An Easter Day Communion Service

Welcome to this online Windmill United Benefice communion service for Easter Day. You can either read all the words of the service, pausing to hear the music, readings, talk and prayers and watch the celebration of communion, or, if you are sharing the service with someone, one of you can read the words in regular type and you can all join in the parts in bold. All the music was recorded St Mary the Virgin, Horne on Easter Day 2018.

The hymn ‘Jesus Christ is ris’n today’ is sung

Jesus Christ is ris’n today, alleluia!
Our triumphant holy day, alleluia!
Who did once upon the cross, alleluia!
Suffer to redeem our loss, alleluia!

Hymns of praise then let us sing, alleluia!
Unto Christ, our heav’nly King, alleluia!
Who endured the cross and grave, alleluia!
Sinners to redeem and save, alleluia!

But the pains that he endured, alleluia!
Our salvation have procured, alleluia!
Now above the sky he’s King, alleluia!
Where the angels ever sing, alleluia!

Greeting and confession

Alleluia! Christ is risen.

He is risen indeed, Alleluia!                                 

Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed for us.
Let us therefore rejoice by putting away all malice and evil
and confessing our sins with a sincere and true heart.

Most merciful God,
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
we confess that we have sinned
in thought, word and deed.
We have not loved you with our whole heart.
We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.
In your mercy forgive what we have been,
help us to amend what we are,
and direct what we shall be;
that we may do justly, love mercy,
and walk humbly with you, our God.
Amen.

Almighty God, have mercy upon us, pardon and deliver us from all our sins, confirm and strengthen us in all goodness, and keep us in life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The Gloria is sung

Glory in the highest to the God of heaven!
Peace to all your people through the earth be given:
Mighty God and Father, thanks and praise we bring,
Singing alleluia to our heavenly king.

Jesus Christ is risen, God the Father’s Son:
Seated now and reigning from your Father’s throne,
Lamb of God the Saviour, all our sin to bear,
Show us now your mercy, now receive our prayer.

Christ the world’s true Saviour, high and holy One,
With the Holy Spirit, you are Lord alone!
Lord and God, we praise you; Highest heaven adores:
In the Father’s glory, all the praise be yours!

The Collect for Easter Day
Lord of all life and power,
who through the mighty resurrection of your Son
overcame the old order of sin and death
to make all things new in him:
grant that we, being dead to sin
and alive to you in Jesus Christ,
may reign with him in glory;
to whom with you and the Holy Spirit
be praise and honour, glory and might,
now and in all eternity. Amen

Listen to a reading from Acts 10: 34-43
Read by Mike Ainsworth, St Bartholomew, Burstow

Listen to a reading from Matthew 28: 1-10
Read by Catriona Knight, St John the Baptist, Outwood

Talk
Rev Nicholas Calver

The Creed
Christ died for our sins
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he was buried;
he was raised to life on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures;
afterwards he appeared to his followers,
and to all the apostles:
this we have received,
this we believe. Amen.

The prayers are said
Led by Sue Wates, St Mary the Virgin, Horne

The Peace
You may be thinking of those physically present with you when you say the words of the peace or thinking of others who are present in spirit

The risen Christ came and stood among his disciples
and said:  Peace be with you. 
Then they were glad when they saw the Lord. 
The Peace of the Lord be always with you

You are invited to make your spiritual communion in the way that Nicholas suggests

Listen to the anthem ‘Christ the Lord is risen again’ by Philip Stopford (b. 1977)
Recorded at St Mary’s Horne on Easter Sunday 2018

Blessing

God the Father, by whose glory Christ was raised from the dead, strengthen you to walk with him in his risen life; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Alleluia! Alleluia!

In the name of Christ.  Alleluia! Alleluia!

The hymn ‘Thine be the glory’ is sung

Thine be the glory, ris’n, conqu’ring Son,
Endless is the vict’ry thou o’er death hast won;
Angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away,
Kept the folded grave-clothes where thy body lay.
Thine be the glory, ris’n, conqu’ring Son,
Endless is the vict’ry thou o’er death hast won.

Lo! Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb;
Lovingly he greets us, scatters fear and gloom.
Let the Church with gladness hymns of triumph sing,
For her Lord now liveth; death hast lost her sting.

No more we doubt thee, glorious Prince of Life;
Life is naught without thee: aid us in our strife.
Make us more than conqu’rors through thy deathless love;
Bring us safe through Jordan to thy home above.

Organist: Peter Nye
Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England (2000), material from which is included in this service, is copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2000.