Easter Sunrise Devotion

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!!!

Leave a Reply