The climax of the sacred Triduum that began on Maundy Thursday is reached in this service which abounds in archetypal imagery that evokes responses from deep within the human psyche: darkness and light, death and life, chaos and order, slavery and freedom. The cross is vindicated as the Lord’s throne (already prefigured on Good Friday), and the fullness of salvation finds expression—creation and redemption, old covenant and new covenant, Baptism and Eucharist. Through the word, the sacraments are revealed as symbols of God’s salvation of humanity. This most holy night is the solemn memorial of the central mystery of salvation—Christ’s saving death and mighty rising.
The liturgy is intended as the first (and arguably, the primary) celebration of Easter in the Lutheran Book of Worship, Ministers Desk Edition (pp. 143-153). It is also known as the Great Vigil. The service begins in darkness, sometime between sunset on Holy Saturday and sunrise on Easter, and consists of four parts: The Service of Light (kindling of new fire, lighting the Paschal candle, the Exsultet); The Service of Lessons (readings from the Hebrew Scriptures interspersed with psalms, canticles, and prayers); Christian Initiation (Holy Baptism) or the Renewal of Baptismal Vows; and the Eucharist. Through this liturgy, the LBW recovers an ancient practice of keeping the Easter feast. Believers would gather in the hours of darkness ending at dawn on Easter to hear scripture and offer prayer. This night-long service of prayerful watching anticipated the baptisms that would come at first light and the Easter Eucharist. Easter was the primary baptismal occasion for the early church to the practical exclusion of all others. This practice linked the meanings of Christ’s dying and rising to the understanding of baptism.
Service of Light
The congregation gathers, preferably in a place other than the interior of the church itself; each person is given a candle. A large fire may have been prepared. The minister(s) come and stand among the people, bringing the paschal candle which has been appropriately inscribed.
L In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen
L On this most holy night, in which our Lord Jesus Christ passed over from death to life, we are gathered here in vigil and prayer. This is the Passover of the Lord in which we share in his victory over death.
O God, you are like a refiner’s fire, and your Spirit kindles the hearts of your
faithful people with the fire of your love. Bless, we ask you, those who keep
this joyful Easter festival. Burning with desire for life with you, may we be
found rightly prepared to share in the Feast of Light which has no end;
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen
L (lighting the paschal candle)May the light of Christ, rising in glory, dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds.
L Almighty and most merciful God, once we were in darkness, but now we are
light in Jesus Christ our Lord. Bless abundantly all who joyfully celebrate this
night in faith in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Fill them with your
heavenly blessing in him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
now and forever.
C Amen
Procession
The minister bearing the paschal candle leads the procession into the darkened church. Three times during the procession, this versicle and response are sung:
L The light of Christ.
C Thanks be to God.
After the second versicle and response, all light their candles from the paschal candle.
Stand
Easter Proclamation (Exsultet)
L Rejoice, now, all heavenly choirs of angels, and celebrate the divine mysteries with exultation; and, for the victory of so great a King, sound the trumpet of salvation.
Exult, also, O earth, enlightened with such radiance; and, made brilliant by the splendor of the eternal King, know that the ancient darkness has been banished from all the world.
Be glad also, O mother Church, clothed with the brightness of such a light, and let this house resound with the triumphant voices of the peoples.
Wherefore, dearly beloved, who stand in the clarity of this bright and holy light, join with me, I ask you, in praising the lovingkindness of almighty God; through our Lord, Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and rules with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen
L The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
L Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give him thanks and praise.
L It is indeed right and salutary that we should with full devotion of heart and mind and voice praise the invisible God, the Father Almighty, and his only Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ;
who paid for us the debt of Adam to the eternal Father, and who by his precious blood redeemed us from the bondage to the ancient sin.
For this indeed is the Paschal Feast in which the true Lamb is slain, by whose blood the doorposts of the faithful are made holy.
This is the night [This is the night]in which, in ancient times, you delivered our forebears, the children of Israel, from the land of Egypt; and led them, dry-shod, through the Red Sea.
This is the night [This is the night] in which the darkness of sin has been purged away by the rising brightness.
This is the night [This is the night] in which all who believe in Christ are rescued from evil and the gloom of sin, are renewed in grace, and are restored to holiness.
This is the night [This is the night] in which, breaking the chains of death, Christ arises from hell in triumph.
For it would have profited us nothing to be born had we not also been redeemed.
Oh, how wonderful the condescension of your lovingkindness!
Oh, how inestimable the goodness of your love, that to redeem a slave you delivered up your Son!
O necessary sin of Adam that is wiped away by the death of Christ!
O happy fault that was worthy to have so great a Redeemer!
O night truly blessed which alone was worthy to know the time and the hour wherein Christ arose again from hell!
This is the night [This is the night] of which it is written: “and the night is as clear as the day”; and, “then shall my night be turned into day.”
The holiness of this night puts to flight the deeds of wickedness; washes away sin; restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to those who mourn; casts out hate; brings peace; and humbles earthly pride.
The leader may fix five grains of incense in the candle.
L Therefore, in this night of grace, receive, O holy Father, this evening sacrifice of praise; which the Church lays before you in the solemn offering of the candle. We sing the glories of this pillar of fire,
Tapers are lighted from the paschal candle to light other candles and lamps in the church as the Easter Proclamation continues.
the brightness of which is not diminished, even when its light is divided and borrowed.
For it is fed by the melting wax which the bees, your servants, have made for the substance of this candle.
O night truly blessed in which heaven and earth are joined–things human and things divine.
We, therefore, pray to you, O Lord, that this candle, burning to the honor of your name, will continue to vanquish the darkness of this night and be mingled with the lights of heaven.
May he who is the morning star find it burning–that morning star which never sets, that morning star which, rising again from the grave, faithfully sheds light on all the human race.
And we pray, O Lord, rule, govern, and preserve with your continual protection your whole Church, giving us peace in this time of our paschal rejoicing;
through the same Lord, Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen
Those in the congregation then extinguish their candles and are seated.
Light may be taken from the paschal candle to other candles and lamps in the church.
Sit
Service of Readings
First Lesson – The Story of Creation
Genesis 1:1-3:24
1:1 In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
6 And God said, “Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. 8 God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
9 And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. 17 God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
20 And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.” 21 So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.” And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good.
26 Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”
27 So God created humankind in his image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” 29 God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. 2 And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.
4 These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, 5 when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground; 6 but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground— 7 then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being. 8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
10 A river flows out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides and becomes four branches. 11 The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; 12 and the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.”
18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” 19 So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said,
“This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
this one shall be called Woman,
for out of Man this one was taken.”
24 Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed.
3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die; 5 for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.
8 They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent tricked me, and I ate.” 14 The Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
cursed are you among all animals
and among all wild creatures;
upon your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike your head,
and you will strike his heel.”
16 To the woman he said,
“I will greatly increase your pangs in childbearing;
in pain you shall bring forth children,
yet your desire shall be for your husband,
and he shall rule over you.”
17 And to the man he said,
“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife,
and have eaten of the tree
about which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread
until you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”
20 The man named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21 And the Lord God made garments of skins for the man and for his wife, and clothed them.
22 Then the Lord God said, “See, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— 23 therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a sword flaming and turning to guard the way to the tree of life.
Silence for reflection.
L Let us pray. Almighty God, you wonderfully created the dignity of human nature and yet more wonderfully restored it. In your mercy, let us share the divine life of him who came to share our humanity, Jesus Christ your Son, our Lord.
C Amen
Second Lesson – The Story of the Flood
Genesis 7:1-5, 11-18; 8:6-18; 9:8-13
7:1 Then the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you alone are righteous before me in this generation. 2 Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and its mate; and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and its mate; 3 and seven pairs of the birds of the air also, male and female, to keep their kind alive on the face of all the earth. 4 For in seven days I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights; and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.” 5 And Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him.
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. 12 The rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights. 13 On the very same day Noah with his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons entered the ark, 14 they and every wild animal of every kind, and all domestic animals of every kind, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every bird of every kind—every bird, every winged creature. 15 They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. 16 And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the Lord shut him in.
17 The flood continued forty days on the earth; and the waters increased, and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. 18 The waters swelled and increased greatly on the earth; and the ark floated on the face of the waters.
8:6 At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made 7 and sent out the raven; and it went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent out the dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground; 9 but the dove found no place to set its foot, and it returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took it and brought it into the ark with him. 10 He waited another seven days, and again he sent out the dove from the ark; 11 and the dove came back to him in the evening, and there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf; so Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. 12 Then he waited another seven days, and sent out the dove; and it did not return to him any more.
13 In the six hundred first year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and saw that the face of the ground was drying. 14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry. 15 Then God said to Noah, 16 “Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. 17 Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—so that they may abound on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” 18 So Noah went out with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives.
9:8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 “As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. 11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.
Silence for reflection.
L Let us pray. O God, strength of the powerless and light in all darkness: Look in mercy upon your Church, that wonderful and sacred mystery, that it may be an ark of peace in the midst of chaos. Let the whole world experience and see that what was fallen is being raised up, that what was old is being made new, and that all things are being restored to wholeness through him from whom they first took being, your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
C Amen
Third Lesson – The Story of Abraham & Isaac
Genesis 22:1-18
22:1 After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. 7 Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.
9 When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13 And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, 16 and said, “By myself I have sworn, says the Lord: Because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will indeed bless you, and I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of their enemies, 18 and by your offspring shall all the nations of the earth gain blessing for themselves, because you have obeyed my voice.”
Silence for reflection.
L Let us pray. God and Father of all the faithful, you promised Abraham that he would become the father of all nations, and through this paschal mystery you increase your chosen people throughout the world. Help us respond to your call by joyfully accepting the new life of grace. We ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
C Amen
Fourth Lesson – The Story of the Exodus
Exodus 13:17-15:1a
13:17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was nearer; for God thought, “If the people face war, they may change their minds and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led the people by the roundabout way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of the land of Egypt prepared for battle. 19 And Moses took with him the bones of Joseph who had required a solemn oath of the Israelites, saying, “God will surely take notice of you, and then you must carry my bones with you from here.” 20 They set out from Succoth, and camped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. 21 The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.
14:1 Then the Lord said to Moses: 2 Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall camp opposite it, by the sea. 3 Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, “They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has closed in on them.” 4 I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, so that I will gain glory for myself over Pharaoh and all his army; and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord. And they did so.
5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the minds of Pharaoh and his officials were changed toward the people, and they said, “What have we done, letting Israel leave our service?” 6 So he had his chariot made ready, and took his army with him; 7 he took six hundred picked chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. 8 The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt and he pursued the Israelites, who were going out boldly. 9 The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, his chariot drivers and his army; they overtook them camped by the sea, by Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.
10 As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked back, and there were the Egyptians advancing on them. In great fear the Israelites cried out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Is this not the very thing we told you in Egypt, ‘Let us alone and let us serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” 13 But Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the Lord will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.”
15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. 16 But you lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the Israelites may go into the sea on dry ground. 17 Then I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and so I will gain glory for myself over Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots, and his chariot drivers. 18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained glory for myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his chariot drivers.”
19 The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and took its place behind them. 20 It came between the army of Egypt and the army of Israel. And so the cloud was there with the darkness, and it lit up the night; one did not come near the other all night.
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land; and the waters were divided. 22 The Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. 23 The Egyptians pursued, and went into the sea after them, all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and chariot drivers. 24 At the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and cloud looked down upon the Egyptian army, and threw the Egyptian army into panic. 25 He clogged their chariot wheels so that they turned with difficulty. The Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the Israelites, for the Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.”
26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and chariot drivers.” 27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at dawn the sea returned to its normal depth. As the Egyptians fled before it, the Lord tossed the Egyptians into the sea. 28 The waters returned and covered the chariots and the chariot drivers, the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea; not one of them remained. 29 But the Israelites walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left.
30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Israel saw the great work that the Lord did against the Egyptians. So the people feared the Lord and believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.
15:1 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord:
“I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.
Canticle
Cantemus Domino: Song of Moses and Miriam
I will sing to the Lord for he has | triumphed gloriously;*
the horse and its rider he has thrown in- | to the sea.
The Lord is my strength | and my song;*
he has | been my Savior.
This is my God, and | I will praise him,*
my father’s God, and I | will exalt him.
Your right hand, O Lord, glo- | rious in power,*
your right hand, O Lord, shat- | ters the enemy.
Who among the gods is like | you, O Lord?*
Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
awesome in splendor, | doing wonders?
In your mercy you led forth the people | you set free;*
you guided them in your strength to your holy | habitation.
You will bring them | in and plant them*
on the mount that is | your possession,
The place, O Lord, you have made for your dwelling,
the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands | have prepared.*
The Lord shall reign forev- | er and ever. (Exod. 15)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the | Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forev- | er. Amen
Silence for reflection.
L Let us pray. O God, whose wonderful deeds of old shine forth even to our own day: By the power of your mighty arm you once delivered your chosen people from slavery under Pharaoh, a sign for us of the salvation of all nations by the water of Baptism. Grant that all the peoples of earth may be numbered among the offspring of Abraham and may rejoice in the inheritance of Israel; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
C Amen
Fifth Lesson – The Invitation to the Thirsty
Isaiah 55:1-11
55:1 Ho, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and you that have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
3 Incline your ear, and come to me;
listen, so that you may live.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
4 See, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
5 See, you shall call nations that you do not know,
and nations that do not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.
6 Seek the Lord while he may be found,
call upon him while he is near;
7 let the wicked forsake their way,
and the unrighteous their thoughts;
let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return there until they have watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Silence for reflection.
L Let us pray. O God, you have created all things by the power of your Word, and you renew the earth by your Spirit. Give now the water of life to those who thirst for you, that they may bring forth abundant fruit in your glorious kingdom; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
C Amen
Sixth Lesson – In Praise of Wisdom
Baruch 3:9-37
9:1 Hear the commandments of life, O Israel;
give ear, and learn wisdom!
10 Why is it, O Israel, why is it that you are in the land of your enemies,
that you are growing old in a foreign country,
that you are defiled with the dead,
11 that you are counted among those in Hades?
12 You have forsaken the fountain of wisdom.
13 If you had walked in the way of God,
you would be living in peace forever.
14 Learn where there is wisdom,
where there is strength,
where there is understanding,
so that you may at the same time discern
where there is length of days, and life,
where there is light for the eyes, and peace.
15 Who has found her place?
And who has entered her storehouses?
16 Where are the rulers of the nations,
and those who Lorded it over the animals on earth;
17 those who made sport of the birds of the air,
and who hoarded up silver and gold
in which people trust,
and there is no end to their getting;
18 those who schemed to get silver, and were anxious,
but there is no trace of their works?
19 They have vanished and gone down to Hades,
and others have arisen in their place.
20 Later generations have seen the light of day,
and have lived upon the earth;
but they have not learned the way to knowledge,
nor understood her paths,
nor laid hold of her.
21 Their descendants have strayed far from her way.
22 She has not been heard of in Canaan,
or seen in Teman;
23 the descendants of Hagar, who seek for understanding on the earth,
the merchants of Merran and Teman,
the story-tellers and the seekers for understanding,
have not learned the way to wisdom,
or given thought to her paths.
24 O Israel, how great is the house of God,
how vast the territory that he possesses!
25 It is great and has no bounds;
it is high and immeasurable.
26 The giants were born there, who were famous of old,
great in stature, expert in war.
27 God did not choose them,
or give them the way to knowledge;
28 so they perished because they had no wisdom,
they perished through their folly.
29 Who has gone up into heaven, and taken her,
and brought her down from the clouds?
30 Who has gone over the sea, and found her,
and will buy her for pure gold?
31 No one knows the way to her,
or is concerned about the path to her.
32 But the one who knows all things knows her,
he found her by his understanding.
The one who prepared the earth for all time
filled it with four-footed creatures;
33 the one who sends forth the light, and it goes;
he called it, and it obeyed him, trembling;
34 the stars shone in their watches, and were glad;
he called them, and they said, “Here we are!”
They shone with gladness for him who made them.
35 This is our God;
no other can be compared to him.
36 He found the whole way to knowledge,
and gave her to his servant Jacob
and to Israel, whom he loved.
37 Afterward she appeared on earth
and lived with humankind.
Silence for reflection.
L Let us pray. O God, you increase your Church by continuing to call all peoples to salvation. Let the cleansing waters of Baptism flow, and by your love watch over those whom you have called; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
C Amen
Seventh Lesson – The Valley of Dry Bones
Ezekiel 37:1-14
37:1 The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. 3 He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6 I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
7 So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” 10 I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.
11 Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ 12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. 14 I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord.”
Silence for reflection.
L Let us pray. O God, by the Passover of the Son you have brought us out of sin into righteousness and out of death into life. Give us such an understanding of your mercy that, in receiving the gifts of Word and Sacrament now, we may learn to hope for all your gifts to come; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
C Amen
Eighth Lesson – The Branch of the Lord
Isaiah 4:2-6
4:2 On that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and glory of the survivors of Israel. 3 Whoever is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, 4 once the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning. 5 Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over its places of assembly a cloud by day and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night. Indeed over all the glory there will be a canopy. 6 It will serve as a pavilion, a shade by day from the heat, and a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain.
Canticle
Vinea facta est: The Song of the Vineyard
I will sing for | my beloved*
my love song a- | bout his vineyard.
My beloved | had a vineyard*
high upon a | fertile hillside.
He dug the soil, and cleared | it of stones,*
and planted it with | choice red vines;
he built a watchtower | in the midst of it,*
and then hewed | out a winepress.
The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the | house of Israel,*
and the people of Judah are the | plant he cherished. (Isa. 5)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the | Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forev- | er. Amen
Silence for reflection.
L Let us pray. O God, by the word of the prophets you are known in the Church as the sower of the good seed, the keeper of the chosen vineyard. Grant to your people, who are called your vine and your harvest, that, cleansed of all thorns and briars, they may abundantly bring forth good fruit; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
C Amen
Ninth Lesson – The Passover
Exodus 12:1-24
12:1 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: 2 This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. 3 Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household. 4 If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one; the lamb shall be divided in proportion to the number of people who eat of it. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a year-old male; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembled congregation of Israel shall slaughter it at twilight. 7 They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 8 They shall eat the lamb that same night; they shall eat it roasted over the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted over the fire, with its head, legs, and inner organs. 10 You shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. 11 This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the passover of the Lord. 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. 13 The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
14 This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance. 15 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread; on the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses, for whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day shall be cut off from Israel. 16 On the first day you shall hold a solemn assembly, and on the seventh day a solemn assembly; no work shall be done on those days; only what everyone must eat, that alone may be prepared by you. 17 You shall observe the festival of unleavened bread, for on this very day I brought your companies out of the land of Egypt: you shall observe this day throughout your generations as a perpetual ordinance. 18 In the first month, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day, you shall eat unleavened bread. 19 For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses; for whoever eats what is leavened shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether an alien or a native of the land. 20 You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your settlements you shall eat unleavened bread.
21 Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go, select lambs for your families, and slaughter the passover lamb. 22 Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood in the basin. None of you shall go outside the door of your house until morning. 23 For the Lord will pass through to strike down the Egyptians; when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over that door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you down. 24 You shall observe this rite as a perpetual ordinance for you and your children.
Silence for reflection.
L Let us pray. Almighty and ever-living God, wonderful in all your works: Let your people understand that even more marvelous than the world’s creation is your gift at the end of time: the sacrifice of our Passover Lamb, your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
C Amen
Tenth Lesson – The Story of Jonah
Jonah 3:1-10
3:1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying, 2 “Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk across. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s walk. And he cried out, “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5 And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth.
6 When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 Then he had a proclamation made in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: No human being or animal, no herd or flock, shall taste anything. They shall not feed, nor shall they drink water. 8 Human beings and animals shall be covered with sackcloth, and they shall cry mightily to God. All shall turn from their evil ways and from the violence that is in their hands. 9 Who knows? God may relent and change his mind; he may turn from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish.”
10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.
Silence for reflection.
L Let us pray. O God, you have united all nations in the confession of your name. Now give us the will and the power to do what you command, that the faith of the people whom you call to everlasting life may direct their speech and actions; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
C Amen
Eleventh Lesson – The Song of Moses
Deuteronomy 31:19-30
31:19 Now therefore write this song, and teach it to the Israelites; put it in their mouths, in order that this song may be a witness for me against the Israelites. 20 For when I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I promised on oath to their ancestors, and they have eaten their fill and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them, despising me and breaking my covenant. 21 And when many terrible troubles come upon them, this song will confront them as a witness, because it will not be lost from the mouths of their descendants. For I know what they are inclined to do even now, before I have brought them into the land that I promised them on oath.” 22 That very day Moses wrote this song and taught it to the Israelites.
23 Then the Lord commissioned Joshua son of Nun and said, “Be strong and bold, for you shall bring the Israelites into the land that I promised them; I will be with you.”
24 When Moses had finished writing down in a book the words of this law to the very end, 25 Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, 26 “Take this book of the law and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God; let it remain there as a witness against you. 27 For I know well how rebellious and stubborn you are. If you already have been so rebellious toward the Lord while I am still alive among you, how much more after my death! 28 Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officials, so that I may recite these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to witness against them. 29 For I know that after my death you will surely act corruptly, turning aside from the way that I have commanded you. In time to come trouble will befall you, because you will do what is evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger through the work of your hands.”
30 Then Moses recited the words of this song, to the very end, in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel:
Canticle
Attende, caelum: A Song of Moses
Give ear to what I | say, you heavens,*
and let the earth hear the words | of my mouth.
My teaching shall fall like | drops of rain;*
my words shall distill | as the dew,
like fine rain up- | on the grass*
and like the showers | on young plants.
When I call aloud in the name | of the Lord,*
you shall respond, “Great | is our God,
the rock whose | work is perfect,*
and all his | ways are just;
a faithful God, who | does no wrong,*
righteous and | true is he.”
Remember the | days of old;*
think of the generations | long ago;
ask your father | to recount it*
and your elders to tell | you the tale.
The Lord will give his | people justice*
and have compassion | on his servants.
Rejoice with | him, you heavens;*
all you gods, bow | down before him. (Deut. 32)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the | Holy Spirit:*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forev- | er. Amen
Silence for reflection.
L Let us pray. O God, exaltation of the humble and strength of the righteous: You taught your people through Moses to sing your praise, that the law which he delivered to them might be helpful to us. Show your power among all nations that, in the forgiveness of sins, terror may turn to joy, and fear of retribution to salvation; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
C Amen
Twelfth Lesson – The Story of the Three Young Men
Daniel 3:1-23
3:1 King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden statue whose height was sixty cubits and whose width was six cubits; he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent for the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to assemble and come to the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3 So the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, assembled for the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. When they were standing before the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had set up, 4 the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble, you are to fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire.” 7 Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
8 Accordingly, at this time certain Chaldeans came forward and denounced the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! 10 You, O king, have made a decree, that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble, shall fall down and worship the golden statue, 11 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire. 12 There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach (Hananiah), Meshach (Mishael), and Abednego (Azariah). These pay no heed to you, O king. They do not serve your gods and they do not worship the golden statue that you have set up.”
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought in; so they brought those men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods and you do not worship the golden statue that I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble to fall down and worship the statue that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire, and who is the god that will deliver you out of my hands?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to present a defense to you in this matter. 17 If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire and out of your hand, O king, let him deliver us. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and we will not worship the golden statue that you have set up.”
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was so filled with rage against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face was distorted. He ordered the furnace heated up seven times more than was customary, 20 and ordered some of the strongest guards in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. 21 So the men were bound, still wearing their tunics, their trousers, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the furnace of blazing fire. 22 Because the king’s command was urgent and the furnace was so overheated, the raging flames killed the men who lifted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 But the three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down, bound, into the furnace of blazing fire.
Song of the Three Young Men 1-2, 23-28
1 They walked around in the midst of the flames, singing hymns to God and blessing the Lord. 2 Then Azariah stood still in the fire and prayed aloud.
23 Now the king’s servants who threw them in kept stoking the furnace with naphtha, pitch, tow, and brushwood. 24 And the flames poured out above the furnace forty-nine cubits, 25 and spread out and burned those Chaldeans who were caught near the furnace. 26 But the angel of the Lord came down into the furnace to be with Azariah and his companions, and drove the fiery flame out of the furnace, 27 and made the inside of the furnace as though a moist wind were whistling through it. The fire did not touch them at all and caused them no pain or distress.
28 Then the three with one voice praised and glorified and blessed God in the furnace:
Canticle
Benedicite, omnia opera: All You Works of the Lord
All you works of the Lord, | bless the Lord—*
praise him and magnify | him forever.
You angels of the Lord, | bless the Lord;*
you heavens, | bless the Lord;
all you powers of the Lord, | bless the Lord—*
praise him and magnify | him forever.
You sun and moon, | bless the Lord;*
you stars of heaven, | bless the Lord;
you showers and dew, | bless the Lord—*
praise him and magnify | him forever.
You winds of God, | bless the Lord;*
you fire and heat, | bless the Lord;
you winter and summer, | bless the Lord—*
praise him and magnify | him forever.
You dews and frost, | bless the Lord;*
you frost and cold, | bless the Lord;
you ice and snow, | bless the Lord—*
praise him and magnify | him forever.
You nights and days, | bless the Lord;*
you light and darkness, | bless the Lord;
you lightnings and clouds, | bless the Lord—*
praise him and magnify | him forever.
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—*
praise him and magnify | him forever.
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—*
praise him and magnify | him forever.
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—*
praise him and magnify | him forever.
You people of God, | bless the Lord;*
you priests of the Lord, | bless the Lord;
you servants of the Lord, | bless the Lord—*
praise him and magnify | him forever.
You spirits and souls of the righteous, | bless the Lord;*
you pure and humble of heart, | bless the Lord; (Song of the Three Young Men 35-65)
let us bless the Father and the Son and the | Holy Spirit–*
praise him and magnify | him forever.
Daniel 3:24-29
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up quickly. He said to his counselors, “Was it not three men that we threw bound into the fire?” They answered the king, “True, O king.” 25 He replied, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the middle of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the fourth has the appearance of a god.” 26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire and said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. 27 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men; the hair of their heads was not singed, their tunics were not harmed, and not even the smell of fire came from them. 28 Nebuchadnezzar said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him. They disobeyed the king’s command and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that utters blasphemy against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins; for there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.”
Service of Holy Baptism
Typically, the Easter Vigil could continue with the Service of Holy Baptism.
Service of Baptismal Renewal
Stand
The congregation renews its baptismal vows.
Thanksgiving
L The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
L The Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give him thanks and praise.
L Holy God, mighty Lord, gracious Father:
We give you thanks, for in the beginning
your Spirit moved over the waters and you created heaven and earth.
By the gift of water you nourish and sustain us and all living things.
By the waters of the flood you condemned the wicked
and saved those whom you had chosen, Noah and his family.
You led Israel by the pillar of cloud and fire through the sea,
out of slavery into the freedom of the promised land.
In the waters of the Jordan your Son was baptized by John
and anointed with the Spirit.
By the baptism of his own death and resurrection
your beloved Son has set us free from the bondage to sin and death,
and has opened the way to the joy and freedom of everlasting life.
He made water a sign of the kingdom and of cleansing and rebirth.
In obedience to his command, we make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
To you be given praise and honor and worship
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and forever.
C Amen
Renunciation and Profession
L (Addressing all gathered)Sisters and brothers, on this most holy night the church keeps vigil, awaiting the glorious resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle teaches us that by baptism we were buried with Christ and lay dead in order that as Christ was raised from the dead in the splendor of the Father, so we should set our feet on the new path of life. Therefore, now that the struggle of Lent is over, let us renew the promises made at our baptism. I therefore ask you to profess your faith in Christ Jesus, reject sin, and confess the faith of the Church, the faith in which we baptize.
L Do you renounce all the forces of evil, the devil, and all his empty promises?
C I do.
L Do you believe in God the Father?
C I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
L Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?
C 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 into hell.
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.
L Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?
C 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. Amen
Litany
L O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good:
C For his mercy endures forever.
L Who has loved us from all eternity:
C For his mercy endures forever.
L And remembered us when we were in trouble:
C For his mercy endures forever.
L Who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven:
C For his mercy endures forever.
L And was made flesh of the Virgin Mary and became human:
C For his mercy endures forever.
L Who by his cross and suffering has redeemed the world:
C For his mercy endures forever.
L And washed us from our sins in his own blood:
C For his mercy endures forever.
L Who on the third day rose from the dead:
C For his mercy endures forever.
L And has given us the victory:
C For his mercy endures forever.
L Who ascended on high:
C For his mercy endures forever.
L And opened wide for us the everlasting doors:
C For his mercy endures forever.
L Who is seated at the right hand of God:
C For his mercy endures forever.
L And ever lives to make intercession for us:
C For his mercy endures forever.
L Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
C As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen
L For the gift of his Spirit:
C Blessed be Christ.
L A. For the holy catholic Church:
C Blessed be Christ.
L For the means of grace:
C Blessed be Christ.
L For the hope of glory:
C Blessed be Christ.
L For the triumphs of his gospel:
C Blessed be Christ.
L For the lives of his saints:
C Blessed be Christ.
L In joy and in sorrow:
C Blessed be Christ.
L In life and in death:
C Blessed be Christ.
L Now and unto endless ages:
C Blessed be Christ. Blessing and honor and thanksgiving and praise, more than we can utter, more than we can conceive, be to you, O holy and glorious Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, by all angels, all humanity, and all creatures, forever and ever. Amen
Service of Holy Communion
Typically, the Easter Vigil could continue with the Service of Holy Communion. However, in homes, we will continue with the Service of the Word.
Hymn of Praise
As the Hymn of Praise is sung, the lights are turned on, the bells may be rung, and any signs of the Holy Week observance are removed.
L Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth.
C Lord God, heavenly king, almighty God and Father:
We worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God:
You take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.
You are seated at the right hand of the Father; receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen
Prayer of the Day
L The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
L Let us pray. O God, who made this most holy night to shine with the glory of the Lord’s resurrection: Stir up in your Church that Spirit of adoption which is given to us in Baptism, that we, being renewed both in body and mind, may worship you in sincerity and truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
C Amen
Sit
First Lesson
L A reading from Romans.
Romans 6:3-11
6:3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For whoever has died is freed from sin. 8 But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
L The word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Silence for prayer and meditation follows.
Psalm
Psalm 118
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for | he is good;*
his mercy en- | dures forever.
2 Let Israel | now proclaim,*
“His mercy en- | dures forever.”
3 Let the house of Aaron | now proclaim,*
“His mercy en- | dures forever.”
4 Let those who fear the Lord | now proclaim,*
“His mercy en- | dures forever.”
5 I called to the Lord in | my distress;*
the Lord answered by set- | ting me free.
6 The Lord is at my side, therefore I | will not fear;*
what can anyone | do to me?
7 The Lord is at my | side to help me;*
I will triumph over | those who hate me.
8 It is better to rely | on the Lord*
than to put any | trust in flesh.
9 It is better to rely | on the Lord*
than to put any | trust in rulers.
10 All the ungodly en- | compass me;*
in the name of the Lord I | will repel them.
11 They hem me in, they hem me in on | every side;*
in the name of the Lord I | will repel them.
12 They swarm about me like bees; they blaze like a | fire of thorns;*
in the name of the Lord I | will repel them.
13 I was pressed so hard that I | almost fell,*
but the Lord came | to my help.
14 The Lord is my strength | and my song,*
and he has become | my salvation.
15 There is a sound of exulta- | tion and victory*
in the tents | of the righteous:
16 “The right hand of the | Lord has triumphed!*
The right hand of the Lord is exalted!
The right hand of the | Lord has triumphed!”
17 I shall not | die, but live,*
and declare the works | of the Lord.
18 The Lord has pun- | ished me sorely,*
but he did not hand me o- | ver to death.
19 Open for me the | gates of righteousness;*
I will enter them; I will offer thanks | to the Lord.
20 “This is the gate | of the Lord;*
he who is right- | eous may enter.”
21 I will give thanks to you, for you | answered me*
and have become | my salvation.
22 The same stone which the build- | ers rejected*
has become the chief | cornerstone.
23 This is | the Lord‘s doing,*
and it is marvelous | in our eyes.
24 On this day the | Lord has acted;*
we will rejoice and be | glad in it.
25 Hosanna, | Lord, hosanna!*
Lord, send us | now success.
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name | of the Lord;*
we bless you from the house | of the Lord.
27 God is the Lord; he has | shined upon us;*
form a procession with branches up to the horns | of the altar.
28 “You are my God, and | I will thank you;*
you are my God, and I | will exalt you.”
29 Give thanks to the Lord, for | he is good;*
his mercy en- | dures forever.
Silence for prayer and meditation follows.
Stand
Gospel Acclamation
C Alleluia. Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Lesson
L The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
C Glory to you, O Lord.
John 20:1-18
20:1 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. 2 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.” 3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. 4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7 and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples returned to their homes.
11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 12 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. 13 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.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 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.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to 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.’” 18 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.
L The Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to you, O Christ.
L Alleluia. Christ is risen.
C Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia.
Sit
Sermon
Silence for prayer and meditation follows.
Hymns
Stand
Prayers
L Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God,
you are worthy to be held in reverence by all the mortal race.
We give you thanks for the innumerable blessings
which, despite our unworthiness, you have showered upon us.
We praise you especially that you have preserved for us in their purity
your saving Word and the sacred ordinances of your house.
Grant and preserve to your Church throughout the world purity of doctrine
and faithful pastors who shall preach your Word with power,
and help all who hear rightly to understand and firmly to believe your Word of truth.
Protect and defend your people in time of tribulation and danger,
that we, in communion with your Church and in unity with all Christian people,
may fight the good fight of faith and in the end receive the fullness of salvation.
Upon all the nations of the earth bestow your grace.
Especially we ask you to bless our land and all its inhabitants
and all who are in authority.
Cause your glory to dwell among us,
and let mercy and truth, justice and peace everywhere prevail.
We commend to your care all our schools,
that virtue and useful knowledge may be nourished
and the wholesome fruits of life may abound.
In your mercy defend us from all calamities by fire and water,
from war and pestilence, from scarcity and famine.
Protect and prosper all who labor, and cause all useful arts to flourish among us.
Show yourself to be the helper of the sick and needy,
the comforter of the forsaken and distressed.
Accept, we pray, our bodies and souls, our hearts and minds,
our talents and powers, together with these gifts, as our offering of praise.
Special supplications, intercessions, and thanksgivings.
And as we are strangers and pilgrims on earth,
help us to prepare for the world to come,
doing the work which you have given us to do while it is day,
before that night comes when no one can work.
And, when our last hour shall come, support us by your power
and receive us into your everlasting kingdom,
where, with your Son our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit,
you live and reign, God forever.
C Amen
C Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen
Benediction
L The Lord bless us and keep us.
The Lord make his face shine on us and be gracious to us.
The Lord look upon us with favor and give us peace.
C Amen
Dismissal
L Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Resources compiled by the Rev. Andrew Ames Fuller, director of communications for the North American Lutheran Church and an ordained deacon in the Anglican Church in North America. Liturgies adapted in the Lutheran Book of Worship, ©1978 Augsburg Publishing House and Lutheran Church in America Publication Board.