Easter Sunrise Devotion April 4, 2021
Song “Morning Has Broken”
Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for them springing fresh from the word
Sweet the rain’s new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dew fall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where his feet pass
Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God’s re-creation of the new day
Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for them springing fresh from the word
The Lighting of the Christ Candle
Leader: May the light of Christ, rising in glory, dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds.
Leader: The light of Christ.
All: Thanks be to God.
Leader: Let us pray…
All: Almighty God, our light in all darkness, give us joy in celebrating our Lord’s resurrection. Lead us by His everlasting light so that we may live now as His people sharing the Good News of our Savior’s victory to all the world. And at the last, bring us to the full joy of life eternal, through Jesus Christ our Living Lord who with the Father and the Holy Spirit is one God, now and forever. Amen.
Prayer
Make us a cloud at sunrise, Lord
Just as the sun arises
Let us be lifted high in prayer
To catch and reflect
The first rays of your glory
Help us to shine throughout this day
With the warming glow of your love
So that others might be able to see
Your splendor and majesty
Fill our hearts with longing for you
Help our eyes hunger not to miss
A single glimpse of your beauty
Strewn in light across the sky
Fill us with your reflected glory
So that all around might see
The daily invitation of Christ’s love and peace
Shining and living in us.
Reading Genesis 1:1-5
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
Song “Above All”
Above all powers, Above all kings
Above all nature, And all created things
Above all wisdom, And all the ways of man
You were here, Before the world began
Above all kingdoms, Above all thrones
Above all wonders, The world has ever known
Above all wealth, And treasures of the earth
There’s no way to measure, What You’re worth
Crucified, Laid behind a stone
You lived to die, Rejected and alone
Like a rose, Trampled on the ground
You took the fall, And thought of me
Above all
Reading Psalm 136:1-9
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever.
to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever.
who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever.
who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever.
who made the great lights, His love endures forever.
the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever.
the moon and stars to govern the night, His love endures forever.
Prayer
O greater Maker of this Thy great sun,
Give me the strength this one day’s race to run,
Fill me with light, fill me with sun-like strength,
Fill me with joy to rob the day its length.
Light from within, light that will outward shine,
Strength to make strong some weaker heart than mine,
Joy to make glad each soul that feels its touch;
Great Father of the sun, I ask this much. Amen.
(Words by James Weldon Johnson)
Song “The Old Rugged Cross”
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross
And exchange it some day for a crown
O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary
In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine
A wondrous beauty I see
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died
To pardon and sanctify me
To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away
Where His glory forever I’ll share
Reading Acts 10:34-43
Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
“We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us 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 whom God appointed 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.”
Song “Lord of the Dance”
I danced in the morning when the world was young
I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun
I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth
At Bethlehem I had my birth
Dance, dance, wherever you may be
I am the lord of the dance, said he
And I lead you all, wherever you may be
And I lead you all in the dance, said he
I danced for the scribes and the Pharisees
They wouldn’t dance, they wouldn’t follow me
I danced for the fishermen James and John
They came with me so the dance went on
I danced on the Sabbath and I cured the lame
The holy people said it was a shame
They ripped, they stripped, they hung me high
Left me there on the cross to die
I danced on a Friday when the world turned black
It’s hard to dance with the devil on your back
They buried my body, they thought I was gone
But I am the dance, and the dance goes on
They cut me down and I leapt up high
I am the life that will never, never die
I’ll live in you if you’ll live in me
I am the Lord of the dance, said he
Prayer
Heavenly Father, We give you praise for an even greater sign of new life: the resurrection of your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, that we celebrate at this time. … Change our lives, change our hearts to be messengers of Easter joy and hope. We make our prayer through Jesus Christ, our risen Lord forever. Amen.
Song “Christ The Lord Is Risen Today”
Christ the Lord is risen today, alleluia
Sons of men and angels say, alleluia
Raise your joys and triumphs high, alleluia
Sing ye heavens and earth reply, alleluia
Lives again our glorious King, alleluia
Where O death is now thy sting, alleluia
Dying once He all doth save, alleluia
Where thy victory Oh grave, alleluia
He is not dead, He is alive
We have this hope, in Jesus Christ
Love’s redeeming work is done, alleluia
Fought the fight the battle won, alleluia
Death in vain forbids Him rise, alleluia
Christ has opened paradise, alleluia
He is not dead, He is alive
We have this hope, in Jesus Christ
Soar we now where Christ has led, alleluia
Following our exalted Head, alleluia
Made like Him, like Him we rise, alleluia
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, alleluia
He is not dead, He is alive
We have this hope, in Jesus Christ
He is not dead, He is alive
We have this hope, in Jesus Christ
Sending
May the celebration of resurrected life bring new hope to your being.
May the victory over earthly death turn your eyes to the promises of heaven.
May the empty tomb help you to leave your sorrows at the foot of the cross
So that God’s hope, promises and forgiveness reign in your life forever.
Amen.
Leader: Christ is Risen!
All: He is Risen Indeed!!!