"He Is Not Here"

WE GATHER TOGETHER

• PRELUDE– FANFARES ON “ CHRIST THE LORD IS RISEN TODAY” SETTING BY ROBERT LAU
• WELCOME & OPENING PRAYER
• ANNOUNCEMENTS
• OPENING CHORAL ANTHEM - SUNRISE RESERRECTION
• CALL TO WORSHIP
  Alleluia! Christ is risen!
  Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!
  God has answered us!
  God has come to earth to become our salvation!
  This is the day the Lord has made: let us rejoice and be glad! Alleluia!
• OPENING HYMN - GTG #232 ||| CHRIST THE LORD IS RISEN TODAY
• CALL TO CONFESSION
  This is a day of celebration, and nothing should prevent us from lifting our voices in praise to God.
  We must not hide the things we have done or failed to do, the things that do not imitate the perfect love of Christ.
  We must not let them fester and stifle our joy.
  Therefore, let us bring them before God inconfession.

• PRAYER OF CONFESSION
  Resurrected Christ, there is nothing we can do to deserve the grace you give us. There is no way we can earn your love, there is no way we can be worthy
  of your forgiveness.
  And yet you shower these mercies on us. You, who have taken away the sting of death, meet us where we are, in our doubt and fear, in our regrets and shame,
  in our delight and awe. Meet us here in this place, and call us once again to trust in you.

WE LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD

• DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS
  God says to us, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. Christ says to us, Do not be afraid. We need not fear; we are forgiven, we are loved, we are redeemed! Alleluia!
• PASSING THE PEACE

FIRST READING ||| ACTS 10:34-43
Then Peter began to speak to them: “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 thepeople 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.”

• SPECIAL MUSIC ||| ON THE THIRD DAY ||| ALLEN POTE

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 a 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.”

• SERMON: ||| "HE IS NOT HERE"
• WE COMMIT OUR PRAYERS, OUR OFFERINGS, OURSELVES
• HYMN ||| GTG #247 ||| NOW THE GREEN BLADE RISETH
• PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
• THE LORD’S PRAYER

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 forever. Amen

• INVITATION TO OFFERING
  As God gave us Christ, the first fruit of creation, let us humbly offer the substance of our lives in thanksgiving to our God.
• OFFERTORY ||| BREAK FORTH INTO JOYOUS SINGING ||| DOUGLAS E. WAGNER
• PRAYER OF DEDICATION
  We give you thanks, Holy One, for the gifts of our Lord, given with love for the world. Send us out in your Spirit to share the good news of salvation and give ourselves for others; in the name of Christ our
  Savior. Amen.
• INVITATION  ||| GREAT THANKSGIVING
  The Lord be with you.
  And also with you.
  Lift up your hearts.
  We lift them up to the Lord.
  Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
  It is right to give God our thanks and praise.
• WORDS OF INSTITUTION
• PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
  Thank you, O God, for giving us communion with our risen and glorious Lord. Now send us out to be a sign of the new life that has come into the world; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

WE GO FORTH TO SERVE GOD

• CLOSING HYMN ||| GTG #249 ||| BECAUSE YOU LIVE, O CHRIST
  BLESSING AND CHARGE
  Christ is risen!
  Christ is risen!
  Christ is risen!
  He is risen indeed!
  Believe what you have witnessed
  and run to the others,
  joyfully shouting,
  “I have seen the Lord!”
  Alleluia! Amen!

POSTLUDE ||| HAIL THE DAY THAT SEES HIM RISE ||| DOUGLAS E. WAGNER