raised to life

Acts 3:12–19 

Confession 

Dear God;

we have been unjust, unkind, unwilling

to believe you can transform life. 

We have looked at lives transformed

by love, by the invitation to wonder,

and we have dismissed what

makes us feel uncomfortable. 

We are sorry. 

Like the crowd who turned

from their trust in Jesus to save them,

we have not trusted in your mystery;

forgive us our cold hearts,

our reluctance to grow,

our lack of welcome for each other. 

Forgive us when we crucify Jesus 

again with our rejection of each other. 

Forgive us when we let go of your faith,

betray your trust, abandon you in our fear. 

Love, 

your people. 

Assurance of Grace 

To my dear people, 

Thank you for saying sorry. 

Please remember that I raised Jesus from death to life, 

and so I raised you with him: 

get up, now, and live! 

Do not be afraid, but be at peace. 

I forgive you. Always. 

Love, 

God. 

Prayer of honesty and hope

Mark 16:1–2 

Easter Day confession & intercession 

When the Sabbath was over – 

Oh, God, help us to pause, 

to breathe, to focus on you; 

help us find the courage

to stop, to feel – even 

what hurts, even what hopes. 

Help us to hold the moment 

long enough to be there;

help us to stay with you

and with each other, even

in the garden of grief. 

Mary, Mary, and Salome brought spices – 

Oh, God, this is a story 

of women, written out of 

so much of your story, our 

story. So we pray for 

the ones written out of the story

for so long, and now finding

their voice, claiming their place;

and we pray for the ones 

still hidden between the lines,

obscured in the shadows, held

off to the edges, the margins,

the outside. More, we pray

for ourselves to see

as you see, welcome as you

do, and listen to shaking voices

with your message to speak. 

So that they might anoint him – 

Oh, God, how do we honour you,

having come among us

in Jesus, having stood firm

for the Way of Justice and Love

in the face of the fiercest 

persecution? What can we do

to honour that act of love,

of reconciliation, of invitation

back to your Way of Justice,

of Love? Help us to see, 

help us to act, to live, our 

honour for you. 

We the devoted

Acts 2:36–42 

bread broken our prayers

speaking our story rising

Spirit our life's breath 

Unprecedented

Acts 2: 22–32 
a prayer of confidence in a time of uncertainty 

in these strangest of days
like nothing we've seen or heard
of before – we remember

we remember strange times
and uncertain seasons,
when the sun burnt too hot
and the snow lay too thick
for life to go on as normal

and we remember:
this, too, shall not last

we remember strange events
and dangerous days,
when tyrants reigned in terror
and wars cut down, cut off
and life was far from normal

and we remember:
love and kindness will overcome

we remember strange portents
and unsettling signs,
when heaven tore open,
when temples fell
and nothing was normal again

and we remember,
you are here with us, as well.

Amen.

After: Life

Matthew 28:1–10 

after they rested
they went to see
after the dark
a new light dawning

after separation
they sought him anew
after the death
a new way dawning

after the earth shook
an angel met them
after the fear
a new hope dawning

after the strange words
they ran they skipped
after despair
new life dawning

after the greeting
a falling holding tight
after all do not fear
I am here

Open invitation: now, abundant life!

An easter hymn

words: Sarah Agnew © 2019 

(adapted from Edmond Luis Budry tr Richard Birch Hoyle)
music: Maccabaeus adapted from GF Handel (Together in Song 380)

Yours be the glory, risen dauntless Love:
open the invitation, now: abundant life.
Angels again were with you, rolled the stone away,
you, set free from death to show us all the Way.

Yours be the glory, risen dauntless Love:
open the invitation, now: abundant life!

See there the women, faithful in loving care,
open to invitation, mystery and awe they shared.
Peter again ran headlong, rushed to see the grave,
all the beloved disciples saw and were amazed!

Yours be the glory, risen dauntless Love:
open the invitation, now: abundant life!

Glorious creation, shout and sing: rejoice!
God is recreating, calling out with joy;
former things shall not bring weeping and distress,
for the invitation reaches out to bless!

Yours be the glory, risen dauntless Love:
open the invitation, now: abundant life!

Here, now, we praise you, Wisdom and Word of God,
come to live among us, teach and show us Love.
Let your church with gladness, sing our Maker’s song,
open to invitation, in the Spirit, one.

Yours be the glory, risen dauntless Love:
open the invitation, now: abundant life!

Pauline haikus on resurrection

Philippians 3:4b–14. Lent 5 

nakedness before 

garments new lift me beyond 

shame, ambition, self 

poverty before 

treasure I cannot possess 

my heart overflows 

enter this death before 

birth, before life, before breath 

yes, die, so to live!