Created, saved and gifted by God, we seek, serve and share Jesus Christ.
Third Sunday of Easter
April 18, 2021 – 10:30 AM
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
901 East Stroop Road
Kettering, OH 45429-4688
(937) 298-0136
Introduction
The gospel for the third Sunday of Easter is always one in which the risen Christ shares food with the disciples, meals that are the Easter template for the meal we share each Lord’s day. In today’s gospel, Jesus both shares the disciples’ food and shows them the meaning of his suffering, death, and resurrection through the scriptures: the two main elements of our Sunday worship.
We Are Fed
It appears the gospel writers knew that people would question whether Jesus was indeed fully human. Details such as how he wept at the death of his dear friend Lazarus, lost patience with those who had turned the temple into a marketplace, and was a bit annoyed with his mother when she asked him to help out at the wedding in Cana remind us that Jesus felt many of the things we feel ourselves.
Similarly, in case anyone wondered if Jesus had really risen from the dead, Luke tells us how, after Jesus appeared to his disciples, he asked for something to eat. This may seem like a small detail, but there’s no doubt it is an important one. After all, only people who are living and breathing must eat; there is no getting around that physical need.
However, this detail does not remind us only that Jesus really was raised from the dead. It also brings to mind the many times Jesus gathered around a table with a great variety of people, feeding them in both body and soul. As we remember each of these interactions, we are reminded that even though we do not dine with Jesus in the flesh, today he is still at work to nurture us.
Jesus feeds us through his words of forgiveness, through the love of our family and friends, and through the blessing of community. Most notably, Jesus feeds us at the Lord’s supper, where he invites all to taste and see God’s goodness and grace. Through bread and wine we are fortified with Christ’s body and blood to be witnesses to God’s love out in the world as we go about our daily work, bless one another with our time and gifts, and serve our neighbors in need.
Gathering
PRELUDE
WELCOME
ANNOUNCEMENTS
THANKSGIVING FOR BAPTISM
Blessed be the holy Trinity, + one God, the fountain of living water, the rock who gave us birth, our light and our salvation.
Amen.
Joined to Christ in the waters of baptism, we are clothed with God’s mercy and forgiveness. Let us give thanks for the gift of baptism.
We give you thanks, O God, for in the beginning your Spirit moved over the waters, and by your Word you created the world, calling forth life in which you took delight.
Through the waters of the flood you delivered Noah and his family. Through the sea you led your people Israel from slavery into freedom. At the river your Son was baptized by John and anointed with the Holy Spirit. By water and your Word you claim us as daughters and sons, making us heirs of your promise and servants of all.
We praise you for the gift of water that sustains life, and above all we praise you for the gift of new life in Jesus Christ. Shower us with your Spirit, and renew our lives with your forgiveness, grace, and love.
To you be given honor and praise through Jesus Christ our Lord in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and forever.
Amen.
GATHERING HYMN – The Day of Resurrection
Earth, tell it out abroad,
the passover of gladness,
the passover of God.
From death to life eternal,
from sin’s dominion free,
our Christ has brought us over
with hymns of victory.
Let hearts be purged of evil
that we may see aright
the Lord in rays eternal
of resurrection light,
and list’ning to his accents,
may hear, so calm and plain,
his own “All hail!” and hearing,
may raise the glad refrain.
Now let the heav’ns be joyful,
let earth its song begin,
the round world keep high triumph
and all that is therein.
Let all things, seen and unseen,
their notes of gladness blend;
for Christ the Lord has risen,
our joy that has no end!
All praise to God the Father,
all praise to Christ the Son,
all praise to God the Spirit,
eternal Three in One!
Let all the ransomed number
fall down before the throne,
and honor, pow’r, and glory
ascribe to God alone!
GREETING
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
In peace, in peace, let us pray to the…
Lord, have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.
For the reign of God, and for peace throughout the world;
for the unity of all let us pray to the…
Lord, have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.
For your people here, who have come to give you praise;
for the strength to live your Word, let us pray to the…
Lord, have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.
Help save, and defend us, O God.
Amen.
CANTICLE OF PRAISE
Now the feast and celebration,
all of creation sings for joy
to the God of life and love and freedom;
praise and glory forevermore!
Now is the feast of the Lamb once slain,
whose blood has freed and united us
to be one great people of God. Refrain
Now the feast and celebration,
all of creation sings for joy
to the God of life and love and freedom;
praise and glory forevermore!
Power and riches, wisdom and might,
all honor and glory to Christ forever. Refrain
Now the feast and celebration,
all of creation sings for joy
to the God of life and love and freedom;
praise and glory forevermore!
For God has come to dwell with us,
to make us people of God;
to make all things new.
Now the feast and celebration,
all of creation sings for joy
to the God of life and love and freedom;
praise and glory forevermore!
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Holy and righteous God,
you are the author of life, and you adopt us to be your children. Fill us with your words of life, that we may live as witnesses to the resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Word
God speaks to us in scripture reading, preaching, and song.
FIRST READING Acts 3:12-19
After healing a crippled man, Peter preaches to the people how God’s promises to Israel have been fulfilled in Jesus. Through the proclamation of Christ’s death and resurrection, God is of- fering them forgiveness and restoration in Jesus’ name.
A reading from the book of Acts.
[Peter] addressed the people, “You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.
“And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out.”
Word of God, word of life.
Thanks be to God.
SECOND READING 1 John 3:1-7
God has loved us in order to make us children of God. Though we do not yet know the full details of our future existence, we trust that God will reveal it just as God revealed Jesus to take away our sins.
A reading from the book of 1 John.
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.
Word of God, word of life.
Thanks be to God.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Alleluia, Alleluia. Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia!
GOSPEL READING Luke 24:36b-48
In this account of an appearance after his resurrection, Jesus opens the minds of the disciples to understand him as Messiah. Jesus convinces them that he has been raised and sends them on a mission to proclaim the message of repentance and forgiveness.
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke.
Glory to you, O Lord.
Jesus himself stood among [the disciples] and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 37They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.
Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
MESSAGE
HYMN OF THE DAY – In Christ Alone
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease.
My Comforter, my All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand.
In Christ alone who took on flesh:
Fullness of God in helpless Babe.
This gift of love and righteousness:
Scorned by the ones he came to save
Till on that cross, as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied.
For every sin on him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.
There in the ground his body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain.
Then, bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave he rose again!
And as he stands in victory,
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am his and he is mine,
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
No guilt in life, no fear in death:
This is the power of Christ in me.
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from his hand
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.
APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
Alive in the risen Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, we bring our prayers before God who promises to hear us and answer in steadfast love.
A brief silence.
Each intercession concludes:
Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
In the hope of new life in Christ, we raise our prayers to you, trusting in your never-ending goodness and mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Meal
God feeds us with the presence of Jesus Christ.
GREAT THANKSGIVING
Lift up your heads;
we lift them up to God.
Lift up your voices;
we lift them up to God.
Lift up your hearts;
we lift them up to God.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
And so we gather at the table. We come from many different places in life. And as we come together around the table we discover that our differences are not something we just tolerate, but that our differences are indeed a blessing. So come, children of God, just as you are. Wherever you are on this journey of life and faith, you are welcome here – here in this place, here in this community, here at this table. Come, children of God, come and remember.
Remember the stories that Jesus’ friends tell: Stories of bread broken and shared to feed a multitude; stories of gathering both enemy and friend together around a common table; stories of unlikely guests revealing the face of the sacred.
On a night of both celebration and betrayal Jesus took bread, blessed it and broke it; gave it to his disciples and said, “Take and eat, this is my body given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.” Then Jesus took the cup, blessed it, and gave it to his disciples 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.”
And so we pray: Lord, bless this bread and bless this fruit of the vine. Bless all of us in our eating and drinking that our eyes might be open, and that we might recognize the risen Christ in our midst, indeed in one another.
LORD’S PRAYER
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.
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.
INVITATION TO COMMUNION
The risen Christ invites us to this table. Come, eat and be satisfied.
Amen.
HOLY COMMUNION – Receiving the Lord’s tangible presence.
The body of Christ, given for you.
The blood of Christ, shed for you.
Each person may respond: Amen.
Communion Statement ~ If you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is your Savior and Redeemer and would like to receive Holy Communion, then come forward to receive the elements. If you would just like to come forward and receive a blessing, then you may do that also.
NOTE: We invite everyone to come forward for Holy Communion. If you have a gluten allergy, gluten-free wafers are available upon request when receiving Communion. Also, if you prefer not to receive wine at Communion, apple juice is available upon request.
LAMB OF GOD
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us, mercy on us. mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you break the chains of hatred and fear: have mercy on us, mercy on us. mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you are the way of justice and peace: have mercy on us, mercy on us. mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you are the way of mercy and love: have mercy on us, mercy on us. mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: grant us peace, grant us peace, grant us peace.
REFLECTION DURING COMMUNION
As we prepare to receive the sacrament today, may we quietly take this time to center our- selves on Christ, and the amazing gifts of grace and forgiveness that we have been given. As we receive the body and the blood of our Lord, let us reflect upon His sacrifice. Finally, may we take this time to ask the Holy Spirit to enter our hearts, and then to work in us and through us in the coming days.
TABLE BLESSING
The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and always keep you in God’s grace.
Amen.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Wellspring of joy,
through this meal you have put gladness in our hearts. Satisfy the hun- ger still around us, and send us as joyful witnesses, that your love may bring joy to the hearts of all people, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Sending
BLESSING
May our glorious God grant you a spirit of wisdom to know and to love the risen Lord Jesus. The God of life, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever.
Amen.
SENDING HYMN – My Savior Lives”
Our God will reign forever; and all the world will know his name;
Everyone together sing the song of the redeemed.
I know that my Redeemer lives, and now I stand on what he did;
My Savior, my Savior lives;
Every day a brand new chance to say, “Jesus, you are my only way.”
My Savior, my Savior lives.
The King has come from heaven, and darkness trembles at his name;
Victory forever is the song of the redeemed.
I know that my Redeemer lives, and now I stand on what he did;
My Savior, my Savior lives;
Every day a brand new chance to say, “Jesus, you are my only way.”
My Savior, my Savior lives.
My Savior lives, my Savior lives, my Savior lives.
My Savior lives, my Savior lives, my Savior lives.
My Savior lives, my Savior lives, my Savior lives.
My Savior lives, my Savior lives, my Savior lives.
I know that my Redeemer lives, and now I stand on what he did;
My Savior, my Savior lives;
Every day a brand new chance to say, “Jesus, you are my only way.”
My Savior, my Savior lives.
DISMISSAL
Alleluia! Christ is risen.
Christ is risen indeed.
Alleluia! Go in peace. Share the good news.
Alleluia! Thanks be to God. Alleluia!
Created, saved and gifted by God, we seek, serve and share Jesus Christ. Hallelujah, thanks be to God!
POSTLUDE
“W + 2” = Worship Plus Two
Make a commitment to not only worship each week but also try to find a way to serve
in the congregation and seek out a way to serve our community.
YOU ARE NOW ENTERING THE MISSION FIELD
Upcoming Commemorations
Anselm, Bishop of Canterbury, died 1109
Wednesday, April 21, 2021
This eleventh-century monk was one of the greatest theologians of the Middle Ages. He is remembered for emphasizing the maternal aspects of God, and for the theory that the Son ofGod became human in order to make the necessary payment for our sin.
Day of the Creation (Día de la Creación) (LLC)
Thursday, April 22, 2021
This observance invites us to notice and give God thanks for the wonders of the created
universe. As stewards of that creation, we are also challenged to be careful in our use of it.
Toyohiko Kagawa, renewer of society, died 1960
Friday, April 23, 2021
Born in Kobe, Japan, Kagawa was orphaned as a young child. Later, when he became Christian, he was disowned by the rest of his family. Wishing to bring Christian principles into society, he worked among poor people, established schools and hospitals, and worked for peace.
From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2014 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #22920.