Easter Day: Soul Stories
Sunday 20 April 2025
So well nourished that we have to share it
Bible readings
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 marvellous in our eyes.
This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Luke 24:1-12
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to the hands of sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise again.” Then they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.
Songs and hymns
- Come, let us anew our journey pursue (StF 460)
- Jesus the Lord said: “I am the bread” (StF 252) esp v5
- May the God of hope go with us every day (StF 411)
- Now let us from this table rise (StF 596)
- Praise and thanksgiving, Father we offer (StF 125)
- Teach me to dance to the beat of your heart (StF 477)
- Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord! (StF 186)
- We have a gospel to proclaim (StF 418)
Opening liturgy
Return every object from Lent to the cross.
Alleluia, Alleluia! is our story and our song
Give us this day our daily bread that our cup overflows with enough to share…
That our souls proclaim the greatness of the Lord,
that our souls overflow with a story to tell.
Give us this day our daily bread that our cup overflows with enough to share…
With words and gifts and smiles and songs,
with Hallelujahs echoing from our souls.
Give us this day our daily bread that our cup overflows with enough to share…
That we may sit and stand and walk as stories are shared and truths revealed,
that we may listen and hear and speak and sing and shout.
O Lord our God, our Lenten journey has ended,
our Easter journey begun.
Nourished by our journey, let us share and tell your living, loving stories, we pray.
Alleluia, Alleluia for Christ is risen, Alleluia!
Object
An open story book
Background notes
Why do you look for the living among the dead?
Only Luke includes this specific question, replacing the assurance offered to the women in Mark and Matthew. Luke frequently uses the concept of the risen Jesus being alive (see Luke 24:23, Acts 1:3, Acts 3:15) as a powerful way to affirm the truth of the Resurrection.(1)
...they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest.
This group of women reflected on their memories of Jesus’ words in light of the astonishing Resurrection event. They spontaneously left to share the news; not only with the eleven remaining (male) disciples but also with “all the rest”. These women were the Resurrection witnesses.
Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them...
The women present at the crucifixion, burial and Resurrection of Jesus are finally named. Mary Magdalene and Joanna are mentioned earlier in Luke (8:1-3) as part of the group of women who accompanied Jesus during his ministry in Galilee and supported him financially. The reference to “Mary the mother of James” is unlikely to denote Jesus’ mother, as Luke explicitly names her in Acts 1:14.
...an idle tale...
Unfortunately, the women’s testimony about the Resurrection wasn’t believed by the apostles, who dismissed it and ridiculed them. One way to understand this is that it might emphasise just how astonishing the Resurrection was – even Jesus’s closest followers couldn’t initially accept it, despite the women’s witness.(2) This perspective might also help us empathise with people today who remain unmoved by the evidence for God that has convinced us.
1 Joseph A. Fitzmeyer, The Gospel According to Luke (1981) Doubleday, New York, p. 1545.
2 C. F. Evans, Saint Luke (1990) SCM, London, p. 898.
Questions for discussion
Here are some discussion questions based on the Resurrection story, focusing on themes of witness, belief and the role of women in sharing the good news. These questions encourage reflection on how we encounter the risen Jesus, the importance of inclusivity in sharing the gospel, and the resilience needed to testify to God’s work, even in the face of doubt.
- The risen Jesus as “alive” Luke often emphasises that Jesus is “alive” following the Resurrection. How does this word “alive” resonate differently from simply being “raised”? What does it mean for us today to follow a “living” Jesus?
- Women as witnesses In Luke’s Gospel, the women are the first to witness and proclaim the Resurrection. How does their role in sharing the news impact the way we view women’s voices in faith communities today? How does their resilience inspire us in sharing our faith?
- The power of witnessing: The women’s testimonies were dismissed as ‘idle tales’ when in fact they were full of the truth of their experience. We can be tempted to spend our days speaking of ‘idle’ things – like the weather! – but real talk about the deepest aspects of our lives has the power to connect us and change us. Tell one another about a powerful encounter with God you’ve had. How does this experience of speaking and listening change you as a group?
Prayer ideas
Give everyone a paper or wooden heart to hold.
Ask them to think of themselves as the heart, held in God’s hands, loved and cherished.
Then ask them to think of the heart as representing the people they love the most. Thank God for these relationships.
The good news to get across
Despite all the ways we may try to distance ourselves from God, God continually seeks us out. God’s love, compassion and presence can heal our shame, failure and isolation. What aspects of that message have stayed with you over the past year. What insights or experiences have resonated deeply, reminding you of God’s unwavering presence and affection?
Ways people can respond
Invite people to look for opportunities to have conversations with people who do not go to church about how the truth that Jesus is alive changes their life every day.
You may decide to run the ‘Everyone an Evangelist’ course in your community as a next step, to give people the confidence and tools that they need.
Hands-on activity
Make hero-style puppet figures of the women witnesses: Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James, and Joanna. You could also make a little scene of the garden tomb to place them in. There is a printable template to colour and cut out at methodist.org.uk/SoulFood
Prayer of blessing
May the living God so fill your hearts with joy and hope
that you cannot keep the good news to yourself.
In the name of Christ, Alleluia!