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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: The Holy Spirit urges the people
of God to mission and service. Paul and his companions travel to Macedonia, a northeastern
region of what is now Greece, to proclaim the good news to the people there.
They encounter Lydia, a ‘worshiper of God,’ a Gentile who worships the God of
Israel. Her heart is opened and she requests and receives baptism into Christ.
SECOND
READING: The Holy Spirit shows John a vision of the new,
heavenly Jerusalem, the home of those who have suffered with Christ in this
world. The visions of Revelation are imaginative
visions: they are not necessarily literal depictions of what God’s kingdom
will look like when it comes in its fullness. However, the imaginative details
lead us to the truths. There will be representatives of all nations and
peoples. There will be no evil present. The hurts of the world will be healed.
God will be encountered without the mediation of cult, temple, or sacrament; he
will be unveiled and we will see him without fear. If we are troubled about the
world’s violence and unfaithfulness and afraid for our future, this Spiritual
vision and others like it can give us the peace of Christ to sustain us.
GOSPEL: In a seeming paradox, Jesus tells the disciples that he will leave them, but
will remain with them forever. Though Jesus is hidden from our eyes, we
apprehend him in the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus calls ‘the Advocate.’ The Holy
Spirit is inseparable from the name and person of Jesus. Jesus’ parting gift of
peace is not the absence of conflict or suffering, but, instead, is it certainty
and comfort in the midst of trials. This certainty and comfort come through
faith that Jesus is risen and will fulfill all his promises.
OPENING MUSIC
Alleluia! Jesus is Risen -
David Cherwien
Glories
of Your Name Are Spoken - Wayne Barlow
Stand
WHymn Glories
of Your Name Are Spoken Green
LBW 358
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
A In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
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
O God, from whom all good things come:
Lead us by the inspiration of your Spirit to think those things which are right,
and by your goodness help us to do them; through your Son, Jesus Christ our
Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
forever.
Amen
CALL TO
THE WORD
Jesus said: ‘Those who love me will keep my word.’ John 14:23
Let us hear the Word of the Lord.
FIRST READING Acts 16:9-15
9During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of
Macedonia pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10When
he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being
convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.
11We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace,
the following day to Neapolis, 12and from there to Philippi, which
is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained
in this city for some days. 13On the sabbath day we went outside the
gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat
down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. 14A certain
woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the
city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to
listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. 15When she and her
household were baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be
faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.” And she prevailed upon us.
The
Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM 67
1 May God be merciful to | us and bless us,*
show
us the light of his countenance, and | come to us.
2 Let your ways be known | upon earth,*
your
saving health a- | mong all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise | you, O God;*
let
all the | peoples praise you.
4 Let the nations be glad and | sing for joy,*
for
you judge the peoples with equity
and guide all the nations | upon
earth.
5 Let the peoples praise | you, O God;*
let
all the | peoples praise you.
6 The earth has brought | forth her increase;*
may
God, our own God, give | us his blessing.
7 May God give | us his blessing,*
and
may all the ends of the earth stand in | awe of him. R
SECOND READING Revelation 21:10, 22 – 22:5
10And in the spirit [one of the
angels] carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city
Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.
22I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the
Almighty and the Lamb. 23And the city has no need of sun or moon to
shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24The
nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their
glory into it. 25Its gates will never be shut by day—and there will
be no night there. 26People will bring into it the glory and the
honor of the nations. 27But nothing unclean will enter it, nor
anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written
in the Lamb’s book of life.
22:1Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright
as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2through
the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree
of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the
leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3Nothing
accursed will be found there anymore. But the throne of God and of the Lamb
will be in it, and his servants will worship him; 4they will see his
face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5And there will be no
more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their
light, and they will reign forever and ever.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Stand
VERSE
Romans 6:9,
John 14:23 Setting by Walter L. Pelz
Alleluia. Christ being raised from the dead will die no more;
death has no more dominion over him. All
who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come
to them and make our home with them. Alleluia.
Gospel John 14:23-29
The Holy Gospel according to St. John.
23Jesus [said], “Those who love me
will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and
make our home with them. 24Whoever does not love me does not keep my
words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent
me.
25“I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26But
the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach
you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. 27Peace
I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world
gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. 28You
heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming to you.’ If you loved
me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is
greater than I. 29And now I have told you this before it occurs, so
that when it does occur, you may believe.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
SERMON Pastor Frontz
Stand
W HYMN OF THE DAY
Alleluia! Jesus is
Risen Blue WOV 674
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
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH
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, before your Son ascended
into heaven, he bestowed his peace upon his chosen ones; and he promised that
you would send the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to remain with them until the
great day of his appearing. Stir up that same Spirit in your holy Church today,
and confirm us in faith, hope, and love, giving us his peace to sustain us
until your victory is revealed to all nations. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Father, pour out your richest
blessings upon this your congregation, that, listening eagerly to the Gospel
and striving to keep your Word, we may live in word and truth as your sons and
daughters. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Father, through trial, torture,
and execution your martyrs held fast to the faith delivered to them and looked
with hope to the new creation promised in your Word. Be with all who are
persecuted for their faith in Christ; let your Advocate testify for them before
enemies of flesh and spirit, that they may win the victory over sin, death, and
the evil one. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Father,
guide and guard those in authority in our land, and let your saving health be
known among all nations. Hear our prayers for those in crisis.
The pastor names the countries and
situations brought for prayer.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Father, be merciful to us and
bless us. Show the light of your countenance and come to us. Hear our prayers
for those who are in any need of body, mind, or spirit.
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.
Father, bring us quickly to that
day when all evil is banished, all nations are healed, and we, with your
servants of every time and every place, will worship you in the heavenly city.
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.’ John 20:19, 20
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
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 John 14:12-14 Setting by Walter L Pelz
Alleluia. Truly, truly, I say to
you, those who believe in me will also do the works that I do; and greater
works than these will they do, because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in
my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; if you ask
anything in my name, I will do it. 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,
through the great shepherd of your flock, Christ, our Lord.
Before his ascension,
he promised to send the Advocate, the Holy Spirit,
in this way to remain with his Church to the end of time, building
it in holiness, empowering it for witness, instructing it in all goodness, and preserving
it in peace until the day of his reappearing.
And so, with Peter
and the apostles, 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.
But chiefly we remember his rising from the tomb,
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
The earth has brought forth her increase;
May God, our own God, give us his blessing. Psalm 67:6
We adore Christ, present in bread and wine.
Sit
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 Come
Down, O Love Divine Text/ Bianco da Siena, born 1434;
Tr. Richard
Littledale, 1833-1890
Music/ R. Vaughan Williams,
1872-1958
Setting/ Donald
Bussarow
Please
follow the text at Green LBW 508 as the choir sings.
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
Sit
FAITH FAMILY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Stand
SENDING
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
Go,
My Children, with My Blessing Blue WOV 721
The text of this hymn may not be reproduced here.
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.
Gill, Eric, 1882-1940. Agnus Dei, The
Lamb of God, from Art
in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt
Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=58989 [retrieved
May 16, 2022]. Original source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/netnicholls/21373791783/.
Agnus Day appears with the permission
of www.agnusday.org.
