How do I plan an Easter Vigil worship service?

Easter Vigil is the practice of Christians gathering overnight from Holy Saturday into Easter Sunday, waiting for the dawn to break with Christ's resurrection. Staying in the middle of waiting for Christ's coming reflects our waiting after Easter for Christ to come again.

The Easter Vigil service can comprise four parts:

1. A service of light
2. A service of readings
3. A service of baptism or renewal of baptismal vows
4. A service of the Eucharist or Lord's Supper

When is Easter Vigil?

Holy Saturday evening or early Easter Sunday morning.

What colors could be used for Easter Vigil?

The colors for Easter Vigil are the same as Easter Sunday: white and gold.

What objects or symbols could be used for Easter Vigil?

• baptism
• candles

What themes could be used for Easter Vigil?

• Alleluia
• catechesis
• light
• redemption

Bible verse ideas for Easter Vigil

History of salvation

God keeps God's promises. Scripture's narrative of salvation history illustrates this time and again. Easter Vigil is a time to remember God's faithfulness in the past and to look with great anticipation toward Easter morning and the glorious fulfillment of God's promises in the resurrection of Christ. But first, in the stillness of the vigil, we wait and watch for dawn to break, knowing that as faithfully as the sun rises every morning, so too will God's promises be fulfilled. Christ will die. Christ will rise. Christ will come again.

• Genesis 1:1–2:2, in the beginning
• Genesis 7:1–5, God tells Noah about the flood
• Genesis 8:6–18, the flood ends
• Genesis 9:8–13, God's covenant with Noah
• Genesis 22:1–18, Abraham tested
• Exodus 14:10–15, the Israelites want to return to Egypt
• Psalm 114, God's deliverance of his people remembered
• Isaiah 54:5–14, Isaiah recalls God's deliverance of his people
• Isaiah 55:1–11, invitation to the thirsty
• Ezekiel 36:24–28, "I will sprinkle clean water on you"
• Ezekiel 37:1–14, the valley of dry bones
• Zephaniah 3:14–20, God will restore his people
• Matthew 28:1–10,Jesus has risen
• Mark 16:1–8, Jesus has risen
• Luke 24:1–12, Jesus has risen
• Romans 6:3–11, we are buried and raised with Christ

God's creating and saving work

These pairs of psalms and biblical canticles or songs are associated with historical Easter Vigil services that trace the narrative of God's creative and saving work in the Bible. Together, these Bible texts present the vision of Easter glory through the interplay of images, themes, and metaphors that point to the meaning of Jesus's resurrection.

• Genesis 1:1–2:4a; Psalm 136, God creates the world and rests
• Genesis 7:1–18; 8:6-18; 9:8-13; Psalm 46, God's covenant with the earth
• Genesis 22:1–8; Psalm 16, Abraham's obedience
• Exodus 14:10–31; 15:20–21; Exodus 15:1–18, God's deliverance of Israel
• Isaiah 54:1–10; Psalm 30, the eternal covenant of peace
• Isaiah 55:1–11; Isaiah 12, salvation is freely offered
• Proverbs 8:1–8, 19–21; 9:4b–6; Psalm 19, a vision of divine wisdom
• Ezekiel 36:24–26; Psalm 42–43, a new heart and spirit
• Ezekiel 37:1–14; Psalm 143, new life for God's people
• Zephaniah 3:14–20; Psalm 98, the gathering of God's people

Bible texts used in the Byzantine tradition

The Easter Vigil is an ancient tradition with rituals that have been preserved for thousands of years. The following texts are used in the Byzantine rite that developed in the Eastern Christian church in Constantinople.

• Exodus 12:1–11, the Passover and the festival of the unleavened bread
• Joshua 5:10–15, the fall of Jericho
• Isaiah 60:1–16, the glory of Zion
• Isaiah 61:10–62:5, Zion's new name
• Isaiah 63:11–64:5, recalling the days of old
• Jeremiah 31:31–34, a new covenant is coming
• Daniel 3:1–68, the image of gold and the blazing furnace
• Jonah 1:1–4:11, Jonah flees from the Lord
• Zephaniah 3:8–15, restoration of Israel's remnant