A Handmade Easter Vigil: Hands that Praise

Saturday, April 11, The Great Vigil of Easter, Year A                

Lessons:

There are twelve lessons appointed for the Vigil. Lessons with an asterisk are essential. Others may be omitted.

*First Lesson: Genesis 1:1-2:4a                                             Creation

Second Lesson: Genesis 7:1-5, 11-18; 8:6-18; 9:8-13            The flood

Third Lesson: Genesis 22:1-18                                               Testing of Abraham

*Fourth Lesson: Exodus 14:10-31; 15:20-21                         Red Sea Deliverance

*Fifth Lesson: Isaiah 55:1-11                                                 Salvation for all

Sixth Lesson: Proverbs 8:1-8, 19-21; 9:4b-6                           God’s wisdom

Seventh Lesson: Ezekiel 36:24-28                                           A new heart and spirit

Eighth Lesson: Ezekiel 37:1-14                                               Valley of dry bones

Ninth Lesson: Zephaniah 3:14-20                                           Gathering God’s people

Tenth Lesson: Jonah 1:1-2:1                                                   Deliverance of Jonah

Eleventh Lesson: Isaiah 61:1-4, 9-11                                    Garments of Salvation

*Twelfth Lesson: Daniel 3:1-29                                              The fiery furnace

Theme:  God’s faithful and generous people love to tell the stories of faith, taking their part in the grand narrative of God’s great love for all of creation, made evident in Jesus the Christ.

Context: Holy Saturday is that liminal space when we mourn the death of Jesus and await the resurrection of the Christ.

Key Scripture: The women were very afraid and confused. They left the tomb and ran away. They did not tell about what happened, because they were afraid. -Mark 16:8

Gratitude Connection: Have you ever considered how grateful you are for the gift of Jesus’ endless mercy, abiding love, and saving grace? Spend some time today giving thanks for the good news that transcends everything—even COVID-19. Consider sitting quietly for a while to meditate and pray and give thanks for Christ. Here’s a wonderful rendition of “In Christ Alone” to help settle your heart and mind.

Reflection:  The Great Vigil of Easter has long been one of my favorite liturgies. The very first one I attended seemed mystical and magical. Since then I’ve attended Easter Vigil at the seminary I attended, with several congregations gathered together in a historic building, at an intergenerational family Easter Vigil, and in the shadow of the Pennsylvania Capitol building. The setting may be different, but the common elements of gathering to light the fire, telling the stories, and being the first to ring out the Easter Alleluias are constants. The sense of being part of something holy and timeless keeps me coming back. This year, the Great Vigil of Easter will look considerably different, thanks to the physical/social distancing imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Perhaps there is a silver lining in the possibility that more people may be able to experience the service—even if it is in a digital or “handmade” version at home.

I’ve also chosen this year to use the Year B gospel lesson from Mark because it feels closer to the range of emotions that many of us are experiencing, from confusion to outright fear. I appreciate the raw, emotional honesty of Mark’s account. Check out this year’s SOLI Easter Lectionary Reflection for more on that.

Digging Deeper: This year, do take part in an Easter Vigil. Feel free to use any elements of the liturgy that follows. There will certainly be congregations in your area offering some sort of Easter Vigil online. If you are by yourself and don’t want to set up a full Vigil, then simply light a candle, spend some time reading the great stories of faith that are part of the Vigil, and meditate and pray on the wonderful truth that you are part of this grand narrative. If weather permits, go outside and look up at the night sky and know that death did not defeat the Christ.

Liturgy for a Handmade Easter Vigil

Supplies you will need: Since we are all sheltering in place, creativity and adaptability are necessary. If you are with family, involve everyone in preparing for the Vigil. Here’s as suggested list:

• A Vigil fire (outdoor fire pit, indoor fireplace, or a small alcohol-based fire in a disposable foil roasting pan or similar vessel)
• Large bowl filled with water to remember your baptism
• Clear Christmas lights, green branches, flowers and plants to which you have access
• A candle to use as the Christ candle (a large pillar candle works well, white if possible, but whatever you have will do)
• A table to use as a home altar, a white cloth to cover it, a cross if you have it, candles
• If you are celebrating with children you will want to assemble small bags or boxes of items that help tell the stories. I have used animal crackers for the flood story, goldfish crackers for the Jonah story, something to represent every day of creation for the creation story. Think outside the box and use whatever you have available.
• Pots, pans, noisemakers, etc. to “ring in” Easter

Two possible ways to host this Vigil: You can provide the liturgy on your church website or Facebook Page, or personal blog. This will allow you to post videos. You could invite members to read each story and then embed their short videos prior to Saturday. Post the lessons and encourage worshipers to tell the stories in their own words at home. I am using the Easy to Read version, (ERV) (Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International), but you can certainly choose your favorite translation or paraphrase. Yes, it will be strange to celebrate the Great Vigil and Easter worship without sharing the Eucharist together, but blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape. The great stories will be shared, the faith passed along, and God will be praised and Christ glorified. As Julian of Norwich reminds us: “all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.” One of the blessings of this time apart may be the possibility that more people will take the time to explore this most important celebration of the liturgical year.

Note: Bold responses indicate that all respond together.

Service of Light

Begin outside with a small fire if possible. Kindle the fire and light the Christ candle.

Beloved, on this most holy night when our Savior Jesus Christ passed from death to life, we gather with all the Church throughout the world in vigil and prayer. This is the passover of Jesus the Christ. Through light, word, and water we celebrate the new life that Christ longs for us to have.

Let us pray.

Redeeming God, source of all life and light, bless this new fire. May we be warmed by the celebration of this Easter feast to share in the everlasting festival of your boundless love, through Jesus Christ, the light of the world. Amen.

May the light of Christ, rising in glory, illumine our hearts and minds. (Light Christ candle from the fire.)

Carry the candle into the room you have prepared for worship. The person carrying the candle says the following three times, and others respond.

The light of Christ.
Thanks be to God.

Alleluia! Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Rejoice, all creation!
Let the heavenly chorus sing!
Jesus Christ, our light, is risen! Sound the trumpet of salvation!
Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendor, the light of Christ will warm our night.

Christ has conquered!
Glory fills you! Darkness will vanish forever!
Rejoice, people of God! Give glory! The risen Savior shines upon you!
Let this place resound with joy. Echoing the mighty song of all God’s people!

The Lord is here.
God’s Spirit is with us.

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to God.
It is right to offer thanks and praise.

It is truly right that with full hearts and minds and voices we should praise you, the eternal God, and your First-born, our Savior Jesus Christ.
For Christ is the true passover lamb who has set your faithful people free.
This is the night when you saved the people of Israel from their slavery in Egypt and led them through the Red Sea on dry land.

This is the night!
This is the night, when the pillar of fire brought light to your wandering people.

This is the night!
This is the night when all who believe in Christ are delivered from gloom, and are restored to grace, and grow together in fullness of life.

This is the night!
This is the night when Jesus Christ broke the chains of death and rose triumphant from the grave.

This is the night!
Night truly blessed when heaven is joined to earth and we are reconciled with God!
Therefore, Holy God, in the joy of this night, accept our praise as your people’s offering.
Accept this Easter candle, a flame divided but undimmed, a pillar of fire that glows to your honor, O God.
Let it mingle with the lights of heaven and continue burning to lighten the darkness of this night!
May the Morning Star find this flame still burning among us. Christ is that Morning Star, who rises to shed your peaceful light on all creation.
Christ is now alive and glorified with you forever and ever. Amen.

Sharing the Stories

Beloved, we have begun our solemn vigil, let us now listen to the word of God, let us retell the stories of how God set people free and how God sent Jesus Christ to be our redeemer.

A reading from Genesis…

The Beginning of the World

God created the sky and the earth. At first,the earth was completely empty. There was nothing on the earth. Darkness covered the ocean, and God’s Spirit moved over the water.

The First Day—Light

Then God said, “Let there be light!” And light began to shine. He saw the light, and he knew that it was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. God named the light “day,” and he named the darkness “night.”

There was evening, and then there was morning. This was the first day.

The Second Day—Sky

Then God said, “Let there be a space to separate the water into two parts!” So God made the space and separated the water. Some of the water was above it, and some of the water was below it. God named that space “sky.” There was evening, and then there was morning. This was the second day.

The Third Day—Dry Land and Plants

Then God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered together so that the dry land will appear.” And it happened. God named the dry land “earth,” and he named the water that was gathered together “seas.” And God saw that this was good.

Then God said, “Let the earth grow grass, plants that make grain, and fruit trees. The fruit trees will make fruit with seeds in it. And each plant will make its own kind of seed. Let these plants grow on the earth.” And it happened. The earth grew grass and plants that made grain. And it grew trees that made fruit with seeds in it. Every plant made its own kind of seeds. And God saw that this was good.

There was evening, and then there was morning. This was the third day.

The Fourth Day—Sun, Moon, and Stars

Then God said, “Let there be lights in the sky. These lights will separate the days from the nights. They will be used for signs to show when special meetings begin and to show the days and years. They will be in the sky to shine light on the earth.” And it happened. So God made the two large lights. He made the larger light to rule during the day and the smaller light to rule during the night. He also made the stars. God put these lights in the sky to shine on the earth. He put them in the sky to rule over the day and over the night. They separated the light from the darkness. And God saw that this was good.

There was evening, and then there was morning. This was the fourth day.

The Fifth Day—Fish and Birds

Then God said, “Let the water be filled with many living things, and let there be birds to fly in the air over the earth.” So God created the large sea animals. He created all the many living things in the sea and every kind of bird that flies in the air. And God saw that this was good.

God blessed all the living things in the sea and told them to have many babies and fill the seas. And he blessed the birds on land and told them to have many more babies.

There was evening, and then there was morning. This was the fifth day.

The Sixth Day—Land Animals and People

Then God said, “Let the earth produce many kinds of living things. Let there be many different kinds of animals. Let there be large animals and small crawling animals of every kind. And let all these animals produce more animals.” And all these things happened.

So God made every kind of animal. He made the wild animals, the tame animals, and all the small crawling things. And God saw that this was good.

Then God said, “Now let’s make humans who will be like us. They will rule over all the fish in the sea and the birds in the air. They will rule over all the large animals and all the little things that crawl on the earth.”

So God created humans in his own image. He created them to be like himself. He created them male and female. God blessed them and said to them, “Have many children. Fill the earth and take control of it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the air. Rule over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

God said, “I am giving you all the grain-bearing plants and all the fruit trees. These trees make fruit with seeds in it. This grain and fruit will be your food. And I am giving all the green plants to the animals. These green plants will be their food. Every animal on earth, every bird in the air, and all the little things that crawl on the earth will eat that food.” And all these things happened.

God looked at everything he had made. And he saw that everything was very good.

There was evening, and then there was morning. This was the sixth day.

The Seventh Day—Rest

So the earth, the sky, and everything in them were finished. God finished the work he was doing, so on the seventh day he rested from his work. God blessed the seventh day and made it a holy day. He made it special because on that day he rested from all the work he did while creating the world.

This is the story about the creation of the sky and the earth. This is what happened when the Lord God made the earth and the sky.

Word of God; Word of Life. Thanks be to God.

Psalm 136:1-9, 23-26 (read responsively by half verse)

Praise the Lord because he is good.
    His faithful love will last forever.
² Praise the God of gods!
    His faithful love will last forever.
³ Praise the Lord of lords!
    His faithful love will last forever.
⁴ Praise him who alone does wonderful miracles!
    His faithful love will last forever.
⁵ Praise the one who used wisdom to make the skies!
His faithful love will last forever.
⁶He spread the land over the sea.
    His faithful love will last forever.
⁷ He made the great lights.
    His faithful love will last forever.
⁸ He made the sun to rule the day.
    His faithful love will last forever.
⁹ He made the moon and stars to rule the night.
    His faithful love will last forever.

²³ He remembered us when we were defeated.
    His faithful love will last forever.
²⁴ He saved us from our enemies.
    His faithful love will last forever.
²⁵ He provides food for all living things.
    His faithful love will last forever.
²⁶ Praise the God of heaven!
    His faithful love will last forever.

Let us pray.

Silence
Creating God, you wonderfully spoke into being all that is, and restored the dignity of human nature; grant that we may share the divine life of the one who came to share our humanity, Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

A reading from Exodus…

¹⁰ When the Israelites saw Pharaoh and his army coming toward them, they were very frightened and cried to the Lord for help. ¹¹ They said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Did you bring us out here in the desert to die? We could have died peacefully in Egypt; there were plenty of graves in Egypt. ¹² We told you this would happen! In Egypt we said, ‘Please don’t bother us. Let us stay and serve the Egyptians.’ It would have been better for us to stay and be slaves than to come out here and die in the desert.”

¹³ But Moses answered, “Don’t be afraid! Don’t run away! Stand where you are and watch the Lord save you today. You will never see these Egyptians again. ¹⁴ You will not have to do anything but stay calm. The Lord will do the fighting for you.”

¹⁵ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you still crying to me? Tell the Israelites to start moving. ¹⁶ Raise the walking stick in your hand over the Red Sea, and the sea will split. Then the people can go across on dry land. ¹⁷ I have made the Egyptians brave, so they will chase you. But I will show you that I am more powerful than Pharaoh and all of his horses and chariots. ¹⁸ Then Egypt will know that I am the Lord. They will honor me when I defeat Pharaoh and his horse soldiers and chariots.”

¹⁹ Then the angel of God moved to the back of the people. (The angel was usually in front of the people, leading them.) So the tall cloud moved from in front of the people and went to the back of the people. ²⁰ In this way the cloud stood between the Egyptians and the Israelites. There was light for the Israelites. But there was darkness for the Egyptians. So the Egyptians did not come any closer to the Israelites that night.

²¹ Moses raised his hand over the Red Sea, and the Lord caused a strong wind to blow from the east. The wind blew all night long. The sea split, and the wind made the ground dry. ²² The Israelites went through the sea on dry land. The water was like a wall on their right and on their left. ²³ Then all of Pharaoh’s chariots and horse soldiers followed them into the sea. ²⁴ Early that morning the Lord looked down from the tall cloud and column of fire at the Egyptian army. Then he made them panic. ²⁵ The wheels of the chariots became stuck. It was very hard to control the chariots. The Egyptians shouted, “Let’s get out of here! The Lord is fighting against us. He is fighting for the Israelites.”

²⁶ Then the Lord told Moses, “Raise your hand over the sea to make the water fall and cover the Egyptian chariots and horse soldiers.”

²⁷ So just before daylight, Moses raised his hand over the sea. And the water rushed back to its proper level. The Egyptians were running as fast as they could from the water, but the Lord swept them away with the sea. ²⁸ The water returned to its normal level and covered the chariots and horse soldiers. Pharaoh’s army had been chasing the Israelites, but that army was destroyed. None of them survived!

²⁹ But the Israelites crossed the sea on dry land. The water was like a wall on their right and on their left. ³⁰ So that day the Lord saved the Israelites from the Egyptians. Later, the Israelites saw the dead bodies of the Egyptians on the shore of the Red Sea. ³¹ The Israelites saw the great power of the Lord when he defeated the Egyptians. So the people feared and respected the Lord, and they began to trust the Lord and his servant Moses.

²⁰ Then Aaron’s sister, the woman prophet Miriam, took a tambourine. She and the women began singing and dancing. ²¹ Miriam repeated the words,

“Sing to the Lord!
    He has done great things.
He threw horse and rider
    into the sea ….”

Word of God; Word of Life. Thanks be to God.

Let us pray.

Silence

God of freedom, in the Red Sea you used water to bring salvation, reminding us of our baptism. We pray all may come to new life by water and the Spirit and share in the good plans you have for your people; through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

A reading from Isaiah…

God Gives “Food” That Really Satisfies

55 “All you people who are thirsty, come!
    Here is water for you to drink.
Don’t worry if you have no money.
    Come, eat and drink until you are full!
You don’t need money.
    The milk and wine are free.
² Why waste your money on something that is not real food?
    Why should you work for something that does not really satisfy you?
Listen closely to me and you will eat what is good.
    You will enjoy the food that satisfies your soul.
³ Listen closely to what I say.
    Listen to me so that you will live.
I will make an agreement with you that will last forever.
    It will be an agreement you can trust, like the one I made with David—
    a promise to love him and be loyal to him forever.
⁴ I made David a witness of my power for all nations.
    I promised him that he would become a ruler and commander of many nations.”

⁵ There are nations in places you don’t know,
    but you will call for them to come.
They don’t know you,
    but they will run to you.
This will happen because the Lord, your God, wants it.
    It will happen because the Holy One of Israel honors you.
⁶ So you should look for the Lord
    before it is too late.
You should call to him now,
    while he is near.
⁷ Evil people should stop living evil lives.
    They should stop thinking bad thoughts.
They should come to the Lord again,
    and he will comfort them.
They should come to our God
    because he will freely forgive them.

People Cannot Understand God

⁸ The Lord says, “My thoughts are not like yours.
    Your ways are not like mine.
⁹ Just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so my ways are higher than your ways,
    and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts.

¹⁰ “Rain and snow fall from the sky
    and don’t return until they have watered the ground.
Then the ground causes the plants to sprout and grow,
    and they produce seeds for the farmer and food for people to eat.
¹¹ In the same way, my words leave my mouth,
    and they don’t come back without results.
My words make the things happen that I want to happen.
    They succeed in doing what I send them to do.

Word of God; Word of Life. Thanks be to God.

Let us pray.

Silence

Giving God, you spoke all things into existence, and by your Spirit you renew the earth. We are thirsty; give us the water of life. We are hungry; nourish us at your table. Sustain our lives to bear the abundant fruit of your love in the name of Jesus. Amen.

A reading from Daniel…

The Idol of Gold and the Hot Furnace

King Nebuchadnezzar had a gold idol made that was ninety feet high and nine feet wide. Then he set the idol up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. ² Then he called the satraps, prefects, governors, advisors, treasurers, judges, rulers, and all the other officials in his kingdom to come together. He wanted all of them to come to the dedication ceremony for the idol.

³ So all the men came and stood in front of the idol that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. ⁴ Then the man who makes announcements for the king spoke in a loud voice, “All you people from many nations and language groups, listen to me. This is what you are commanded to do: ⁵ You must bow down as soon as you hear the sound of all the musical instruments. When you hear the horns, flutes, lyres, sambucas, harps, bagpipes, and all the other musical instruments, you must worship the gold idol. King Nebuchadnezzar has set this idol up. ⁶ Whoever does not bow down and worship this gold idol will immediately be thrown into a very hot furnace.”

⁷ So as soon as they heard the sound of the horns, flutes, lyres, sambucas, bagpipes, and all the other musical instruments, they bowed down and worshiped the gold idol. All the peoples, nations, and different language groups there worshiped the gold idol that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

⁸ Then some of the Chaldeans came up to the king and began speaking against the people from Judah. ⁹ They said, “King, may you live forever! ¹⁰ King, you gave a command. You said that everyone who hears the sound of the horns, flutes, lyres, sambucas, harps, bagpipes, and all the other musical instruments must bow down and worship the gold idol. ¹¹ And you also said that whoever does not bow down and worship the gold idol will be thrown into a very hot furnace. ¹² There are some Judeans who you made important officials in the province of Babylon that ignored your order, King. Their names are Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They don’t worship your gods, and they didn’t bow down to worship the gold idol you set up.”

¹³ Nebuchadnezzar became very angry. He called for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So they were brought to him. ¹⁴ And Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, is it true that you don’t worship my gods? And is it true that you didn’t bow down and worship the gold idol I have set up? ¹⁵ Now when you hear the sound of the horns, flutes, lyres, sambucas, harps, bagpipes, and all the other musical instruments, you must bow down and worship the gold idol. If you are ready to worship the idol I have made, that is good. But if you don’t worship it, you will be thrown very quickly into the hot furnace. Then no god will be able to save you from my power!”

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to explain these things to you. ¹⁷ If you throw us into the hot furnace, the God we serve can save us. And if he wants to, he can save us from your power. ¹⁸ But even if God does not save us, we want you to know, King, that we refuse to serve your gods. We will not worship the gold idol you have set up.”

¹⁹ Then Nebuchadnezzar became very angry with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave an order for the oven to be heated seven times hotter than it usually was. ²⁰ Then he commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He told the soldiers to throw them into the hot furnace.

²¹ So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were tied up and thrown into the hot furnace. They were wearing their robes, pants, cloth caps, and other clothes. ²² The king was very angry when he gave the command, so the soldiers quickly made the furnace very hot. The fire was so hot that the flames killed the strong soldiers. They were killed when they went close to the fire to throw in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. ²³ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego fell into the fire. They were tied up very tightly.

²⁴ Then King Nebuchadnezzar jumped to his feet. He was very surprised and he asked his advisors, “We tied only three men, and we threw only three men into the fire. Is that right?”

His advisors said, “Yes, King.”

²⁵ The king said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire. They are not tied up and they are not burned. The fourth man looks like an angel.”

²⁶ Then Nebuchadnezzar went to the opening of the hot furnace. He shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, come out! Servants of the Most High God, come here!”

So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire. ²⁷ When they came out, the satraps, prefects, governors, and royal advisors crowded around them. They could see that the fire had not burned Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Their bodies were not burned at all. Their hair was not burned, and their robes were not burned. They didn’t even smell as if they had been near fire.

²⁸ Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Their God has sent his angel and saved his servants from the fire! These three men trusted their God and refused to obey my command. They were willing to die instead of serving or worshiping any other god. ²⁹ So I now make this law: Anyone from any nation or language group who says anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be cut into pieces, and their house will be destroyed until it is a pile of dirt and ashes. No other god can save his people like this.”

Word of God; Word of Life. Thanks be to God.

Let us pray.

Silence

God of all nations, we give you thanks for the faithful witness of Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and all the faithful who love and serve you above all else. Thank you, God, for sending Jesus to embody divine love, mercy, and grace. In the name of the Christ, Amen.

Holy Intermission and Really Good News!

Turn up the lights, sing a song/hymn, and make some noise with your pots, pans, and other noisemakers. If you have a table for a home altar, cover it with a white cloth, light some candles on it, and place some flowers or budding branches on it.

Let us pray.

Silence

Holy God, source of light and life, this holy night shines with the glory of the risen Christ; renew your Church with the Spirit given to us in baptism. Lead us worship you with our whole heart, and send us to shine as your light in the world. Accept our prayer in the name of Jesus the Christ, who defeated death and lives now and forever. Amen.

The New Testament Readings

A reading from Romans, chapter six, verses 3-11…

³ Did you forget that all of us became part of Christ Jesus when we were baptized? In our baptism we shared in his death. ⁴ So when we were baptized, we were buried with Christ and took part in his death. And just as Christ was raised from death by the wonderful power of the Father, so we can now live a new life.

⁵ Christ died, and we have been joined with him by dying too. So we will also be joined with him by rising from death as he did. ⁶ We know that our old life was put to death on the cross with Christ. This happened so that our sinful selves would have no power over us. Then we would not be slaves to sin. ⁷ Anyone who has died is made free from sin’s control.

⁸ If we died with Christ, we know that we will also live with him. ⁹ Christ was raised from death. And we know that he cannot die again. Death has no power over him now. ¹⁰ Yes, when Christ died, he died to defeat the power of sin one time—enough for all time. He now has a new life, and his new life is with God. ¹¹ In the same way, you should see yourselves as being dead to the power of sin and alive for God through Christ Jesus.

Word of God; Word of life. Thanks be to God.

The Holy Gospel according to Mark, the sixteenth chapter, verses 1-8…

(Note: I am using the Year B lesson because of our current COVID-19 situation.)

Glory to you, O Lord.

News That Jesus Has Risen From Death

The next day after the Sabbath day, Mary Magdalene, Salome, and Mary the mother of James bought some sweet-smelling spices to put on Jesus’ body. ² Very early on that day, the first day of the week, the women were going to the tomb. It was very early after sunrise. ³ The women said to each other, “There is a large stone covering the entrance of the tomb. Who will move the stone for us?”

⁴ Then the women looked and saw that the stone was moved. The stone was very large, but it was moved away from the entrance. ⁵ The women walked into the tomb and saw a young man there wearing a white robe. He was sitting on the right side of the tomb. The women were afraid.

⁶ But the man said, “Don’t be afraid. You are looking for Jesus from Nazareth, the one who was killed on a cross. He has risen from death! He is not here. Look, here is the place they put him when he was dead. ⁷ Now go and tell his followers. And be sure to tell Peter. Tell them, ‘Jesus is going into Galilee and will be there before you come. You will see him there, as he told you before.’”

⁸ The women were very afraid and confused. They left the tomb and ran away. They did not tell about what happened, because they were afraid.

This is the gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.

Alleluia. Christ is risen. Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia.

Message (You might choose to send out a very brief video message to include here.)

Gather around the bowl of water to remember your baptism.

A Renewal of Baptism (from the New Zealand Prayer Book)

I invite you (to stand) to affirm your commitment to Christ and your rejection of all that is evil.

Do you believe in God the Father?

I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s 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, is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and will come again to judge the living and the dead.

Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?

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.

Those who are baptized are called to worship and serve God. From the beginning, believers have continued in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers.

Will you commit yourself to this life?

I will, with God’s help.

Will you forgive others as you are forgiven?

I will, with God’s help.

Will you seek to love your neighbor as yourself, and strive for peace and justice?

I will, with God’s help.

Will you accept the cost of following Jesus Christ in your daily life and work?

I will, with God’s help.

With the whole Church will you proclaim by word and action the Good News of God in Christ?

I will, with God’s help.

Let us give thanks to God.
It is right to offer thanks and praise.

We thank you God for your love in all creation, especially for your gift of water to sustain, refresh and cleanse all life.

We thank you that through the waters of baptism you cleanse us, renew us by your Spirit and raise us to new life. In the new covenant we are made members of your Church and share in your eternal kingdom.

We pray that all who have passed through the waters of baptism may continue for ever in the risen life of Christ. Through Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all praise and thanks be yours, Redeemer God, now and forever. Amen.

If you have a fresh green branch, you may dip it in the water and sprinkle one another.

The renewal of baptism is concluded with the following prayer.

God our creator, the rock of our salvation, we thank you for our new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, for the forgiveness of our sins, and for our fellowship in the household of faith with all those who have been baptized in your name; keep us faithful to the calling of our baptism, now and for ever. Amen.

If communion is to be celebrated, insert it here. If not, continue with the Lord’s Prayer.

The risen Christ is in our midst, so with Christ we pray.

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.
Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.

The Sending:

Go now to love and serve the Lord. Go in peace. Alleluia! Alleluia!
Amen. We go in the name of Christ. Alleluia! Alleluia!