GATHERING LITURGY
Preparation:
Today is Resurrection Sunday. Christians around the world, no matter how they are gathered or scattered are celebrating Jesus Christ the Risen King!
Read Luke 24
Spotify playlist for Singing along
Gather
Welcome
Candle
Welcome to the Gathering Hope College!
And this is why we gather…we believe that Christ is the light of the world and in him there is no darkness at all…the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it. And on this resurrection Sunday we proclaim the one who shone from the empty tomb…
Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
The Lord is risen indeed!
Jesus Christ is risen from the grave!
He is risen indeed!
Let us worship the risen God who comes to us as Light from true light!
Song
“King of Kings”
Verse 1
In the darkness we were waiting
Without hope without light
Till from Heaven You came running
There was mercy in Your eyes
To fulfill the law and prophets
To a virgin came the Word
From a throne of endless glory
To a cradle in the dirt
Chorus
Praise the Father
Praise the Son
Praise the Spirit three in one
God of Glory, Majesty
Praise forever to the King of Kings
Verse 2
To reveal the kingdom coming
And to reconcile the lost
To redeem the whole creation
You did not despise the cross
For even in Your suffering
You saw to the other side
Knowing this was our salvation
Jesus for our sake You died
Verse 3
And the morning that You rose
All of heaven held its breath
Till that stone was moved for good
For the Lamb had conquered death
And the dead rose from their tombs
And the angels stood in awe
For the souls of all who’d come
To the Father are restored
Verse 4
And the Church of Christ was born
Then the Spirit lit the flame
Now this Gospel truth of old
Shall not kneel shall not faint
By His blood and in His Name
In His freedom I am free
For the love of Jesus Christ
Who has resurrected me
CCLI Song # 7127647
Song
“Nothing Like Your Love”
Verse
Spirit of heaven
There is nothing like your love
There is nothing like your love
There is nothing like your love
O Lord of heaven
There is nothing like your love
There is nothing like your love
There is nothing like your love
Chorus
Oh oh oh
Your love is making space
Your heart is generosity
You’ve made an open place beside you
Oh oh oh
Your love is running free
Your heart is calling out to me
You’ve made an open place beside you
Bridge
Its your love of breaking boundaries
Crashing waves into the world
Under bridges, over buildings
Overtaking me
Its your love that travels backwards
to rebuild our yesterdays
So Holy name of glory
Come awaken me!
Come awaken me!
Confession:
Almighty God,
in raising Jesus from the grave,
you shattered the power of sin and death.
We confess that we remain captive to doubt and fear,
bound by the ways that lead to death.
We overlook the poor and the hungry
and pass by those who mourn;
we are deaf to the cries of the oppressed
and indifferent to calls for peace;
we despise the weak
and abuse the earth you made.
Forgive us, God of mercy.
Help us to trust your power
to change our lives and make us new,
that we may know the joy of life abundant
given in Jesus Christ, the risen Lord.
Amen.
(Take a moment to silently confess your sins to God)
Assurance
1 Corinthians 15:54-57 (NRSV)
(Say it outloud!)
“Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
“Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Song
“Raised with Christ”
Verse 1
The firstborn of all creation
The world was made for Your delight
Taking on our human nature
Becoming sin to give us life
Pre-Chorus
You hold everything together
From beginning to the end
With a love no one can measure
Stronger than the grip of death
Chorus
I’ve been raised with Christ
The old has gone the new has come to life
I will lift my voice and sing Your praise
Forever I will sing Your praise
Verse 2
I fix my eyes upon the heavens
I set my mind on things above
You are the prize You are my treasure
How sweet the name that rescues us
Bridge
We have found our freedom we are free indeed
The empty grave is our victory
Our sin is cancelled He has nailed it to the cross
The King of heaven is alive in us
CCLI Song # 7118133
CREED
United with Christians around the world, let us proclaim the faith handed down through the ages in the Apostles Creed.
I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead and buried;
he descended into hell;
the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Word
The Resurrection Account:
Matthew 28:1-10 | Mark 16:1-8; 9-14
Luke 24:1-44 | John 20:1-29
(Out loud, read through one of the resurrection accounts in the gospels.)
Table
Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest . . .I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (Mt. 11:28 and Jn. 6:35)
During this season we will grieve not sharing the Lord’s Supper with our Hope community. Coming to the table together in Dimnent is a moment of shared glory with our beautiful community. Along with many churches around the world we are in a season of observing “spiritual communion.” As you share a meal in your space this Sunday evening pray that your community would be filled with Christ even in this fasting season of separation.
Here is a prayer you can pray as you worship through this service.
“Dear Jesus, I believe that you are truly and spiritually present in the bread and wine. I love you above all things, and I desire to possess you within my soul. And since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, I earnestly pray you to come spiritually into my heart. I unite myself to you, together with all your faithful people [gathered around every table of your Church], and I embrace you with all the affections of my soul. Never permit me to be separated from you. Amen.”
Prayers of the People:
Let us pray:
O Christ, you are our life and our light. In your rising, you have defeated death. You are our defense and salvation.
By dying you destroyed our death! By rising you restored our life!
Stir our hearts that we may rejoice in your resurrection daily. Encourage us since your victory over sin, death and Satan is now our victory forever.
By dying you destroyed our death! By rising you restored our life!
We praise you, O Lord, and we proclaim that your name is exalted. Use us as the heralds of your grace to proclaim your salvation to those near and far who need to know you.
By dying you destroyed our death! By rising you restored our life!
Give your special blessing to those who proclaim your resurrection in word and song. Let your Holy Spirit move those who speak and sing, and create and strengthen faith in the hearts of those who hear.
By dying you destroyed our death! By rising you restored our life!
Give comfort and hope to the families and friends of those you have taken to yourself in the past year. Refresh their faith and dry their tears with the gospel of your resurrection and your victory shared with us.
By dying you destroyed our death! By rising you restored our life!
Jesus Christ, Ruler of the kings of the earth, govern and guide the leaders of the nations, especially the President of the United States, the governor of this state, and all federal and state legislatures, that they may maintain civil peace and security, and we may continue to worship you in peace.
By dying you destroyed our death! By rising you restored our life!
Bless, support and help all who serve those in emergencies, police, fire and ambulance crews, doctors, nurses and other caregivers. Through their work, relieve anxiety and pain, bring comfort and healing to the hurting.
By dying you destroyed our death! By rising you restored our life!
Give patience to those who are out of work or whose hours and pay are reduced, owners of businesses that are closed, and all who struggle at this time. Uplift us with the gospel of your goodness, the great price paid for us, and your mercy that endures forever.
By dying you destroyed our death! By rising you restored our life!
Have mercy on the dismayed, the suffering, and those who are burdened with illness of mind or body, especially those afflicted with the COVID-19 Coronavirus. Set their hearts on you and on things above, where one day we will all join you in glory. By dying you destroyed our death! By rising you restored our life!
Song
“Living Hope”
Verse 1
How great the chasm that lay between us
How high the mountain I could not climb
In desperation I turned to heaven
And spoke Your name into the night
Then through the darkness Your loving-kindness
Tore through the shadows of my soul
The work is finished the end is written
Jesus Christ my living hope
Verse 2
Who could imagine so great a mercy
What heart could fathom such boundless grace
The God of ages stepped down from glory
To wear my sin and bear my shame
The cross has spoken I am forgiven
The King of kings calls me His own
Beautiful Savior I’m Yours forever
Jesus Christ my living hope
Chorus
Hallelujah praise the One who set me free
Hallelujah death has lost its grip on me
You have broken every chain
There’s salvation in Your name
Jesus Christ my living hope
Verse 3
Then came the morning that sealed the promise
Your buried body began to breathe
Out of the silence the Roaring Lion
Declared the grave has no claim on me
Jesus Yours is the victory whoa
CCLI Song # 7106807
Sending
Song
“O Praise the Name”
Verse 1
I cast my mind to Calvary
Where Jesus bled and died for me
I see His wounds His hands His feet
My Saviour on that cursed tree
Verse 2
His body bound and drenched in tears
They laid Him down in Joseph’s tomb
The entrance sealed by heavy stone
Messiah still and all alone
Chorus
O praise the Name of the Lord our God
O praise His Name forevermore
For endless days we will sing Your praise
Oh Lord oh Lord our God
Verse 3
Then on the third at break of dawn
The Son of heaven rose again
O trampled death where is your sting
The angels roar for Christ the King
Verse 4
He shall return in robes of white
The blazing sun shall pierce the night
And I will rise among the saints
My gaze transfixed on Jesus’ face
Then sings my soul
My Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art
How great Thou art
Then sings my soul
My Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art
How great Thou art
CCLI Song # 7037787
Candle
Trygve: Hope College, no one lights a lamp and puts it under a bushel basket? That would be like failing to stay home in this quarantine…that would be dumb!
Trygve: You don’t put it under a bushel basket, you put it on a…
Hope: Lampstand!
Trygve: And it gives light to the entire…
Hope: Hoooouuuuussssssse.
Trygve: Conversation, bedroom study session, Zoom class, Google Hangout, Facebook Live event….Wherever you are at, whatever you do, and whoever you are with – may God’s light and love shine through you, so that each person you encounter might experience in some measure the love and light of God. Stand where you are and hold your hands out….(The Holy Spirit will cover the distance!).
And as we step into this week together let us sing the song that anchors our hope in God…
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise God all creatures here below
Praise God above ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.
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