Created, saved and gifted by God, we seek, serve and share Jesus Christ.
Resurrection of Our Lord
Vigil of Easter
April 16, 2022 – 7:00 pm
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
901 East Stroop Road
Kettering, OH 45429-4688
(937) 298-0136
Introduction
This is the night of salvation! At the Vigil of Easter, we gather around fire, word, water, bread, and wine, proclaiming through story and song that ours is a God who continuously brings life out of death. On this night we experience again the heart of God’s baptismal promise and the center of our faith: we are claimed and cleansed, renewed in the death and resurrection of Christ. We gather with all the saints of every time and place to celebrate the good news: Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!
A Feast of Memory and Hope
On this most holy night, the church gathers with everyone and everything whose memory is invoked in our stories tonight: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; Ezekiel, Moses, Miriam, and the freedom-bound Israelites; plants and birds and sea monsters and every living creature of every kind that moves upon the earth. But none are more significant than Mary Magdalene, the first to come upon the empty tomb.
We know from other stories in the gospels that Mary Magdalene spent a lot of time around Jesus. She was one of his most devoted disciples, accompanying him on his journeys from village to village as he proclaimed God’s love to the poor, the lonely, and the oppressed. She was herself a living testament of God’s saving power. And she was there on that Friday afternoon, keeping watch with Jesus’ mother as he was lifted up on the cross for us all. But now she stands before us as the herald of good news, the “apostle to the apostles,” the first to hear the risen Christ calling her name.
As we tell the ancient stories again, as we join our “alleluias” with hers and with all of God’s faithful saints who have gone before, as we light candles in the darkness, wade together in the water, and eat the bread and drink the cup, something amazing happens: God continues to put our broken bones back together. God comes like light to warm, like water to cleanse, like food to strengthen, like words to bless, like breath to awaken. Whatever kind of death you find yourself in, whatever doubt you struggle with, whatever grief you carry in your heart, the risen Christ comes to you like he did to Mary, calling your name. Rejoice, O holy church: this is the night!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pastor Jamie Vannoy; Presiding Minister
Don Bennett; Assistant Minister
Pam Bauser, Kathy Seim, Debbie Kempf, and Roger Bauser; Lectors
GATHERING
The Holy Spirit gathers us in unity on the day of Christ’s resurrection.
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.
Sisters and brothers in Christ, on this most holy night when our Savior Jesus Christ passed from death to life, we gather with the church throughout the world in vigil and prayer. This is the passover of Jesus Christ. Through light and the word, through water and oil, bread and wine, we proclaim Christ’s death and resurrection, share Christ’s triumph over sin and death, and await Christ’s coming again in glory.
PRESENTATION OF THE PASCHAL CANDLE
Christ, yesterday and today, the beginning and the ending. To Christ belongs all time and all the ages; to Christ belongs glory and dominion, now and forever.
Amen.
As the paschal candle is lit from the bonfire:
The light of Christ rising in glory dispels the darkness of our hearts and minds.
PROCESSION
Before the procession begins, this dialogue is chanted. The assembly processes behind the paschal candle into the church.
The light of Christ.
Thanks be to God.
Midway into the church, the procession stops as the dialogue is repeated.
The light of Christ.
Thanks be to God.
The assembly ignites their candles. We invite those nearest the paschal candle to light their own candles from it and pass the flame along, neighbor to neighbor, until all candles are lit.
The procession resumes after all candles are lit. Members of the assembly should process toward their seats in the pews.
Once the paschal candle reaches the altar, the dialogue is chanted for the final time.
The light of Christ.
Thanks be to God.
EASTER PROCLAMATION Mark Shoemaker, soloist
Rejoice, now, all heavenly powers! Sing, choirs of angels! Exult, all creation, around God’s throne!
Jesus Christ is risen!
Jesus Christ is risen!
Celebrate with exultation, and sound the trumpet of salvation. Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendor, radiant in the brightness of your king!
Sung, as before:
Jesus Christ is risen!
Jesus Christ is risen!
Christ has conquered! Glory fills you! Darkness vanishes forever.
Rejoice, O holy church! Exult in glory!
The risen Savior shines upon you!
Jesus Christ is risen!
Jesus Christ is risen!
Let this place resound with joy, echoing the mighty song of all God’s people.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that with heart and mind and voice we should praise God, and the Son, Jesus Christ, who redeemed us from bondage and freed us,
for this is the night,
this is the night,
this is the night,
this is the night,
This is the night you led the children of Israel out of slavery to freedom.
On this night, all believers are renewed in grace, and restored again to holiness.
Oh this is the night,
this is the night,
this is the night,
this is the night.
This is the night when Christ burst the chains of death, rising to life in triumph.
Oh this is the night,
this is the night,
this is the night,
this is the night.
Night clear as day, putting wickedness to flight, washing sin away, restoring innocence to the fallen, casting out hate, bringing peace, and humbling pride.
Therefore, in this night of grace, receive, O God, our praise and thanksgiving for the light of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, reflected in the burning of this candle.
Oh this is the night,
this is the night.
We sing the glories of this pillar of fire, the brightness of which is not diminished, even when its light is divided and borrowed. For it is fed by melting wax that the bees, your servants, have made for the substance of this candle.
Oh this is the night,
this is the night.
We, therefore, pray to you, O God, that this candle, burning to the honor of your name, will continue to vanquish the darkness of night and be mingled with the lights of heaven. May Christ the Morning Star find it burning, that Morning Star who never sets, that Morning Star, who, rising from the grave, faithfully sheds light on the whole human race.
Oh this is the night,
this is the night.
this is the night,
this is the night.
And we pray, O God, rule, govern, and preserve with your continual protection your whole church, giving us peace in this time of paschal rejoicing; through the same Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Eternal giver of life and light,
this holy night shines with the radiance of the risen Christ. Renew your church with the Spirit given us in baptism, that we may worship you in sin- cerity and truth and may shine as a light in the world, through your Son, Jesus Christ our 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 Genesis 1:1 – 2:4a
Creation
A reading from Genesis:
In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
And God said, “Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
And God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.” So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good.
Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”
So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.
These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
Word of God, word of life.
Thanks be to God.
PSALMODY Psalm 104 Lord, Send Out Your Spirit
Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth;
Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth;
Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
O bless the Lord, my soul: O Lord, how great are your ways!
How many are your works, O Lord!
The earth is full of your glory!
Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth;
Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
You take back your spirit, they die, returning to the dust.
You send forth your spirit, they are created.
You renew the face of the earth.
Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth;
Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
May the glory of God be forever! May the Lord rejoice in his works!
May my thoughts and my deeds be pleasing to him;
I find my joy in the Lord!
Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth;
Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
PRAYER
Almighty God, you wonderfully created the dignity of human nature and yet more wonderfully restored it. In your mercy, let us share the divine life of the one who came to share our human- ity, Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.
Amen.
SECOND READING Exodus 14:10–31
Deliverance at the Red Sea
A reading from Exodus:
As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked back, and there were the Egyptians advancing on them. In great fear the Israelites cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, bringing us out of Egypt? Is this not the very thing we told you in Egypt, ‘Let us alone and let us serve the Egyptians’?
For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” But Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the Lord will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.”
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. But you lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the Israelites may go into the sea on dry ground. Then I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and so I will gain glory for myself over Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots, and his chariot drivers. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained glory for myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his chariot drivers.”
The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and took its place behind them. It came between the army of Egypt and the army of Israel. And so the cloud was there with the darkness, and it lit up the night; one did not come near the other all night.
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land; and the waters were divided. The Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. The Egyptians pursued, and went into the sea after them, all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and chariot drivers. At the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and cloud looked down upon the Egyptian army, and threw the Egyptian army into panic. He clogged their chariot wheels so that they turned with difficulty. The Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the Israelites, for the Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.”
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and chariot drivers.” So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at dawn the sea returned to its normal depth. As the Egyptians fled before it, the Lord tossed the Egyptians into the sea.
The waters returned and covered the chariots and the chariot drivers, the entire army of Pha- raoh that had followed them into the sea; not one of them remained. But the Israelites walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left.
Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great work that the Lord did against the Egyptians. So the people feared the Lord and believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.
Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing. And Miriam sang to them:
PSALMODY The Lord Is My Strength and Song Exodus 15:1b-13, 17-18
Repeat after the soloist and between verses:
The Lord is my strength and song, and he has become my salvation.
The Lord is my strength and song, and he has become my salvation.
He has triumphed gloriously. I will sing unto the Lord.
He has triumphed gloriously, the horse and his rider has he thrown in the sea.
The Lord is my strength and song, and he has become my salvation.
The Lord is a man of war, the Lord is his name.
Pharaoh’s chariots and his host has he cast, has he cast into the sea!
The Lord is my strength and song, and he has become my salvation.
Your right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power. Your right hand, O Lord, has cast in pieces the enemy.
The Lord is my strength and song, and he has become my salvation.
Who is like unto you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
The Lord is my strength and song, and he has become my salvation.
PRAYER
O God, whose wonderful deeds of old shine forth even to our own day: by the power of your mighty arm you once delivered your chosen people from slavery under Pharaoh, a sign for us of the salvation offered to everyone by the water of baptism. Grant that all the peoples of earth may partake in the salvation of the Israelites and together dance on the safe side of the sea, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
THIRD READING Isaiah 55:1-11
Salvation freely offered to all
A reading from Isaiah:
Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; lis- ten, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. See, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. See, you shall call nations that you do not now, and nations that do not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.
Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Word of God, word of life.
Thanks be to God.
PSALMODY With Joy You Shall Draw Water Isaiah 12:2-6
Repeat after the soloist and between verses:
With joy you shall draw water from the springs of endless life; with joy you shall draw water from the living well of God.
With joy you shall draw water from the springs of endless life; with joy you shall draw water from the living well of God.
God, indeed, is my Savior; I will never be afraid;
my strength and courage is the Lord, my Savior and my Song.
With joy you shall draw water from the springs of endless life; with joy you shall draw water from the living well of God.
Give thanks and praise the name of God; sing out to all the earth the wondrous deeds that God has done, our Savior and our Song.
With joy you shall draw water from the springs of endless life; with joy you shall draw water from the living well of God.
Shout with joy, O Zion, for dwelling in your midst is the Holy One of Israel, our Savior and our Song.
With joy you shall draw water from the springs of endless life; with joy you shall draw water from the living well of God.
PRAYER
Holy God, you created all things by the power of your Word, and you renew the whole earth by your Spirit. Give now the water of life to all who thirst for you, that, rejoicing in your covenant of mercy, we may bring forth abundant fruit, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
FOURTH READING Daniel 3:13-29
Deliverance from the fiery furnance:
A reading from Daniel:
Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought in; so they brought those men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods and you do not worship the golden statue that I have set up? Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble to fall down and worship the statue that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire, and who is the god that will deliver you out of my hands?”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to present a defense to you in this matter. If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire and out of your hand, O king, let him deliver us. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and we will not worship the golden statue that you have set up.”
Then Nebuchadnezzar was so filled with rage against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face was distorted. He ordered the furnace heated up seven times more than was custom- ary, and ordered some of the strongest guards in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire.
So the men were bound, still wearing their tunics, their trousers, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the furnace of blazing fire. Because the king’s command was urgent and the furnace was so overheated, the raging flames killed the men who lifted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. But the three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down, bound, into the furnace of blazing fire.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up quickly. He said to his counselors, “Was it not three men that we threw bound into the fire?” They answered the king, “True, O king.” He replied, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the middle of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the fourth has the appearance of a god.” Nebuchadnezzar then approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire and said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men; the hair of their heads was not singed, their tunics were not harmed, and not even the smell of fire came from them. Nebuchadnezzar said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him. They disobeyed the king’s command and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that utters blasphemy against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins; for there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.”
Word of God, word of life.
Thanks be to God.
PRAYER
Almighty and eternal God, the only hope of the world, by the proclamation of your prophets you declare to us the word of salvation. By the grace of your Spirit increase the devotion of all the baptized, that, strengthened by your presence, we may withstand hardship and sorrow and be united with your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
NEW TESTAMENT READING Romans 6:3-11
We were incorporated into the death of Jesus Christ in baptism and so were liberated from the dominion of sin. We also anticipate that we will be incorporated into the resurrection of Christ and so will be liberated from the hold death has over our mortal bodies.
A reading from Romans:
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Word of God, word of life.
Thanks be to God.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Repeat after the soloist and following the verse:
Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia!
The hand of the Lord has struck with power, his right hand is exulted; I shall not die, but live anew, declaring the works of the Lord.
Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia!
GOSPEL John 20:1-18
The holy Gospel according to John.
Glory to you, O Lord.
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
HYMN OF THE DAY “Thine Is the Glory”
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.
Thine is the glory, risen, conqu’ring Son;
endless is the vict’ry thou o’er death hast won!
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!
Thine is the glory, risen, conqu’ring Son;
endless is the vict’ry thou o’er death hast won!
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.
Thine is the glory, risen, conqu’ring Son;
endless is the vict’ry thou o’er death hast won!
AFFIRMATION OF BAPTISM
INTRODUCTION
In baptism our gracious heavenly Father frees us from sin and death by joining us to the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are born children of a fallen humanity; by water and the Holy Spirit we are reborn children of God and made members of the church, the body of Christ. Living with Christ and in the communion of saints, we grow in faith, love, and obedience to the will of God.
PROFESSION OF FAITH
People of God, I ask you to profess your faith in Christ Jesus, reject sin, and confess the faith of the church.
Do you renounce the devil and all the forces that defy God?
I renounce them.
Do you renounce the powers of this world that rebel against God?
I renounce them.
Do you renounce the ways of sin that draw you from God?
I renounce them.
Do you believe in God the Father?
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?
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 to the dead. 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.
Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?
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.
AFFIRMATION OF BAPTISM
Sisters and brothers, You have made public profession of your faith.
Do you intend to continue in the covenant God made with you in holy baptism:
to live among God’s faithful people,
to hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s supper,
to proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed, to serve all people, following the example of Jesus,
and to strive for justice and peace in all the earth?
We do, and we ask God to help and guide us.
People of God, do you promise to pray and support each other as we are all making public affirmation of our baptism, and to pray for each other in our life in Christ?
We do, and we ask God to help and guide us.
THANKSGIVING AT THE FONT
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
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, and 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 the baptism of Jesus’ death and resurrection you set us free from the power of sin and death and raise us up to live in you.
Pour out your Holy Spirit, the power of your living Word, that those who are washed in the waters of baptism may be given new life. To you be given honor and praise through Jesus Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and forever.
Amen.
Let us rejoice together as we have made our public affirmation of baptism.
We rejoice with one another in the life of baptism. Together we will give thanks and praise to God and proclaim the good news to all the world.
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 dwells with us here. All who are hungry, all who are thirsty, come.
Hallelujah!
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.
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
We give you thanks, generous God, for in this bread and cup we have tasted the new heaven and earth where hunger and thirst are no more. Send us from this table as witnesses to the resurrection, that through our lives, all may know life in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
BLESSING
SENDING HYMN “We Know That Christ Is Raised (ELW 449)”
We know that Christ is raised and dies no more.
Embraced by death, he broke its fearful hold,
and our despair he turned to blazing joy.
Hallelujah!
We share by water in his saving death.
Reborn, we share with him an Easter life,
as living members of our Savior Christ.
Hallelujah!
The Father’s splendor clothes the Son with life.
The Spirit’s fission shakes the church of God.
Baptized, we live with God the Three in One.
Hallelujah!
A new creation comes to life and grows
as Christ’s new body takes on flesh and blood.
The universe restored and whole will sing:
Hallelujah!
SENDING
God, the Author of life, Christ, the living Cornerstone, and the life-giving Spirit of adoption, bless you now and forever.
Amen.
DISMISSAL
Alleluia! Christ is risen.
Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Go in peace. Tell what God has done.
Thanks be to God. Alleuia!
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
Olavus Petri, priest, died 1552; Laurentius Petri, Bishop of Uppsala, died 1573; renewers of the church
Tuesday, April 19, 2022
These two brothers studied with Luther at the University of Wittenberg and then returned to their native Sweden to introduce the Lutheran reforms. Olavus published a catechism and hymnal; Laurentius was a professor who defended the office of bishop and later became one.
Anselm, Bishop of Canterbury, died 1109
Thursday, April 21, 2022
This eleventh-century monk was one of the greatest theologians of the Middle Ages. He is remem- bered for emphasizing the maternal aspects of God, and for the theory that the Son of God became human in order to make the necessary payment for our sin.
Day of the Creation (Día de la Creación) (LLC)
Friday, April 22, 2022
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
Saturday, April 23, 2022
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.
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.