Celebration Worship

Our community began celebrating the Easter Vigil in 2012, and this year we wanted to engage the "Exultet" with fresh eyes. So our worship team drew on the powerful imagery of the hymn and set it to new music, so its message can be sung anew.

In the darkness of Holy Saturday, the followers of Jesus gather outside their churches, huddled together around a fire to remember the light of the World that overcame the night of death. Lighting candles and singing, they enter the church to hear the story of salvation and ring out the victory of Christ during the Easter Vigil, the highpoint of the Christian year.

This centuries-old tradition, still observed in liturgical churches, always begins with a song declaring why this night is so important: "Exult! Let them exult, the host of heaven! ... This is the night when Christ broke the prison bars!" Called the Exultet, this ancient hymn calls the church to rejoice in its great treasure—the Resurrected Jesus!

Lyric from the Exultet, translation by ICEL

Arrangement by Phil Steckling, Anna Gerlach, Alex Baucom and Dexter Markley.

Music by Phil Steckling

Phil Steckling: Vocals & Guitar

Dexter Markley: Guitar, Keys, Bass, Percussion

Anna Gerlach: Vocals

Ben Barczi: Vocals

Produced by Dexter Markley