Introduction: Pre-Worship
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Above is a slide show, let it run for a while.
Elaine, Karen Lister and Rowena would normally have decorated the main hall with flowers for our Easter Sunday service. So as a little reminder here are some photos of previous years. |
Click on the image above and the video will begin.
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Welcome and Announcements:
Announcements:
1- There are many opportunities for you to worship this Easter Sunday. The Territorial Commander, Commissioner Anthony Cotterill, is leading worship today via the Army's Youtube channel & it was available from 9 am. The link is: https://www.youtube.com/user/salvationarmyvideo 2- All of the Army's papers are now available digitally on the territorial website and you can read them online or download them to email or print out: https://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/publications |
Welcome to worship this Easter Sunday.
3- Listen to the 'Going to the Army!' podcast https://goingtothearmy.podomatic.com/ 4- 10:30 - Sheffield Citadel Salvation Army https://www.facebook.com/SheffieldCitadelSalvationArmy 5- 10:45 - BBC 1 https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000h05p 6- 11:00 - Chatham Salvation Army https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLG8wkSCZ241RiaA08-X_Wg 7- 11:00 - Hillsong Church London https://hillsong.co.uk/onlineservice 8- 1:15 PM BBC 1: Songs of Praise |
Easter Sunday Worship 2020
Major Angie Bailey
He is Risen!
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Song: Salvation Army Song Book 218
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Prayer:
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Glorious Father God, You are beyond imagination, awesome God we worship you.
We come with our hearts full of praise for Your love, which is beyond measure. You are God Almighty and we come before you on this resurrection day. We celebrate with our Church family around the world, coming together to praise the name of Jesus, Our Risen Lord . We thank you for the reminder at Easter of a love so deep, and a power beyond humanity, as we reflect on Christ victory over death and the grave, for the hope of today and tomorrow found only in Jesus. We ask that you would renew our hearts, our minds, and our lives, in these days of uncertainty we journey . We pray for Your refreshing over us Your children May we as resurrection people share Your hope and light in our communities as we live our lives reflecting your beauty and truth . To our risen Lord we give you honour and praise. Yours is the Kingdom, the power the glory forever. Amen. |
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Bible reading: The Resurrection - John 20:1-18 New Living Translation (NLT)
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Song: Salvation Army Song Book 276
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Band: The Power Of The CrossOur Bedford Congress Hall Band were planning to play this piece this Easter Sunday during our normal worship service, however due to the current restrictions we were unable to record them playing so we have Bournmouth Winton Salvation Army Band playing for us this morning.
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Thought:
Jesus Christ Our Living Hope.
What strange days we find ourselves in – Easter 2020 at home!!
The first Easter, after being witnesses to Jesus’ death, would have undoubtedly been strange as well. The disciples, in fear for their lives, had isolated themselves, their Teacher dead and buried, hope that this was the Messiah, the King they thought He was, the One the nation had been waiting for, buried in a tomb, lifeless.
I imagine it felt pretty hopeless, pretty scary, as dawn broke on another morning without Jesus, the Master, who they’d journeyed with for the past 3 years. The One who they and others had pinned their hopes on, death had swallowed up their hopes and dreams of a new tomorrow.
And yet, with this new day Hope was dawning as Jesus was raised to life again, just as He had spoken of before His death.
Defeating death and the grave once and for all time. What a day of revelation it was! As we journey through the narrative with the disciples we witness their unbelief, their awe and their wonder as they encounter the Saviour, back from the grave.
We are inclined to judge the disciples harshly for not instantly recognising the Risen Lord or for not believing He could possibly have Risen.
Mary, in the garden, mistakes Him as the gardener, recognising Him only as He called her name. The disciples on the Emmaus Road, thinking He was a stranger who walked with them for miles as they spoke with Him about the events of the past days, only recognising Him as He broke & blessed the bread. Thomas, not prepared to consider this to be true until he sees Him for himself.
Is it not true that we are sometime like these disciples, and sometimes fail to recognise Him in daily life?
I have been challenged to have an attitude of gratitude even in these troubled days, to see the blessings around me, to focus my thoughts on these things, to praise God through all circumstances.
As I’ve taken my daily walk, the beauty of spring emerging from its winters rest, God’s reminder in creation that He is still working even in the winter seasons and new hope, new beauty will burst forth in due course.
The image of the rainbow is pinned in so many windows, generally created by children. There is a rainbow prayer (which is featured on BCH children’s zone page) encouraging children and families to pray through the first letter of each colour.
The rainbow for Christians has always been a symbol of hope, rooted in the story of Noah, which reminds us of the covenantal God. As Jesus bled and died, He cut a new covenant between God and man, a new Hope for all humanity.
1 Corinthians 15: 56 & 57 sums up the assured Hope that we now celebrate on Resurrection Sunday:
‘It was sin that made death so frightening and law-code guilt that gave sin its leverage, its destructive power. But now in a single victorious stroke of Life, all three—sin, guilt, death—are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God!’
Phil Wickham’s song, ‘Living Hope’ invites us to ‘praise the one who sets us free’. The One who offers hope in every circumstance of life, both present and future - and Hope beyond the grave .... JESUS CHRIST our living Hope!
However you spend your day today, I encourage you to rejoice, be glad & sing the triumphant songs of celebration to our risen Lord!
Sing out loud, sing out proud!
What strange days we find ourselves in – Easter 2020 at home!!
The first Easter, after being witnesses to Jesus’ death, would have undoubtedly been strange as well. The disciples, in fear for their lives, had isolated themselves, their Teacher dead and buried, hope that this was the Messiah, the King they thought He was, the One the nation had been waiting for, buried in a tomb, lifeless.
I imagine it felt pretty hopeless, pretty scary, as dawn broke on another morning without Jesus, the Master, who they’d journeyed with for the past 3 years. The One who they and others had pinned their hopes on, death had swallowed up their hopes and dreams of a new tomorrow.
And yet, with this new day Hope was dawning as Jesus was raised to life again, just as He had spoken of before His death.
Defeating death and the grave once and for all time. What a day of revelation it was! As we journey through the narrative with the disciples we witness their unbelief, their awe and their wonder as they encounter the Saviour, back from the grave.
We are inclined to judge the disciples harshly for not instantly recognising the Risen Lord or for not believing He could possibly have Risen.
Mary, in the garden, mistakes Him as the gardener, recognising Him only as He called her name. The disciples on the Emmaus Road, thinking He was a stranger who walked with them for miles as they spoke with Him about the events of the past days, only recognising Him as He broke & blessed the bread. Thomas, not prepared to consider this to be true until he sees Him for himself.
Is it not true that we are sometime like these disciples, and sometimes fail to recognise Him in daily life?
I have been challenged to have an attitude of gratitude even in these troubled days, to see the blessings around me, to focus my thoughts on these things, to praise God through all circumstances.
As I’ve taken my daily walk, the beauty of spring emerging from its winters rest, God’s reminder in creation that He is still working even in the winter seasons and new hope, new beauty will burst forth in due course.
The image of the rainbow is pinned in so many windows, generally created by children. There is a rainbow prayer (which is featured on BCH children’s zone page) encouraging children and families to pray through the first letter of each colour.
The rainbow for Christians has always been a symbol of hope, rooted in the story of Noah, which reminds us of the covenantal God. As Jesus bled and died, He cut a new covenant between God and man, a new Hope for all humanity.
1 Corinthians 15: 56 & 57 sums up the assured Hope that we now celebrate on Resurrection Sunday:
‘It was sin that made death so frightening and law-code guilt that gave sin its leverage, its destructive power. But now in a single victorious stroke of Life, all three—sin, guilt, death—are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God!’
Phil Wickham’s song, ‘Living Hope’ invites us to ‘praise the one who sets us free’. The One who offers hope in every circumstance of life, both present and future - and Hope beyond the grave .... JESUS CHRIST our living Hope!
However you spend your day today, I encourage you to rejoice, be glad & sing the triumphant songs of celebration to our risen Lord!
Sing out loud, sing out proud!
Song: Living Hope
Phil Wickham
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Click on the blue image on the right and sing along with Phil Wickham.
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Worship Band Song: O Praise The Name (Anastasis)
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Songsters: Glory To The King
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This recording of Bedford Songsters singing Glory to the King was recorded during Easter Sunday Worship in 2019.
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Benediction:
Glory! Glory! Glory to the King.
Who is the King of glory?
King Jesus is His name.
He is high & lifted up above the earth & His name I will proclaim.
All hail the power of Jesus' name & crown Him lord of all.
Who is the King of glory?
King Jesus is His name.
He is high & lifted up above the earth & His name I will proclaim.
All hail the power of Jesus' name & crown Him lord of all.