Wisdom Easter Litany - A Service of Light
This litany was written for an Easter Sunrise Service, the retelling of God’s works through Wisdom was modified from the order of worship in the United Methodist Book of Worship. My original content was added for flow. There are two versions. I modified one to use ungendered language for God and Wisdom.
Ungendered Version
In my study of scripture,
I’ve been drawn to words of wisdom from the Wisdom of Solomon.
The writer of this scripture tells us of the characteristics of Wisdom.
This writer invites us to imagine an embodied person who is in ministry to humanity,
acting as the presence of God throughout the history and relationship of humanity with God.
I invite you to see the works of the person Wisdom
as the work of the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit together.
As we watch the works of God arise over the horizon,
let me share with you some of this history.
Let us hear the record of God's saving deeds in history,
and pray that each of us may receive the fullness of this grace.
With a single breath, order is made from chaos.
Creation is named as good. All the fish in the sea, the birds in the air and the humans on the earth.[1]
Wisdom protected the first formed father of the world,
when Adam alone had been created;
Wisdom delivered him from his transgression
and gave him strength to rule all things.
But when an unrighteous man departed from Wisdom in his anger,
Cain perished because in rage he killed his brother.
When the earth was flooded because of him, Wisdom again saved it,
steering the righteous man by a paltry piece of wood.
Wisdom also, when the nations in wicked agreement had been put to confusion,
recognized the righteous man, Abraham, and preserved him blameless before God
and kept him strong in the face of his compassion for his child.[2]
Let us thank God for protecting us, I invite you to repeat my Amen and Alleluia at the end of each prayer.
Almighty God,
you wonderfully created, yet more wonderfully restored,
the dignity of human nature.
Grant that we may share the divine life
of the One who shared our humanity,
Jesus Christ our Savior..[3]
Amen and Alleluia
Amen and Alleluia
The ruler who kept God's people in slavery
pursues them to the Red Sea as they try to escape.
Despite a hopeless situation, God rescues God's people,
leading them on dry land through the parted sea
and closing the waters on their former masters.
Miriam then sings a song about God's marvelous deliverance.[4]
Holy people and blameless offspring
Wisdom delivered from a nation of oppressors.
Wisdom entered the soul of a servant of the Lord
and withstood dread kings with wonders and signs.
Wisdom gave to holy people the reward of their labors;
guided them along a marvelous way
and became a shelter to them by day
and a starry flame through the night.
Wisdom brought them over the Red Sea
and led them through deep waters,
but Wisdom drowned their enemies
and cast them up from the depths of the sea.
Therefore the righteous sang hymns,
O Lord, to your holy name
and praised with one accord your defending hand,
for wisdom opened the mouths of those who were mute
and made the tongues of infants speak clearly.
Let us Thank God for liberating the people of God in History. I invite you to repeat my amen and alleluia at the end of each prayer.
God our Savior,
as once you delivered by the power of your mighty arm
your chosen Israel through the waters of the sea,
so now deliver your Church and all the peoples of the earth
from bondage and oppression, to rejoice and serve you in freedom,
through Jesus Christ our Deliverer.[5]
Amen and Alleluia
Amen and Alleluia
The prophet Ezekiel sees a vision:
God will take the dry bones of God's people,
reconnect them, breathe into them, and restore them to life.[6]
I am going to open your graves and bring you up from your graves,
O my people and I will bring you back to the land of Israel.
And you shall know that I am the Lord
when I open your graves and bring you up from your graves,
O my people.
I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live,
And I will place you on your own soil;
then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act.”[7]
Let us Thank God for resurrection. I invite you to repeat my amen and alleluia at the end of each prayer.
Eternal God,
you raised from the dead our Lord Jesus
and by your Holy Spirit brought to life your Church.
Breathe upon us again with your spirit
and give new life to your people,
through the same Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen.
Amen and Alleluia
Amen and Alleluia
How do we fit in this grand history of God and the people of God?
The apostle Paul reminds us that in Christ we have already died,
drowned in baptism.
Yet we who have died are raised to the newness of life.[8]
Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death?
Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death,
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father,
so we also might walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his,
we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
We know that our old self was crucified with him
so that the body of sin might be destroyed,
so we might no longer be enslaved to sin.
For whoever has died is freed from sin.
But if we died with Christ,
we believe that we will also live with him.
We know that Christ, being raised from the dead,
will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.
The death he died, he died to sin once for all,
but the life he lives, he lives to God.
So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin
and alive to God in Christ Jesus.[9]
We are incorporated into the history of God’s relationship with the People of God.
We are the people of God.
[1] original
[2] Wisdom of Solomon 10:1-5
[3]UMBoW Service of Light
[4] BoW Service of Light
[5] BoW Service of Light
[6] BoW Service of Light
[7] Ezekiel 37:12-14
[8] BoW Service of Light
[9] Romans 6:3-11
Gendered Language
With a single breath, order is made from chaos.
Creation is named as good. All the fish in the sea, the birds in the air and the humans on the earth.[1]
Wisdom protected the first formed father of the world,
when Adam alone had been created;
Wisdom delivered him from his transgression
and gave him strength to rule all things.
But when an unrighteous man departed from Wisdom in his anger,
Cain perished because in rage he killed his brother.
When the earth was flooded because of him, Wisdom again saved it,
steering the righteous man by a paltry piece of wood.
Wisdom also, when the nations in wicked agreement had been put to confusion,
recognized the righteous man, Abraham, and preserved him blameless before God
and kept him strong in the face of his compassion for his child.[2]
Let us thank God for protecting us, I invite you to repeat my Amen and Alleluia at the end of each prayer.
Almighty God,
you wonderfully created, yet more wonderfully restored,
the dignity of human nature.
Grant that we may share the divine life
of the One who shared our humanity,
Jesus Christ our Savior..[3]
When Isaac blessed Jacob, “May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and numerous, that you may become a company of peoples. May you have the blessing of Abraham.”[4]
When a righteous man fled from his brother’s wrath,
she guided him on straight paths;
she showed him the kingdom of God
and gave him knowledge of holy things;
she prospered him in his labors
and increased the fruit of his toil.
When his oppressors were covetous,
she stood by him and made him rich.
She protected him from his enemies
and kept him safe from those who lay in wait for him;
in his arduous contest, she declared him victorious,
so that he might learn that godliness is more powerful than anything else.[5]
Gracious God of all believers, through Abraham's trust in your promise
you made known your faithful love to countless numbers.
By the grace of Christ's sacrifice
fulfill in your Church and in all creation
the joy of your promise and new covenant. Amen.[6]
When Joseph’s brothers said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; then we shall say that a wild animal has devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams.”[7]
When a righteous man was sold, wisdom did not desert him
but delivered him from sin.
She descended with him into the dungeon,
and when he was in prison she did not leave him,
until she brought him the scepter of a kingdom
and authority over his masters.
Those who accused him she showed to be false,
and she gave him everlasting honor.[8]
Companion God,
Send your presence with us in the pits of our lives. Just as you sent Christ to deliver us from the shackles of sin and death. Deliver us from evil by the power of the risen Christ. Amen.[9]
ISRAEL'S DELIVERANCE AT THE RED SEA
The ruler who kept God's people in slavery
pursues them to the Red Sea as they try to escape.
Despite a hopeless situation, God rescues God's people,
leading them on dry land through the parted sea
and closing the waters on their former masters.
Miriam then sings a song about God's marvelous deliverance.[10]
Holy people and blameless offspring
wisdom delivered from a nation of oppressors.
She entered the soul of a servant of the Lord
and withstood dread kings with wonders and signs.
She gave to holy people the reward of their labors;
she guided them along a marvelous way
and became a shelter to them by day
and a starry flame through the night.
She brought them over the Red Sea
and led them through deep waters,
but she drowned their enemies
and cast them up from the depth of the sea.
Therefore the righteous plundered the ungodly;
they sang hymns, O Lord, to your holy name
and praised with one accord your defending hand,
for wisdom opened the mouths of those who were mute
and made the tongues of infants speak clearly.
God our Savior, as once you delivered by the power of your mighty arm
your chosen Israel through the waters of the sea,
so now deliver your Church and all the peoples of the earth
from bondage and oppression, to rejoice and serve you in freedom,
through Jesus Christ our Deliverer. Amen.[11]
NEW LIFE FOR GOD'S PEOPLE
The prophet Ezekiel sees a vision:
God will take the dry bones of God's people,
reconnect them, breathe into them, and restore them to life.[12]
I am going to open your graves and bring you up from your graves, O my people and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord when I open your graves and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord.”[13]
Eternal God, you raised from the dead our Lord Jesus
and by your Holy Spirit brought to life your Church.
Breathe upon us again with your spirit and give new life to your people,
through the same Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen.
BURIED AND RAISED WITH CHRIST IN BAPTISM
The apostle Paul reminds us that in Christ we have already died,
drowned in baptism.
Yet we who have died are raised to the newness of life.[14]
Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, so we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed[a] from sin. But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.[15]
The beginning of wisdom is the most sincere desire for instruction,
and concern for instruction is love of her,
and love of her is the keeping of her laws,
and giving heed to her laws is assurance of immortality,
and immortality brings one near to God,
so the desire for wisdom leads to a kingdom.[16]
GOSPEL LESSON
Wisdom is radiant and unfading,
and she is easily discerned by those who love her
and is found by those who seek her.
She hastens to make herself known to those who desire her.
One who rises early to seek her will have no difficulty,
for she will be found sitting at the gate.
To fix one’s thought on her is perfect understanding,
and one who is vigilant on her account will soon be free from care,
because she goes about seeking those worthy of her,
and she graciously appears to them in their paths
and meets them in every thought.[17]
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.[18]
[1] original
[2] Wisdom of Solomon 10:1-5
[3]UMBoW Service of Light
[4] Genesis 28:1-5
[5] Wisdom of Solomon 10:9-12
[6] UMBoW Service of Light
[7] Genesis 37:19-20
[8] Wisdom of Solomon 10:13-14
[9] original
[10] BoW Service of Light
[11] BoW Service of Light
[12] BoW Service of Light
[13] Ezekiel 37:12-14
[14] BoW Service of Light
[15] Romans 6:3-11
[16] Wisdom of Solomon 6:17-20
[17] Wisdom of Solomon 6:12-16
[18] Luke 24:1-12
