Easter
The fullness of the resurrection requires more than a day to unpack. The Easter season is a fifty-day celebration that ends on Pentecost Sunday (the Greek word pentekoste means “fiftieth”). The Easter season is a time to let the implications of the resurrection sink in deeper, inviting us to realign our worldview and conform our living to the reality that we have been raised with Christ to new life. Easter is full of joy and the laughter of love—the grave is empty, love has won, Christ is risen! Give yourself over to the experience of that joy—take in the absolute wonder of God’s purposeful plan of salvation (from Seeking God’s Face by Philip Reinders).
- Calling -
O Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim Your praise.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia!
Alleluia. Christ the Lord has ascended into heaven:
O come, let us adore him. Alleluia.
- Constitution -
Read/Listen, Meditate, Pray, and Contemplate on God’s Word, remembering that God is with you and ready to speak to you because he loves you.
Praying the Psalms
Psalm 66
To the choirmaster. A Song. A Psalm.
[1] Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
[2] sing the glory of his name;
give to him glorious praise!
[3] Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.
[4] All the earth worships you
and sings praises to you;
they sing praises to your name.” Selah
[5] Come and see what God has done:
he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.
[6] He turned the sea into dry land;
they passed through the river on foot.
There did we rejoice in him,
[7] who rules by his might forever,
whose eyes keep watch on the nations—
let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah
[8] Bless our God, O peoples;
let the sound of his praise be heard,
[9] who has kept our soul among the living
and has not let our feet slip.
[10] For you, O God, have tested us;
you have tried us as silver is tried.
[11] You brought us into the net;
you laid a crushing burden on our backs;
[12] you let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.
[13] I will come into your house with burnt offerings;
I will perform my vows to you,
[14] that which my lips uttered
and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.
[15] I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals,
with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;
I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah
[16] Come and hear, all you who fear God,
and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
[17] I cried to him with my mouth,
and high praise was on my tongue.
[18] If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
[19] But truly God has listened;
he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
[20] Blessed be God,
because he has not rejected my prayer
or removed his steadfast love from me!
Psalm 67
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.
[1] May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
[2] that your way may be known on earth,
your saving power among all nations.
[3] Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!
[4] Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
[5] Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!
[6] The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, shall bless us.
[7] God shall bless us;
let all the ends of the earth fear him!
Old Testament Reading
Numbers 24
[1] When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness. [2] And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. And the Spirit of God came upon him, [3] and he took up his discourse and said,
“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,
the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,
[4] the oracle of him who hears the words of God,
who sees the vision of the Almighty,
falling down with his eyes uncovered:
[5] How lovely are your tents, O Jacob,
your encampments, O Israel!
[6] Like palm groves that stretch afar,
like gardens beside a river,
like aloes that the LORD has planted,
like cedar trees beside the waters.
[7] Water shall flow from his buckets,
and his seed shall be in many waters;
his king shall be higher than Agag,
and his kingdom shall be exalted.
[8] God brings him out of Egypt
and is for him like the horns of the wild ox;
he shall eat up the nations, his adversaries,
and shall break their bones in pieces
and pierce them through with his arrows.
[9] He crouched, he lay down like a lion
and like a lioness; who will rouse him up?
Blessed are those who bless you,
and cursed are those who curse you.”
[10] And Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. And Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them these three times. [11] Therefore now flee to your own place. I said, ‘I will certainly honor you,’ but the LORD has held you back from honor.” [12] And Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me, [13] ‘If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the LORD, to do either good or bad of my own will. What the LORD speaks, that will I speak’? [14] And now, behold, I am going to my people. Come, I will let you know what this people will do to your people in the latter days.”
[15] And he took up his discourse and said,
“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,
the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,
[16] the oracle of him who hears the words of God,
and knows the knowledge of the Most High,
who sees the vision of the Almighty,
falling down with his eyes uncovered:
[17] I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near:
a star shall come out of Jacob,
and a scepter shall rise out of Israel;
it shall crush the forehead of Moab
and break down all the sons of Sheth.
[18] Edom shall be dispossessed;
Seir also, his enemies, shall be dispossessed.
Israel is doing valiantly.
[19] And one from Jacob shall exercise dominion
and destroy the survivors of cities!”
[20] Then he looked on Amalek and took up his discourse and said,
“Amalek was the first among the nations,
but its end is utter destruction.”
[21] And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his discourse and said,
“Enduring is your dwelling place,
and your nest is set in the rock.
[22] Nevertheless, Kain shall be burned
when Asshur takes you away captive.”
[23] And he took up his discourse and said,
“Alas, who shall live when God does this?
[24] But ships shall come from Kittim
and shall afflict Asshur and Eber;
and he too shall come to utter destruction.”
[25] Then Balaam rose and went back to his place. And Balak also went his way.
- Communion -
Pray for yourself, others, our church, our neighbors, and the world.
Pray the Lord’s Prayer & the collect of the week:
Our Father who art in heaven...
O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
- Commission -
May the God of peace, who raised to life the great shepherd of the sheep, make us ready to do his will in every good thing, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.
(Based on Hebrews 13:20-21)
Let us go forth in the name of Christ.