Resources for Holy Week/Easter
Celebrations
Index:
1. Idea/Action List for Local Congregations
2. Liturgical Resources for Maundy Thursday
3. Liturgical Resources for Good Friday
4. Liturgical Resources for Easter Worship
5. Sample News Release for Easter Sunrise Service
SECTION 1: Idea/Action List For Local
Churches
1. Is your church without an on-going Sunday choir? Easter can be
an ideal time to launch a new choir. Use this holiday to begin a new ministry -- a new
ministry which can be sustained and become a year-round ministry.
2. Why not invite the gay-and-lesbian chorus in your area to present special music as part
of your Easter celebration? The promotion will help draw people to your services, the
event can be a great way to share your church's ministry with members of the local choir,
and it's a natural for generating free news stories in your local media.
3. Give special attention to visitor follow-up after Easter. Send a postcard to all
visitors thanking them for their presence. Or send a series of follow-up letters to share
your church's ministries, programs and services. Use your post-Easter follow-up to share
information on your church and to serve as a bridge to help visitors become regular
worshipers.
4. Consider using the time around Easter to launch new small group ministries in your
church. Holiday times can be effective times for reaching new people for small group
studies and events.
5. Offer a Community-Wide Children's Easter Egg Hunt. Send news releases to the local gay
press, religion editors and feature writers at local newspapers and magazines. Place
posters at all g/l/b/t-friendly businesses. Send your information to the community news
desks at radio and T.V. stations, too.
6. Make special use of your Easter services to promote upcoming events. Be sure to include
a calendar of upcoming events for the next several months in all of your Easter services.
Do more than share facts -- share the benefits of your church's programs, too.
SECTION 2: Liturgical Resources for Maundy
Thursday
Conducted in a meditative style, this Holy Week service draws upon
the Taize tradition. It would be effective as a candelight worship service and should be
conducted in a peaceful and simple manner with as little spoken as possible. All of the
suggested music may all be found in volumes of Music from Taize available (in the US)
through GIA Publications Inc. in Chicago (phone 708-496-3800).
Gathering Music:
When the night becomes dark
Your love, O God, is a fire; your love, O God, is a fire.
Evening Scriptures (Note: read slowly, allowing silence between)
What shall I render to God for all God’s bounty to me? I will lift up the cup of
salvation and call on the name of God. (Psalm 116:12-13)
The foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger
than human strength. (1 Corinthians 1:25)
This is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the
Sovereign: I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I
will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach a
neighbor and each a brother and sister saying, "Know God," for they shall all
know me, from the least to the greatest. (Jeremiah 31:33-34a)
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith. (Hebrews 10:22a)
How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of
your wings. (Psalm 36:5-10)
Centering Music:
My soul is at rest in God alone, my salvation comes from God.
Reading from Psalm 139
Introduce music to be sung after each section as response:
Response: It is good to trust in You, O God,
to trust and hope in You, O God.
Reading:
O God, you have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You discern my thoughts from far away.
You search out my path and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
O God, you know it completely.
Response
Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
If I take the wings of the morning
and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me fast.
Response
If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light around me become night,"
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is as bright as the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
Response
For it was you who formed my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made,
Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Response
How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
I try to count them--they are more than the sand;
I come to the end--I am still with you.
Response
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my thoughts.
See if there is any hurtful way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Music: Veni Sancte Spiritus
Gospel: Luke 22:7-20
Music: O Christe Domine Jesu
Silent Reflection
Reflection
Note: A brief spoken meditation or homily, or a service of footwashing, could be
appropriately done here.
Music: O God hear my prayer
Community Prayer
Kyrie, kyrie eleison.
(Greek: God have mercy.)
Music: Come and fill our hearts with Your peace
Communion
Music: Eat this bread
Candlelight Prayer
The congregation is invited to come forward, receive communion and then pray near the
altar, kneeling or standing; when their prayer is concluded, they may light their candle
as a sign of their prayer.
Music:
(1) Stay with Me
(2) Nada te turbe
(3) Jesus, Remember Me
Closing Prayer
Now in Peace, O God (Nunc dimitis)
Sign of Peace
SECTION 3: Liturgical Resources For Good
Friday
This service is based on a reading of the Seven Last Words of Christ. Seven different
speakers are invited to offer a brief meditation (3-4 minutes) on each one of the
scripture passages. Between meditations and readings, a hymn may be sung, special music
offered, or quiet music played. At the conclusion of the service, you may invite
participants to remain in silent prayer if they wish.
Invocation:
Almighty God, we gather in your presence and ask you to look upon your people gathered
here. We give you thanks that for us Jesus Christ was willing to be given into the hands
of sinners, suffer, and die, that we might live. We come in the assurance that Christ
lives and reigns with you now and forever more. Amen.
Hymn
Silent Reflection
Reading: Luke 23:26-32
Do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children
Meditation
Music
Reading: Luke 23:35,36,34,39-43
Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing
Meditation
Music
Reading: John 19:25-27
Woman, here is your son; here is your mother.
Meditation
Music
Reading: Matthew 27:46
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Meditation
Music
Reading: John 19:28-29
I am thirsty
Meditation
Music
Reading: John 19:30
It is finished.
Meditation
Music
Reading: Luke 23:46
Into your hands I commend my spirit
Meditation
Hymn
Community Prayer
The Prayer of our Savior
Benediction
SECTION 4: Liturgical Resources For Easter
Sunday Worship
Prayer at the Lighting of the Pascal Candle:
One: Dear Friends in Christ: On this most holy night, in which our Sovereign Jesus passed
over from death to life, the Church gathers in vigil and in prayer. For this is the
Passover of our Savior in which, by hearing God’s word and celebrating the
Sacraments, we share in Christ’s victory over death.
Prayers of Blessing for the new fire and/or Paschal candle:
From a Masai Prayer, Africa
Thank you, God, for your free gift of fire.
Because it is through fire that you draw near to us every day.
It is with fire that you constantly bless us.
Father and Mother God, bless this fire today.
With your power enter into it.
Make this fire a worthy thing.
A thing that carries your blessing.
Let it become a reminder of your love.
A reminder of life without end.
Make the life of these people to be baptised like this fire.
A thing that shines for the sake of people.
A thing that shines for your sake.
God, heed this sweet smelling smoke.
A thing sweet smelling that rises to God.
A holy thing.
A thing fitting for you.
Or
Celtic Prayer, David Adam: At Fire Lighting
As I light this fire, God
I bend my knees and lay myself before you.
Kindle in my heart a flame of love
Love to warm my home and all my dear ones
Love to cheer my neighbours and this community.
Love to comfort my friend and my foe
Love to lighten the way I go.
God, as I light this fire
I lay myself before you.
God be a bright flame before me
Be a guiding light above me
Be a warm welcome ahead of me
Today, tomorrow and forever.
Call to Worship:
One: Each seed buried in the ground
Many: contains the promise of life that will spring forth.
One: Matter is neither created nor destroyed,
Many: only changed in form.
One: Our bodies contain elements that were part of primal seas
Many: when waters first flowed on earth.
One: All of creation teaches us about resurrection ...
Many: All of creation celebrates the life that God gives.
One: Christ is risen!
Many: Christ is risen indeed!
Readings:
Record of God’s Saving Deeds in History:
Preface: Let us hear the record of God’s saving deeds in history, how God
saved God’s people in ages past; and let us pray that our God will bring us of
us to the fullness of redemption.
The Story of Creation: from Genesis 1
Israel’s Deliverance at the Red Sea: from Exodus 14
A New Heaven and a New Earth: Isaiah 65:17-25
A New Heart and a New Spirit: Ezekiel 36:24-28
Lectionary:
Morning:
Isaiah 65:17-25
Psalm 118:14-24
Acts 10:34-43 or 1 Corinthians 15:19-26
John 20:1-18 or Luke 24:1-12+
Evening:
Daniel 12:1-3
Psalm 150
Acts 5:29-32 or 1 Corinthians 5:6-8
Luke 24:13-49
Alternate Readings:
i thank You God for most this amazing
day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes
(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun’s birthday; this is the birth
day of life and of love:and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)
how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any lifted from the no
of all nothing human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?
(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)
-- e. e. cummings
The extreme delicacy of this Easter morning
Spoke to me as a prayer and as a warning.
It was light on the brink, spring light
After a rain that gentled my dark night.
I walked through landscapes I had never seen
Where the fresh grass had just begun to green,
And its roots, watered deep, sprung to my tread,
The maples worse a cloud of feathery red,
But flowering trees still showed their clear design
Against the pale blue brightness chilled like wine.
And I was praying all the time I walked,
While starling flew about, and talked, and talked.
Somewhere and everywhere life spoke the word.
The dead trees woke; each bush held its bird.
I prayed for delicate love and difficult,
That all be gentle now and know no fault,
That all be patientCas a wild rabbit fled
Sudden before me. Dear love, I would have said
(And to each bird who flew up from the wood),
I would be gentler still if that I could,
For on this Easter morning it would seem
The softest footfall danger is, extreme . . .
And so I prayed to be less than the grass
And yet to feel the Presence that might pass.
I made a prayer, I heard the answer, "Wait,
when all is so in peril, and so delicate!"
-- May Sarton
Communion Liturgy
One: God be with you
Many: And also with you
One: Lift up your hearts
Many: We lift them up to God
One: Let us give thanks to God
Many: It is good to give God thanks and praise
One: It is a good and right and joyful thing, always and everywhere to
give thanks and praise to you, O Giver of Life. We celebrate this day Christ’s
victory over death. We know now, O God, that you will do whatever it takes to find us, to
save us, to redeem each one of us, and to embrace us in your loving arms. In humble and
joyous thanksgiving, we lift our voices with those of angels and of archangels and of the
company of heaven as we sing to you this hymn of unending praise.
Sanctus
Consecration
SECTION 5: Sample News Release For Easter
Sunrise Service
The following news release may be easily adapted for all
Easer-related services and programs. Simply copy the following text onto your church
letterhead, replacing all sections in parentheses with your local information.
Double-space the text, and add your local contact information at the end, to give
reporters a way to follow-up for additional information. Be creative with your press
mailing list. Send your news release to all of the local religion editors at your mainline
newspapers... to the public service directors at your local radio stations... and to the
editors of all gay newspapers and magazines that serve your area. Be sure your press
release arrives with plenty of time before the news deadline -- you may need to call to
find actual deadline dates. Feel free to edit or add to this sample news release as
appropriate to your ministry setting:
Title: (Church Name) Metropolitan Community Church
To Offer Community-Wide Easter Sunrise Service
(Your Town) -- (Church Name) Metropolitan Community Church (MCC), which meets at (Street
Location), will hold its annual Community-Wide Easter Sunrise Service at (time) on Sunday,
April 12 at (location).
According to (Name of Senior Pastor), the service will feature a brief Easter meditation
and special music by (name of choir and/or soloists).
(Church Name) MCC is a member congregation of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan
Community Churches (UFMCC), a Christian denomination with a positive, affirming ministry
to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered communities. UFMCC provides 300
congregations in 15 countries for its 42,000 members, and for the more than 225,000
persons who attend UFMCC's services and programs annually.
For additional information on (Church Name) MCC, contact the church office at (Area
Code/Phone Number) or by e-mail at (Church E-Mail Address). (OPTIONAL: Information on the
church's services and program may also be found on the Internet at (http://www/Your Church
Website Address). (END OF PRESS RELEASE)
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONTACT:
The Rev. Justin Tanis, Director of Clergy Development
James N. Birkitt, Jr., Director of Communications
UFMCC
8704 Santa Monica Blvd., 2nd Floor West Hollywood, CA 90069
Tel. (310) 360-8640 Fax: (310) 360-8680 E-mail: UFMCCHQ@aol.com website: http://www.ufmcc.com
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