The Living Will And Testament Of Jesus Christ
Worship
Living in the Light
22 Creative Components Including Services, Dialogues, Monologues, Skits, Dramas, Meditations, and a Litany
Object:
Prelude
Welcome
Welcome to our Easter Vigil Service. We hope this service might help to prepare us for the celebration of Christ's resurrection tomorrow morning and that it might give us a deeper sense and understanding of who Jesus is and what he is giving us. Let's begin our service of worship.
Call To Worship
Leader: Dying, Christ destroyed our death.
People: Rising, Christ restored our life.
Leader: Christ will come again in glory.
People: As in baptism WE put on Christ;
so in Christ may WE be clothed with glory.
Leader: Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore, we have been buried with him by baptism in death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we, too, might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
Opening Hymn
"When I Survey The Wondrous Cross"
Prayer Of Confession And Pardon
Holy God, before you our hearts are open, and from you no secrets are hidden. We bring to you now our shame and sorrow for our sins. We have forgotten that our life is from you. We have neither sought nor done your will. We have not been truthful in our hearts, in our speech, in our lives. We have not loved as we ought to love. Help us and heal us, raising us from our sins into a better life, that we may end our days in peace, trusting in your kindness unto the end; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Leader: In Christ you are forgiven. For who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword?
People: No. In all things we are more than conquerors through the one who loved us. We are sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Hymn Of Preparation
"To God Be The Glory"
Scripture Reading
Romans 6:6-11
Meditation
"The Living Will And Testament Of Jesus Christ"
Offering
Prayer
Leader: Gracious and loving God, as we have inherited your kingdom, and as we have received this inheritance, we ask that you use and multiply these gifts so that through them, others might believe and receive. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Closing Hymn
"The Day Of Resurrection"
Sending Forth And Blessing
When you exit, you will find the baptismal font placed at the rear entrance of the church. As you walk past, touch the water and then touch your forehead and renew your baptismal vows. Remember that you are baptized, and be thankful.
Leader: And may the God of all grace, who has called us to eternal glory in Christ, establish and strengthen you by the power of the Holy Spirit, that you may live in grace and peace. Amen.
Postlude
Easter Vigil
Meditation
The Living Will And Testament Of Jesus Christ
This is the Living Will and Testament of Jesus Christ.
I, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Creator of heaven and earth, Lord and Savior for all; being grace, mercy, and love, do declare this to be my living and continuous will.
To everyone -- to everyone who believes in me, I, freely and without condition, give eternal life.
To those who have come, to those who will come, and to each of you, being my brothers and sisters, being children of God, I leave all that I possess and all that I am; for I give to you the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is within you. You can truly live in the image of my Father in heaven. It is living in God's image that you will establish my kingdom here and now. I leave this to you.
You are heirs of the kingdom. You inherit the kingdom now. For in your baptism through the Holy Spirit, we are united, and in being united, you have died with me and are resurrected with me. You do not have to wait for eternal life. You do not have to wait for the kingdom of God. I give them to you now. You belong to eternity now, even though it feels as if you are stranded in time. You are citizens of the kingdom of God now. Live your life as resurrected Easter people. Live as kingdom people, for you know me and therefore know the kingdom of God and how to live. Live now. Don't wait. Eternal life is not later, it's now.
As resurrected people, as kingdom people, I give you forgiveness for your sins. I give you forgiveness so my forgiveness can flow through you to others. Receive my forgiveness. Give my forgiveness. Give that now. Don't wait. Don't hang on to hurts and sadness. Forgive.
I give to each of you my joy -- my peace -- and my love. I leave these things to you so that you may be free, free from worldly bondage, in order to live. To live generously -- to live abundantly. I have come that you might have life, and have it to the full. Live as I have commanded you. That is to love -- to love God and to love one another as I have loved you. Even now -- even now I love you. Love now. Live now.
I leave with you the power of the Holy Spirit. In that power we will always be joined and be of one mind. You will always have that connection to me because I am the vine and you are the branches. Let my love and life flow through you so that you will be like a tree planted by waters, revealing your fruit in due season. Be rooted and grounded in me. Whenever you feel afraid, confused, or lost, you will remember that I am with you, that we are one, and your well-being will return to you because of your connection to me. With the Spirit, you will receive guidance, discernment, and wisdom. Constantly, through prayer, seek these things so your life will become as my life, which continues on forever.
This is God's will and mine, that you become like me, that we become one and of one heart. In doing that you reveal the kingdom of God.
Become the answer to the prayer that I taught you. In that prayer, you praise and honor our Father by saying, "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name." In praying these words you recognize the supremeness of God, to be God of all, and yet you understand your smallness in his power and majesty. You recognize the mystery of the great "I AM." God is everywhere and you cannot be anywhere in the universe where God is not present. Live in that awe.
Recall the words you pray next. "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
Hear what you are asking: God's kingdom to come, and God's will to be done, here -- here on earth just like it is in heaven. Bring heaven and earth together. Unite it as one. Be a mirror of what goes on in heaven. Be a mirror and image of me. Live as you have been created to live. Unite us as one with God, and one with each other so you, too, may be made perfect like me. This is what you are asking for.
I tell you that in my death and resurrection, I have left you the keys to obtain the answer to that prayer. The answer is you. You are the key. You are the answer. I remind you that through your baptism you have died with me, you have been buried with me, and you have been resurrected with me. You are a new creation for this world -- for this life. And later, when you physically die, you will be transformed again into a new realm becoming even more perfect in God's love. When I, Jesus Christ, come again, you will be there, also.
I do not want you to worry about your future. Do not ask, "Will I go to heaven?" or "Will God receive me?" Instead, I want you to live now the eternal life I have given you. You are in heaven now. You are living in eternity right now. My suffering, death, and resurrection become meaningless if you will not receive this inheritance from me.
Live in the kingdom of God!
Live eternally!
Live richly and abundantly!
Live generously with joy and peace!
Live a life of love!
Live now!
This is the inheritance I leave to you. This is my living will left to everyone. Believe and receive. Become a channel of my peace, love, and joy.
Now let us join together in the prayer I taught you to pray.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
forever. Amen.
Welcome
Welcome to our Easter Vigil Service. We hope this service might help to prepare us for the celebration of Christ's resurrection tomorrow morning and that it might give us a deeper sense and understanding of who Jesus is and what he is giving us. Let's begin our service of worship.
Call To Worship
Leader: Dying, Christ destroyed our death.
People: Rising, Christ restored our life.
Leader: Christ will come again in glory.
People: As in baptism WE put on Christ;
so in Christ may WE be clothed with glory.
Leader: Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore, we have been buried with him by baptism in death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we, too, might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
Opening Hymn
"When I Survey The Wondrous Cross"
Prayer Of Confession And Pardon
Holy God, before you our hearts are open, and from you no secrets are hidden. We bring to you now our shame and sorrow for our sins. We have forgotten that our life is from you. We have neither sought nor done your will. We have not been truthful in our hearts, in our speech, in our lives. We have not loved as we ought to love. Help us and heal us, raising us from our sins into a better life, that we may end our days in peace, trusting in your kindness unto the end; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Leader: In Christ you are forgiven. For who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword?
People: No. In all things we are more than conquerors through the one who loved us. We are sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Hymn Of Preparation
"To God Be The Glory"
Scripture Reading
Romans 6:6-11
Meditation
"The Living Will And Testament Of Jesus Christ"
Offering
Prayer
Leader: Gracious and loving God, as we have inherited your kingdom, and as we have received this inheritance, we ask that you use and multiply these gifts so that through them, others might believe and receive. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Closing Hymn
"The Day Of Resurrection"
Sending Forth And Blessing
When you exit, you will find the baptismal font placed at the rear entrance of the church. As you walk past, touch the water and then touch your forehead and renew your baptismal vows. Remember that you are baptized, and be thankful.
Leader: And may the God of all grace, who has called us to eternal glory in Christ, establish and strengthen you by the power of the Holy Spirit, that you may live in grace and peace. Amen.
Postlude
Easter Vigil
Meditation
The Living Will And Testament Of Jesus Christ
This is the Living Will and Testament of Jesus Christ.
I, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Creator of heaven and earth, Lord and Savior for all; being grace, mercy, and love, do declare this to be my living and continuous will.
To everyone -- to everyone who believes in me, I, freely and without condition, give eternal life.
To those who have come, to those who will come, and to each of you, being my brothers and sisters, being children of God, I leave all that I possess and all that I am; for I give to you the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is within you. You can truly live in the image of my Father in heaven. It is living in God's image that you will establish my kingdom here and now. I leave this to you.
You are heirs of the kingdom. You inherit the kingdom now. For in your baptism through the Holy Spirit, we are united, and in being united, you have died with me and are resurrected with me. You do not have to wait for eternal life. You do not have to wait for the kingdom of God. I give them to you now. You belong to eternity now, even though it feels as if you are stranded in time. You are citizens of the kingdom of God now. Live your life as resurrected Easter people. Live as kingdom people, for you know me and therefore know the kingdom of God and how to live. Live now. Don't wait. Eternal life is not later, it's now.
As resurrected people, as kingdom people, I give you forgiveness for your sins. I give you forgiveness so my forgiveness can flow through you to others. Receive my forgiveness. Give my forgiveness. Give that now. Don't wait. Don't hang on to hurts and sadness. Forgive.
I give to each of you my joy -- my peace -- and my love. I leave these things to you so that you may be free, free from worldly bondage, in order to live. To live generously -- to live abundantly. I have come that you might have life, and have it to the full. Live as I have commanded you. That is to love -- to love God and to love one another as I have loved you. Even now -- even now I love you. Love now. Live now.
I leave with you the power of the Holy Spirit. In that power we will always be joined and be of one mind. You will always have that connection to me because I am the vine and you are the branches. Let my love and life flow through you so that you will be like a tree planted by waters, revealing your fruit in due season. Be rooted and grounded in me. Whenever you feel afraid, confused, or lost, you will remember that I am with you, that we are one, and your well-being will return to you because of your connection to me. With the Spirit, you will receive guidance, discernment, and wisdom. Constantly, through prayer, seek these things so your life will become as my life, which continues on forever.
This is God's will and mine, that you become like me, that we become one and of one heart. In doing that you reveal the kingdom of God.
Become the answer to the prayer that I taught you. In that prayer, you praise and honor our Father by saying, "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name." In praying these words you recognize the supremeness of God, to be God of all, and yet you understand your smallness in his power and majesty. You recognize the mystery of the great "I AM." God is everywhere and you cannot be anywhere in the universe where God is not present. Live in that awe.
Recall the words you pray next. "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
Hear what you are asking: God's kingdom to come, and God's will to be done, here -- here on earth just like it is in heaven. Bring heaven and earth together. Unite it as one. Be a mirror of what goes on in heaven. Be a mirror and image of me. Live as you have been created to live. Unite us as one with God, and one with each other so you, too, may be made perfect like me. This is what you are asking for.
I tell you that in my death and resurrection, I have left you the keys to obtain the answer to that prayer. The answer is you. You are the key. You are the answer. I remind you that through your baptism you have died with me, you have been buried with me, and you have been resurrected with me. You are a new creation for this world -- for this life. And later, when you physically die, you will be transformed again into a new realm becoming even more perfect in God's love. When I, Jesus Christ, come again, you will be there, also.
I do not want you to worry about your future. Do not ask, "Will I go to heaven?" or "Will God receive me?" Instead, I want you to live now the eternal life I have given you. You are in heaven now. You are living in eternity right now. My suffering, death, and resurrection become meaningless if you will not receive this inheritance from me.
Live in the kingdom of God!
Live eternally!
Live richly and abundantly!
Live generously with joy and peace!
Live a life of love!
Live now!
This is the inheritance I leave to you. This is my living will left to everyone. Believe and receive. Become a channel of my peace, love, and joy.
Now let us join together in the prayer I taught you to pray.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
forever. Amen.
