Worship on Easter Sunday
10:00 am April 20, 2025
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalist: Linda Farrah-Basford Welcoming Elder: Heather Tansem
We gather to worship God.
Music Prelude
Greeting
L: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
P: And also with you .
Lighting of the Christ candle
Welcome and announcements
Communion Explanation
As we gather for our Easter Communion service, we are excited to incorporate larger pieces of hot cross buns and juice, reminiscent of the Moravian Love Feast tradition. This choice is rich in history and symbolism, connecting our worship to communal celebrations of faith that highlight fellowship, love, and remembrance.
The Moravian Church, rooted in the 15th century, has a long history of emphasizing community and fellowship among believers. The Love Feast, or *Liebesmahl*, originated to symbolize the sharing of Christ’s love among church members and is characterized by the sharing of simple food—often bread or buns and water or juice— served in a warm, welcoming environment.
The feast is not merely a meal but a meaningful expression of unity and spiritual communion. The sharing of food embodies the fellowship of believers and serves as a reminder of Jesus’ teachings about love and community. Participants partake together, fostering a sense of togetherness and reinforcing their bond as members of the body of Christ.
Hot cross buns have a deep historical significance, especially during Easter. Traditionally, these sweet, spiced buns are eaten on Good Friday, symbolizing the crucifixion of Jesus with the cross marked on the top. In our communion celebration, serving larger pieces of hot cross buns allows us to emphasize the themes of sacrifice and resurrection.
Using hot cross buns enhances the connection to the Easter story, inviting us to reflect on the significance of Christ’s death and the joy of His resurrection. In breaking and sharing these buns, we recognize that Jesus is the Bread of Life, the sustenance we require for our spiritual journeys. But also, we acknowledge that life, while sometimes hard, is also sweet and beautiful.
By incorporating the Love Feast tradition into our Easter Communion, we celebrate the sacrament and the communal aspect of our faith, in the same way it was done at the “last supper” – a meal shared together, not just a symbolic feeding but a meal. Just as Jesus shared meals with His disciples, we are reminded that we are part of a larger family of believers. This communion is an expression of gratitude and thanksgiving for the gifts of love and grace we receive from God and from one another.
In our gathering today, let us partake in these pieces of hot cross buns and juice to celebrate Christ’s resurrection and remind us of our call to love and serve one another. Together, we rejoice in the nourishing presence of Christ in our midst.
As we share this special meal, may we grow in unity and continue to reflect God’s love in our lives, embodying the spirit of the Love Feast in our daily journeys.
Preparation for worship
Call to worship:
L: We are children of God:
P: Called to praise, and to bless, and to show mercy.
L: We are citizens of a nation:
P: Called to care, and to respond, and to share our freedom.
L: We are members of a community: called to know each other, accept each other, and welcome all.
P: We belong to God, and through God, to one another.
L: So may our hearts be as one, and let us worship our God.
Opening praise: Forever, God is faithful
Prayers of approach and confession
Gracious, life-giving God, maker of all things visible and invisible,
On the first day of the world,
You spoke, and out of chaos came creation, out of confusion, order, and out of nothingness came all creation.
On the first day of the week, your grace resurrected Christ,
And out of death came life.
You come to us through the Holy Spirit, to shine light on our way forward, offering your gift of new life in Christ Jesus.
Praise and honour and blessing be to you, O God,
Creator, Christ and Holy Spirit, this day and every day, now and always.
Loving and life-giving God, you raised Jesus from the grave and shattered the powers of sin and death.
But we confess that we remain captive to fear, resisting the hope that new life is possible for us.
We hide in tombs of indifference, seeking comfort rather than justice.
We cling to resentment and disappointment, refusing the freedom that comes with forgiveness.
Forgive us, O God, and restore us to joy and wholeness through your mercy.
Response: Glory, glory hallelujah
Forgiveness proclaimed
This Easter Day, God has turned our mourning into dancing!
God has taken off our sackcloth and clothed us with joy!
We are God’s forgiven people.
Let us be at peace with God, with one another, and ourselves through the undying mercy of our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
We listen for the voice of God.
Live Drama – Watch the Lamb
Godfrey Sr, Godfrey Jr, Pearl, Steve
Message: ‘Easter’
During morning worship on Palm Sunday in 1994, a tornado struck the Goshen United Methodist Church in Piedmont, AL. It happened during a theatrical presentation. The electricity failed, and the congregation tried to get along without its sound system. A window shattered, people screamed, and then the building exploded, injuring scores of members and ultimately killing twenty people. Among those fatalities was Hannah Klemm, the four-year-old daughter of Pastor Kelly Klim.
The night after the tragedy, Kelly was trying to sleep, tossing and turning through the pain of her injuries. And an unusual dream came to her. She saw herself trying to lift bricks and toss them aside, clearing away the rubble, trying to rescue the victims. She kept doing the same thing over and over again. Everything was Gray and dull. But as her dream progressed, she stepped back from the scene and saw, right in the spot where Hannah had been buried, children dressed in beautiful, bright clothes everywhere. They seemed oblivious to the onlookers and were playing and laughing with each other. They were standing on grass which seemed to be of the greenest kind of green she’d ever imagined. When Kelly awoke, a peace settled over her and strengthened her for the upcoming funerals ahead.
The next day, a reporter greeted her and several others as they looked over the disaster. One reporter asked Pastor Kelly if the disaster had shattered her faith. No, she said. I’m shattered but not my faith. It hasn’t shattered my faith at all. I’m holding on to my God because my God is holding on to me. All of the people of Goshen are holding on to each other, along with the hope this Easter brings. If not for my faith, I’d have nothing left.
Being a person of faith does not mean that things will always go our way. And it’s easy to say “why me” when things get bad. It’s natural to ask “What did I do to deserve this?” It’s easy to think of ourselves as innocent victims. But if only good things happen to good people then just what would that say about Jesus? Was he guilty of some terrible sin? Is that why he suffered? No. The idea that only good things happen to good people was put to death on a cross 2,000 years ago.
Pain comes to us all because our world has been corrupted by sin. At the same time. The Resurrection reminds us that there is victory over death. And over everything that ails us.
And yet there is no Easter without Good Friday. There is no salvation without something to be saved from. Hard times come.
Today, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. We celebrate the fact that the Father brought him back from death and placed him in paradise to rule forever. We celebrate that the lowly Carpenter is now building mansions in heaven, for the loved ones we lose. We are and shall ever be “an Easter people”, no matter what comes.
He is risen. He is risen indeed. And because of that, so too shall we be. Amen.
Song: Jesus Christ is risen today (243)
We respond to serve God.
Our time of giving
Prayer of gratitude, and for others and ourselves
Generous God, we come before you with grateful hearts, recognizing how much you have given us in Christ Jesus. Bless these gifts so that they may spread the hope and joy we feel this day to those who have not yet tasted your kindness. With our gifts, we offer ourselves to you in the name of your greatest gift, Jesus Christ, our Risen Lord.
God of power and possibility, you broke open the tomb that held our Lord. Now break open your church, worried over differences and disagreements, uncertain about the way ahead in mission and service.
Guide us with your wise and creative Spirit.
Keep a brief silence.
Resurrect, renew and revive your church!
Hear our prayer.
God of resurrection and new life, you broke into the hearts of Jesus’ fearful friends.
Now break into our relationships with one another.
Where they are vibrant and life-giving, nurture them.
Where they are strained by misunderstanding or neglect, reconcile them.
Heal us with your merciful and engaging Spirit.
Keep a brief silence.
Resurrect, renew and revive our life together!
Hear our prayer.
God of might and mercy, you broke open the schemes of those who stood in the way of your love.
Now break open the governance of your world.
Stir the minds and hearts of leaders to work for justice and equitable sharing.
Where laws are corrupt, where deception masquerades as truth, and where people suffer under the schemes of those who lust for power,
Confront people with your Spirit of truth and compassion.
Keep a brief silence.
Resurrect, renew and revive the community of nations!
Hear our prayer.
God of healing and hope, you broke the bonds of death which tried to shackle new life. Now break into situations of illness, pain, grief, and loss. Wherever people are sick in body, mind, or spirit, and wherever people mourn the loss of a loved one or a cherished future, embrace each one with your Spirit of comfort and courage.
Keep a brief silence.
Resurrect, renew and revive our lives!
Hear our prayer.
God of Easter Renewal and Resurrection, you have broken into our lives again this day.
Break into all our moments of celebration and joy, as well as the circumstances we name in silence before you.
Keep a brief silence.
By your Spirit, give us gratitude, generosity and the grace to understand each other.
Resurrect, renew and revive our souls and spirits!
Hear our prayer.
The Sacrament of Holy Communion
Invitation
In this sacred moment, we gather not as strangers, but as a community united in love and faith. This is a time to remember the incredible love of Jesus, who invites each of us to share in His life, His sacrifice, and His promise of new beginnings.
Whether you are a long-time believer or exploring your faith, all who seek to draw closer to Christ are welcome here. Come, just as you are, with your questions, your joys, and your struggles.
Song: Christ is alive (251)
The Communion Prayer
Holy One, on this joyful Easter day, ee offer you our gratitude and praise with hearts full of love, for we have seen your grace and power, rolling away the stone of sorrow and despair, bursting from the tomb in the gift of new life.
And so we join our voices with all your creatures, high and low, with all the saints before us and beside us, in heaven and on earth, to celebrate your resurrecting power.
Receive our praise and joy this day, O Christ.
Your resurrection promises that there are new possibilities for us and our weary world.
Even when we falter in discouragement, even if we hesitate at the news
that your great love has come back to embrace us,
You will not let us go.
You call us by name to assure us of your love.
You open your arms to welcome us back to your side.
You have spread this table for us, offering us not only the bread and wine,
But your very self is present with us here and everywhere.
In anticipation of receiving these gifts, we proclaim our faith and our hope as we sing (or say):
Spirit of Life, rising in us and around us, breathe upon us now and upon this bread and wine.
May they be for us Christ’s body and blood, gifts of new life, with the power to make us whole.
As this bread and wine become a part of us, may we become a part of you, Lord Jesus, united with you and with each other in love.
Dare us to live for justice and joy, trusting that all things will work together for good
through the power of love that raised you from the dead, the power of the love we share in your name. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer (469 – sung)
Sharing of the Bread and Wine
On the night He was betrayed, Jesus gathered with His disciples to share a meal.
He took bread, and after giving thanks, He broke it, saying:
“This is my body, given for you. Take and eat in remembrance of me.”
Then He took the cup, and after giving thanks, He said:
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood, poured out for you. Whenever you drink from it, do so in remembrance of me.”
For as often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the mystery of our faith: “Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.”
Song: Behold the Lamb
Prayer after Communion
Gracious God, we thank You for this sacred meal and the fellowship we’ve shared at Your table. As we have received the body and blood of Christ, may we be strengthened in our faith and united in love. Help us carry the grace of this moment into our lives, reflecting Your love to those around us. Guide us as we go forth, empowered to serve and embody the hope we find in You. Amen.
Song: Lord of the Dance (250)
Sending out with God’s blessing
As you leave this place, may the joy of the risen Christ fill your hearts.
May His love empower you to share the good news with others,
And may you carry the hope of the resurrection in all that you do.
Go forth in peace, knowing that you are loved and redeemed. Amen.
Response: He is Lord (252)
Music postlude
————————————————————————-
The Communion liturgy is based on the liturgies of the PCC’s 1991 Book of Common Worship. Numbers in brackets after a song/hymn indicate that it is from the 1997 Book of Praise of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Those and other songs are being used in accordance with the specifications of Dayspring’s licensing with One License (3095377) and CLC (A735555).
The Rev. Brad Childs retains the copyright (© 2025) on all original material in this service. As far as Brad Childs is aware, all of the material that has not been attributed to others is his own creation or is in the public domain. Unacknowledged use of copyrighted material is unintentional and will be corrected immediately upon notification being received.