Easter Sunday Service, 4th April 2021

Happy Easter to All!

We wish you all a very joyful and peaceful Easter.

Alleluia. Christ is risen.

Today our service is led by Rev Robert Frede, his welcome and opening prayers are here for you to watch:

 

 

Opening Hymn

 

Let us pray

God of glory,
by the raising of your Son
you have broken the chains of death and hell:
fill your Church with faith and hope;
for a new day has dawned
and the way to life stands open
in our Saviour Jesus Christ.   Amen.

Lord of all life and power,
who through the mighty resurrection of your Son
overcame the old order of sin and death
to make all things new in him:
grant that we, being dead to sin
and alive to you in Jesus Christ,
may reign with him in glory;
to whom with you and the Holy Spirit
be praise and honour, glory and might,
now and in all eternity.
Lord of all life and power,
who through the mighty resurrection of your Son
overcame the old order of sin and death
to make all things new in him:
grant that we, being dead to sin
and alive to you in Jesus Christ,
may reign with him in glory;
to whom with you and the Holy Spirit
be praise and honour, glory and might,
now and in all eternity.  Amen.

 

Readings

Old Testament Reading: Acts 10: 34-43
New Testament Reading: 1 Corinthians 15: 1-11
The Gospel Reading: John 20: 1-18

Prayers and Intercessions

Heavenly Father, on this joyous Easter day, with the events of Good Friday and Your Son’s sacrifice alive in our thoughts, we come before you in deepest humility, to celebrate the rebirth of humanity through Your Son’s death and resurrection, opening the gate of Heaven to all believers. and the promise of sharing in His glory at the resurrection.

As Your Son revealed to the world the full meaning of Love, to do Your will and to lay down His life for His friends, He gave us this commandment, that we too should so love one another, prepared to sacrifice our own desires and interests for the sake of others.

So Holy Jesu, rejoicing in Your glorious victory over death, we pray that we and all Your whole Church may strive to live up to Your Holy example, seeking to do Your will, that through our witness Your creation may be blessed.

We continue to pray for the whole world, struggling with ever more problems that it doesn’t understand, and never will without Your help, natural, cultural and social, with global warming and natural disasters, and lands torn by harsh and love-less regimes.

We pray for the victims of such disasters;
and for all in need or suffering in any way at this time;
for the sick in body or mind, and the bereaved,
particularly for our own congregation, and all for whom we personally wish to pray.

Almighty God, whose Son, by triumphing over the powers of darkness
has gone to prepare a place for us in the new Jerusalem:
we pray that we, who have this day given thanks for His resurrection,
may soon praise Him in the eternal city where He is the everlasting Light.

Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of Your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, Amen

Anthems sung by our own church choir

Most Glorious Lord of Lye, William Lloyd Webber

 

Oculi Omnium, Andrew Parnel

 

The Easter promise

As we come in thought this Easter morning to the empty grave, we see no longer that Precious Body cruelly pierced by our sins but the Angels gloriously pronouncing Christ’s victory over sin and death.  In our spiritual pilgrimage to the cross this year, we have followed our Lord in thought, word, music, through His betrayal, denial and abandonment, conscious that we too are guilty of such indifference.  But as we now, in spirit, share Your Body and Blood this Easter day, lift our hearts to Your Heavenly throne, refresh our souls and bodies for whatever is before us, to witness to Your victory, and inspire us to long for Your Son’s return in glory, to this world still powerfully in the grip of an invisible devilish enemy.  Surely I come quickly, come Lord Jesus. (Rev: 22.20)

The risen Christ came and stood among his disciples and said,
‘Peace be with you.’
Then were they glad when they saw the Lord. Alleluia.

 

The Blessing

 

 

Final Hymn

NEH 117 – The day of Resurrection