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Introduction To The Season Of Easter

The season of Easter is the season of celebration. Christ is risen! Death is conquered! Let all the people worship the Lord! The solemn preparation of Lent and somber meditation of Holy Week gives way to victorious festivity during the fifty days of Easter. It is important to see the fifty days of Easter as a season, anchored by Easter Sunday on one end and Pentecost on the other. Neither would be complete without the other. The church's worship centers on the paschal mystery of Christ's dying and rising. It is inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit. The following entries both introduce this season of celebration and provide resources for planning worship. Many Christians may assume that Easter is just one day. In fact, the church celebrates Easter for fifty days. During this season, it remembers the post-resurrection appearances of Christ, it celebrates Christ's ascension into heaven, the coming of the Spirit on Pentecost, and begins to explore themes of Easter worship and describes their significance in the history of the worship of the church.

1. An Introduction To Worship From Easter To Pentecost
2. Recovering The Word Pascha
3. How To Celebrate The Fifty Days

The Easter Or Paschal Vigil

The section contains the great vigil of Easter (Pascha), which is the primordial service of the Christian faith. For in this service the church recalls the great acts of salvation that culminate in the resurrection of Christ. It marks the sign of a new beginning for human history. The following entries should be studied with care so that the reader will begin to see how the themes and images of this service are the foundation for the entire Christian year.

1. An Introduction To The Paschal Vigil Service
2. Lectionary Readings For The Easter Vigil
3. A Traditional Service Of The Paschal Vigil
4. A Convergence Service Of The Paschal Vigil
5. Creative Ways To Proclaim The Easter Vigil Scripture Readings

Worship During The Season Of Easter

The services of the Easter season also continue to celebrate the broad sweep of salvation history and invite the church to engage in the most festive days of its history. In contemporary worship renewal, ancient services are being restored to the life of the church. They continue to make the church stand out in a unique way in the midst of a secular culture. Note that this collection of services also includes the Pentecost service. The Easter season concludes on Pentecost Sunday.

1. Calls To Worship For The Sundays Of Easter
2. Traditional Opening Prayers For The Season Of Easter
3. Resources For Ascension Day
4. Prayer Of Thanksgiving For Easter Lord’s Supper
5. Blessings For The Easter Season

Worship On Pentecost Sunday

Pentecost Sunday is an end and a beginning. It is the culmination of the season of Easter. It is the day when the church senses the all-pervasive power of Easter as the Spirit is unleashed on Creation. It is also the dawn of a new day in the life of the church. For as the church is empowered by the Spirit, the message of the risen Lord is trumpeted around the world. The following entries provide a variety of helpful suggestions for worship planners and challenge the reader to apprecieate the significance of the gift of the Spirit to the church.

1. A Traditional Service For Pentecost
2. A Creative/traditional Pentecostal Service
3. A Creative Pentecost Service
4. A Convergence Pentecost Service
5. Litanies For Pentecost Sunday
6. An Anthology Of Hymns And Songs For The Season After Pentecost
7. Pentecost Prayers
8. A Pentecost Creed
9. Prayer Of Thanksgiving For Pentecost Eucharist
10. A Pentecost Blessing