CALL TO WORSHIP AND OPENING PRAYER

The Lord is risen. Alleluia!

Come, let us worship.

Give praise to the Father almighty,

to his Son, Jesus Christ, the Lord,

to the Spirit who dwells in our hearts,

both now and for ever. Amen.

Alleluia!

Blessed and praised are you, God our Father,

for raising Christ our Lord from the dead

and giving us the hope of immortality.

     [words of gratitude and adoration may be said here]

The joy of the resurrection renews the whole world:

a new age has dawned,

the reign of sin is ended,

a broken world is being renewed,

and humanity is once again made whole.

Blessed be God for ever!

PSALM, AND SCRIPTURE SONG

Psalm 145

¹ I will extol you, my God and King,
   and bless your name for ever and ever.
² Every day I will bless you,
   and praise your name for ever and ever.
³ Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
   his greatness is unsearchable.

⁴ One generation shall laud your works to another,
   and shall declare your mighty acts.
⁵ On the glorious splendour of your majesty,
   and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
⁶ The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed,
   and I will declare your greatness.
⁷ They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness,
   and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

⁸ The Lord is gracious and merciful,
   slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
⁹ The Lord is good to all,
   and his compassion is over all that he has made.

¹⁰ All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
   and all your faithful shall bless you.
¹¹ They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom,
   and tell of your power,
¹² to make known to all people your^* mighty deeds,
   and the glorious splendour of your^* kingdom.
¹³ Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
   and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

The Lord is faithful in all his words,
   and gracious in all his deeds.^*
14 The Lord upholds all who are falling,
   and raises up all who are bowed down.
¹⁵ The eyes of all look to you,
   and you give them their food in due season.
¹⁶ You open your hand,
   satisfying the desire of every living thing.
¹⁷ The Lord is just in all his ways,
   and kind in all his doings.
¹⁸ The Lord is near to all who call on him,
   to all who call on him in truth.
¹⁹ He fulfils the desire of all who fear him;
   he also hears their cry, and saves them.
²⁰ The Lord watches over all who love him,
   but all the wicked he will destroy.

²¹ My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
   and all flesh will bless his holy name for ever and ever. 

Give praise to the Father almighty,

to his Son, Jesus Christ, the Lord,

to the Spirit who dwells in our hearts,

both now and for ever. Amen.

The Easter Anthems

[from 1 Corinthians and Romans]

Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us

so let us celebrate the feast:

not with the old leaven of corruption and wickedness,

but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Christ once raised from the dead dies no more,

death has no more dominion over him.

In dying he died to sin once for all,

in living he lives to God.

See yourselves therefore as dead to sin,

and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Christ has been raised from the dead,

the firstfruits of those who sleep.

For since by one man came death

by another has come also the resurrection of the dead;

for as in Adam all die,

even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

SHORT READING

Ephesians 4.7-13

Each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it is said,
‘When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive;
   he gave gifts to his people.’ 
(When it says, ‘He ascended’, what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.

a time for reflection on the scriptures …

… completed with:

You are called into God’s marvellous light.

A chosen race, a royal priesthood, called into God’s marvellous light.

[1 Peter 2.9]

CANTICLE OF THE SEASON

THE LORD'S PRAYER,

thanksgiving, petition, intercession

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.

a time for personal prayer and intercession …

… you may include this ‘Prayer for the Earth’:

Creating God,

we ask for the wisdom of the Holy Spirit

to know our place in the universe

and to play our part in the work of creation.

May the Spirit of truth inspire us

to speak the truth about the earth and its creatures.

Help those who work in environmental education

to foster a deeper engagement with the living world.

… and sum up your own prayers with these responses:

Give thanks to the Lord for he is gracious;

he has loved us from all eternity.

By his cross and resurrection he has redeemed the world,

and has washed us from our sins in his blood.

On the third day he rose again,

and has given us the victory.

He ascended into heaven,

and opened for us the gate to everlasting life.

He is seated at the right hand of the Father,

and lives for ever to intercede for us.

A CONCLUDING PRAYER, AND ENDING