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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: When Peter goes to the house of Gentiles and they believe
in Christ and receive the Holy Spirit, it becomes evident that even national
and ethnic boundaries are overcome by the power of the risen Jesus. Christians
see a prefiguration of the inclusion of the Gentiles among the people of God when
the psalmist sings in Psalm 148: ‘Praise (the Lord)… all people.’
SECOND
READING: The writer of Revelation is transported by his vision
of the heavenly city of God, the new Jerusalem, in which death is no more and
God wipes away every tear. This vision is meant to sustain the suffering
communities to which he writes, giving them hope in the midst of very difficult
circumstances. Like those communities, we, too, are afflicted by war; economic
uncertainty; political upheaval; religious extremism and relativism; and the
vagaries of our own hearts, but God consoles and strengthens us with the Gospel
of the victory of Christ over sin, death, and the evil one. We look with hope
to the day when Christ’s triumph is revealed in all its glory; until then, we
cling in faith to the Word of promise.
GOSPEL: The Gospel
readings for the first through third Sundays in Easter show us the Resurrection
appearances of Jesus, and the fourth Sunday proclaims Christ as Good Shepherd.
The readings for the fifth Sunday of Easter shift the emphasis to the theme of
the life of the Spirit in the Church. Jesus’ command to ‘love one another as I
have loved you’ is important because love in the Spirit will be the sign of his
presence in the Church.
OPENING MUSIC
Now
All the Vault of Heaven Resounds
I.
John Ferguson
II.
Paul Manz
Christ
Is Alive! Let Christians Sing - Claudia Preus
Stand
WHymn Christ Is Alive!
Let Christians Sing
Green LBW 363
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, form the minds of your faithful
people into a single will. Make us love
what you command and desire what you promise, that, amid all the changes of
this world, our hearts may be fixed where true joy is found; through your Son, Jesus
Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
now and forever.
Amen
Peter
remembered the Word of the Lord, how he had said,
‘John baptized with water,
but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ Acts 11:16
Let us hear the Word of the Lord.
FIRST READING Acts 11:1-18
1Now the apostles and the believers
who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also accepted the word of God. 2So
when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, 3saying,
“Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?” 4Then Peter
began to explain it to them, step by step, saying, 5“I was in the
city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like
a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners; and
it came close to me. 6As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals,
beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. 7I also heard a
voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8But I replied,
‘By no means, Lord; for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ 9But
a second time the voice answered from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, you
must not call profane.’ 10This happened three times; then everything
was pulled up again to heaven. 11At that very moment three men, sent
to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were. 12The
Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and
us. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. 13He
told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to
Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter; 14he will give you a
message by which you and your entire household will be saved.’ 15And
as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at
the beginning. 16And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had
said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy
Spirit.’ 17If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when
we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?” 18When
they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God, saying, “Then God
has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.”
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM 148: 7-14
Setting
by Peter Hallock
Antiphon:
Sing to the Lord a new song.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea-monsters and all deeps;
8Fire and hail, snow and fog, tempestuous wind, doing his
will;
Antiphon
9Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars;
10Wild
beasts and all cattle, creeping things and winged birds;
Antiphon
11Kings of the earth and all people, princes and rulers of the world;
12Young
men and maidens, old and young together.
Antiphon
13Let
them praise the Name of the Lord,
for his Name only is exalted, his splendor is over earth and heaven.
14He has raised up strength for his people and praise for all his loyal servants,
The children of Israel, a people who are near him. Hallelujah!
Antiphon
SECOND
READING Revelation 21:1-6
1I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven
and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2And I
saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice
from the throne saying,
“See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
4he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.”
5And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making
all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and
true.” 6Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the
Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift
from the spring of the water of life.”
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Stand
VERSE
Romans 6:9, John
14:6 Setting by Walter L. Pelz
Alleluia. Christ being raised from the dead will die no more; death has no more dominion over him. Jesus said I am the way, the truth, and the life. Alleluia.
GOSPEL John 13:31-35
The Holy Gospel according to St. John.
The Gospel of the Lord.
SERMON Pastor Frontz
Stand
W Hymn of the DaY
Now All the Vault
of Heaven Resounds
Green LBW 143
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.
God our Father, just as Peter
preached the gospel to the Gentiles and they received the gift of the Spirit,
so let your Church proclaim the good news that many may come to faith in your
Son. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Jesus gave us the new commandment
to love one another. Lead us to know your Spirit and be guided in the way of
love and service. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
As we
embark today upon our Water Walk, give us an awareness of the needs of others,
make us thankful for the gifts you give, and make us channels of your grace and
compassion for all. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
We pray
for our own nation and all the peoples of the world, especially for all fleeing
violence and war, and for those afflicted by man-made and natural disaster.
The pastor names the countries and
situations brought for prayer.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Shower your heavenly blessings upon
us, wipe the tears from all faces, and reveal your kindness to 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 and praise for
the vision of the new Jerusalem in which all who have suffered for your sake
will rejoice in your free gift of the spring of the water of life. Bring us to
that day when, with all who have departed in faith, we will dwell in your
presence forever. 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 Isaiah 12:4-6 Setting by Walter L Pelz
Alleluia. Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name; make
known his deeds among the nations; proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing
praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the
earth. Shout and sing for joy, O inhabitants of Zion, for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel. 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
Christ, our Lord. He gave his disciples the new
commandment, to love one another as he had loved them, and to this day he pours
out his Holy Spirit upon those who believe, that they might do his will and
rejoice in his abundant goodness. 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
Christ, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and
the end;
He gives us
water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.
Revelation 21:6
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 Easter Wings Text/ George Herbert (1593-1632)
Music/ Joyce Moon Strobel
Rob Dawe, Clarinet
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
Awake,
O Sleeper Blue WOV 745
The text of this hymn may not be reproduced here.
Thanks be to God!
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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.
Agnus Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org.
