Thursday, March 28, 2024

Liturgy: Easter Sunday Lessons and Carols, Mark 16 (March 31, 2024)

   *You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know.*


Additional Hymns:

Hymn GTG #232, “Jesus Christ is Risen Today”
Hymn GTG #589, “Aleluya”
Hymn GTG #591, “Halle, Halle, Hallelujah" [Refrain only]
Hymn GTG #246, "Christ Is Alive!"
Hymn GTG #238, "Thine Is the Glory"
Hymn GTG #248, "Christ is Risen! Shout Hosanna!"


*Call to Worship (based on Mark 16:6-7)

Leader: Don’t be alarmed! You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.
People: Christ is risen!
Leader: He isn’t here. Go and tell his disciples that he is going ahead of you.
People: He is risen, indeed!
Leader: The stone is gone; the tomb is empty!
People: Alleluia! Let us worship our resurrected Lord!


Call to Confession (based on Mark 16:9a)

Leader: The sacred and undying message of eternal salvation isn’t about a distant, exclusive heaven – that would only be good news for SOME. It is instead about this life, this world, this very day. Right now, the path to a relationship with God is open to YOU – all that is left to do is to claim it. Let us do so now, through an honest and humble admission of our sins.


Popcorn Prayer of Confession (based on 16:11-14)

You are invited to speak a word or short phrase that describes a personal or collective sin of which you repent and seek forgiveness. 
When the gathered community is finished sharing, we pray together:

People: God of our salvation, we confess that we struggle to embrace Good News. We question the messengers you send; we approach others’ testimony with suspicion; we even doubt the evidence of our own eyes. We cling to hopelessness like the burial cloths clung to your lifeless body. But in your resurrection, you have triumphed over death and hopelessness alike, promising a future built on mercy and love for all. Forgive our stubbornness, Holy One, and overcome our addiction to pessimism, so that we might once again discover the true hope that lies in you. In your mercy, hear our prayers… (Silent prayers of personal confession)


Declaration of Forgiveness (based on Mark 16:3-4)

Leader: On Easter morning, the women wondered how they would roll the large stone away from Jesus’ tomb. To their amazement, they arrived to find that the stone had already been rolled away. Likewise, even as we worry about how to remove the sin that stands between us and God, we find that God has already cleared the way for our reconciliation. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven! 
People: Thanks be to God! Alleluia!


LESSONS AND CAROLS FROM MARK

Readings are done by three people: one representing Jesus, one representing Jesus' supporters, and one representing Jesus' opponents. They each wear a white, green, or red stole, respectively, to help clarify their roles. 

The Empty Tomb: Mark 16:1-8
Hymn GTG #253, “Alleluia! Christ is Arisen” [vv. 1 & 2]

Shorter Ending: Mark 9
Hymn GTG #243, “Be Not Afraid” [2x total]

Longer Ending: Mark 5:21-34

Leader: This is the Word of the Lord!
People: Thanks be to God!

*Hymn GTG #233, “The Day of Resurrection” [vv. 1 & 3]

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