easter season, the first scripture reading for the Revised Common Lectionary is usually from the book of Acts. To give some background to this passage, in chapter 10, a Roman Centurion named Cornelius was sent by a vision to Peter. Meanwhile, Peter beheld a vision in which a tablecloth was spread with all kinds of food, including foods considered unclean. A voice beckoned him to eat, but Peter refused. However, the voice told him to never consider unclean what God made clean. This was different than what Peter had been taught. Then Peter met with Cornelius, wanting to know why Cornelius sent for him when it was known that Peter, as a Jewish man, was not to associate with Gentiles, according to the writer of Acts. Note that according to The Jewish Annotated New Testament, edited by Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler, some Jewish people did associate with Gentiles, so this was not a universal understanding. Cornelius shared his vision from the angel. In the reading for today, Peter declares that he now understands God shows no partiality, but that the message of God is for all nations, all people. Peter understands that Jesus was sent by God, anointed with the power of the Holy Spirit, to preach peace to the people of Israel. Peter and the others witnessed his ministry along with his death on the cross, and that God raised him on the third day. Peter declares that Jesus commanded them after his resurrection to preach to the people and testify to him, and that all who believe in Jesus’ name will have forgiveness of sins.
The alternative for the first reading is from the prophet Isaiah 65:17-25. The prophet, having witnessed the return of the exiles both to their home and back to their old ways, speaks on behalf of God, who is about to create new heavens and a new earth. There will be no more sorrow or mourning, no more death. All that was in the past will be forgotten. There shall be peace in all of creation, and everything that the people have worked for, to build community, health, and well-being for all people of all ages and abilities—they shall enjoy the work of their hands and the fruit of God’s creation. God is making all things new.
The selection for the psalm is similar to Palm Sunday’s, choosing Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 (the Narrative Lectionary follows the reading from Palm Sunday as it’s secondary passage of vs. 19-29). Repeating the refrain of God’s steadfast love endures forever, this slightly different selection begins at verse 14 with songs of gladness for victory. The psalmist declares that they shall not die, but they will live. Calling the congregation to worship in the temple, as the people prepare to process in, the psalmist reminds the people that though the world rejected them, God has chosen them. This is God’s day—rejoice and be glad!
Paul declares to the church in Corinth that if Christians don’t believe that Christ was raised from the dead, we have indeed been foolish. In 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 Paul addresses the controversy where some Christians were saying it only seemed like Christ raised from the dead. Christ is the first of the new creation, as Adam was the first of the original creation. We are created as something new because of Christ, who is the one who will outlast and endure over all other rulers, and all power will come under him, including the power of death, the last enemy to be destroyed.
(If the Isaiah passage is chosen, then the Acts passage is chosen in lieu of the Epistle reading).
John 20:1-18 is the primary Gospel lesson for the Revised Common Lectionary and is the lesson for the Narrative Lectionary. All four gospels tell this story slightly differently: in John, it was still dark when Mary Magdalene came to the tomb alone and found the stone was already rolled away. Mary ran to tell Peter and the “other,” “beloved” unnamed disciple that the writer of John alludes to as being present in the second half of the gospel, and they both came running. The other disciple outran Peter, but Peter managed to go inside first, finding the linen wrappings and the cloth on Jesus’s head all rolled up neatly. The other disciple then entered the tomb, and “saw and believed.” However, both Peter and this other disciple returned to their own homes. Mary stayed. She was weeping in the garden, and she looked in the tomb and saw two angels who asked her why she was crying. She told them that “they” (we assume some local religious authorities, although it isn’t explained) had taken her Lord and didn’t know where he was. She then confronted a gardener who also asked her why she was crying, and she asked him if he had taken away the body. Then the gardener said her name, and Mary recognized her teacher. Jesus told her not to hold on to him, but to go and tell the disciples that he was ascending to God. Mary went and witnessed to the disciples that she had seen the risen Lord and told them all what Jesus said to her, the first to witness the resurrection and proclaim the good news.
An alternative selection is Luke 24:1-12. In Luke’s account, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Joanna, and the other women who traveled with Jesus came to the tomb at early dawn. They found the stone rolled away and were perplexed. Suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. These angels remark, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” Then they remind the women what Jesus told them in Galilee, and they went and told the remaining disciples and “the rest,” other followers of Jesus. At this point, Peter ran to the tomb and found the linen wrappings by themselves, amazed at what happened.
Even though Jesus said that on the third day he would be raised, how could anyone believe it? How could anyone who witnessed such horrors as the crucifixion, the last and final punishment by the empire, believe that anything good could still happen? How could anyone live again after dying? Paul knew that some were skeptical and believed that Jesus only appeared to die, or appeared to live again, that it couldn’t be a physical resurrection. But that’s just it: God has done the impossible. Everything else in our world and our lives can be explained, but not this. God made life triumph over death. This is unexplainable. It is unbelievable—and yet, belief has triumphed over skepticism. Love has triumphed over hate. Life triumphs over death. The reign of Christ triumphs over the empires of the world. Christ is Risen!
Call to Worship
On the first day of the week, at early dawn,
The stone was rolled away!
The women entered the tomb,
There was no body to be found!
The angels said to them,
“Do not be afraid!
He is not here,
For Christ is Risen!”
Christ is Risen Indeed!
Prayer of Brokenness/Confession
We confess, Loving One, that Christ is Risen Indeed! We confess that we are still beholden to worldly notions of what is final and done, and do not yet understand the fullness of Your Gospel, that Your love endures forever. Guide us from the shadows of the tomb into the radiance of dawn. May we understand now that even if we see in a mirror dimly, one day we shall understand face to face and be blown away by Your compassion, mercy, and grace. In the name of the Risen Christ, we pray all things. Amen.
Blessing/Assurance
We know who our Redeemer is. Flesh and blood, born as one of us, living and breathing as one of us, and dying as one of us, we confess that Christ is Risen, and there is nothing that holds us back from the love of God. Beloved, you are forgiven. You are precious to God. In Christ, you hold the resurrection, and new life that is blooming now. Go and share the Good News of Christ. Amen.
Prayer
God of Ever-Flowing Life, our ancestors in the faith paused for a day after Your death. They paused before entering the tomb. They paused at the words of the angels. Life flows on in endless song, as we are taught, and nothing can stop love and life, but remind us that the pauses are necessary. Even now, as we rejoice in Your resurrection, help us to pause and ponder what it means to move from one moment to the next. Help us to remember to pause for death so that we have space to grieve, and then the space to rejoice in Your resurrection. Help us not to fill pauses with busy-ness, but to create more pauses in our life so that we might contemplate Your life, death, and resurrection, all for us, out of Your great love. For Your love and life are ever-flowing, and will sustain us in the pauses and rests. Amen.
Worship Resources for April 21st, 2019—Easter Sunday
Revised Common Lectionary: Acts 10:34-43 or Isaiah 65:17-25; Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 or Acts 10:34-43; John 20:1-18 or Luke 24:1-12
Narrative Lectionary: Easter, Matthew 28:1-10 (Psalm 118:19-24)
We begin the celebration of resurrection with a selection from Acts, as the Revised Common Lectionary will use selections from Acts as the first reading throughout the season of Easter (this passage is also an alternative for the Epistle reading). Peter’s bold proclamation of God showing no judgment to any nation comes after his dream and encounter with a Roman centurion. Peter understands that the message of Christ was not just for the people of Judea and Galilee, but for the whole world, for Jew and Gentile alike. Peter declares that he and others were witnesses of Christ’s death and resurrection, and Jesus’ commandment is to preach and testify to the people who Christ is.
An alternative to the reading from Acts is Isaiah 65:17-25, the vision of the prophet Isaiah. As the people are returning from exile, the prophet realizes that they are starting to fall back into their old patterns. Isaiah has a vision of God creating a new heaven and a new earth, where the former things are remembered no more. The prophet sees a new Jerusalem, where people will grow old, where they will not have their homes and fields taken from them again. A place where predator and prey eat together, and peace will prevail.
The selection from Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24, overlaps a little with Palm Sunday’s reading from the same psalm. As the psalmist addresses the congregation entering the temple, the psalmist declares that they shall not die, but they shall live. Though the congregation has suffered, God has not given them over to death, and now, the righteous shall enter the gate of God. The people who were rejected are now the foundation of God’s reign.
Paul declares in 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 that if it is only for this life that we had hope in Christ, we have missed out, for Christ has been raised from the dead. Paul uses the image of Adam as the first human being, and that all die as Adam died, but through Christ, all will live. Christ reigns until all enemies are under his feet, including death, destroyed forever (Fun fact: verse 26 is the epitaph on James and Lily Potter’s grave in Harry Potter).
We have two choices of resurrection accounts for the Revised Common Lectionary: the first is from John, and Mary Magdalene has gone to the tomb alone while it is still dark. She sees the stone is rolled away from the tomb, but does not go inside—instead, she goes and tells Peter and the beloved disciple. They both come running—the beloved disciple arrives first, but Peter goes in the tomb before him. However, the beloved disciple is the first to believe. But the disciples return to their homes, while Mary stands by in the garden, weeping. At first she sees two people in dazzling white, who ask her why she is crying—she replies that they have taken her Lord, and she doesn’t know where he is. Then she mistakes the risen Christ for the gardener until he speaks her name. Once she recognizes Jesus, she announces to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord.”
Luke’s account of the resurrection has the women arriving at the tomb at early dawn, ready to anoint Jesus’ body. They find the stone rolled away, and see two men in dazzling clothes. They ask the women, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, he has risen. They remind the women of what Jesus told them in Galilee. But the men do not believe them. Only Peter at least seems amazed at what has happened, having decided to take a peek himself at the empty tomb.
The Narrative Lectionary follows Matthew’s resurrection account, in which Mary Magdalene and the other Mary arrive at the tomb. Only in Matthew’s account is there a great earthquake, and an angel appears to roll away the stone. The angel tells them to go tell the disciples what they have seen, and as they leave to tell the disciples, they are the first to encounter the risen Christ.
The psalmist declares that the righteous may enter the temple of God in Psalm 118:19-24. The ones rejected have now become the foundation of God’s reign, and they celebrate that this day God has made for them, and they are welcomed into God’s home.
In all accounts of the resurrection, the women are the first to arrive, the first to see the angels, the first to know that Christ has risen from the dead. In Matthew and John, Mary Magdalene is the first to experience the risen Christ. They declare the impossible. They stand in the face of those who say death has the final word and declare that Christ is Risen. They stand in the face of fear and declare that the movement isn’t dead but has been revealed, reborn, and will live forever. God always has the final word, and the final word is love and life.
Call to Worship
Darkness gives way to light;
Christ is Risen!
Violence gives way to love;
Christ is Risen!
Despair gives way to hope;
Christ is Risen!
Death gives way to life;
Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed!
Prayer of Brokenness/Confession
O Living One, we confess to the world that Christ is Risen! We confess to the world that death does not have the final word! We confess to the world that hate has no hold on us. We confess to the world that hope is alive and reigns in us! We confess to the world that violence is defeated at the cross, and that life eternal is the commandment of God. We confess that Christ is Risen, Christ is Risen Indeed! Amen.
Blessing/Assurance
May you know the peace of Christ, the hope of Christ, the love of Christ, the assurance of Christ in your life. May you share the Word you have received with love, and declare that love in all you say and do. Amen.
Prayer
On this Resurrection Day, O Christ, we rise up for love. We rise up for hope, for justice, for mercy, for peace. We rise up with the marginalized and oppressed. We rise up with those living on the streets. We rise up with those denied entry and contained in camps along the border. We rise up with those who are hated and rejected for their religion, their language, their culture, their race, their ethnicity. We rise up with those who have experienced violence because of the gender and sexual orientation. We rise up with the rejected, the abused, the outcast. We rise up with the imprisoned and those on death row. On this Resurrection Day, we remember You, O Christ, sentenced to death and crucified for us. We remember You, O Christ, rejected, despised, abused, and killed. We remember You, O Christ, who rose from the dead, and continue to rise up in us. We rise up on this day, for the living Christ, who reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Worship Resources for March 27th, 2016—Easter Sunday
Revised Common Lectionary: Isaiah 65:17-25 or Acts 10:34-43; Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 (or Acts 10:34-43); John 20:1-18 or Luke 24:1-12
Narrative Lectionary: Resurrection, Mark 16:1-8 (Psalm 118:21-27)
The prophet Isaiah speaks of a time when God creates Jerusalem in a new way, in a place where people will no longer be taken from their homes, and there will be no more mourning or tears shed. They will be children of God, blessed by God with joy, and even among the creatures, there will be peace between the wolf and the lamb, and the lion will no longer search for prey. There will be no more pain or violence or destruction, when God creates anew.
Acts 10:34-43 (also an alternative reading for the Epistle reading) is part of the traditional readings for Easter Sunday, Peter’s proclamation that Jesus Christ is Lord of All, who has come for all nations and all peoples. He was put to death, but raised on the third day, and that all who believe in him receive forgiveness of sins.
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 sings that God’s steadfast love endures beyond this life into eternal life. The gate of the Lord is opened because God has opened it, and the righteous may enter and praise God, who is our salvation.
1 Corinthians 15:19-26 speaks of Christ’s reign, and that in Christ we have the resurrection of the dead. Christ will reign until all enemies are under his feet, and the last enemy to be destroyed is death (a side note: this passage is quoted on the tombstone of Harry Potter’s parents in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows).
John’s account of the Resurrection is that it began while it was still dark on the first day of the week, and it is Mary Magdalene, by herself, who comes to the tomb and finds the stone removed. She tells the disciples, but Peter and “the beloved disciple” are the ones who go in, with Peter going in first, although “the beloved disciple” actually outran him. The disciples return home, but Mary remains, weeping in the garden, and mistakes Jesus for the gardener until he says her name. She is the first to experience the Risen Christ, the first to proclaim she has seen him, and the first to tell the other disciples.
Luke’s account of the Resurrection is at early dawn, and it includes Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and other women who followed Jesus. The stone is found rolled away, and there are two men in dazzling white clothes who tell the women that Jesus has risen. When the women tell the disciples, they do not believe them, although Peter does go look at the empty tomb.
The Narrative Lectionary looks to Mark’s account of the Resurrection, which takes place when the sun has risen. Mark lists Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome. The stone again has been rolled away, but when they look inside, they find one man dressed in white. When the man tells them to go to Peter, they run away, and say nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
This selection from Psalm 118 overlaps today’s Revised Common Lectionary reading as well as the reading from last week. The psalmist praises God for choosing the rejected ones, and God is the one who brings light. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord, the one rejected by others, rejected by the world.
The Resurrection reminds us that God is the one with the final word. There is nothing done that cannot be undone by God; not even death is final. Death is the last enemy that will be defeated, along with sin, violence, hatred—everything that can separate us from God is defeated at the resurrection. The tomb is empty, the door from death to life opened forever, through Christ Jesus.
Call to Worship
Christ is not among the dead;
Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed!
Remember, he told you all these things must pass;
Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed!
The tomb is empty; death does not have the final word!
Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed!
Love Wins! Life Wins! Christ reigns forever!
Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed!
Prayer of Brokenness/Confession
God of Life, we come to You admitting our own fault lines and cracks, the places where we fall apart. At times we cannot embrace the life You have given to us because of the sins in the world. Oppression and racism prevail. Hate and hunger control us. Redeem us and free us from the sin of the world through Your love, and call us to the work of justice and redemption for all, in the name of Christ Jesus, who has conquered death and sin forever. Amen.
Blessing/Assurance of Pardon
God is doing something new in us. There is new life all around; can you not perceive it? Know that there is nothing that will separate you from God’s love, and we are called to help bring forth God’s love and justice in this world in new ways. Participate in the reign of God by loving others, and God will do something new in all of us. Amen.
Prayer
Author of Salvation, You have written into our hearts the Word of Life, and the Word is Jesus Christ. Through Christ we have new life now that leads to eternal life. We praise You, for we are fearfully and wonderfully made in Your image, and the image of Love lives in us. May we imitate Christ in his love for all, and in the work of justice and mercy, to participate in Your reign here on earth as it is in heaven, now and forevermore. Amen.
Worship Resources for March 31st—Easter Sunday
Revised Common Lectionary: Isaiah 65:17-25; Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; Luke 24:1-12 or John 20:1-18; Acts 10:34-43 or 1 Corinthians 15:19-26
During the Easter Season, the Revised Common Lectionary uses passages in Acts instead of from the Hebrew Scriptures as the first reading. However, on Easter Sunday, one can either use the Acts passage (I will reflect on it today with the New Testament readings) or this passage from Isaiah 65. Written after the exile, we read these words of promise for a new future, words that are echoed later in Christian scriptures in Revelation. God is doing something new, something that cannot be undone or taken away. God is doing something new for all the people, something they also can no longer reject. God is still at work, creating something new that began long ago, a new creation without violence, without pain and suffering, where life is affirmed in its fullness, where all are welcome. On Easter, as Christians we rejoice that the one who was rejected, the one who suffered, the one who was abused, neglected, betrayed and killed has risen. We rejoice that in his rising, death is conquered, love wins, suffering and violence and abuse do not have the final words. The new creation that God has promised and is at work creating right now is beyond what we can see or understand now, but it is coming into fruition, into the fullness of being, and we can participate in it now.
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 was also part of one of the psalm choices for Palm Sunday. The psalmist rejoices in what God has done, and celebrates the work of God in each and every day, recalling that God delivers us, even from death.
Luke 24:1-12 tells of the resurrection of Jesus and lists more women than the other Gospels do. Similar to other accounts, the women come at “early dawn” and encounter angels (“two men”) and ask “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” Once again, the women tell the disciples but the disciples do not understand. However, in Luke’s account, Peter seems to question and wonder what has happened, as opposed to Matthew and Mark.
In John 20:1-18, only Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb and finds it empty (but notice that in John, it is still dark outside!). Again, Peter comes to the tomb after Mary has gone, but John’s Gospel also lists a “beloved disciple” who believes. Mary is the first to recognize Jesus when he appears to her in the garden, though not at first. Mary does believe, however, and goes and tells the rest of the disciples who still fail to believe.
Each Gospel account of the Resurrection is slightly different. Luke’s is fairly straightforward, mentioning more women, including the women who are listed in Luke 8 as some of the financial providers for Jesus and the disciples. They do not see Jesus risen, but they believe the words of the men they saw, and even Peter, who doesn’t fully believe, has to get up and at least look in the tomb.
But John’s only mentions Mary Magdalene, but has a much longer account of what happened that morning, beginning in the darkness and moving to the light. Even Mary in her faithfulness at first does not recognize the risen Jesus. What is it about his appearance that is so different? We know from reading further in John 20 that he still has his scars. Is Jesus disfigured? Is he glowing with heavenly light? What do you think? It is when Jesus calls Mary’s name that she finally recognizes him, and calls him “Teacher,” the name she has used for him. Because she calls him “Teacher,” we understand Mary to be a student—in other words, a disciple! And Mary is commissioned to go and tell the others.
Acts 10:34-43 (which can also be used as an alternative for the Isaiah reading) is Peter’s proclamation to the Gentiles, after Peter’s vision and encounter with Cornelius, a centurion who desired to follow Jesus. Peter’s proclamation reminds us that the Good News does not stop with the empty tomb, but continues into the world, and that we are called to proclaim that Christ is Risen, that forgiveness of sins abounds in Jesus, and that we are living witnesses of the resurrected life, of Christ in us.
1 Corinthians 15:9-26 reminds us that there is more to this life than what we see. If this is all that we have to hope for, then we are to be most pitied, according to Paul. But there is more that we hope for. We hope for the boundaries of this life to be broken down, that death no longer has the final word. This is what we believe, that in Christ, the ends of this life have been wiped away and the wall between life and death, between earth and heaven, is destroyed at last.
*A brief tangent and side-note. 1 Cor. 15:26 is quoted in the final Harry Potter book, when Harry visits his parent’s graves. He is disturbed by these words “The last enemy to be destroyed is death,” but Hermione tells him that these are not words to be disturbed by but that they bring comfort. Harry finds that in order to stand up and defeat the evil in his world, Lord Voldemort, he has to defeat his fear of death. It is the fear of death that he has to conquer, and to conquer it, he has to be willing to die to save his friends. Don’t know if that’s a useful sermon illustration, but I leave it for you.
The question we must ask ourselves every year is “How can I share the Good News of Christ’s Resurrection in a new way?” We have to remember that Easter is probably the number one Sunday for new visitors who may not have ever heard the fullness of the Resurrection story before. It is also a time when every regular attendee will be there and they’ve heard many Easter sermons. So how do you make it different, and yet reach new ears? How do you share the message that Love is stronger than death, that we believe in the hope of resurrection in Christ, in which death is no more? How will you share it in a new way this year?
Call to Worship
The tomb is dark, but empty
The one you are looking for has overcome the darkness
The stone has been rolled away
The one you are looking for has overcome death
The burial clothes are put aside
The one you are looking for is alive!
Christ is Risen!
Christ is Risen Indeed!
Let us worship our Risen Savior!
Prayer of Brokenness/Confession
Almighty God, Creator of the heavens and earth, we confess that we do not always live into the message of hope and salvation, the promise of eternal life. We live in ways that make the here and now more important than the future. We live in ways that put ourselves and our own success first over the needs of others and the long-term needs of the world. Forgive us for our selfish ways and call us into the path of Christ, who humbled himself and gave himself up for us on the cross, so that death might be no more and that all can share in the joy of salvation and eternal life, through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Blessing/Assurance of Pardon (from Romans 8:38)
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen and Amen!
Prayer
Author of Salvation, You have written into our hearts the plan of life. You have called us away from the dead-end roads of the world that put ourselves ahead of others, that lead us to wealth and fame and fortune at the cost of others. Instead, You have called us into the paths of life, in which we reach out to those in need, we are mindful of the poor and the dejected, we care for the sick and the injured, and we stand up for the marginalized and the oppressed. You called us to seek life for others and in that losing of our own selfishness, we find our lives in You. You gave Your Son, who fully gave up his life for us, gave up violent retaliation to die a criminal on a cross, and through that sacrifice of his own will, conquered death and allowed for Your will, Life Eternal, to reign. We give You thanks for Your son, Jesus the Christ, who gave us life, and in doing so, lives again. May we share the blessings of resurrection in our lives with the world, through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.