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The Incredulity of Saint Thomas
Michelangelo
Merisi da Caravaggio
The season of Easter is 50 days long, as the season
of rejoicing will last far longer than our season of penitence. The paschal
candle, sign among us of the presence of the risen Christ, is lit during all services
in Eastertide. The ‘Alleluia’ is used abundantly in our worship. We stand to
receive Holy Communion as an expression of resurrection joy.
FIRST READING: Peter, who had denied knowing the Lord Jesus three
times while Jesus was being questioned before the high priest, now boldly
confesses the Lord in the presence of the high priest. The apostles witness to
the Gospel, despite danger, by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in them
according to Jesus’ promise.
SECOND READING: This year, our second readings are from Revelation.
In the light of Resurrection, St. John the Divine looks forward to the day when
Christ will come to judge the living and the dead. In a time of persecution,
these visions were visions of hope. Despite the difficulties involved in
reading Revelation (many of which are caused by the dispensationalist
understanding popularized by the 1909 Scofield Reference Bible) it is a book
which proclaims the total triumph of Jesus over his enemies, sin, death and
evil, for the sake of his people.
GOSPEL: This Gospel reading from John is read each Second Sunday of Easter. John’s
Easter evening scene, with its commission to the apostles, is followed by a
second resurrection appearance seven days later. We are reminded that each Sunday
is ‘a little Easter;’ each first day of the week the Church gathers and Christ
makes himself present to us in Word and Sacrament. Thomas’s absence from the
community on Easter Sunday evening prevented him from seeing the risen Christ;
it is not incidental that he is ‘in church’ the next week when he finally
believes.
We Walk by Faith and Not by Sight - J. M. Strobel
Thine Is the Glory - Donald Johns
Stand
WHymn
Thine
Is the Glory Green
LBW 145
1 Thine is the glory,
risen, conqu'ring
Son;
endless is the
vict'ry
thou o'er death hast
won!
Angels in bright
raiment
rolled the stone
away,
kept the folded
grave-clothes
where thy body lay.
Refrain
Thine is the glory,
risen, conqu'ring
Son;
endless is the
vict'ry
thou o'er death hast
won!
2 Lo, Jesus meets thee,
risen from the tomb!
Lovingly he greets
thee,
scatters fear and
gloom;
let his church with
gladness
hymns of triumph
sing,
for the Lord now
liveth;
death hath lost its
sting! Refrain
3 No more we doubt thee,
glorious Prince of
life;
life is naught
without thee;
aid us in our strife;
make us more than
conqu'rors,
through thy deathless
love;
bring us safe through
Jordan
to thy home
above. Refrain
Text: Edmond Budry, 1854-1932; tr. R.
Birch Hoyle, 1875-1939
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of
God,
and the communion
of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also
with you.
KYRIE
C Lord, have mercy.
A For the peace from above, and for our salvation,
let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
A For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God,
and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
A For this holy house, and for all who offer here their worship and praise,
let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
A Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
C Amen
HYMN OF PRAISE
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Amen
CALL TO
THE WORD
The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus…
that he might give repentance to Israel and
forgiveness of sins.
Let us hear the Word of the Lord.
Sit
FIRST READING Acts 5:27-32
27When they had brought [the apostles,]
they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, 28saying,
“We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled
Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood
on us.” 29But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God
rather than any human authority. 30The God of our ancestors raised
up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. 31God
exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he might give repentance
to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32And we are witnesses to these
things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”
The
Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM 118:14-17, 22-23 Setting
by Peter Hallock
Antiphon: On this day the Lord has acted; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
14 The Lord is my strength and my song,
and has become my salvation.
15 There is a sound of exultation and
victory in the tents of the righteous.
Antiphon
16 “The right hand of the Lord has
triumphed! The right hand of the Lord is exalted! The right hand of the Lord
has triumphed!”
17 I shall
not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. Antiphon
22 The same stone which the builders
rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord’s doing, and it is
marvelous in our eyes. Antiphon
SECOND READING Revelation
1:4-8
4John to the seven churches that
are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and
from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5and from Jesus
Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the
kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, 6and
made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory
and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7Look! He is coming with the clouds;
every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail.
So it is to be. Amen.
8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who
was and who is to come, the Almighty.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks
be to God.
Stand
VERSE
Romans 6:9, John 20:29 Setting by Walter L. Pelz
Alleluia. Christ being raised from
the dead will die no more; death has no more dominion over him. Alleluia.
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe. Alleluia.
Gospel John 20:19-31
The Holy Gospel according to St. John.
19When it was evening on that day, the first day of the
week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for
fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with
you.” 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to
them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22When
he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy
Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if
you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
24But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not
with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, “We
have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails
in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his
side, I will not believe.”
26A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas
was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them
and said, “Peace be with you.” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your
finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not
doubt but believe.” 28Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus
said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who
have not seen and yet have come to believe.”
30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples,
which are not written in this book. 31But these are written so that
you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that
through believing you may have life in his name.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Sermon Pastor
Frontz
Stand
W Hymn of the DaY
We Walk by Faith and Not
by Sight Blue WOV 675
Stanza 3: Choir
with
gracious words draw near,
O
Christ, who spoke as none e’er spoke:
“My
peace be with you here.”
2 We
may not touch your hands and side,
nor
follow where you trod;
but
in your promise we rejoice,
and
cry, “My Lord and God!”
3 Help
then, O Lord, our unbelief;
and
may our faith abound
to
call on you when you are near
and
seek where you are found:
4 That,
when our life of faith is done,
in
realms of clearer light
we
may behold you as you are,
with
full and endless sight.
Text: Henry Alford, 1810-1871, alt.
CONFESSION OF FAITH
The pastor and people confess the faith
of the Church in the words of the Nicene Creed.
X At the words ‘For us and for our salvation,’
and continuing through ‘and was made man,’ a solemn bow is appropriate to
praise the incarnation of our Lord.
We believe in one God,
the
Father, the Almighty,
maker
of heaven and earth,
of
all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the
only Son of God,
eternally
begotten of the Father,
God
from God, Light from Light,
true
God from true God,
begotten,
not made,
of
one Being with the Father.
Through
him all things were made.
X For us and for
our salvation
he came down from heaven;
by
the power of the Holy Spirit
he
became incarnate from the virgin Mary, and was made man. X
For our sake he was crucified
under Pontius Pilate;
he
suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose
again
in accordance
with the Scriptures;
he
ascended into heaven
and
is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He
will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and
his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the
Lord, the giver of life,
who
proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With
the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He
has spoken through the prophets.
We
believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We
acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We
look for the resurrection of the dead,
and
the life of the world to come. Amen
Rejoicing
in the resurrection of our Lord, let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ
Jesus, and for all people according to their needs.
Silence is kept.
Father,
your Son revealed himself to his disciples in the Upper Room, and reveals
himself today in our presence in his Word and Sacrament. By your Spirit, open the
eyes of our hearts to behold him in faith and acknowledge him as Lord and God.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
The Church
bears witness to your Son’s resurrection and is empowered by the Spirit to
forgive sins in his name. Enliven the Spirit’s activity in the Church. Help us
to build your Church and make our confession of Jesus before others. Lord, in
your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Your Son blessed Thomas with the knowledge of the resurrection. Bring all
those who doubt into the community of your Church to encounter him in Word and
Sacrament and joyfully confess their faith. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
We make our
prayer for the peoples of the world, especially those afflicted by violence,
hunger, pollution, and disease. Come to their assistance, and bless governments
and rulers, that they may serve the people with wisdom and integrity. Hear now
our prayers for nations and peoples in turmoil or distress.
The pastor names the countries and
situations brought for prayer.
Lord, in your
mercy,
hear our prayer.
We pray for all those whose days are taken up with the labor of obtaining
water, and for those who have no access to clean water. We ask your blessing
upon the ministry of Water Mission, as we look forward to our Water Sunday on
May 15. Help us all to offer service in your name to others, as your Son has
served us in his passion and resurrection. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
We ask you
to show your mercy upon those we name before you, for whom we have been called
to pray.
The pastor reads the names brought
for prayer.
The people may offer spoken or
silent petitions and prayers.
Lord, in
your mercy,
hear our prayer.
We give you
thanks, O God, for after his Resurrection you exalted Jesus at your right hand,
and we look for the day when he is revealed to all people. May we stand in that
day to greet him with shouts of joy, and take our places with those who have
gone before us confessing him as Lord and God. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Into your
hands, Father, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your steadfast love;
through your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ.
Amen
On the first day of the week,
Jesus came and stood among the disciples
and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’
The peace of the Lord be with you always. John
20:19, 20
And
also with you.
The people
exchange a sign of peace with the simple words, Peace be with you.
Sit
The Lord’s Table is prepared.
Stand
OFFERTORY 1 Peter 2:1-3
Setting by Walter L. Pelz
Alleluia. Put away all malice and
all guile and insincerity and envy and all slander. Like newborn babes, long
for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation; for you
have tasted the kindness of the Lord. Alleluia.
Merciful Father,
we offer with
joy and thanksgiving what you have first given us—
our selves, our
time, and our possessions, signs of your gracious
love. Receive
them for the sake of him who offered himself for us,
Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen
GREAT
THANKSGIVING
It is indeed right and salutary that we should at all times and in all places offer thanks and praise to you, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and ever-living God.
But chiefly are we bound to praise you for the glorious resurrection of our Lord; for he is the true Passover lamb who gave himself to take away our sin, who by his death has destroyed death, and by his rising has brought us to eternal life.
And so, with John the Evangelist and Thomas, and all the witnesses of the resurrection; with earth and sea and all their creatures, and with angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
The pastor leads the people in praying the
Eucharistic canon.
You are indeed holy, O God, the fountain of all holiness;
you bring light from darkness,
life from death,
speech from silence.
We worship you for our lives and for the world you give us.
We thank you for the new world to come
and for the love that will rule
all in all.
We praise you for the grace shown to Israel, your chosen,
the people of your promise:
the rescue from Egypt, the gift
of the promised land,
the memory of the fathers, the
homecoming from exile,
and the prophets' words that
will not be in vain.
In all this we bless you for your only-begotten Son,
who fulfilled and will fulfill
all your promises.
In the night in which he was betrayed,
our Lord Jesus took bread, and
gave thanks;
broke it, and gave it to his
disciples, saying:
Take and eat; this is my body,
given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of
me.
Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks,
and gave it for all to drink,
saying:
This cup is the new covenant in
my blood,
shed for you and for all people
for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this for the remembrance of
me.
For as often as we eat of this bread and drink from this cup,
we proclaim the Lord's death
until he comes.
Christ has died. Christ is
risen. Christ will come again.
Therefore, O God, with this bread and cup
we remember the incarnation of
your Son:
his human birth and the covenant
he made with us.
We remember the sacrifice of his life:
his eating with outcasts and
sinners,
and his acceptance of death.
his ascension to the seat of power,
and his sending of the holy and life-giving Spirit.
We cry out for the
resurrection of our lives,
when Christ will come again in beauty and
power
to share with us the great and promised feast.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
Send now, we pray, your Holy Spirit,
that we and all who share in this
bread and cup
may be united in the fellowship
of the Holy Spirit,
may enter the fullness of the
kingdom of heaven,
and may receive our inheritance
with all your saints in light.
Amen.
Come, Holy Spirit.
Join our prayers with those of your servants
of every time and every place,
and unite them with the
ceaseless petitions
of our great high priest until
he comes as victorious Lord of all.
In the
presence of Christ, we pray to his Father using the words he gave us.
Christ
is in our midst.
By the power of the Spirit,
we pray to his Father, saying:
Our Father, who art in
heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against
us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and
the glory,
forever
and ever. Amen
Matthew 6:9-15
Jesus comes and stands among us.
In Easter joy we cry out:
‘Our Lord and our God!’ (John 20:26b, 28b)
We adore Christ, present in bread and wine.
DISTRIBUTION
Admission
to the Sacrament is by invitation of the Lord, presented through the Church to
those who are baptized.
They may receive the
Lord’s Body and Blood who are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit, who commune in their home churches, and who believe
that Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, is truly present in, with, and under
the forms of bread and wine for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.
Please come forward, take
a communion cup from the tray, and kneel at the altar rail on your ‘side’ of
the worship space. Please make an effort to leave some distance between your
family unit and the next family unit. When your side has finished communing,
please place your empty cup in the tray provided.
During the Easter season,
the people stand to receive the Holy Communion as a sign of resurrection
rejoicing.
WDISTRIBUTION HYMN
Choir:
Our Paschal Lamb, That Sets Us Free
Text/Martin A. Franzmann;
Music/ Richard
Proulx
The text of this hymn may not be reproduced here.
When
all have received, the congregation stands at the direction of the pastor.
The body and
blood of our Lord Jesus Christ
strengthen
you and keep you in his grace.
Amen
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER
Pour out upon us the spirit of your love, O Lord,
and unite the wills of those whom you have fed with one
heavenly food; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Acclamation
Alleluia. Christ is risen.
He is risen
indeed. Alleluia.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
By his
great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope
through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Though we do not see him, we love him;
We
believe in him
and rejoice
with an indescribable and glorious joy.
1 Peter 1:3, 8
Alleluia. Christ is risen.
He is
risen indeed. Alleluia.
Dismissal Gospel: John 11:25, 26
The Holy Gospel according to St. John.
Glory to
you, O Lord.
[Jesus said:] ‘I am the resurrection and the life.
Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who
lives and believes in me will never die.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise
to you, O Christ.
Benediction
The God of peace – who brought again from the dead
our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the
everlasting covenant – make you perfect in every good work to do his will,
working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through the same Jesus
Christ our Lord.
Amen Hebrews 13:20-21
Almighty God, Father, X Son, and
Holy Spirit,
bless you now and forever.
Amen
WCLOSING HYMN
Christ is Risen! Shout
Hosanna Blue WOV
672
Thanks
be to God!
From
Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2022 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved.
Reprinted
by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #20540.
New
Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Additional
liturgical material from Common Worship: Times and Seasons,
©
2006 The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England.
Caravaggio,
Michelangelo Merisi da, 1573-1610. The Incredulity of Saint Thomas, from Art
in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library,
Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=54170 [retrieved
April 14, 2022]. Original source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Incredulity_of_Saint_Thomas_by_Caravaggio.jpg.
Agnus
Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org.
