The Vigil of Easter
The High Point Community
Saturday, April 18, 1992

Come, O Faithful, and take light from the Light that never fades; come and glorify Christ who is risen from the dead!
From the Orthodox Liturgy

The Service of Light

Assemble at the columbarium for the lighting of the new fire with prayers.  We will follow the lighted Paschal Candle into the worship center.  We repeat three times in procession:

Leader: The Light of Christ.
Congregation: Thanks be to God!

The Exultet (quartet)

The Service of Readings

These ancient stories are the models of our own faith experience.  All generations of the faithful have been liberated from bondage by God as if we had all gone out of Egypt.

First Lesson	Genesis 1:1-2:2
“Creation” by James Weldon Johnson
	The Hymn	At the Name of Jesus		179
			(verses 1, 2 quartet)
	Prayer

Second Lesson	Exodus 13:17-14:31
Exodus and Crossing the Sea
	Solo
	Prayer

Third Lesson		Isaiah 55:1-11
Come to the Waters
	The Hymn	As Pants the Hart	452
	Prayer

Fourth Lesson	Ezekiel 37:1-14
The Dry Bones
	Solo		There is a Balm in Gilead
			(Congregation may hum)
	Prayer

Fifth Lesson		Exodus 12:1-14
The First Passover
	The Hymn	What Wondrous Love is This	385
	Prayer

Sixth Lesson		Daniel 3:1-29
The Three Youths in the Furnace

Canticle:	All You Works of the Lord is sung as the worshippers come forward and gather around the baptismal font.

Cantor sings:	All you works of the Lord, bless the Lord—

Worshippers sing the refrain after bells:

Cantors sing verses:
	You angels of the Lord, bless the Lord; you heavens, bless the Lord all you powers of the Lord, bless the Lord
Refrain
	You sun and moon, bless the Lord; you stars of heaven, bless the Lord; you showers and dew, bless the Lord
Refrain
	You winds of God, bless the Lord, you fire and heat, bless the Lord; you winter and summer, bless the Lord
Refrain
	You dews and frost, bless the Lord; you frost and cold, bless the Lord; you ice and snow, bless the Lord
Refrain
	You nights and days, bless the Lord; you light and darkness, bless the Lord; you lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord
Refrain
	Let the earth bless the Lord; you mountains and hills, bless the Lord; all you green things that grow on the earth, bless the Lord
Refrain
	You wells and springs, bless the Lord; you rivers and seas, bless the Lord; you whales and all who move in the waters, bless the Lord
Refrain
	All you birds of the air, bless the Lord; all you beasts and cattle, bless the Lord; all you children of mortals, bless the Lord
Refrain
	You people of God, bless the Lord; you priests of the Lord, bless the Lord; you servants of the Lord, bless the Lord
Refrain
	You spirits and souls of the righteous, bless the Lord; you pure and humble of heart, bless the Lord; let us bless the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit
Refrain

The Service of Baptism, An Affirmation

Celebrant: Through the Paschal mystery, dear friends, we are buried with Christ by Baptism into his death, and raised with him to newness of life.  I call upon you, therefore, now that our Lenten observance is ended, to renew the solemn promises and vows of Holy Baptism, by which we once renounced Satan and all his works, and promised to serve God faithfully in his holy catholic Church.

The Affirmation

Celebrant: Do you reaffirm your renunciation of evil and renew your commitment to Jesus Christ?
People: 	I do.
C: 	Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?
P:	I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord.  He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.  He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.  He descended to the dead.  On the third day he rose again.  He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.  He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
C:	Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?
P: 	I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
C:	Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?
P:	I will, with God’s help.
C:	Will you persevere in resisting evil, and whenever you fall into sin, repent and turn to the Lord?
P:	I will, with God’s help.
C: 	Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?
P:	I will, with God’s help.
C: 	Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?
P:	I will, with God’s help.
C: 	Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
P:	I will, with God’s help.
C:	May almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given us a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and bestowed upon us the forgiveness of sins, keep us in eternal life by his grace, in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

The Asperges with Water

P:	I saw water proceeding out of the temple; from the right side it flowed.  Alleluia.  And to all those to whom that water came shall be saved, and shall say, Alleluia, Alleluia.
From Ezekiel 47

The Hymn	Baptized into Your Name	192
(Solo on verse 1)

THE READING OF THE RESURRECTION NARRATIVE	Luke 24:1-11

Passing of the Peace and Dismissal

C:		Go in peace, serve the Lord.
P:		Thanks be to God!

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The Great Vigil of Easter

	The Great Vigil of Easter has its roots in the ancient church.  The Vigil was a watch for the first signs of the dawn of Easter.  The catchumens, who had studied for three years before entrance into the church, read scripture and waited for the first light at which time they were baptized.  Following the sacrament, they joined the baptized community in the Easter service and Holy Communion.
	The Community Easter Vigil includes three parts of the liturgy: The Service of Light, The Service of Readings and the Affirmation of Baptism.
	In the Service of Light the new fire is blessed and the people follow the Paschal Candle as the children of Israel followed the pillars of fire and cloud as they were delivered from bondage in Egypt.  The Exultet is sung proclaiming our own deliverance from the bondage of sin.
	The Service of Readings includes six Old Testament readings.  All of them focus on God’s saving mercy to Israel.  They sum up the Church’s understanding of God’s redemptive power and our covenant relationship with the Lord.  Songs and prayers follow each reading.
	The last section of our worship is an Affirmation of the baptismal vows we took in the past.  In this rite we renew our pledge of fidelity to the Lord as we die with him and are raised to new life.
	The Resurrection story from Luke will conclude the service as we again declare the “He is risen!  He is risen indeed! Alleluia!”

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Planners: Keith Dey, Randy Foster, Winston (Bud) Hill, Ruth Lenger, Lisa Mullen, and Joyce Taipale
Leaders: Jean Abernethy, Andrea Bittner, Keith Dey, Randy Foster, Ron Heer, Winston (Bud) Hill, Ruth Lenger, John McKinnon, Chris Mullen, Lisa Mullen, Joyce Taipale, and Ron Wilkins
Musicians: Kendra Biddle, Paul Charlton, Keith Dey, Ford Ewaldsen, Randy Foster, Ruth Lenger, Cindy Salter, Larry Smith, Joyce Taipale, and Ron Wilkins

Used by permission from Heilig Resource Center.