Opening Prayer

 

Based On Mark 16:1-8

 

 

Hymn #367 – Christ the Lord Has Risen Today

 

This is one of the most classic Easter hymns written by Charles Wesley in the 1700’s. If you know the tune, sing in your home. If you are unfamiliar with it, feel free to look it up on the internet.

1 Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!
2 Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia!
Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia!
3 Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once he died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where’s thy victory, boasting grave? Alleluia!
4 Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like him, like him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

 

Call to Worship

 

Hold your head high, Christ has risen.
Rejoice and shout,
Christ has come calling us home.
Home to the heart of God,
Home to God’s living presence,
Home to God’s banquet feast.

 

Hold your head high, Christ has risen.
Death has been conquered,
Christ has come calling us home.
All that was broken has been made whole,
All that was dislocated has been set right,
All that was oppressed has been set free.

 

Hold your head high, Christ has risen,
Bringing God’s healing,
Christ has come calling us home.
Redemption is complete,
God’s eternal world has begun,
Love reigns over all,
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah,
Christ has risen calling us home.

 

 

O God, with faces touched by the light of a new day,
and hearts warmed by our prayers and praises,
we come before you to pray
for the needs of our world.

 

Into the light of Easter morning
we raise those who are struggling with illness,
with despair over their lives, or with
the breakdown of relationships.
May the light of Christ shine upon them.

 

Into the light of Easter morning,
we bring those places in our world
where war, violence, poverty and need
are the experiences of everyday life.
(These places may be named)
May the light of Christ shine upon them.

 

Into the light of Easter morning,
we bring the headline news of this weekend
(this may be named):
we hold in our hearts the pain
of those suffering isolation, bereavement or conflict.
May the light of Christ shine upon them.

 

And into the light of Easter morning
we bring ourselves, the private struggles,
the heart’s yearnings, the hidden dreams,
the unfulfilled potential.
May the light of Christ shine upon us. AMEN

 

Video – What does Jesus’ resurrection mean to you this Easter?

 

 

Scripture Reading: Mark 16:1-8 (NRSV)

 

16 When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” 8 So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

 

 

David’s Sermonette

 

Mark’s gospel ends abruptly! The earliest manuscripts we have end at verse 8. It ends with the women fleeing in fear and trembling. Where is the grandeur? Where are the trumpets and the descending doves? Where is the voice from the split heavens? Where is Jesus?!?!

 

At Emmanuel, our typical Easter serve is full of pomp and praise. We bring in incredibly skilled musicians. Our choir sings from their toes to the tops of their heads. Corporately we sing with a roar of celebration. The sanctuary is decorated with flowers. There is fanfare, the Hallelujah chorus, a carnival with pets, face painting, and coffee. Our faces radiate joy and we linger longer than usual on the front lawn.

 

That doesn’t quite sound like the ending of Mark’s gospel. It ends with people being afraid. I find it rather appropriate that this Easter we just so happened to be reading Mark. Many of us find ourselves embracing fear, trembling, and confusion. Where is Jesus in the midst of the pandemic? Are his promises of abundant life still coming true? Where is the new life? Where is the hope? Where is the sense of defeat over death?

 

Looking back at the passage, I love that two faithful women come to the tomb. Where are the rest? Where is Peter? As they approach they remember the large stone. Who will move it for them? But Jesus has already done the heavy lifting (in so many ways). In the same way, they become alarmed at the presence of the young man in white sitting in the tomb. Before they can utter a word, he addresses their hopes and fears. The young man names Jesus, as if reading their minds. He knows whom they have come for. But Jesus is not there. He has gone ahead. Isn’t that typical of Jesus? He is always on the move. One step ahead, inviting his people to follow him deeper and deeper into trust, deeper and deeper into his kingdom work and ministry.

 

Mary Magdalene and Mary mother of James are about to embark on an adventure that will change the world. I’m not sure they know it yet, but soon enough, they will spread the gospel and it will spread farther and further than any virus ever could or will. The gospel of Jesus has the power to make all things new, to restore all things, and bring hope to all lives. We may be in confusing times now. We may be in fearful times now. We may very well be trembling. Or like, Mary and Mary, who anticipated a morning of anointing a dead body, Jesus may surprise us like he did that first Easter, and be on the move ahead of us.

 

I hope you’ll listen to the song that follows. It is written and performed by Steffany Gretzinger. It’s a song about hearing Jesus’ voice, and the power that voice has upon our lives.

 

Song –

“Forever Amen” by Steffany Gretzinger

 

Steffany Gretzinger so eloquently captures the deep longing we all have, to be beckoned, called by Jesus, to hear the sound of his voice. I imagine that each Mary, after seeing the young man, would have done anything in their power to hear Jesus’ voice. The reality is that they did, they will again, and because of Jesus’ power, they eventually spread the good news on a global level. Sure the book of Mark ends in fear and trembling. We may be in the midst of fear and trembling ourselves in 2020, but the faithful voice of Jesus calls us still. He reassures us. He offers us resurrection life. He is going on before us, and calling us home. Christ is risen. He is risen indeed!

 

I so look forward to when we can all be together again, but I am confident that the risen Christ is ministering to each of us this day, just as he has in the past and will do forever and ever.

Amen.

In awe of Christ,

David

 

Benediction

 

Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him. Psalm 98:1

We give thanks to you, Lord,
for you have done marvelous things!

When we were walking in darkness
you were there, you were there,
when we were kneeling in weakness
you were there, you were there,
when we drew near feeling worthless
you were there, you were there,
when we were needing forgiveness
you were there, you were there,
when we were searching for your grace
you were there, you were there.

We give thanks to you, Lord,
for you have done marvelous things!

May the risen Lord, Jesus, the Son of God be our salvation now and forever. Amen