The Great Vigil of
the Resurrection
of our Lord Jesus Christ
April 20, 2019
8 pm (Lakewood)
Gathering in Darkness
The people gather outdoors.
Psalm
O LORD, God of my salvation,
when, at night, I cry out in your presence,
let my prayer come before you;
incline your ear to my cry.
For my soul is full of troubles,
and my life draws near to Sheol.
I am counted among those who go down to the Pit;
I am like those who have no help,
like those forsaken among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave,
like those whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from your hand.
You have put me in the depths of the Pit,
in the regions dark and deep.
Your wrath lies heavy upon me,
and you overwhelm me with all your waves.
You have caused my companions to shun me;
you have made me a thing of horror to them.
I am shut in so that I cannot escape;
my eye grows dim through sorrow.
Every day I call on you, O LORD;
I spread out my hands to you.
Do you work wonders for the dead?
Do the shades rise up to praise you?
Is your steadfast love declared in the grave,
or your faithfulness in Abaddon?
Are your wonders known in the darkness,
or your saving help in the land of forgetfulness?
But I, O LORD, cry out to you;
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
O LORD, why do you cast me off?
Why do you hide your face from me?
Wretched and close to death from my youth up,
I suffer your terrors; I am desperate.
Your wrath has swept over me;
your dread assaults destroy me.
They surround me like a flood all day long;
from all sides they close in on me.
You have caused friend and neighbor to shun me;
my companions are in darkness. Psalm 88
Silence.
The Coming of the Light
Hymn, “Joyful Is the Dark” 230
Grace and peace from Jesus Christ our Lord.
And also with you.
Beloved people of God,
on this most holy night,
when our Savior Jesus Christ passed from death life,
we gather with the church throughout the world
in vigil and prayer.
This is the Passover of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Through light and through the Word,
through water, wine, and bread,
we proclaim Christ’s death and resurrection,
we share Christ’s triumph over sin and death,
and we await Christ’s coming again in glory.
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
In him was life, and the life was the light of all people.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:1, 4-5
We light the new fire.
O God,
through your Son
you have bestowed upon your people
the brightness of your light:
Sanctify this new fire,
and grant that in this Paschal feast
we may so burn with heavenly desires,
that with pure minds
we may attain to the festival of everlasting light;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
*Lighting of the Christ Candle
We light the Christ Candle.
The light of Christ rises in glory,
Overcoming the darkness of sin and death!
*Hymn of the Ancestors:
According to tradition and Scripture,
Jesus, after his death, descended to the dead, even to Hell,
where he liberated those who were interred there.
By doing this, Christ showed that no one is so far removed from God
that God cannot save them.
Nothing can separate us from the love of God which is ours in Christ Jesus.
This hymn tells the story of those who were given their freedom by Christ.
(Tune: Geneva)
Veiled in shadows long and sorrow,
we who paid for Eden’s crime
look in hope to the horizon
wondering if at last it’s time.
See there dawns a radiance vivid,
pink and gold across the sky,
reaching into each heart’s darkness
teaching stony souls to fly.
Then we saw each other dimly,
caught in bonds of time and space;
now we, in God’s light resplendent,
see each other face to face.
Hail the beauty of the sunrise,
hail the beauty of the Lord;
Stand we in the light of heaven
shed by the eternal Word.
Quickly burns the mist and mildew
of the damp, dark, worldly night;
quickly flees each dirty demon
from our minds, with newborn light.
No more shadows to oppress us,
robbing each of hope and sight;
now the light of God shall reach us,
freeing us for life and light. PfR
The people light their candles from the Christ Candle, and process around the building.
The people light their candles from the Christ Candle.
The Light of Christ!
Thanks be to God!
Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed, alleluia!
The Light shines in the darkness,
And the darkness has not overcome it!
We assemble on the steps of the church.
Psalm
Lift up your heads, O gates;
lift them high, O everlasting doors!
And the King of Glory shall come in!
Who is this King of Glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
the Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O gates;
lift them high, O everlasting doors!
And the King of Glory shall come in!
Who is this King of Glory?
The Lord.
The Lord of hosts is the King of Glory! Psalm 24:7-10
*Entrance Song: #108, “Christ Is Alive!”
The people proceed into the brightly lit sanctuary.
*Entrance
Glory to the holy, consubstantial,
Life-creating and undivided Trinity,
always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages!
Amen.
The light of Christ!
Thanks be to God.
Easter Proclamation (The Exsultet)
Rejoice now, heavenly hosts and choirs * of angels,
and let your trumpets shout salvation for the victory of * our mighty King.
Rejoice and sing now all the round earth,
bright with * glorious splendor,
for darkness has been vanquished by our * eternal King.
Rejoice and be glad now, * Mother Church,
and let your holy courts, in radiant light,
resound with the praises of * your people.
All you who stand near this marvelous and * holy flame,
pray with me to God the Almighty for the grace to sing
the worthy praise of * this great light;
through Jesus Christ his * Son our Lord,
who lives and reigns with him,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever * and ever.
It is truly right and good,
always and everywhere,
with our whole hearts and mind and voice to praise you,
the invisible, almighty, and e- * ternal God,
and your only-begotten Son Jesus * Christ our Lord;
for he is the true * Paschal Lamb,
who at the feast of the Passover paid for us the debt of Adam's sin,
and by his blood delivered your faith- * ful people.
This is the night
when you brought our parents, the children of * Israel,
out of bondage in Egypt, and led them through the Red Sea * on dry land.
This is the night,
when all who believe in Christ are delivered from the * gloom of sin,
and are restored to grace and * holiness of life.
This is the night
when Christ broke the bonds of * death and hell,
and rose victorious * from the grave.
How wonderful and beyond our knowing, O God,
is your mercy and loving * kindness to us,
that to redeem a slave, you * gave a Son.
How holy is this night,
when wickedness is * put to flight,
and sin is * washed away.
It restores innocence * to the fallen,
and joy to * those who mourn.
It casts out pride * and hatred,
and brings peace * and concord.
How blessed * is this night,
when earth and heaven are joined
and we are recon- * ciled to God.
Holy Father, accept our evening * sacrifice,
the offering of this candle in * your honor.
May it shine continually to drive away * all darkness.
May Christ, the Morning Star who knows no setting,
find it ever burning -- he who gives light to all creation,
and who lives and reigns for ever * and ever.
Amen.
*Hymn: #155, “Rejoice, the Lord Is King”
Proclamation of the Word
Invitation
Friends in Christ,
let us listen to the Word of God,
recalling God's saving deeds throughout history
and how, in the fullness of time,
God's Word became flesh and dwelt among us:
Jesus Christ our Redeemer!
Christ is risen from the dead,
trampling down death,
and on the dead
bestowing life!
He is risen, indeed!
First Reading: The Story of Creation
(1) In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.
And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
(2) And God said, "Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." And it was so. God called the dome Sky.
And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
(3) And God said, "Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." Then God said, "Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind." And it was so. And God saw that it was good.
And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
(4) And God said, "Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night.” God made the two great lights -- the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night -- and the stars. And God saw that it was good.
And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
(5) And God said, "Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky." God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth."
And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
(6) And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind." And it was so. And God saw that it was good.
Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness." So God created humankind in his image; male and female he created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply. See, I have given you every plant, and every tree; you shall have them for food."
And it was so. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.
And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
(7) Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it.
These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created. Genesis 1:1-2:4
*Hymn: #272, "God of the Sparrow"
*Prayer
Almighty and eternal God:
you created all things in wonderful beauty and order.
Help us now to perceive how still more wonderful is the new creation,
by which in the fullness of time you redeemed your people
through the sacrifice of our Passover, Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns forever and ever.
Amen. BCW
Second Reading: The Flood
(1) The LORD said to Noah,
"Go into the ark, you and all your household,
for I have seen that you alone are righteous before me in this generation. Take with you seven pairs of all animals,
and seven pairs of the birds of the air also, male and female,
to keep their kind alive on the face of all the earth.
For in seven days I will send rain on the earth
for forty days and forty nights;
and every living thing that I have made
I will blot out from the face of the ground."
And Noah did all that the LORD had commanded him.
(2) In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. The rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights. On the very same day Noah with his sons, and Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons entered the ark, they and every wild animal of every kind, and all domestic animals of every kind, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every bird of every kind.
(3) The flood continued forty days on the earth; and the waters increased, and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth.
(4) At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made and sent out the raven; and it went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. Then he sent out the dove, to see if the waters had subsided; but the dove returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth.
(5) He waited another seven days, and again he sent out the dove from the ark; and the dove came back to him in the evening, and there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf; so Noah knew that the waters had subsided. Then he waited another seven days, and sent out the dove; and it did not return to him any more.
(6) In the six hundred first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and saw that the face of the ground was drying. In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry.
(7) Then God said to Noah,
"Go out of the ark, you and your wife,
and your sons and your sons' wives with you.
Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh
so that they may abound on the earth,
and be fruitful and multiply on the earth."
(1) So Noah went out with his sons and his wife and his sons' wives.
Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him,
"As for me,
I am establishing my covenant with you
and your descendants after you,
and with every living creature that is with you,
as many as came out of the ark.
I establish my covenant with you,
that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood,
and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.
This is the sign of the covenant that I make
between me and you and every living creature that is with you,
for all future generations:
I have set my bow in the clouds.” From Genesis 7-9
*Hymn: “The Noah's Ark Song”
The Lord said to Noah, “There’s gonna be a floody-floody,”
The Lord said to Noah, “There’s gonna be a floody-floody,
Get the children out of the muddy-muddy,”
Children of the Lord.
So rise and shine and give God the glory-glory,
Rise and shine and give God the glory-glory,
Rise and shine and (clap!) Give God the glory-glory,
Children of the Lord.
The animals, they came in, they came in by twosies-twosies,
The animals, they came in, they came in by twosies-twosies,
Elephants and kangaroosies-roosies,
Children of the Lord.
(Refrain)
It rained and rained for forty daysies-daysies,
Rained and rained for forty daysies-daysies,
Till the sun came out of the hazies-hazies,
Children of the Lord.
(Refrain)
*Prayer
Faithful God:
you placed the rainbow in the skies
as the sign of your covenant with all living things.
May we who are saved through water and the Spirit,
worthily offer to you our sacrifice of thanksgiving.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCW
Third Reading: Valley of Dry Bones
One person reads the prophet.
The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry.
He said to me,
"Mortal, can these bones live?"
I answered, "O Lord GOD, you know."
Then he said to me,
"Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord."
So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them.
Then he said to me,
"Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live."
I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.
Then he said to me,
"Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.' Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act.”
Ezekiel 37:1-14
*Hymn: #319, "Spirit"
*Prayer
Be amazed, O heavens!
Be shaken, O foundations of the earth!
Look, he that dwells in the highest
was numbered among the dead and sheltered in a lowly tomb.
Bless him, O people! Praise him, O priests!
O people, exalt him above all forever!
In the flesh you fell asleep as a mortal,
O King and Lord.
You rose on the third day,
raising Adam and Eve from incorruption and destroying death:
O Passover of incorruption, and salvation of the world! Eastern Orthodox (alt.)
*Hymn: #121, “That Easter Day With Joy Was Bright”
Sermon
If any be devout and love God,
let them enjoy this fair and radiant triumphal feast.
If any be wise servants,
let them rejoicing enter into the joy of our Lord.
If any have labored long in fasting,
let them now receive their recompense.
If any have wrought from the first hour,
let them today receive their just reward.
If any have come at the third hour,
let them with thankfulness keep the feast.
If any have arrived at the sixth hour,
let them have no misgivings;
because they shall in no wise be deprived because of it.
If any have delayed until the ninth hour,
let them draw near, fearing nothing.
If any have tarried even until the eleventh hour,
let him, also, not be alarmed at his tardiness;
for the Lord, who is jealous of his honor,
will accept the last even as the first;
he gives rest to those who come at the eleventh hour,
even as to those who have worked from the first hour.
And he shows mercy upon the last, and cares for the first;
and to the one he gives, and to the other he gives.
And he both accepts the deeds and welcomes the intentions,
and honors the acts and praises the offering.
So, enter, all of you, into the joy of your Lord;
and receive your reward,
both the first, and likewise the second.
You rich and poor together, hold high festival.
You sober and you heedless, honor the day.
Rejoice today, both you who have fasted
and you who have disregarded the fast.
The table is full-laden;
all may feast sumptuously.
The calf is fatted;
let no one go away hungry.
All of you, enjoy the feast of faith:
Receive the riches of loving-kindness.
Let none bewail their poverty,
for the universal kingdom has been revealed.
Let none weep for their iniquities,
for pardon has shone forth from the grave.
Let no one fear death,
for the Savior’s death has set us free.
He that was held prisoner of it has annihilated it.
By descending into Hell, he made Hell captive.
He embittered it when it tasted of his flesh.
And Isaiah, foretelling this, cried:
Hell, said he, was embittered,
when it encountered you in the lower regions.
It was embittered, for it was mocked.
It was embittered, for it was slain.
It was embittered, for it was overthrown.
It was embittered, for it was fettered in chains.
It took a body, and met God face to face.
It took earth, and encountered Heaven.
It took that which was seen, and fell upon the unseen.
O Death, where is your sting?
O Hell, where is your victory?
Christ is risen and you are overthrown.
Christ is risen, and the demons have fallen.
Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice.
Christ is risen, and life reigns.
Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in the grave.
For Christ, being risen from the dead,
has become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
To him be glory and dominion unto ages of ages.
Amen. St. John Chrysostom
*Hymn: #106, “Alleluia, Alleluia! Give Thanks”
Renewal of Baptism
If we celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, the person(s) to be baptized, with family and sponsors, present themselves at the Font.
Opening Blessing
The steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting
on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children's children,
to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments. Psalm 103:17-18
Scripture Sentences
Hear the words of our Lord Jesus Christ:
All authority in heaven and on Earth has been given to me.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.
And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28:18-20
As many of you as were baptized into Christ
have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is no longer Jew or Greek,
there is no longer slave or free,
there is no longer male or female;
for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:27-28
The promise is for you,
for your children and for all who are far away,
everyone whom the Lord our God calls. Acts 2:39
Profession of Faith
Through baptism we enter the covenant God has established.
Within this covenant God gives us new life, guards us from evil,
and nurtures us in love.
In embracing that covenant, we choose whom we will serve,
by turning from evil and turning to Jesus Christ.
As God embraces you within the covenant,
I ask you to reject sin, to profess your faith in Christ Jesus,
and to confess the faith of the church,
the faith in which we baptize.
Renunciations
Do you renounce all evil,
and powers in the world which defy God’s righteousness and love?
I do.
Do you renounce the ways of sin that separate you from the love of God?
I do.
Do you turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as your Lord and Savior?
I do.
Will you be Christ’s faithful disciple,
obeying his word and showing his love,
to your life’s end?
I will. BCW
*Apostles’ Creed (p. 35)
I believe....
Blessing of the Water
The minister pours water into the Font.
We give you thanks, eternal God,
for you nourish and sustain all living things by the gift of water.
In the beginning of time, your Spirit moved over the watery chaos,
calling forth order and life.
In the time of Noah, you destroyed evil by the waters of the Flood,
giving righteousness a new beginning.
You led Israel out of slavery, through the waters of the sea,
into the freedom of the Promised Land.
In the waters of Jordan Jesus was baptized by John
and anointed with your Spirit.
By the baptism of his own death and resurrection,
Christ set us free from sin and death,
and opened the way to eternal life.
We thank you, O God, for the water of baptism.
In it we are buried with Christ in his death.
From it we are raised to share in his resurrection.
Through it we are reborn by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The minister makes the sign of the cross in the water.
Send your Spirit to move over this water
that it may be a fountain of deliverance and rebirth.
Wash away the sin of her/him who is cleansed by it.
Raise her/him to new life, and graft her/him into the Body of Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit upon her/him,
that he/she may have the power to do your will,
and continue forever in the risen life of Christ.
To you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God,
be all praise, honor, and glory, now and forever. Amen. BCW
The celebrant splashes the water on the people, using an evergreen branch.
Remember your baptism and be thankful.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Prayer
Eternal God,
we praise you that your glory has dawned on us,
and brought us into this Day of Resurrection.
We rejoice that the grave could not hold your Son,
and that he has conquered death,
risen to rule over all the powers of this earth.
We praise you that he summons us into new life,
to follow him with joy and gladness.
By your Spirit,
lift us from doubt and despair,
and set our feet in Christ's holy way,
that our lives may be signs of his life,
and all we have may show forth his love.
Praise, glory, and thanksgiving to you,
our God, forever and ever.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
O God, like a mother hen you are always gathering your children;
like a woman searching for a lost coin, so do you seek each one of us.
And so we are bold to pray in the words Jesus taught us,
Our Father....
*Hymn: #119, “The Strife Is O’er”
Christ is risen!
Christ is risen!
Christ is risen!
Christ is risen!
Christ is risen!
Indeed he is risen!
Alleluia!
The Peace
The risen Christ is in the midst of us!
He is and ever shall be!
May the grace and peace of Christ our God
be with all of you.
And also with you.
The people depart in joy. The service continues at 6:30 with the Sunrise Service in the cemetery at Lakewood.
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