Sam Hargreaves of Engage Worship
Do you ever feel that Easter Day goes by in a blur? You may have been building up steadily for weeks through Lent and journeying reflectively through Holy Week. Then Easter morning dawns: eggs, flowers, “O Happy Day”, “Thine be the Glory”, a nice lunch and before we know it, it feels like we’ve moved on to the next thing.
But the resurrection of Jesus is not something we can zoom past on our way to something else. The resurrection changes everything. We are Resurrection People: “made alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions [...] God raised us up with Christ" (Eph 2 5:6).
That's why, at Engage Worship, we have put together a collection of worship resources to help churches observe Easter as a season for seven weeks up to Ascension Sunday. This helps us really marinade in the resurrection stories and go deeper into what it means to join with Christ in the ressurection of all things.
One of the songs that we wrote for this pack is an all friendly tune called “Easter Doesn’t Stop" that goes:
Easter doesn’t stop on Friday, when Jesus died for you and me, when he gave his life as a sacrifice: but Easter doesn’t stop there.
So I won’t stop either, telling the whole, great story of Easter. No I won’t stop either, living out the true story of Easter.
You can find an actions video and get everyone involved singing and moving along to the infectious tune! For a song with a more triumphant, declaratory feel have a listen to “Draw Near The Tomb”, with it’s chorus:
Jesus is here. He is risen from the dead, and worthy of eternal praise. He is alive, he is risen like he said. Now every day is resurrection day.
Alongside songs the pack also contains many other forms of worship. There are interactive Bible readings, printable scribble sheets, game ideas and active responses. For a more traditional setting there are scripted prayers, contemplative reflections and sermon outlines. The pack gives you access to free downloads of videos, PowerPoints and PDFs you can use in services.
We loved delving into the varied themes which spring from Easter. One week we focus on the joy of the resurrection, another is real about our doubts and struggles. Jesus’ resurrection body inspires a week thinking about our physicality, and the way he meets the disciples at their job (as fishermen) leads to a week thinking about work. There is also a Personal Devotions book which accompanies the series and helps congregation members go deeper through the weeks.
Find all these resources and much more at engageworship.org/resurrection The best way to start is probably to watch the Intro Video, which reminds us:
This is not just another Sunday morning. This is Easter Day. This is Resurrection Day, and we are Resurrection People.
Sam Hargreaves, Engage Worship
