Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/yc2wmpsx
The merciful love of the Lord fills the earth;
by the word of the Lord the heavens were made, alleluia. Psalm 33
You have shown your glory, O God,
in raising Jesus from the dead.
Raise us to new life in him,
and empower us to serve you.
May your words be in our mouths,
your strength in our arms,
and your love in our hearts,
that we may be worthy disciples
of Jesus Christ the living Lord. Amen. BCW2018
Music: https://tinyurl.com/mb6h9xfa
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall declare your praise.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Alleluia, alleluia!
HYMN: Stuart Townend and Keith Getty ©
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/y2npm8tj
1 See, what a morning, gloriously bright,
with the dawning of hope in Jerusalem;
folded the grave-clothes, tomb filled with light,
as the angels announce, “Christ is risen!”
See God’s salvation plan,
wrought in love, borne in pain, paid in sacrifice,
fulfilled in Christ, the man, for he lives:
Christ is risen from the dead!
2 See Mary weeping, “Where is he laid?”
as in sorrow she turns from the empty tomb.
Hears a voice speaking, calling her name;
it’s the Master, the Lord raised to life again!
The voice that spans the years,
speaking life, stirring hope, bringing peace to us,
will sound till he appears, for he lives:
Christ is risen from the dead!
3 One with the Father, Ancient of Days,
thro’ the Spirit who clothes faith with certainty.
Honor and blessing, glory and praise
to the King crowned with pow’r and authority!
And we are raised with him;
death is dead, love has won, Christ has conquered.
And we shall reign with him, for he lives:
Christ is risen from the dead!
PSALMS
Psalm 106 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yd2cn3x8)
1 O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is gracious *
and his mercy endureth for ever.
2 Who can express the noble acts of the Lord *
or shew forth all his praise?
3 Blessed are they that alway keep judgement *
and do righteousness.
4 Remember me, O Lord, according to the favour
that thou bearest unto thy people *
O visit me with thy salvation;
5 That I may see the felicity of thy chosen *
and rejoice in the gladness of thy people,
and give thanks with thine inheritance.
6 We have sinned with our fathers *
we have done amiss, and dealt wickedly.
7 Our fathers regarded not thy wonders in Egypt,
neither kept they thy great goodness in remembrance *
but were disobedient at the sea, even at the Red sea.
8 Nevertheless, he helped them for his Name’s sake *
that he might make his power to be known.
9 He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up *
so he led them through the deep, as through a wilderness.
10 And he saved them from the adversary’s hand *
and delivered them from the hand of the enemy.
11 As for those that troubled them, the waters overwhelmed them *
there was not one of them left.
12 Then believed they his words *
and sang praise unto him.
13 But within a while they forgat his works *
and would not abide his counsel.
14 But lust came upon them in the wilderness *
and they tempted God in the desert.
15 And he gave them their desire *
and sent leanness withal into their soul.
16 They angered Moses also in the tents *
and Aaron the saint of the Lord.
17 So the earth opened, and swallowed up Dathan *
and covered the congregation of Abiram.
18 And the fire was kindled in their company *
the flame burnt up the ungodly.
19 They made a calf in Horeb *
and worshipped the molten image.
20 Thus they turned their glory *
into the similitude of a calf that eateth hay.
21 And they forgat God their Saviour *
who had done so great things in Egypt;
22 Wondrous works in the land of Ham *
and fearful things by the Red sea.
23 So he said, he would have destroyed them,
had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the gap *
to turn away his wrathful indignation, lest he should destroy them.
24 Yea, they thought scorn of that pleasant land *
and gave no credence unto his word;
25 But murmured in their tents *
and hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord.
26 Then lift he up his hand against them *
to overthrow them in the wilderness;
27 To cast out their seed among the nations *
and to scatter them in the lands.
28 They joined themselves unto Baalpeor *
and ate the offerings of the dead.
29 Thus they provoked him to anger with their own inventions *
and the plague was great among them.
30 Then stood up Phinees and prayed *
and so the plague ceased.
31 And that was counted unto him for righteousness *
among all posterities for evermore.
32 They angered him also at the waters of strife *
so that he punished Moses for their sakes;
33 Because they provoked his spirit *
so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.
34 Neither destroyed they the heathen *
as the Lord commanded them;
35 But were mingled among the heathen *
and learned their works.
36 Insomuch that they worshipped their idols,
which turned to their own decay *
yea, they offered their sons and their daughters unto devils;
37 And shed innocent blood,
even the blood of their sons and of their daughters *
whom they offered unto the idols of Canaan;
and the land was defiled with blood.
38 Thus were they stained with their own works *
and went a whoring with their own inventions.
39 Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people *
insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.
40 And he gave them over into the hand of the heathen *
and they that hated them were lords over them.
41 Their enemies oppressed them *
and had them in subjection.
42 Many a time did he deliver them *
but they rebelled against him with their own inventions,
and were brought down in their wickedness.
43 Nevertheless, when he saw their adversity *
he heard their complaint.
44 He thought upon his covenant, and pitied them,
according unto the multitude of his mercies *
yea, he made all those that led them away captive to pity them.
45 Deliver us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the heathen *
that we may give thanks unto thy holy Name, and make our boast of thy praise.
46 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and world without end *
and let all the people say, Amen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
Psalm 106 (Kohlhase: https://tinyurl.com/2nshc92b)
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love is everlasting.
Who’ll tell of the power of the LORD,
or show forth all of his praise?
How blessed are those who keep justice,
and righteousness at all times!
Remember me, LORD, in your favor;
and visit me with your salvation.
Let me see your chosen ones prosper,
and glory with your inheritance.
We’ve erred like our fathers, committing sin;
so poorly we have behaved.
In Egypt they misunderstood your signs;
your graces they scorned at the sea.
But for your name’s sake you saved them,
to make your power known.
Rebuking the Red Sea he dried it up,
led through the deep as a wilderness.
Saved them from the hand of hostile ones,
redeemed from the hand of their foe.
The waters returned to drown their foes;
not one among them was left.
Therefore they trusted his words;
and they sang out his praise.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
However, they quickly forgot his works;
they did not wait for his counsel,
their cravings were strong in the wilderness,
they tested their God in the desert.
He gave to them as they desired,
along with a wasting disease.
The camp envied Moses and Aaron,
the holy ones of the LORD.
Earth opened and swallowed up Dathan,
engulfing the clan of Abiram.
A fire broke out in their company;
the flame consumed the wicked.
They then made a calf in Horeb,
and worshiped a molten image.
So they exchanged their glory,
for the image of an ox that eats grass.
Forgetting their God and Savior,
who did great things in Egypt;
his signs in the land of Ham,
and marvels at the Red Sea.
He said that he would destroy them,
had Moses not stood in the gap,
to turn away his anger, from destroying them.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Then they despised the pleasant land;
they did not trust in his word,
but grumbled there within their tents,
not heeding the voice of the LORD.
Therefore he swore unto them,
he’d cast them down in the desert,
and cast their seed among nations,
to scatter them throughout the lands.
They joined themselves to Baal-peor,
and ate what was offered the dead.
Provoking his anger by their deeds,
a plague broke out among them.
Then Phinehas stood up and intervened,
thereby the plague was stopped.
Reckoned to him as righteousness,
to all generations forever.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
At Meribah’s waters they angered him,
thus making it hard for Moses;
for when they rejected the Spirit,
he rashly spoke with his lips.
They did not destroy the nations,
as ordered by the LORD,
but with the nations they mingled,
and learned of all their ways.
They started to serve their idols,
becoming a snare unto them.
For even their sons they sacrificed,
and gave their daughters to demons.
They shed the innocent blood,
of their daughters and of their sons;
gave them to the idols of Canaan.
polluting the land with their blood.
Becoming unclean in their dealings,
in deed they played the harlot.
The LORD’s anger burned at his people,
detesting his own inheritance.
He gave them into the nations’ hands,
those hating them became their rulers.
Their enemies also oppressed them,
subduing them under their power.
He often would save and counsel them;
rebellious they sank in their sin;
but he still considered their troubles,
whenever he heard their cry;
for them he remembered his covenant,
he turned from the depths of his love.
He made them as objects of pity,
in the presence of their captors.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Save us, O LORD our God,
regather us from all the nations;
to give thanks to your holy name,
and glory in your praise.
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
forever and forever;
let the people say, “Amen.”
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
PRAYER
Merciful God,
remembering your covenant,
you graciously pardoned those who rebelled against you.
Grant that, where sin abounds,
grace may abound more;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
The Song of Songs, which is for Solomon.
If only he would give me some of his kisses . . .
Oh, your loving is sweeter than wine!
Your fragrance is sweet;
your very name is perfume.
That’s why the young women love you.
Take me along with you; let’s run!
My king has brought me into his chambers, saying,
“Let’s exult and rejoice in you.
Let’s savor your loving more than wine.
No wonder they all love you!”
Dark am I, and lovely, daughters of Jerusalem—
like the black tents of the Kedar nomads,
like the curtains of Solomon’s palace.
Don’t stare at me because I’m darkened
by the sun’s gaze.
My own brothers were angry with me.
They made me a caretaker of the vineyards—
but I couldn’t care for my own vineyard.
Tell me, you whom I love with all my heart—
where do you pasture your flock,
where do you rest them at noon?—
so I don’t wander around with the flocks of your companions.
If you don’t know your way,
most beautiful of women,
then follow the tracks of the herds
and graze your little goats
by the tents of the shepherds.
I picture you, my dearest,
as a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots!
Lovely are your cheeks, adorned with ear hoops;
your neck, with beads.
Let’s make hoops of gold beaded with silver for you!
With my king close by,
my perfume filled the air.
A sachet of myrrh is my love to me,
lying all night between my breasts.
A cluster of henna flowers is my love to me
in the desert gardens of En-gedi.
Look at you—so beautiful, my dearest!
Look at you—so beautiful! Your eyes are doves!
Look at you—so beautiful, my love!
Yes, delightful! Yes, our bed is lush and green!
The ceilings of our chambers are cedars;
our rafters, cypresses.
I’m a rose of the Sharon plain,
a lily of the valleys.
Like a lily among thornbushes,
so is my dearest among the young women.
Like an apple tree among the wild trees,
so is my lover among the young men.
In his shade I take pleasure in sitting,
and his fruit is sweet to my taste.
He has brought me to the house of wine;
his banner raised over me is love.
Sustain me with raisin cakes,
strengthen me with apples,
for I’m weak with love!
His left arm is beneath my head,
his right embraces me.
Make a solemn pledge, daughters of Jerusalem,
by the gazelles or the wild deer:
Don’t rouse, don’t arouse love
until it desires.
HYMN: Roswell Park
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/498y56mv
1 Jesus spreads His banner o’er us,
Cheers our famished souls with food;
He the banquet spreads before us,
Of His mystic flesh and blood.
Precious banquet, bread of heaven,
Wine of gladness, flowing free;
May we taste it, kindly given,
In remembrance, Lord, of Thee.
2 In Thy holy incarnation,
When the angels sang Thy birth;
In Thy fasting and temptation,
In Thy labors on the earth,
In Thy trial and rejection,
In Thy sufferings on the tree,
In Thy glorious resurrection,
May we, Lord, remember Thee.
Brothers and sisters, I want to call your attention to the good news that I preached to you, which you also received and in which you stand. You are being saved through it if you hold on to the message I preached to you, unless somehow you believed it for nothing. I passed on to you as most important what I also received: Christ died for our sins in line with the scriptures, he was buried, and he rose on the third day in line with the scriptures. He appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve, and then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at once—most of them are still alive to this day, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me, as if I were born at the wrong time. I’m the least important of the apostles. I don’t deserve to be called an apostle, because I harassed God’s church. I am what I am by God’s grace, and God’s grace hasn’t been for nothing. In fact, I have worked harder than all the others—that is, it wasn’t me but the grace of God that is with me. So then, whether you heard the message from me or them, this is what we preach and this is what you have believed.
HYMN: Christopher Wordsworth
Tune: Lux eoi https://tinyurl.com/2p9n7tkj
1 Alleluia, alleluia!
Hearts to heav’n and voices raise:
sing to God a hymn of gladness,
sing to God a hymn of praise.
He, who on the cross a victim
for the world’s salvation bled,
Jesus Christ, the King of glory,
now is risen from the dead.
2 Now the iron bars are broken,
Christ from death to life is born,
glorious life, and life immortal,
on the holy Easter morn.
Christ has triumphed, and we conquer
by His mighty enterprise;
we with Him to life eternal
by His resurrection rise.
3 Christ is risen, Christ, the first-fruits
of the holy harvest field,
which will all its full abundance
at His second coming yield.
Then the golden ears of harvest
will their heads before Him wave,
ripened by His glorious sunshine
from the furrows of the grave.
4 Christ is risen, we are risen!
Shed upon us heav’nly grace,
rain and dew and gleams of glory
from the brightness of Thy face,
that we, with our hearts in heaven,
here on earth may fruitful be,
and by angel hands be gathered,
and be ever, Lord, with Thee.
5 Alleluia, alleluia!
Glory be to God on high!
Alleluia! to the Savior
who has gained the victory!
Alleluia! to the Spirit,
fount of love and sanctity!
Alleluia, alleluia
to the Triune Majesty!
When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they could go and anoint Jesus’ dead body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they came to the tomb. They were saying to each other, “Who’s going to roll the stone away from the entrance for us?” When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away. (And it was a very large stone!) Going into the tomb, they saw a young man in a white robe seated on the right side; and they were startled. But he said to them, “Don’t be alarmed! You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised. He isn’t here. Look, here’s the place where they laid him. Go, tell his disciples, especially Peter, that he is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you.” Overcome with terror and dread, they fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
CANTICLE Exodus 15
(John Schiavone: https://tinyurl.com/ybknobsb)
Ant. I will sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
I will sing to the Lord, for he is gloriously triumphant;
horse and chariot he has cast into the sea.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
He is my God, I praise him;
the God of my father, I extol him. Ant.
The Lord is a warrior, LORD is his name!
Pharaoh’s chariots and army he hurled into the sea;
the elite of his officers were submerged in the Red Sea. Ant.
The flood waters covered them,
they sank into the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, O Lord, magnificent in power,
your right hand, O Lord, has shattered the enemy. Ant.
You brought in the people you redeemed
and planted them on the mountain of your inheritance—
the place where you made your seat, O Lord,
the sanctuary, Lord, which your hands established.
The Lord shall reign forever and ever. Ant.
THE PRAYERS 1 CWC
The Lord for whom we have waited has come;
he is risen and in our midst.
Let us then bring our intercessions, saying,
Lord, hear our prayer:
Your steadfast love endures forever.
For your church around the world,
around this country,
in this community,
and this congregation . . .
Make us ever more faithful,
our eyes always on Jesus.
Lord, hear our prayer:
Your steadfast love endures forever.
For your world and its rulers,
our government and our local leaders . . .
Give them your wisdom,
establish your justice,
and imbue us with peace.
Lord, hear our prayer:
Your steadfast love endures forever.
For this earth that lives and breathes with us,
the waters that flow and all that grows,
for every living creature . . .
Enable us to flourish,
and teach us to live as one.
Lord, hear our prayer:
Your steadfast love endures forever.
For those who are ill,
those facing death,
and those who care for them . . .
Grant your healing mercies
and bestow your peace.
Lord, hear our prayer:
Your steadfast love endures forever.
For those without hope,
those who mourn,
those who seek to know you . . .
Bathe us in light,
and fill us with your grace.
Lord, hear our prayer:
Your steadfast love endures forever.
All this we pray through our Savior and friend,
Jesus Christ. Amen.
(Plainsong: https://tinyurl.com/ahnrtv59)ELW
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread;
and forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.
Infinite God,
your light breaks forth like the dawn,
scattering the darkness
and renewing our hope.
You are our joy and our life,
the wellspring of our praise,
the font of all our alleluias.
All glory and honor to you, O God,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. CWC
https://tinyurl.com/rkxkpmc
Go in peace, alleluia, alleluia!
Thanks be to God, alleluia, alleluia!
Glory to God whose power, working in us,
can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine:
Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church,
and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20,21
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BCW Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 1993.
ELW The Lord’s Prayer is from Setting Five in Evangelical Lutheran Worship.
CWC Connections Worship Companion, ed. David Gambrell © Westminster John Knox Press
BCW2018 Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 2018
The three main scripture readings are © 2011 Common English Bible.
The traditional language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The modern language psalms are in the version sung by Karl Kohlhase http://www.k4communications.com/karl/index.html
Musical links are usually either to artists’ albums posted on Spotify or to recordings made available at smallchurchmusic.com. Audio stripped from YouTube videos is footnoted accordingly above.
Compilation © 2025 Stephen T. Benner. All links worked at the time they were created, but I cannot accept responsibility for their content or any damage resulting from their use. The linked content is under the control of the respective content creators and is subject to change at any time. Any copyright texts included in this compilation are provided for non-commercial purposes related to study or worship. Please contact the respective copyright holders for permission to use the texts in other contexts.
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