Lord,
We have gathered as have your people all over the world…
to celebrate your resurrection.
to marvel at Your power to return life where there is death.
to set our hearts and minds on Christ in the throne room of heaven.
to remind ourselves that we will appear with You in glory.
Too easily our Resurrection Sundays turn into another religious duty.
We long to be like the women who left from Jesus’ borrowed tomb —
their mission of duty and devotion defined by death was disrupted by the most astonishing news — Christ is Risen. Disrupt our dull missions and infuse us with Good News — God News; set us on missions of life.
Rescue us — we have been chained to our guilt.
Deliver us— we have been trapped by our shame.
Redeem us — we have been blinded by our fear.
Lord, we can get stuck at the Cross when we consider all that is not right in the world and in our own lives. The Cross is the epitome of violence, abuse of power, injustice, despair. We bring to You the pain…
of the families who lost someone in the Sri Lankan bombings.
of the violence and of the family of the journalist who died in Northern Ireland.
of the families who have lost their homes in Mozambique.
of the ongoing violence in Afghanistan.
of families stuck at the US border.
of the civil war outside Libyan capital.
of our own hurting relationships, illness, unrealized goals and dreams.
We ask that you would take away every voice that says “You don’t care; You can’t do anything.”
On this Resurrection Day we look to You as the One who gives hope and as the One who has the power. Make us alive again to You, to Your ways, Your truth, Your hope.
Help us to join in with others who walk with you in affirming—
Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Please join me as we pray the Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one;
for yours is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever.
Amen.
–prepared by Craig & Ellen O’Brien