6am - Easter 2019 Dawn Service
8am - Communion with breakfast
All earth is awakening, resurrected, renewed and revived.
Life and Love, God in Jesus is with us.
Death is not our future, Christ is risen, Alleluia Alleluia!
Creation stories round a fire
In the beginning……
Father God, Mother God,
By the energy of creative love you have brought all things into being, continually creating and restoring us, making us in your own image,
sharing in our humanity that we may share in your divinity.
We contemplate your creation; the darkness of the night past, the light of the dawn, our birth in the waters, all alike sustained and restored by your presence.
Silence as the Pascal candle is lit
We light the Candle of the Risen Christ that God may illuminate our flesh and our minds, our hearts and our imaginations.
May the light of Christ shine in the dark and the deep places of your being, and the darkness wherever we may meet it, that the Way may be followed until we all greet the Great Dawn with joy.
Fresh and salt water are poured
1. Freshwater carrier 2. The storyteller 3. Saltwater carrier
1. Here is the water of our survival day by day, drawn up as from a well
2. Here are waters that were broken to give us birth
3. Here is water of raging power, of tidal wave and destroying flood
2. Here is water of the Jordon river, rite of passage from slavery and oppression to the freedom of the promised land
3. Here is the water of chaos and the creatures of profound unknown, the roaring wind and fearful silence
1. Here is water that is the simplest gift to the thirsty and that washes the weary travellers feet
2. Here is the water of dying bearing us across the ancient river
3. Here is water that purifies, scours and cleanses us of all that is toxic
1. Here is water that springs up in barren ground to our unexpected joy
Our profession of faith
In times of belief and in times of doubt, in times of assurance and in times of perplexity, in times of presence and in times of absence, human beings in all their variety have come to recognise the divine mystery and desired to grow in the ways of love, to embody that love in intimacy and justice.
So we whisper our trust…..
That we and all human beings and all that is being created, are dearly loved by God for ever;
That in Christ we are freed from the powers of oppression and fear, of evil, pain, and death;
That we are are called to follow the Way of Jesus embracing the outcast with friendship and renouncing the ways of worldly power, at whatever cost and wherever it may lead.
That the Holy Spirit empowers us and guides us on that Way.
Let us take to ourselves again our baptism in Water,
In the name of the Creator, the Life giver, the Father-Mother of us all;
In the name of the redeemer, the pain-Bearer, the Son,
In the name of the Sanctifier, the love-Maker, the Spirit.
All earth is awakening, resurrected, renewed and revived.
Life and Love, God in Jesus is with us..
Death is not our future, Christ is risen, Alleluia Alleluia!
May Christ, who out of defeat brings new hope and a new future fill you with his new life.
And the blessing of God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you all, evermore.
Amen
We go back for breakfast
We celebrate with communion
Christ is risen!
Christ is risen, Alleluia Alleluia!
Hymn
Confession
Are we willing to turn again to Christ,
to turn to the deep things of God,
to the Spirit of God moving within and among us,
to the mysterious Companion who is the Other within us.
Christ, truly divine and truly human,
living the way of unconditional love.
Are we willing day by day,
to turn our hearts and minds to repentance,
confessing our failures to love,
forgiving ourselves and others, and being forgiven.
Are we willing to refuse the way of evil,
of self hatred and hating others,
to keep steadfastly to the true path,
the Way the Truth and the Life of Jesus,
to have courage, to embrace the Way of the cross and participate in the Way of compassion.
In Christ there is no condemnation and our sins are forgiven us. Amen
Rejoice heavenly powers: sing choirs of angels.
Exalt, all creation, around Gods throne.
Jesus Christ, our Lord has risen.
Sound the trumpet of salvation.
Gospel reading
Let us pray for our own needs and for the needs of others.
Following the pattern that Jesus gave when he taught us to pray to God the Father…..
Through our love of the countryside, and the environment,
through our care of plants and animals,
through our respect for the gifts of technology,
Father, hallowed be your name.
On our farms, and in our homes,
as we raise and teach our children and grandchildren,
where machines are crafted and computers programmed,
where policy is planned and strategies envisioned.
Father your kingdom come.
By seeking your guidance,
by keeping your commandments,
by living true to our conscience,
Father your will be done.
For the millions who live in poverty and hunger,
for our own needs and the needs of our neighbours,
by cooperation, sympathy and generosity,
give us today our daily bread.
because we have broken your commandments,
doing what we ought not to do and neglecting what we ought to do,
Forgive us our sins.
If any have injured us by injustice, fraud or exploitation,
we forgive those who sin against us.
When prosperity lulls us with false security,
or hard times prompt us to despair.
When success makes us boastful and complacent
and failure makes us bitter,
lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
In the assurance of faith,
in the confidence of hope,
in the will to serve,
help us to love Christ as Lord and our neighbour as ourselves.
For the true kingdom is yours, forever and ever.
Amen
Affirmation of Faith - please stand
We Believe in God in all things, maker and sustainer of all life, of sun and moon, of water and earth, of male and female bodies.
We believe in God beside us, Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, born of a woman, servant of the poor, tortured and nailed to a tree.
A man of sorrows, he died forsaken.
He descended into the earth into the place of death.
On the third day he rose from the tomb.
He ascended into heaven, to be everywhere present,
and his kingdom will come on earth.
We believe in God within us, the Holy Spirit,
life giving breath of God,
Spirit of healing and forgiveness, source of resurrection and of life eternal.
Amen
Communion
Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation.
In your loving care you spread before us the table of life and give us the cup of salvation to drink.
Keep us always in the fold of our saviour and shepherd, your son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Blessed be God forever.
The Lord is here.
His 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.
Our Lord Jesus, risen from death,
we praise you for changed lives and new hopes at Easter.
You came to Mary in her house and turned her tears to joy.
For your love and mercy we give you thanks.
We praise your holy name.
You came to the disciples in the upper room and turned their fear to courage.
For your love and mercy we give you thanks.
We praise your holy name.
You came to the disciples by the lakeside and turned their failure into faith.
For your love and mercy we give you thanks.
We praise your holy name.
You came to the disciples on the Emmaus road and turned their despair to hope.
For your love and mercy, we give you thanks.
We praise your holy name.
You come to your people now and turn our weakness into triumph.
For your love and mercy we give you thanks.
We praise your holy name.
and joining with all the company of Heaven we say,
Holy, holy holy Lord,
God of power and might.
Heaven and Earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
How wonderful the works of your hands, O Lord.
As a mother tenderly gathers her children,
you embraced a people as your own.
When they turned away and rebelled,
your love remained steadfast.
From them, you raised up Jesus our saviour, born of Mary
to be the living bread in whom all our hungers are satisfied.
He offered his life for sinners, and with love stronger than death he opened wide his arms on the cross.
The Lord’s Supper is remembered
Jesus Christ is Lord.
Lord, by your cross and resurrection, you have set us free.
You are the saviour of the world.
The prayer continues
We break this bread to share in the body of Christ.
Though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in one bread.
God’s Holy Gifts for God’s Holy people.
Jesus Christ is Holy,
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
All are welcome to come to the table to receive the bread and wine, or a blessing (please keep your hands down for a blessing).
Ever present God we thank you for feeding us with the life of Jesus.
Send us out in the power of your Spirit to love and work to your praise and glory.
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way,
And the Blessing of God,
Father Son and Holy Spirit be with you all, evermore.
Amen
Material taken from Common Worship, New Patterns for Worship and ‘Darkness Yielding’ (Cotter and Percy).
1.
Jesus Christ is Risen today, Alleluia!
Our most Glorious holy day, Alleluia!
Who did once in life and death, Alleluia!
Filled the earth with loves true breath, Alleluia!
Hymns of praise now let us sing,
Unto Christ or servant-King,
Who endured the cross and grave,
Sprang to life from out the cave,
So the pains that he endured,
Loves release have now secured,
Deaths dread sting itself now dies,
Christ in glory fill the skies.
2.
Meekness and majesty, manhood and deity
in perfect harmony, the man who is God.
Lord of eternity dwells in humanity,
kneels in humility and washes our feet.
O, what a mystery
meekness and majesty,
bow down and worship,
for this is your God.
This is your God.
Fathers pure radiance perfect in innocence,
yet finds obedience to death on a cross.
Suff’ring to give us life, conqu’ring through sacrifice
and as they crucify prays Father forgive.
Wisdom unsearchable, God the invisible;
love indestructible in frailty appears.
Lord of infinity, stooping so tenderly,
lifts our humanity to heights of his throne.
3.
I danced in the morning when the world had begun,
I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun,
and I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth;
at Bethlehem I had my birth.
Dance then wherever you may be;
I am the Lord of the Dance said he.
And I’ll lead you all wherever you may be,
and I‘ll lead you all in the dance said he.
I danced for the scribe and the Pharisee,
but they wouldn't dance and they wouldn't follow me;
I danced for the fishermen, for James and John;
they came with me and the dance went on:
I danced on the Sabbath when I cured the lame,
the holy people said it was a shame.
They whipped and they stripped and they hung me high,
and left me there on a cross to die.
I danced on a Friday and the sky turned black;
it's hard to dance with the devil on your back.
They buried my body and they though I’d gone;
But I am the dance and I still go on.
They cut me down and I sprang up high;
I am the life that will never never die;
I’ll live in you if you live in me:
I am the Lord of the dance said he.
