Christian Liturgy 101: How One Church Worshiped Easter Sunday 2022

by Bobby Gilles

in Liturgy & Sermons

Welcome to Sojourn’s weekly worship music set list review & service recap. You’ll not only read a list of the songs we led but also the readings and prayers from our liturgy. You can also watch the video stream of the full service from our Facebook page (see a video of our sermon alone below).

Worship Director Justin Shaffer directs our liturgy, collaborating with our Creative Staff at Sojourn Church New Albany and our Liturgy writing team (Rebekah Carroll, Ryan Marsh, and Lindsey Blair).

This week we celebrated Easter Sunday, and Pastor Jonah Sage preached from Mark 1:14-15.

—Prelude: First verse & chorus of “Up From The Grave He Arose”, 

Then first two verses of “Crown Him With Many Crowns” Key, Leader

 

CALL TO WORSHIP:   Liturgist

Good morning and Happy Easter

Let’s hear what happened that first Easter morning

Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb.

Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.

Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.”

The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”

-Matthew 28:1-10 NLT

HE IS RISEN! — HE IS RISEN INDEED!!!

—Song 2: “Jesus Paid It All” Key, Leader

CONFESSION/LAMENT:  Band Member

Let’s pray together:

Almighty God,

In raising Jesus from the grave,

You shattered the power of sin and death.

We confess that we remain captive to doubt and fear,

Bound by the ways that lead to death.

We overlook the poor and the hungry

And pass by those who mourn;

We are deaf to the cries of the oppressed

And indifferent to calls for peace;

We despise the weak and abuse the earth you made

Forgive us, God of mercy.

Help us to trust your power

To change our lives and make us new,

That we may know the joy of life abundant

Given in Jesus Christ, the risen Lord. Amen

-from The Worship Sourcebook

Amen.

—Song 3: “Because He Lives” Key, Meg

ASSURANCE: Liturgist

HE IS RISEN! — HE IS RISEN INDEED!!!

Now, let me ask you something profound yet troubling. If you became believers because you trusted the proclamation that Christ is alive, risen from the dead, how can you let people say that there is no such thing as a resurrection? If there’s no resurrection, there’s no living Christ. And face it—if there’s no resurrection for Christ, everything we’ve told you is smoke and mirrors, and everything you’ve staked your life on is smoke and mirrors. Not only that, but we would be guilty of telling a string of barefaced lies about God, all these affidavits we passed on to you verifying that God raised up Christ—sheer fabrications, if there’s no resurrection.

 

If corpses can’t be raised, then Christ wasn’t, because he was indeed dead. And if Christ weren’t raised, then all you’re doing is wandering about in the dark, as lost as ever. It’s even worse for those who died hoping in Christ and resurrection, because they’re already in their graves. If all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years, we’re a pretty sorry lot. But the truth is that Christ has been raised up, the first in a long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries.

 

There is a nice symmetry in this: Death initially came by a man, and resurrection from death came by a man. Everybody dies in Adam; everybody comes alive in Christ. But we have to wait our turn: Christ is first, then those with him at his Coming, the grand consummation when, after crushing the opposition, he hands over his kingdom to God the Father. He won’t let up until the last enemy is down—and the very last enemy is death! As the psalmist said, “He laid them low, one and all; he walked all over them.” When Scripture says that “he walked all over them,” it’s obvious that he couldn’t at the same time be walked on. When everything and everyone is finally under God’s rule, the Son will step down, taking his place with everyone else, showing that God’s rule is absolutely comprehensive—a perfect ending!

      

  -1 Corinthians 15:12-28 The Message

 

—Song 4: Ain’t No Grave Key, Leader

PASSING OF THE PEACE: Band Member

Some time after Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to his disciples, he said this:

And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day.  It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ You are witnesses of all these things.

 

-Luke 24:46-48 NLT

Jesus made it possible for us to be forgiven, to have peace with God and with one another. So as we greet each other this morning, remember…. We are witnesses of all these things!

 

——————————————   [SERMON & COMMUNION]   ——————————————-

—Song 5: “Worthy Is The Lamb” Key, Leader

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Reader

 

—Song 6: “Ancient of Days” Key, Leader 

 

BENEDICTION: Liturgist

Now may the God of peace—

    who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus,

the great Shepherd of the sheep,

    and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—

may he equip you with all you need

    for doing his will.

May he produce in you,

    through the power of Jesus Christ,

every good thing that is pleasing to him.

    All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.

Go in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Peace be with you!

-Hebrews 13:20-21 NLT

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