We are an Easter people and Alleluia! is our song.

Attributed to St. Augustine

Christ is risen! Here is a special poem, prayer, psalm, and promise for Easter, continuing my series of “Poems, Prayers, Psalms, and Promises“:

“And the Glory” by Ann Weems

The silence breaks into morning.
That One Star lights the world.
The lily springs to life and
not even Solomon … 
Let it begin with singing 
and never end!
Oh, angels, quit your lamenting!
Oh, pilgrims, 
upon your knees in tearful prayer, 
rise up 
and take your hearts 
and run!
We who were no people 
are named anew 
God’s people, 
for he who was no more 
is forevermore. 

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Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; 
his steadfast love endures forever! 
Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” 

The Lord is my strength and my might; 
he has become my salvation. 

There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous: 
“The right hand of the Lord does valiantly; 
the right hand of the Lord is exalted; 
the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.” 
I shall not die, but I shall live, 
and recount the deeds of the Lord. 
The Lord has punished me severely, 
but he did not give me over to death. 

Open to me the gates of righteousness, 
that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. 

This is the gate of the Lord; 
the righteous shall enter through it. 

I thank you that you have answered me 
and have become my salvation. 
The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
 This is the Lord’s doing; 
it is marvelous in our eyes. 
This is the day that the Lord has made; 
let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Scripture Reading – Matthew 28:5-10

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Prayer

O Lord, this is your doing, and it is marvelous in your eyes. This is the day that you have made, and we rejoice in it. For your son, he lives! He lives, and because he lives we live. We are alive, and you are alive, and all the earth rejoices. Alleluia is our song this day, O Lord; help us to sing it – with all our hearts and all our minds and all our souls. Help us to sing it with every fiber of our being and with every molecule on this earth. For the tomb is empty, and your son is here. We no longer look for him among the dead, for he is alive, and alleluia is our song. Help us to sing it always. Amen