Easter Day C (April 17):

Readings: Acts 10:34-43 or Isaiah 65:17-25, Psalm 118, 1 Corinthians 15:19-26, John 20:1-18 or Luke 24:1-12

All the images above come from the Hermano Leon site and are free for use in worship and related activities. 

Call to Worship:
A time of silence. Then play Anthem Part 3 from the album, Powaqqatsi, (1988) (pictured at left) while showing six 20 second Good Friday images. When the music reaches the fanfare, show an Easter Day image. Then fade the music enough so that a reader can read Isaiah 65:17-25.

Call to Worship: King of Glory

Play King of Glory by Third Day found on their album, Carry Me Home (pictured at right) or on WOW 2001. For each verse, show an image of the crucifixion and for each chorus show an image of the resurrection. Show a resurrection image for the last verse and then as the choir on the CD begins to back the Third Day singer, fade the music and have somebody read the Psalm.

Call to Worship: Change
Found in Mucky Paws Volume 4 or in the April 2007 Mucky Paws archives (see my link above left).

Call to Worship Activity:
If you had an old wooden cross in the church for Good Friday, give everybody a streamer or coloured ribbon as they enter and ask them to decorate the cross before sitting down.

Kids: Butterflies and Flowers

Tell the Easter story using the cocoon and butterfly, seed and flower analogies. Have a dead branch at the front of the church and either have them make paper flowers or butterflies to decorate the branch with. This works very well as a congregational activity. Alternately have the kids give everyone in the congregation a tiny butterfly or flower sticker - people really run with this and wear them immediately putting them on lapels, collars, watch faces, spectacle frames etc etc.

Drama: What's Easter All About:
Found in Mega Drama 3 by Verena Johnson (Ed.), Open Book, 2002, ISBN 0859109178, page 87 (pictured at left). This drama goes with any of the readings.

Video Clip: Fantasia 2000
Show the Firebird Suite segment after the fire when everything greens up. In the clip below which I have embedded so you can see how it works. You could easily start at around anywhere from the 4 or5 or 6 minute mark depending on how much time you have and how much you want to show. 


Discussion: Fantasia
How does Easter bring new life to the world?

Story: Stephen's Egg
Found in More Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks by Wayne Rice, Zondervan, 1995, ISBN 0310207681, page 159 (pictured at right).

Story: Nikolai Church and the Fall of the Berlin Wall
This story can be found often and easily by googling.

Story: Easter
Found in Your Point Being? by Graham H. Twelftree, Monarch Books, 2003, ISBN 1854245929, page 51 (pictured at left).

Biblical Reflection:

By Ruth Burgess in Fire and Bread, Wild Goose Publications, 2006, ISBN 9781905010301, pages 32 - 38 (pictured at right).

Listening Song: Early in the Morning

By David Meece on his album, Once in a Lifetime (pictured at left) .

Listening Song: Libera

By Robert Prizeman on his album, Libera (pictured at right).

Prayer: Yes/No 
Found in the 21st March 2008 Mucky Paws archives (see my link above left)
 
Pass the Peace:
Give every one a balloon to blow up. Toss them, catch a new one and pass the peace using Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

Response Activity:
In groups or individually get people to name their easter dreams for the world, for their church, for themselves and to use these as starters for a prayer time.

Also:

Poem: Risen
Also a great prayer and collect included on the same page.  Found in Dad and Daughter by Ron Gordon and Jennie Gordon, 2012, ISBN 9780646586601, page 150 (pictured at left). 

Sermon Thought: Forgiveness has Risen from the Grave 
Found in Bringing the Word To Life Together: Year C by Andrew Collis and Dorothy McRae-McMahon, Mediacom, Adelaide, 2012, ISBN 9781921945083, page 64ff.

Words For Easter
Found in Before the Amen by Maren C Tirabassi and  Maria I. Tirabassi (Eds), The Pilgrim Press, Cleveland, 2007, ISBN 9780829817508, page 78-81. 

Story Plus Other Stuff: Roxsanne Makes Good

Found in Wally the Dodgy Trolley and other Stories of Faith and Humour by Ian Johnson, Scripture Union Australia, Lidcombe, 2000, ISBN 0949720984, page 37.

A Chapter of Resources for Easter Sunday: 

By Ruth Burgess and Chris Polhill in Eggs and Ashes, Wild Goose Publications, 2004, page 223-244 (pictured at left). 

A Chapter of Resources for Easter Day:

By Ruth Burgess in Fire and Bread, Wild Goose Publications, 2006, ISBN 9781905010301, pages 19-46 (pictured above).

Opening and Closing Responses:

By Ruth Burgess in Fire and Bread, Wild Goose Publications, 2006, ISBN 9781905010301, pages 20 (pictured above).

Drama: Peter and Mary

By Ruth Burgess in Fire and Bread, Wild Goose Publications, 2006, ISBN 9781905010301, pages 87 (pictured above).

Beautiful Illustrations of John's Gospel  connected to the Australian Outback

Found in The Gospel According to John Illuminated by Fiona Pfennigwerth, Tien Wah Press, Singapore, 2013, ISBN 9780646912462, page 60-61.

Drama: Adam's Family History
Found in Mega Drama 5 by Verena Johnson, (Ed.), Open Book, 2002, ISBN 0859109194, page 95. This drama is based on the Corinthians reading.

Poem: Jesus Came to Save Us
Found in The Electric Bible by Peter Dainty, Kevin Mayhew, 2003, ISBN 1844170411, page 96 and based on the Luke reading. 

Poem: North Hinksley Village Church
Found in The Electric Bible by Peter Dainty, Kevin Mayhew, 2003, ISBN 1844170411, page 110 and based on the Luke reading.

Poem and Painting: I Could Not Believe My Eyes

Found in A Bloke Called Jesus by Pro Hart and Norman Habel, Rigby, 1982, ISBN 0 7270 1758 6, page 44. These are based on the John reading.