April 2023: Easter Vigil

Grace this year fell on Holy Saturday so this month’s Grace was an Easter Vigil.

We began with the cafe open at 9:30pm and then Grace itself began at 10pm and ran until midnight, mixing the traditional fire lighting, candle procession and readings with Grace’s own take and flavour on proceedings. After the service there was some Easter celebratory fizz.

Timings:

9.30 café – tea/coffee, soft drinks, cake
10pm – midnight – service
Midnight – celebratory drink

The Vigil includes four sections:

• Service of the Light
• The Vigil
• Initiation / Renewal of Baptismal Vows
• Communion and Easter Acclamation

Service of the Light

Takes place outside church – brazier/ fire pit, large/Paschal candle, small candles for individuals

Liturgy for lighting candles from the brazier and Paschal candle

Walked round church three times – NEW provide some prompts to prayer and thought for each round

Enter St Mary’s and say the Exultet

The Vigil

4 OT readings with meditations/activities – another option might be to have a station for each reading –aim to have new material put this out for volunteers to choose a reading to respond to – thought would fit in with Lent reading to focus on the Freedom Theme readings.

Claudio Carvalhaes Chapter 9 has section on praying through Holy Week during Covid – has some quotes that could be used either in Vigil or elsewhere in the service. Richard to go through the chapter.

Freedom Theme

• Genesis 1.1 – 2.4a The Creation *
• Genesis 3. The Fall
• Exodus 3.1-6 Moses and the burning bush
• Exodus 12.1-24 The Passover
• Exodus 14 etc Crossing the Red Sea *
• Isaiah 54.5-15 I will save you from all your afflictions
• Ezekiel 47.1-12 The river of life
• Zephaniah 3.14-end Jerusalem praises God

Gospel

Mark 16 1-8 – women at the tomb

Liturgy of Initiation (Renewal of baptismal vows)

Liturgy re renewal of baptismal vows – spraying with water, signing - another section where can find some new material for the ritual/activity.

Communion

Suggest we work with existing liturgy as it isn’t one we have regularly used.

Easter Acclamation – outside? Music? Fireworks? Sparklers?

Dismissal

Prosecco and cake!