Easter is the culmination of the celebration of Holy Week and the beginning of the celebration of the Lord's Resurrection. It is the climax of the Christian Year. It is the Christian Passover, for it celebrates the passing from death to life, from sin to grace. Of all the celebrations of the Church Year, Easter is pre-eminent, for it alone vividly and dramatically portrays all that was, that is, and that ever shall be in the drama of our redemption:
Christ yesterday and today, the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and Omega. His are the times and ages and to him be glory and dominion through all ages of eternity. Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
AMEN.
Alleluia. Christ is risen.
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.
When we were joined to Christ in the waters of baptism, we were clothed with God’s mercy and forgiveness. Therefore we remember our baptism.
Blessed are you, O God of grace. From age to age you made water a sign of your presence among us. In the beginning your spirit brooded over the waters and you created the world by your word, calling forth life in which you took delight. You led Israel safely through the Red Sea into the land of promise. By water and the Spirit you adopted us into the new life of Christ who rises this day in glory. Through water remind us of our baptism. Shower us again with your Spirit that your forgiveness, grace and love may be renewed in our lives. To you be given honor and praise through Jesus Christ our Lord in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and forever. AMEN.
Almighty God, who has given us a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, bestow on us the forgiveness of all our sins and keep us in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN. ALLELUIA!
THE EXSULTET
Rejoice now, heavenly hosts and choirs of angels,
and let your trumpets shout Salvation
for the victory of our mighty King.
Rejoice and sing now, all the round earth,
bright with a glorious splendor,
for darkness has been vanquished by our eternal King.
Rejoice and be glad now, Mother Church,
and let your holy courts, in radiant light,
resound with the praises of your people.
We pray to God the Almighty
for the grace to sing the worthy praise of his great glory;
through Jesus Christ His Son our Lord,
who lives and reigns with Him,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
LITURGY OF THE WORD
Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord's resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
The First Lesson
Jeremiah 31:1-6
At that time, says the Lord, I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.
Thus says the Lord:
The people who survived the sword
found grace in the wilderness;
when Israel sought for rest,
the Lord appeared to him from far away.
I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.
Again I will build you, and you shall be built,
O virgin Israel!
Again you shall take your tambourines,
and go forth in the dance of the merrymakers.
Again you shall plant vineyards
on the mountains of Samaria;
the planters shall plant,
and shall enjoy the fruit.
For there shall be a day when sentinels will call
in the hill country of Ephraim:
“Come, let us go up to Zion,
to the Lord our God.”
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 Confitemini Domino
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; *
his mercy endures for ever.
2 Let Israel now proclaim, *
“His mercy endures for ever.”
14 The Lord is my strength and my song, *
and he has become my salvation.
15 There is a sound of exultation and victory *
in the tents of the righteous:
16 “The right hand of the Lord has triumphed! *
the right hand of the Lord is exalted!
the right hand of the Lord has triumphed!”
17 I shall not die, but live, *
and declare the works of the Lord.
18 The Lord has punished me sorely, *
but he did not hand me over to death.
19 Open for me the gates of righteousness; *
I will enter them;
I will offer thanks to the Lord.
20 “This is the gate of the Lord; *
he who is righteous may enter.”
21 I will give thanks to you, for you answered me *
and have become my salvation.
22 The same stone which the builders rejected *
has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord's doing, *
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 On this day the Lord has acted; *
we will rejoice and be glad in it.
The Second Lesson
Acts 10:34-43
Peter began to speak to Cornelius and the other Gentiles: "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ--he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia
Give thanks to the Lord, who is good.
The love of the Lord knows no ending.
All in Israel say,
“God’s love has no end.”
2. The right hand of God raised me up.
The hand of the Lord has triumphed.
I shall never die,
I shall live, telling God’s deeds.
3. The stone which the builders rejected,
becomes the cornerstone chosen.
Praise the work of God
for this marvel in our eyes.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia
The Gospel
Matthew 28:1-10
After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
THE SERMON
Fr. Nelson Gaetz
In an odd way, our celebration of Easter this year might be a blessing. For several generations now we have sentimentalized the great Bible stories (Don’t get me going on Christmas.) Easter was about the last to succumb. Since just after World War II it became about bunnies, eggs, butterflies and spring rituals to celebrate the changing of the seasons. What the Second Epistle of St. Peter calls cleverly devised myths. 2 Peter 1:16. Ways to explain things. Even things like death where the spirit lives on in a “happy ever after.” Or, somewhere in a land far, far away, a “better place.” Once upon a time… Where life goes on in the never-ending flow of the seasons OR better yet…where a heroic figure comes to overcome the powerful oppressor. Make that an empire that must be defeated by Jedi Warriors of “the force.” The biblical world was filled with those myths, especially that one about evil being overcome by an even stronger warrior. And, in this once upon a time world, the way the strong oppressor was defeated was by that even stronger – sometimes just more clever – defender overcoming it, him or even sometimes her. Rome was especially good at this myth making with absolute power over the then-known world. A professional army strong enough to keep order everywhere. An emperor so strong as to be looked upon as divine. His word was law. His views THE truth that no one dared question. Time and again troublesome opposition had arisen but was always eliminated with iron-fisted power.
The myth lives on:
• Bring a fist to a fight and I’ll bring a knife.
• Bring a knife and I’ll bring a gun.
• And on and on in a never-ending circle of violence.
Into that world comes Jesus of Nazareth. Crucified. We need to start back there at the cross of Good Friday. There Jesus DIES. Really dies. The Romans were very good at that crucify thing and never made a mistake. Dead. Dead and buried.
And now, the rest of the story as Paul Harvey might say.
Now it’s three days later and people began seeing Jesus alive. Confusing, amazing, astounding, frightening. Yes, frightening. Remember that myth about power. No wonder they are cowering behind a locked door in an upper room. For fear of the Romans or does the Gospel writer really mean, for fear of the Roman way? The power myth. There they were. What a miserable group. Fled from him in his greatest time of need. You bet they were frightened. If Jesus was really back. Really resurrected. Really the power of God…. They were in deep trouble. “Vengeance is mine says the Lord.” Deuteronomy 32:35. If ever there was a time for getting even, this was it, starting with them. And then it happened. He says to them “do not be afraid,” Shalom (PEACE.) YIKES, the myth is shattered. No longer does might make right. Forgiveness and love triumph. And they were frightened. You bet they were but for a whole new and wonderful reason. If Jesus was really alive and really in love with them, he might just be in love with all of God’s creation and they might need to do something about it. It was not just another myth. It was really happening. Jesus was really alive in spite of all that was hurled against him. God had overcome the greatest power on earth – death. BUT, also the power of death. Death’s power is sin. Sin is all that keeps people from loving God and each other. GONE! DEFEATED!
Fast forward to 2020 when we cower behind locked doors in fear. Is Jesus still saying “don’t be afraid?” He is still in love with this whole crazy world with all its faults and sins. And He wants you and me to help Him do something about it. Yes – YOU.
OK,
• Few of us are going to be able to down hospital gowns and rush to the care of the infected but some of us are. We need to lift them up in prayer. Intensely. Frequently. So intensely that they feel it. Or even hear about it in a note or card.
• Most of us don’t have a stockpile of masks tucked away but we might have one or two we could spare.
• I don’t have a big pile of money in reserve but what I do have might not want to be horded when the ministries we care about need support more than ever. I can’t be afraid that if I am generous there won’t be enough remaining for me.
• When people, and especially our politicians, are looking for someone – even China – to blame, we’ll resist with voice and vote.
• When all around us are grumpy, we’ll stay positive. The second most dangerous enemy now is depression and that feeds on attitudes.
Because He lives…. We’ll live taking that “power” myth head on.
Don’t be afraid he said – I have overcome. Even this year, this extraordinary year, live like you believe it. Have a Happy Easter.
AMEN.
THE BAPTISMAL COVENANT
Through the Paschal mystery, we are buried with Christ by Baptism into his death, and raised with him to newness of life. Now that our Lenten observance is ended, we renew the solemn promises and vows of Holy Baptism, by which we once renounced Satan and all his works, and promised to serve God faithfully in His holy Church.
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
I will, with God’s help continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayer.
I will, with God’s help persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord.
I will, with God’s help proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ.
I will, with God’s help seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as myself.
I will, with God’s help strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.
THE PRAYERS
Rejoicing in the resurrection of our Lord and sharing in His peace, we pray to the Lord on behalf of ourselves and all people as they have need.
Brief silence
O risen Savior, set free our tongues to confess Your resurrection before a world still captive to sin and death. Give us courage to go to every place and to speak in every language the salvation won for us upon the cross and the hope granted to us of life that death cannot overcome.
Brief silence
O risen Savior, make us to burn with the fire of Your love, that we may love You above all things and love our neighbors as ourselves. Deliver us from fear and relieve the anxiety of our hearts, that we may live out fully the hope planted within us and the new lives we received in the waters of our Baptism.
Brief silence
O risen Savior, anoint the words of those who preach Your Gospel, especially Michael and DeDe, our Bishops, and Nelson, our Rector, and open our ears to hear with faith all that Christ has done for us. Raise up many who will serve You.
Brief silence
O risen Savior, hear us on behalf of our president, our governor; the Congress of the United States; and all state and local elected officials. Guide them according to Your Word, that their labors for our nation’s health and welfare may not be in vain, nor forgetful of the vulnerable, aging and unemployed.
Brief silence
O risen Savior, hear us on behalf of those who cry to You in any need, especially the sick, the suffering, the disabled, the wounded in spirit, those who suffer mental illness and those in their last days on earth. Give them grace according to their need, and sustain them in their afflictions to the day when their sufferings will be exchanged for glory in the life to come.
Brief silence
O risen Savior, since we cannot today receive you sacramentally, open our hearts to receive you spiritually, that we may receive you to our benefit. By this communion, strengthen us in faith and equip us to love one another as You love us.
Brief silence
All praise to You, dear Father in heaven, for You have opened up to us the way to eternal life in the resurrection of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. We give You thanks for all those who have gone before us in the faith and now rest from their labors. Keep us in that same faith, and embolden us by Your resurrection to be fearless in the face of disease, chaos, loneliness and every sorrow of this world through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our resurrected Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
God of abundance, you have fed us
with the words of eternal life.
you have united us with Christ and one another;
and you have made us one
with all your people in heaven and earth.
Now send us forth in the power of your Spirit,
that we may proclaim your redeeming love to the world
and continue forever in the risen life of Christ our Savior. Amen.
AN EASTER BLESSING
The God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great Shepard of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us perfect in every good work to do His will, working in us that which is well-pleasing in His sight; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among us, and remain with us always.
Alleluia. Christ is risen.
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.
Amen.
The Resurrection by Matthias Grunewald