A few people have been asking about a simple Easter service with families and small children in mind. I specifically left out service music, kept to hymns that are very simple, and grabbed Common Worship's EP H for its brevity. This service does NOT conform to the rubrics for a Principle Easter Service but could be used at a secondary service. It is generally not my inclination to combine the words Easter Service and Simple but I think this will work. Hope it is useful.
Alleluia. Christ is risen.
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.
Hymn 204 Now
the Green Blade Riseth
God be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray
Almighty God, who for our redemption gave your only-begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection
delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant us so to die daily to sin, that
we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection; through Jesus
Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one
God, now and for ever. Amen.
A lesson from the letter of Paul to the Romans
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into
Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with
him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by
the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we
have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with
him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with
him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be
enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin. But if we have died
with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ,
being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion
over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he
lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and
alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Hear what the spirit is saying to God’s people.
Thanks be to God
Hymn 50 This
is the day the Lord hath made
The Holy Gospel of our Savior Jesus Christ According to Luke
Glory to you Lord Christ
On the first day of the week, at early dawn, the women who
had come with Jesus from Galilee came to the tomb, taking the spices that they
had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they
went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this,
suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were
terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men 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, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of
Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise
again." Then they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb, they
told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene,
Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this
to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not
believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he
saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had
happened.
The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you Lord Christ
Sermon
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from
heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from
the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and
was buried.
On the
third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will
have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of
life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the
world to come. Amen.
Let us give thanks to God our Father for all his gifts so
freely bestowed upon us.
For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and
sky and sea.
We thank you, Lord.
For all that is gracious in the lives of men and women,
revealing the image of Christ,
We thank you, Lord.
For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and
our friends,
We thank you, Lord.
For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve,
We thank you, Lord.
For health and strength to work, and leisure to rest and
play,
We thank you, Lord.
For the brave and courageous, who are patient in suffering
and faithful in adversity,
We thank you, Lord.
For all valiant seekers after truth, liberty, and justice,
We thank you, Lord.
For the communion of saints, in all times and places,
We thank you, Lord.
Above all, we give you thanks for the great mercies and
promises given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord;
To him be praise and glory, with you, O Father, and the
Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.
O God, the power of the powerless,
you have chosen as your witnesses
those whose voice is not heard.
Grant that, as women first announced
the resurrection
though they were not believed,
we too may have courage
to persist in proclaiming your word,
in the power of Jesus Christ, Amen.[i]
The Peace of Christ be always with you.
And Also with you.
Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, an
offering and sacrifice to God.
Hymn 490 I want to Walk as a Child of the Light
The Lord is here.
The Spirit is with us.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give thanks and praise.
It is right to praise you, Father, Lord of all creation;
in your love you made us for yourself.
When we turned away
you did not reject us,
but came to meet us in your Son.
You embraced us as your children
and welcomed us to sit and eat with you.
In Christ you shared our life
that we might live in him and he in us.
He opened his arms of love upon the cross
and made for all the perfect sacrifice for sin.
On the night he was betrayed,
at supper with his friends
he took bread, and gave you thanks;
he broke it and gave it to them, saying:
Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you;
do this in remembrance of me.
Father, we do this in remembrance of him:
his body is the bread of life.
At the end of supper, taking the cup of wine,
he gave you thanks, and said:
Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new
covenant,
which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins;
do this in remembrance of me.
Father, we do this in remembrance of him:
his blood is shed for all.
As we proclaim his death and celebrate his rising in glory,
send your Holy Spirit that this bread and this wine
may be to us the body and blood of your dear Son.
As we eat and drink these holy gifts
make us one in Christ, our risen Lord.
With your whole Church throughout the world
we offer you this sacrifice of praise
and lift our voice to join the eternal song of heaven:
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
As our Savior Christ
has taught us,
we now 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 for ever. Amen.
Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.
Most merciful Lord,
your love compels us to come in.
Our hands were unclean,
our hearts were unprepared;
we were not fit
even to eat the crumbs from under your table.
But you, Lord, are the God of our salvation,
and share your bread with sinners.
So cleanse and feed us
with the precious body and blood of your Son,
that he may live in us and we in him;
and that we, with the whole company of Christ,
may sit and eat in your kingdom.
Amen.
Hymn 661 They Cast their nets in Galillee
Father of all,
we give you thanks and praise,
that when we were still far off
you met us in your Son and brought us home.
Dying and living, he declared your love,
gave us grace, and opened the gate of glory.
May we who share Christ's body live his risen life;
we who drink his cup bring life to others;
we whom the Spirit lights give light to the world.
Keep us firm in the hope you have set before us,
so we and all your children shall be free,
and the whole earth live to praise your name;
through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The God of peace,
who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,
that great shepherd of the sheep,
through the blood of the eternal covenant,
make you perfect in every good work to do his will,
working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight;
and the blessing of the Father, the Son, and The Holy Ghost
be with you now and always.
Hymn 207 Jesus Christ is Risen Today
Go in the peace of Christ. Alleluia, alleluia.
Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.
