https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87935930592?pwd=qZlKA506MIS9okXQQxBkaKsyhsZJDV.1

Presiders: Karla, Penny, Juanita, and Nick

Responder: Kathy N 

Kathy N.  We warmly welcome you to our celebration of the Easter Vigil, a holy and blessed night in which we recall the reawakening of Jesus to new life. We are so happy you have joined us, and we welcome you to share in our Eucharistic celebration of Hope as we gather around in friendship and unity.

Service of Light

Karla   The Divine Mystery, which is our Lover, the power of the Beloved which rises in every act of love and the Breath of Love which breathes in, with and through and beyond the Cosmos is with you, within you and beyond you.    (Dawn Hutchings)

On this most sacred night, in which Jesus Christ passed over from this earth to a new life, the People of God everywhere come together from all over to watch and pray.

Like Mary Magdalene and the other women, who came to the tomb weeping and, there, encountered the Risen One's  ongoing presence with them, our tears and longings move us more deeply into union with God and with our sisters and brothers everywhere.

Blessing of the Fire and Paschal Candle  Penny

 

We begin our liturgical celebration today by blessing the Easter fire, lighting our Easter Candle and our individual candles – symbols of the Risen Christ, alive in and around us. Hallelujah! Let us pray. As we bless this new fire, may our paschal celebrations be inflamed with new hope. May our Easter celebration empower us to make the impossible possible. Christ is raised from the dead, and as his sisters and brothers, we are raised with him, imbued with Resurrection power.

Preparation of the Paschal Candle

 

Karla   Christ, yesterday and today (pause);    The Beginning and the End 

Nick: This is the time to light your candles and hold them up so they may be symbolically joined to the many candles on this table, representing our loved ones who have transitioned into eternal life and are united with us in a communion of saints.

Lumen Christi, light of Christ.    (3 Xs)

Easter Proclamation  Juanita:  At the Easter Vigil, the Church proclaims the Exultet, a glorious hymn of praise, about the Holy One’s compassionate presence in creation, the liberating history of the people of Israel, and the story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.  In the radiant presence of the Risen Christ dwelling within us and present everywhere, we are filled with hope for the transformation of our suffering world in the embrace of infinite love. May we be filled with joy as we experience a contemporary Easter Proclamation.

Near to the Heart of God

https://youtu.be/MhO_ShSATUo?si=SI3UJcxuT0nVoksv

The Liturgy of the Word

First Reading: Genesis 1:1 — 2:2

Linda: In the beginning, YHWH created the heavens and the earth. But the earth became chaos and emptiness, and darkness came over the face of the Deep and the Spirit of YHWH was brooding over the surface of the waters. Then YHWH said, “Light: Be!” and light was. God saw that light was good, and YHWH separated light from darkness. YHWH called the light “Day” and the darkness “Night.” Evening came, and morning followed — the first day. Then YHWH said, “Now, an expanse between the waters! Separate water from water!” So it was: YHWH made the expanse and separated the water above the expanse from the water below it. YHWH called the expanse “Sky.” Evening came, and morning followed — the second day. Then YHWH said, “Waters under the sky be gathered into one place! Dry ground: appear!” So, it was. YHWH called the dry ground “Earth” and the gathering of the waters “Sea.” And YHWH saw that this was good. Then YHWH said, “Earth: produce vegetation — plants that scatter their own seeds, and every kind of fruit tree that bears fruit with its own seed in it!” So it was: the earth brought forth every kind of plant that bears seed, and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it. And YHWH saw that this was good. Evening came, and morning followed —the third day.

John : Then YHWH said, “Now, lights in the expanse of the sky! Separate day from night! Let them mark the signs and seasons, days, and years, and serve as luminaries in the sky, shedding light on the earth.” So it was: YHWH made the two great lights, the greater one to illumine the day, and a lesser to illumine the night. Then YHWH made the stars as well, placing them in the expanse of the sky, to shed light on the earth, to govern both day and night, and separate light from darkness. And YHWH saw that this was good. Evening came, and morning followed — the fourth day. YHWH then said, “Waters: swarm with an abundance of living beings! Birds: fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky! And so it was: YHWH created great sea monsters and all sorts of swimming creatures with which the waters are filled, and all kinds of birds. YHWH saw that this was good and blessed them, saying, “Bear fruit, increase your numbers, and fill the waters of the seas! Birds, abound on the earth!” Evening came, and morning followed — the fifth day. Then YHWH said, “Earth: bring forth all kinds of living souls — cattle, things that crawl, and wild animals of all kinds!” So it was: YHWH made all kinds of wild animals, and cattle, and everything that crawls on the ground, and YHWH saw that this was good. Then YHWH said, “Let us make humankind in our image, to be like us. Let them be stewards of the fish in the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, the wild animals, and everything that crawls on the ground.  Humankind was created as YHWH’s reflection: in the divine image YHWH created them; female and male, YHWH made them. YHWH blessed them and said, “Bear fruit, increase your numbers, and fill the earth and be responsible for it! Watch over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things on the earth!” YHWH then told them, “Look! I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the earth, and every tree whose fruit carries its seed inside itself: they will be your food; and to all the animals of the earth and the birds of the air and things that crawl on the ground — everything that has a living soul in it — I give all the green plants for food.” So, it was. YHWH looked at all this creation, and proclaimed that this was good — very good. Evening came, and morning followed — the sixth day. Thus, the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed. On the seventh day,  YHWH finished all of creation, and so, on that seventh day, YHWH rested.

The Word of God. R. Thanks be to God.

Second Reading: Exodus 14:15-15:1

Melissa: YHWH said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to march on. And you lift your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea, and split the sea in two, so that the Israelites may pass through it on dry land. I will make the hearts of the Egyptians so stubborn that they will come in after you, and I will glorify myself at the expense of Pharaoh and all the army, chariots, and charioteers. The Egyptians will know that I am YHWH when I glorify myself over Pharaoh and his chariots and charioteers. “Then the angel of YHWH, who was leading the Israelites, moved to their rear — the pillar of cloud left the front of their number and accepted position behind them, between the Israelites and the Egyptians. All night, the cloud cast light on one side and darkness on the other, so that there was no contact between them. Then Moses stretched his hand over the sea, and YHWH swept the sea with a strong east wind throughout the night and so turned it into dry land. When the water was thus divided, the Israelites marched into the midst of the sea on dry land, with the water walled up on their right and on their left.

Gina: The Egyptians followed in pursuit; all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and charioteers went after them into the midst of the sea. At dawn, YHWH looked down upon the Egyptian forces from the column of fiery cloud and threw the army into confusion and panic, clogging their chariot wheels so that they could hardly turn. The Egyptians turned to flee from the Israelites, saying, ”Their God fights for them against us!” Then YHWH told Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, and let the water flow back upon the Egyptians, over their chariots and their charioteers.” So, at sunrise, Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the waters rolled back in. As the Egyptians fled, YHWH hurled them into its midst. As the water flowed back, covering the chariots and the charioteers — Pharaoh’s whole army, which had followed the Israelites into the sea— not one of them survived. But the Israelites passed through, walking dry-shod in the sea, with the water like a wall, on their right and on their left. Thus, YHWH saved Israel from the power of Egypt that day. When Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the seashore, and beheld the great power that YHWH had shown against them, the people held YHWH in awe, and put their faith in YHWH and in Moses, YHWH’s trusted servant. Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to YHWH: “To you, YHWH, I sing you have triumphed powerfully; horse and charioteer you have flung into the sea! YHWH is our strength and our courage; you have become our deliverance.

The Word of God. R. Thanks be to God.

The Third Reading: Isaiah 55:1-11

Galen: All who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat; come, buy wine and milk, without money, without cost! Why do you spend your money on what is not bread, your wages on what fails to satisfy? Heed me, and you will eat well,  you will delight in rich fare. Bend your ear and come to me, listen, that you may have life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you — the faithful mercies shown to David. See, I have made of you a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander of the nations. See, you will summon a nation you never knew, and a nation that does not know you will come hurrying to you for the sake of YHWH, the Holy One of Israel, who will glorify you. Seek YHWH while YHWH is still to be found, call to YHWH, while YHWH is still nearby. Let the wicked abandon their ways, the evil their thoughts. Let them turn back to YHWH, who will take pity on them, to YHWH, who will generously forgive. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says YHWH. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts. For just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to the sower and bread for food, so will my word be that which goes forth from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will carry out my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.

The Word of God. R. Thanks be to God.

Epistle:  

Pat: A Reading: Letter to the Romans (6:3-4)

Sisters and Brothers, are you aware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through Baptism into death, so just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of God, we too live in newness of life.

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=2U1MuOCHon4&si=Mot6x3ppWtx-unhz

Gospel from the apostle John, with commentary from Elizabeth Johnson

Margret: On the first day of the week, early in the morning, while it was still dark, Mary of Magdala went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed. So, she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciples and said to them: “They have taken away the Master out of the tomb, and we do not know where they laid him!” So, Peter started off with John, the disciple, and they went to the tomb. When Simon Peter entered the tomb, he looked at the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth which had been on Jesus’ head. Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first went inside too, and he saw for himself and believed. For they did not understand the writing which says that Jesus must rise again from the dead. The disciples then returned to their companions.

Nick: Meanwhile, Mary was standing close outside the tomb, weeping. Still weeping, she leaned forward into the tomb. After again seeing the empty tomb, Mary turned around and walked to the garden. She turned and looked at Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. “Why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” he asked. Supposing him to be the gardener, Mary answered: “If it was you, sir, who carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away myself.”  “Mary!” said Jesus. She called out and exclaimed in Hebrew: “Rabboni!” (which is to say, “Teacher.”) “Do not touch me,” Jesus said, “for I have not yet ascended to God but go to my brothers and sisters and tell them that I am ascending to my God and their God.” Mary of Magdala went and told the disciples that she had seen the Risen One and that he had said this to her.

The Good News of Salvation!     R:  Glory and praise to our Savior Jesus Christ!

Homily Starter: Karla

Tonight, we begin in darkness.

Not just the absence of light, but the weight of grief, uncertainty, and waiting. This is the darkness the women knew—the ones who went to the tomb before dawn. They did not yet know resurrection. They only knew love, loss, and the need to show up anyway. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome come carrying spices—but also courage. While others hid, they moved toward the place of death. While others waited, they acted. They show us what faithful love looks like: showing up even when hope feels buried. And what do they find? An empty tomb. A God who is no longer where they expected.

Resurrection begins here—not in certainty, but in disruption.

Tonight, we remember the long story of God’s liberating work—creation from chaos, freedom from slavery, life from despair. And again, women are present in that story: Miriam dancing liberation, Ruth choosing solidarity, Esther risking everything to speak truth.

These are not side characters. They are leaders, witnesses, bearers of God’s transforming work. And yet, their voices have so often been minimized. Still, without the women, there is no Easter proclamation. The first announcement of resurrection did not come from positions of power, but from those whose voices were often dismissed. God entrusted them anyway.

What does that mean for us? It means resurrection still happens at the margins. It means God still speaks through those the world overlooks. It means every act of courage, every claim of dignity, every refusal to accept injustice is a sign that the stone is still being rolled away. Resurrection is not just something that happened. It is something that happens. It happens when someone finds their voice. When a community chooses inclusion. When hope rises again in a weary heart.

So tonight, we stand with the women at the tomb. We may still carry grief. We may still have questions. But like them, we move forward anyway. We listen. We witness. We proclaim—even if our voices shake. Because resurrection meets us not in certainty, but in courage.

The tomb is empty. Not because death is gone, but because love refuses to stay buried. And we are now part of that story.

So let us rise with courage, with hope, and with the fierce love of a God who is always bringing life out of death.

Alleluia!

Shared Homily: All

Penny: Renewal of Baptismal Promises

Do you promise to see what is good for your sisters and brothers everywhere, rejecting injustice and inequity and living with the freedom and responsibility of children of God?

All: We do

Do you promise to work for the realization of God’s vision of harmony and right relations among people and peoples, rejecting the idols of money, property, color, sex, and position?

All: We do

Do you promise to seek peace and live in peace in one human family, rejecting prejudice and half-heartedness in every form, and all barriers to unity?

All: We do

Do you promise to cherish the universe, and this precious planet, working creatively to renew and safeguard the elemental sacraments of air, earth, and water?

All: We do

Do you believe in God, the great Spirit of Creation, in Jesus, the simple servant of justice and love who lived among us so that all might live with abundant fullness; in the breath of God’s center, the Spirit who continues the work of forgiveness and reconciliation, birthing and blessing, challenge and hope, so that together we can continue the work of creation?

All: We do

Source: Baptismal Promises: Jay Murnane

Prayers of Community

Janet This is a time to reflect on any qualities or gifts you have been hesitant to bring forth. This is the time to bring that to the table – that it might flourish.

We bring to this table our blessings, cares, and concerns. (Please feel free to voice your concerns beginning with the words, “I bring to the table…”)

Karla: Divine Healer,  we share these prayers of our community, spoken and unspoken. We trust in your wisdom and healing love within us to enlighten and strengthen us. May it be so. Amen.

Sign of Peace: Juanita

Jesus returned to his disciples, bringing peace instead of fear.

Let us share that peace with one another. Peace be with you. Let us offer each other a sign of peace.

Liturgy of Eucharist

Preparation of the Gifts

Jaycee: Blessed are You, O Holy One, through Your divine providence, we have this bread to offer; it will become for us the Bread of Life.

Patti: Blessed are You, O Holy One, through Your divine providence, we have this wine to offer, it will become our spiritual drink.

Pat: Your Spirit, who raised Jesus from the dead, is rising in our struggling world. Just as the Holy One enveloped Jesus at the end of the darkness of death, we too can trust that God will have the last word in our lives, as indeed God had the first, as we join the angels, saints, and all people in joyful praise for the gift of life.   

Holy, Holy, Holy 

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=jmVC8LjrwWk&si=BVVd4T73u_-AS3Wp

Eucharistic Prayer

Karla:  O Heart of Love, Your Spirit moved through Mary of Magdala and the Easter women as they stood by the broken body of Jesus and encountered the Risen One. Your Spirit moves through us as we serve the broken body of Christ, rising in love in our world today.

Please extend your hands in blessing.

Pour out Your spirit anew upon this bread and wine and upon us as we become more deeply the Christ Presence in our world.

On the night before he died, Jesus came to the table with the women and men he loved.  Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, saying,

All: “Take, eat, this is my body. Do this in memory of me.”

Karla: After supper, Jesus poured a cup of wine and shared it with his friends, saying, “This is the cup of the covenant of my love. As often as you drink of it, remember me.”

Let us proclaim the mystery of faith:

All: Christ has died in all who have died.

Christ is rising within us each moment

Christ comes again everywhere each day.

Pat: Holy One, You call us to speak truth to power; we will do so. Holy One, You call us to live the Gospel of healing and justice; we will do so. Holy One, You call us to be Your presence in the world; we will do so.

R: This is the bread of life and the cup of blessing. Blessed are we who are called to the table.

Communion Song   In Remembrance of Me 

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=WReXhV7MpI0&si=wSji4fwhsSRpa97h

Prayer after Communion 

R: Divine Presence, we are strengthened by sharing this Sacred meal as community. We go forth from this celebration to rejoice that Jesus came and lived among us. He taught us how to take his teaching and apply it to the way we live in our world, reaching out to the outcast, caring for the sick, and the poor. Bless our efforts to live your ministry through good works and/or deep prayer. And together we say, Amen 

Let us pray with the words that Jesus gave us:  Melessia

Our Father and Mother who are in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kin-dom come, Your will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven. Give us 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 the kin-dom, the power and the glory are yours, now and forever.

Karla:  Please extend your hands as we pray our final blessing.

May we be the face of Abba God to each other. May we call each other to extravagant generosity as did our brother Jesus, and may we go forth with the energy of the Spirit within us to heal and transform our church and world.

Dismissal: Margaret

Closing Song: Sing Out an Easter Song

 https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=AwWZqkhQBP0&si=vhBhhKcU3HZ6upCF