Day 381 | Sunday, 4 April 2021 - Easter

---

Day 381 - Audio Version

Day 381 | Sunday, 4 April 2021

CHRIST IS RISEN!  CHRIST IS RISEN, INDEED!

 The assigned Scripture readings for this Easter Sunday are Acts 10:34-43, Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, John 20:1-18 or Mark 16:1-8.
Mark 16:1-8 CEB

16 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they could go and anoint Jesus’ dead body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they came to the tomb. 3 They were saying to each other, “Who’s going to roll the stone away from the entrance for us?” 4 When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away. (And it was a very large stone!) 5 Going into the tomb, they saw a young man in a white robe seated on the right side; and they were startled. 6 But he said to them, “Don’t be alarmed! You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised. He isn’t here. Look, here’s the place where they laid him. 7 Go, tell his disciples, especially Peter, that he is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you.” 8 Overcome with terror and dread, they fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

An Easter Beginning:
“At the break of dawn, a bird sings. The long night of darkness is over. The stone is rolled away, The tomb is empty. The sun begins to shine. The Son has risen! It's a morning of glory, of love overcoming death, of women spreading Good News, of men turning from despair to hope. It's a morning of joy, for Easter has come again. Hope is reborn, love is stronger than death, and we lift our voices in song.”

 An Easter Invocation:
“God of the morning light, God of Easter miracles, open our hearts to hear once again the story of love overcoming death, of joy drowning out sorrow, of hope emerging from despair. Bring Easter to this moment. Touch us. Fill us. Amen.”

 An Easter Prayer:
“Christ is risen; our loads are lifted, and the path is cleared! Light rises over us as Jesus overcomes darkness and death. We need not struggle alone, pushing through pain, stumbling on sin and trying to walk life's way unaided. Lent is over, Easter has come, and our road is new. We are forgiven; Jesus leads the way! Thank you, O God! Amen.”

 An Easter Affirmation:
“We believe in the risen Christ. Like the disciples who were amazed at what they saw, so are we amazed at what we experience. We see the face of Christ in children's smiles, in the eyes of our families. We hear the voice of Christ in the stillness of a clear night, in the way our friends call our name, in the song that brings tears to our eyes. We know the touch of Christ in every warm embrace. We taste the presence of Christ in bread that is blessed, broken and shared. We feel the power of Christ in standing up to injustice, in reaching out to help another, in building strong communities of welcome and support. We feel the love of Christ when another wipes away our tears, takes us by the hand and leads us through the valleys and shadows to a new place.

We believe the risen Christ. We know the risen Christ. We are blessed.”
​
 An Easter Blessing:
“May alleluias ring from shore to shore.
May trumpets echo from mountain to mountain.
May every heart know that Christ is risen.
And may you never be afraid,
for Christ has triumphed over the grave.”