GREETING (adapted from Psalm 118:24)
This is the day that you have made, O God.
We rejoice and are glad in it.
HYMN 303 “The Day of Resurrection”
PSALM 72
PRAYER
Can it be true, God? Was Jesus really resurrected?
It would be so astonishing!
What history-changing news if true!
Women were the first to see him alive. Women!
Fear must have filled them,
and questions crammed their minds.
And yet how they must have wished it true!
No one believed the women, until men saw him too.
No one believes us, either.
How can they? Death always wins.
Thomas touched Jesus’ wounds, but not us.
We have not watched him eat, or looked into his face.
If only we could see the Christ, for just one second.
Yes, it would be frightening.
We would explode with questions.
Countless reasons for disbelief would hit us.
But how we ache for it! We want Jesus alive again.
We’ve built our churches, morals, and hopes on a living Jesus.
We have not touched Jesus, but he has touched us.
He has bathed us in grace
and scrubbed us with forgiveness.
He anoints us with the fragrant oils of hope.
He robes us with the righteousness of thanksgiving,
and supports us with a family moving toward sanctification.
He reveals our Father, and swears a vow of faithful and eternal love.
We missed his resurrection, but look for him soon.
So few people believe this,
but we have built our lives on it,
and the lives we anticipate when he returns.
He has promised us a resurrection just like his own.
Who can believe such a thing? It has never happened before,
except for Jesus, the one exception to death’s finality, if we believe it.
Lord, we believe! Lift us from death and into your magnificent new kingdom!
Amen.
GATHER WITH A CONGREGATION OF CHRISTIANS
TO CONTINUE THE WORSHIP OF GOD
ON THIS DAY OF JOYFUL RESURRECTION.
Copyright 2020. Robert D. Ingram, 32746 Jourden Rd., Albany, Ohio 45710 (dr.bobingram@gmail.com). Used by permission.
