Beach Service

Easter Sunday 2025

1. WELCOME & GATHERING

Leader

Good morning, and a very happy Easter to all of you! We've gathered here on the beach at this beautiful hour to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and to make a public witness of our hope.

As we listen to the waves and feel the breeze, may we be reminded that God’s love is without limit and ever-present.

Leader (continues):

I invite you to join in our Call to Worship. Please respond with the words marked "All."

Leader: Alleluia! Christ is risen!

All: He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Leader: Light has dawned, hope is alive, and we stand in the new day of God's grace.

All: We come with joy to worship, to witness, and to celebrate God's love.

2. OPENING PRAYER

Leader:

Let us pray.

Almighty God, we thank You for this Easter morning, for the gift of Your Son's resurrection that brings hope to our world. As we stand on this shore, remind us that Your love extends farther than any horizon and embraces us in our every need. Open our hearts to Your Spirit, that we may rejoice in the victory of Christ over sin and death. In His holy name we pray, Amen.

3. WORSHIP

Leader:

We'll now lift our voices together in worship on the Resurrection morning. Feel free to join in or reflect on the words in your heart as we celebrate Christ's victory.

Jesus Is Alive

Verse 1

There is a joyful song

Rising from grateful hearts

Thank You for the cross

No longer bound by sin

Fully alive in Him

Love has set us free

Pre-Chorus

Ever true

Let the song ring out today

Sing as one

And proclaim His name forever

Chorus

Sing it out Jesus is alive

Tell the world Jesus is alive

Death is defeated and love has won

Sing it out Jesus is alive (whoah)

Verse 2

So let our song be heard

And let our light be seen

Heaven touching earth

Good news for everyone

New life for everyone

Hope for all the world

Interlude

Jesus is alive

O Praise The Name (Anástasis)

Verse 1

I cast my mind to Calvary

Where Jesus bled and died for me

I see His wounds His hands His feet

My Saviour on that cursed tree

Verse 2

His body bound and drenched in tears

They laid Him down in Joseph's tomb

The entrance sealed by heavy stone

Messiah still and all alone

Chorus

O praise the Name of the Lord our God

O praise His Name forevermore

For endless days we will sing Your praise

Oh Lord oh Lord our God

Verse 3

Then on the third at break of dawn

The Son of heaven rose again

O trampled death where is your sting

The angels roar for Christ the King

Verse 4

He shall return in robes of white

The blazing sun shall pierce the night

And I will rise among the saints

My gaze transfixed on Jesus' face

4. SCRIPTURE READINGS

Leader:

Let us listen to the Word of God that proclaims the joy and power of the resurrection.

Reader 1:

We hear the account of the resurrection from Matthew 28.

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped 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.”

Reader 2:

Now we hear Paul’s words from 1 Corinthians 15:20-22; 54-57

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

“Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

5. REFLECTION

Leader:

On this Easter morning, we stand at the boundary of land and sea, a place that perfectly mirrors the wonder and mystery of the resurrection. Easter is more than a moment in history; it is God's ongoing declaration that death does not have the final word. Like the horizon that stretches beyond our sight, God's grace extends beyond every limitation of our understanding.

When Mary Magdalene and the other disciples discovered the empty tomb, they experienced confusion, awe, and ultimately joy. In their astonishment, we catch a glimpse of our own human response to God's boundless power. The resurrection of Jesus proclaims that every obstacle we face - from sin and regret to heartache and loss - can be overcome by the One who brings life out of death.

Here by the water, the steady rhythm of the tides illustrates how God's renewing work comes again and again. Just as the shoreline is reshaped day by day, so we are continually transformed by Christ's resurrection power. Each wave that breaks upon the sand can be seen as a reminder of the promises God offers: forgiveness that washes over our guilt, mercy that heals our wounds, and hope that stirs us to face each new day.

Yet Easter is not simply about personal renewal; it also calls us to public witness. Gathering out in the open, we declare that the love of God through Christ cannot be confined within walls. It overflows into creation, into the daily routines of our lives, and into the hearts of those near and far. In a world that often hungers for meaning and peace, Easter shines as the assurance that God's redeeming grace is for everyone.

Today, let us take courage from the resurrected Christ, who meets us in our joys and our sorrows. May we find in this celebration the strength to lay down the burdens that weigh on us, trusting that His victory opens the door to new life. And as we walk away from these sands, let us carry the light of the resurrection into every place we go, knowing that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead continues to breathe hope, possibility, and new beginnings into our everyday lives.

6. SYMBOLIC ACTION

Leader:

At this time, I invite each of you to take a small stone or shell from the beach. In a few moments of quiet, hold it in your hand and consider what weighs on your heart this Easter, any burden, regret, or hopeful prayer.

If you choose, you may place your stone on the wet sand closer to the water's edge, allowing the tide to come in later and carry it away. Let this symbolise giving your burdens or requests to God, trusting they will be washed in His grace.
Alternatively, you can keep the stone as a reminder that the resurrection brings new life and hope into every circumstance we face.

7. PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

Leader:

Let us join our hearts in prayer for the needs of the world, our community, and each of us here.

Gracious and Risen Lord,

On this Easter day, we thank You for the victory of the empty tomb. We pray for all who feel hopeless or lost. May the light of the resurrection pierce through every darkness and bring comfort to those who grieve.

We remember our local community: families, neighbours, businesses, and those who visit this shore. Inspire acts of kindness, build unity among us, and help us to reflect Your love in practical ways.

We pray for the global church in all its diversity. Unite us in proclaiming Your resurrection and living out Your compassion. May our unity in Christ transcend barriers of race, language, and tradition.

We lift up the wider world in prayer. Where there is conflict, bring peace. Where there is need, bring provision. Where there is injustice, bring justice. May the message of Easter move us to seek the wellbeing of all people.

Finally, we give thanks for this beautiful creation. Teach us to care for the oceans, the beaches, and all living things, so that future generations may also marvel at Your handiwork.

We offer these prayers in the powerful name of Jesus, our risen Saviour. Amen.

8. CLOSING SONG

Leader:

Before we share the final blessing, let's sing one last time in celebration. We'll lift our voices again, rejoicing in the hope of Christ's resurrection.

In Christ Alone

Verse 1

In Christ alone my hope is found

He is my light my strength my song

This Cornerstone this solid Ground

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love what depths of peace

When fears are stilled when strivings cease

My Comforter my All in All

Here in the love of Christ I stand

Verse 2

In Christ alone who took on flesh

Fullness of God in helpless babe

This gift of love and righteousness

Scorned by the ones He came to save

Till on that cross as Jesus died

The wrath of God was satisfied

For every sin on Him was laid

Here in the death of Christ I live

Verse 3

There in the ground His body lay

Light of the world by darkness slain

Then bursting forth in glorious Day

Up from the grave He rose again

And as He stands in victory

Sin's curse has lost its grip on me

For I am His and He is mine

Bought with the precious blood of Christ

Verse 4

No guilt in life no fear in death

This is the power of Christ in me

From life's first cry to final breath

Jesus commands my destiny

No power of hell no scheme of man

Can ever pluck me from His hand

Till He returns or calls me home

Here in the power of Christ I'll stand

9. BLESSING & SENDING

Leader:

May the God of resurrection fill you with joy and peace in believing. May the risen Christ walk with you in every moment, and may the Holy Spirit empower you to share His love wherever you go. Go in the peace of Christ this Easter day. Amen.

Leader:

Thank you for joining us this morning. May we all carry Easter hope in our hearts and let it shine through our lives.

All:

Happy Easter!

“Jesus Is Alive” words and music by Becky Frith

Used by permission. CCLI Licence No.3693

“O Praise The Name (Anástasis)” words and music by Benjamin Hastings, Dean Ussher, Marty Sampson

Used by permission. CCLI Licence No.3693

“In Christ Alone” words and music by Keith Getty, Stuart Townend

Used by permission. CCLI Licence No.3693