PRELUDE MUSIC- Phillip Herr-Klepacki

WELCOME, RINGING THE BELL and LIGHTING THE CANDLE

HYMN – “Christ the Lord is Risen Today,” with Mark Burlingame, Carl Carter, Ewan Johnson, Xander Kiker, Douglas Maurer

Christ the Lord is risen today, Al-le-lu-ia!
Mortal tongues and angels say, Al-le-lu-ia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high. Al-le-lu-ia!
Sing, glad heavens, and earth reply: Al-le-lu-ia!

To the tomb the women bring, Al-le-lu-ia!
Spices rich, an offering, Al-le-lu-ia!
Asking where Jesus might be, Al-le-lu-ia!
Savior come to set us free, Al-le-lu-ia!

Love’s redeeming work is done, Al-le-lu-ia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Al-le-lu-ia!
Death in vain forbids Christ rise, Al-le-lu-ia!
God has opened paradise, Al-le-lu-ia!

Soar we now where Christ has led, Al-le-lu-ia!
Following our exalted head, Al-le-lu-ia!
Made like Christ, like Christ we rise, Al-le-lu-ia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Al-le-lu-ia!

PRAYERS – Rev. Andy Bachmann

Leader – On the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb – Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women who had followed Jesus from Galilee, bringing the spices they had prepared. The women found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went inside, they did not find Jesus’ body.

People – Early in the morning, on this Sunday, the first day of the week, we come here with a new appreciation for the resurrection, and what it means for a world long in slumber. We wonder what stones will be rolled away for us?

Leader – While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two beings in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the beings said to them, Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here but has risen.  Remember how he told you, when he was still in Galilee, that he would be crucified and on the third day rise again?

People – Early on this Sunday morning, we come here, no longer seeking what is dead, seeking instead the One who breathes and lives and moves within our own resurrected lives.

Leader – The women returned from the tomb and told all that they had seen and heard to the eleven disciples and to all the rest.  But these words seemed to them to be an idle tale, and they did not believe them.  Peter got up and ran to the tomb, stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves.  Then Peter went home, amazed at what had happened.

People – Early on this Easter morning, we come here -with hearts and eyes wide open to the true miracles of this life! Miracles of the morning, of life-giving love, and the true blessing of community and care. Holy is the day we receive this new life! Holy is the new life we receive this day.

TIME WITH THE CHILDREN OF ALL AGES- Rev. Talia Raymond

SPECIAL MUSIC  — “Near the Cross,” composed by William H. Doane, arranged by Gary Lanier. Offered by Cynthia Martin and Phillip Herr-Klepacki

READING

“It is a world of magic and mystery, of deep darkness and flickering starlight. It is a world where terrible things happen and wonderful things too. It is a world where goodness is pitted against evil, love against hate, order against chaos, in a great struggle where often it is hard to be sure who belongs to which side because appearances are endlessly deceptive. Yet for all its confusion and wildness, it is a world where the battle goes ultimately to the good, who live happily ever after, and where in the long run everybody, good and evil alike, becomes known by his true name….That is the fairy tale of the Gospel with, of course, one crucial difference from all other fairy tales, which is that the claim made for it is that it is true, that it not only happened once upon a time but has kept on happening ever since and is happening still.”

– Frederick Buechner, in Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale

SCRIPTURE –  1 Corinthians 15:1-2a, 4b-8

Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, through which also you are being saved… that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.

Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

SERMON – “The Inevitable and the Miraculous”- Rev. Bromleigh McCleneghan

HYMN – “Morning Has Broken”    

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning,
Born of the one light, Eden saw play.
Praise with elation, praise every morning,
God’s recreation of the new day.

BENEDICTION

In the empty tomb, you have given us to know
that death and darkness have not the last word:
the seed becomes fruit;
the caterpillar spreads its wings;
and from the stillness of the earth, rises the glory of new life
Easter!

ALLELUIA

POSTLUDE