The 2nd Easter Sunday service prayers with an EVALUATION note from a church member

Welcome

Jesus said, “I am the living One;

I was dead, and now I am alive forevermore.” (Revelation 1:18)

Welcome, Easter people. Christ is risen!

Let us give praises to the Risen Christ,

Singing great Alleluias,

Shouting great Amens!

Call to Worship

This is the season of Easter.
We celebrate Christ’s resurrection.
We embrace the festival of hope.
We are given the promise of new beginnings.
We dance in our faith.
We sing of joy.
We hum the music of love and gladness,
We become a hymn of love.
Let us worship our life-giving God!
As an Easter community, let us praise the Risen Lord.

Opening Prayer

We sing praises to you, O God,
and give thanks to your holy name.
Weeping may linger for a night.
But joy comes in the morning.
Turn our weeping to dancing
and clothe us in gladness.
May we praise You and not be silent!
Thanks to you, O Living God, forever! Amen!

Call to Prayer of Confession

Jesus said to the disciples,
“Take heart. Have no fear.”

As disciples, we are no longer burdened by guilt,
no longer bound by fear.
God’s forgiving love is always in front of us,
opening wide the Father’s arms to us.
When we are burdend, when our own cross is too heavy to carry,
God lets us rest and lean on His warm and wide back.
Open our eyes to Christ’s presence in our life.
Please join me as we pray, saying,

Prayer of Confession

God, the Gentle and Gracious Father,
Standing at the empty tomb,
We seek your warm and wide loving presence with us.

We mourn the great loss of our beloved friend and teacher.
We feel emptiness.
We feel bewildered at the loss.

We stay locked behind our fears and doubts,
We feel too low to sing Alleluia,
We cannot believe your Word of new life.

Forgive us, and fill us with your joy.
Comfort us, and send us out to share your grace.
Charge us full with the electricity of the power of your love. Amen.

Assurance of God’s Grace

Upon the evening of Easter Day when Jesus appeared to his bewildered disciples
steeped in despair and fear, let us recall the first words of the Risen Christ.

He said, “Peace be with you.”

When we express our sorrows and burdens to God
God’s forgiving love frees us and gives us deep peace.
We are forgiven. The Risen Christ calls us to join in His Easter peace.

May joy of God fill us and strengthen us all.
Alleluia! Thanks be to God.

Evaluation

Dear Ha Na, I had hoped to write this note yesterday, but only now have I made the time following a conversation with Lana.
First, I enjoyed your service on Sunday. Through prayer, Children's Time and preaching, you  addressed our loss and grieving and carried us forward in our community life. I loved your Children's Time, especially singing the children into acceptance and mystery in a loving way. They know that song, and now, it has new meaning. Glad for Joy's spirited repartee. Your quick and ready responses are getting stronger each time out. Good for you.

Through your head and heart and presence, Easter has been made new and empowering to me. A blessing. Thank you.