Easter Sunrise Service 2025
April 20, 2025, 6:30 a.m. | T.&P. Hill
Opening Sentences — Molly Shepard
All are invited to read the bold text aloud.
We gather today in the darkened sanctuary of God’s creation, anticipating flickers of the light of resurrection life. We set our faces toward the Son and celebrate together:
Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed!
Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed!
Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed!
Hymn: Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee
Joyful, joyful, we adore thee, God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flowers before thee, opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day!
All thy works with joy surround thee, earth and heaven reflect thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around thee, center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea,
Singing bird and flowing fountain call us to rejoice in thee.
Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blest,
Wellspring of the joy of living, ocean-depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our Brother — all who live in love are thine;
Teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine.
Greeting and Morning Prayer — Virzola Law
Gospel Reading: John 20:1–10 — Katie Murray
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’s head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed, for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.
Hymn: Alleluia, Alleluia! Give Thanks
Darren DeMent, Amanda Mintz, Molly Shepard
Verses sung by soloist.
Alleluia, Alleluia! Give thanks to the risen Lord.
Alleluia, Alleluia! Give praise to his name.
Gospel Reading: John 20:11–18 — Timothy Peoples
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb, and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not touch me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and she told them that he had said these things to her.
For the Word of God in Scripture,
For the Word of God among us,
And for the Word of God within us,
Thanks be to God.
Musical Meditation: Light of a Clear Blue Morning (Dolly Parton)
Amanda Mintz, Molly Shepard
It’s been a long dark night
And I’ve been a waitin’ for the morning
It’s been a long hard fight
But I see a brand new day dawning
I’ve been looking for the sunshine
You know I ain’t seen it in so long
But everything’s gonna work out just fine
And everything’s gonna be all right
That’s been all wrong
’Cause I can see the light of a clear blue morning
I can see the light of a brand-new day
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
Oh, and everything’s gonna be all right
It’s gonna be okay.
It’s been a long, long time
Since I’ve known the taste of freedom
And those clinging vines
That had me bound, well I don’t need ’em
Oh, I’ve been like a captured eagle,
you know an eagle’s born to fly
Now that I have won my freedom,
like an eagle I am eager for the sky
Homily — Maggie Morey
Parting Hymn: Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Earth and heaven join to say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing ye heavens and earth reply, Alleluia!
Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia!
Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia!
Lives again our glorious king, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Dying once he all doth save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!
Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like him, like him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!
The Table of the Lord and Benediction — Heather Mustain
All are invited to receive Communion.
From Wilshire Baptist Church
Darren DeMent, Associate Pastor
Maggie Morey, Pastoral Resident
Katie Murray, Minister to Senior Adults
Heather Mustain, Associate Pastor
Timothy Peoples, Senior Pastor
From Northway Christian Church
Virzola Law, Senior Pastor
We are delighted you have joined us for worship on this Easter Sunday morning. Whether you regularly attend a community of faith or none at all, we welcome you into the fellowship of the body of Christ.
Wilshire Baptist Church, located at 4316 Abrams Road, is a justice-oriented, fully inclusive faith community where everyone is welcome and valued for who they are — a place where the beauty of God’s creation is celebrated and a place where we will name that the world is broken. We meet for worship weekly at 11 a.m., with Sunday School for all ages at 9:45 a.m. Our senior pastor is Timothy Peoples. wilshirebc.org
Northway Christian Church, located at 7202 West Northwest Highway, seeks to be a bridge toward hope as we form partnerships on campus, online and around our community under the leadership of Rev. Virzola Law, senior pastor. We are honored and grateful for the chance to serve alongside our neighbors on this glorious Easter morning. northwaychristian.org