20
April 2025
The
Resurrection of Our Lord
Easter
Day
Ringing
of
the Bell
–
The
bell rings as the call to worship, reminding us
to discontinue
conversation and reverently prepare for worship.
Prelude
Welcome
and
Announcements
Lutheran
Service Book Divine Service Setting Three
Stand
457
Jesus Christ Is Risen Today LSB
457
1
Jesus
Christ is ris’n
today, Alleluia!
Our
triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
Who
did once upon the cross, Alleluia!
Suffer
to redeem our loss. Alleluia!
2
Hymns
of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!
Unto
Christ, our heav’nly
king, Alleluia!
Who
endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
Sinners
to redeem and save. Alleluia!
3
But
the pains which He endured, Alleluia!
Our
salvation have procured; Alleluia!
Now
above the sky He’s
king, Alleluia!
Where
the angels ever sing. Alleluia!
D
4
Sing
we to our God above, Alleluia!
Praise
eternal as His love; Alleluia!
Praise
Him, all ye heav’nly
host, Alleluia!
Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost. Alleluia!
Text:
tr.
Lyra Davidica, 1708, London, alt.; (sts. 1–3):
Latin, 14th cent.; (st. 4): Charles Wesley, 1707–88
Text:
Public domain
CONFESSION
AND ABSOLUTION
The
sign of the cross may be made by all in
remembrance of their Baptism.
Invocation
P
In
the name of the Father and of the T
Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C
Amen.
Exhortation LSB
184
P
Beloved
in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart
and confess our sins
unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of
our Lord Jesus
Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P
Our
help is in the name of the Lord,
C
who
made heaven and earth.
P
I
said, I will confess my transgressions unto the
Lord,
C
and
You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
Silence
for reflection on God’s
Word and for self-examination.
Confession
of Sins
LSB
184
P
O
almighty God, merciful Father,
C
I,
a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all
my sins and iniquities
with which I have ever offended You and justly
deserved Your temporal
and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry
for them and
sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your
boundless mercy and
for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter
sufferings and death of
Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious
and merciful to me, a
poor, sinful being.
Absolution LSB
185
P
Upon
this your confession, I, by virtue of my office,
as a called and
ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace
of God unto all of
you, and in the stead and by the command of my
Lord Jesus Christ I
forgive you all your sins in the name of the
Father and of the T
Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C
Amen.
Gloria
in Excelsis
LSB
187
P
Glory
be to God on high:
C
and
on earth peace, goodwill toward men.
We
praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee,
we
glorify Thee, we give thanks to Thee, for Thy
great glory.
O
Lord God, heav’nly
King,
God the Father Almighty.
O
Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ;
O
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
that
takest away the sin of the world, have mercy
upon us.
Thou
that takest away the sin of the world, receive
our prayer.
Thou
that sittest at the right hand of God the
Father, have mercy upon us.
For
Thou only art holy; Thou only art the Lord.
Thou
only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost,
art
most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
SERVICE
OF THE WORD
Salutation
and Collect of the Day
P
The
Lord be with you.
C
And
with thy spirit.
P
Let
us pray.
Almighty
God the Father, through Your only-begotten Son,
Jesus Christ, You
have overcome death and opened the gate of
everlasting life to us.
Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of
our Lord’s
resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin
by Your life-giving
Spirit; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives
and reigns with You
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C
Amen.
Sit
Psalm
Psalm
16
Preserve
me, O God,
for
in you I take refuge.
I
say to the Lord,
“You
are my Lord;
I
have no good apart from you.”
As
for the saints in the land,
they
are the excellent ones,
in
whom is all my delight.
The
sorrows of those who run after another god shall
multiply;
their
drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or
take their names on my lips.
The
Lord
is my chosen portion and my cup;
you
hold my lot.
The
lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed,
I have a beautiful inheritance.
I
bless the Lord
who gives me counsel;
in
the night also my heart instructs me.
I
have set the Lord
always before me;
because
he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
Therefore
my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my
flesh also dwells secure.
For
you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or
let your holy one see corruption.
You
make known to me the path of life;
in
your presence there is fullness of joy;
at
your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Old
Testament Reading
Isaiah
65:17–25
“Behold,
I
create new heavens
and
a new earth,
and
the former things shall not be remembered
or
come into mind.
But
be glad and rejoice forever
in
that which I create;
for
behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy,
and
her people to be a gladness.
I
will rejoice in Jerusalem
and
be glad in my people;
no
more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping
and
the cry of distress.
No
more shall there be in it
an
infant who lives but a few days,
or
an old man who does not fill out his days,
for
the young man shall die a hundred years old,
and
the sinner a hundred years old shall be
accursed.
They
shall build houses and inhabit them;
they
shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
They
shall not build and another inhabit;
they
shall not plant and another eat;
for
like the days of a tree shall the days of my
people be,
and
my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their
hands.
They
shall not labor in vain
or
bear children for calamity,
for
they shall be the offspring of the blessed of
the Lord,
and
their descendants with them.
Before
they call I will answer;
while
they are yet speaking I will hear.
The
wolf and the lamb shall graze together;
the
lion shall eat straw like the ox,
and
dust shall be the serpent’s
food.
They
shall not hurt or destroy
in
all my holy mountain,”
says
the Lord.
A
This
is the Word of the Lord.
C
Thanks
be to God.
Epistle
1
Corinthians 15:19–26
If
in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we
are of all people most
to be pitied.
But
in fact Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of
those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man
came death, by a man
has come also the resurrection of the dead. For
as in Adam all die,
so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But
each in his own order:
Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those
who belong to
Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the
kingdom to God the
Father after destroying every rule and every
authority and power. For
he must reign until he has put all his enemies
under his feet. The
last enemy to be destroyed is death.
A
This
is the Word of the Lord.
C
Thanks
be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
LSB
190
C
Alleluia.
Alleluia. Alleluia.
Holy
Gospel
Luke
24:1–12
P
The
Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the
twenty-fourth chapter.
C
Glory
be to Thee, O Lord.
On
the first day of the week, at early dawn, they
went to the tomb,
taking the spices they had prepared. And they
found the stone rolled
away from the tomb, but when they went in they
did not find the body
of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed
about this, behold, two
men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as
they were frightened
and bowed their faces to the ground, the men
said to them, “Why
do you seek the living among the dead? He is not
here, but has risen.
Remember how he told you, while he was still in
Galilee, that the Son
of Man must be delivered into the hands of
sinful men and be
crucified and on the third day rise.”
And
they remembered his
words, and returning from the tomb they told all
these things to the
eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary
Magdalene and Joanna and
Mary the mother of James and the other women
with them who told these
things to the apostles, but these words seemed
to them an idle tale,
and they did not believe them. But Peter rose
and ran to the tomb;
stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths
by themselves; and
he went home marveling at what had happened.
P
This
is the Gospel of the Lord.
C
Praise
be to Thee, O Christ.
Sit
465
Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds LSB
465
1
Now
all the vault of heav’n
resounds
In
praise of love that still abounds:
“Christ
has
triumphed! He is living!”
Sing,
choirs of angels, loud and clear!
Repeat
their song of glory here:
“Christ
has triumphed!
Christ has triumphed!”
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2
Eternal
is the gift He brings,
Therefore
our
heart with rapture sings:
“Christ
has
triumphed! He is living!”
Now
still He comes to give us life
And
by His presence stills all strife.
Christ
has triumphed!
He is living!
Alleluia,
alleluia, alleluia!
3
O
fill us, Lord, with dauntless love;
Set
heart and will on things above
That we
conquer
through Your triumph;
Grant
grace sufficient for life’s
day
That
by our lives we truly say:
“Christ
has triumphed!
He is living!”
Alleluia,
alleluia, alleluia!
D
4
Adoring
praises now we bring
And
with the heav’nly
blessèd
sing:
“Christ
has
triumphed! Alleluia!”
Be
to the Father and our Lord,
To
Spirit blest, most holy God,
All the
glory, never
ending!
Alleluia, alleluia,
alleluia!
Text:
Paul Z. Strodach, 1876–1947,
alt.
Text: ©
1958
Augsburg
Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn
License no.
110004199
Sermon
- Pastor Eric Ash
Easter
1
C April 20, 2025 Luke 24;1-12
For
the
Atheists Among Us Today
When
is
your birthday? All of us know, or at least
think we know, when we
were born. There are 365 days in a year. The
odds of your birthday
being on any one specific day of the year
then are 1 out of 365. Those are some pretty
long odds. No gambler statistician, no
actuary, no stockbroker would take that bet.
So how can you prove
beyond the shadow of a doubt you were born
on a certain day?
You
were
too young to remember your birth. We could
ask your parents,
but they would be biased witnesses. You
could present a birth
certificate, but documents can be forged.
Even a video would not be
compelling evidence these days; videos can
be doctored to look so
authentic that even experts cannot tell the
difference. We can only
conclude then that there was no particular
day on which it is certain
you were born.
We
can
play games like that because words and
numbers are not reality,
they merely reflect reality, and they
reflect it imperfectly. Words
and numbers can be manipulated to say just
about anything, but that
does not change what actually does and does
not exist. Many things
cannot be proven or disproved; they are
matters of trust, they are
matters of faith. Someone said, “Tell a man
there are a billion
stars in the sky and he will believe you,
tell him there’s wet
paint on a wall and he has to touch it for
himself.” It’s funny
what people will and will not accept on
faith.
Today,
Easter
Sunday, the Resurrection of our Lord is the
biggest
celebration of the year for Christian
believers. But undoubtedly
among us today are some people who kind of
believe in God but don't
see the need to make a big deal out of it.
Among us today are people
who might describe themselves as agnostics
or atheists. They are
people who may not believe that God exists;
or don’t believe that
Jesus was born, died, and rose again; or
don’t believe that God’s
Holy Spirit is among us here and now.
First
let
me say that agnostics and atheists and
seekers of all sorts are
most welcome here. Christians, each and
every one of us, have to
confess that there have been times that we
have not only questioned
God’s goodness, but there have also been
times that we have doubted
God’s very existence. We’ve come to a
different conclusion about
God than those who don't believe, but we
respect your journey, which
we know is often a wrestling and a struggle.
We
appreciate
your honesty and the integrity of your
inquiry. We’re
not here to beat up on you while you’re a
captive audience. But we
simply have to witness and testify to what
we believe and know to be
true because if we didn’t that would be
inhospitable, we would be
doing you a disservice. We believe the
Christian faith is the very
best gift we have to give you, and if we
don’t offer it to you, we
would be withholding from you what should be
the most important thing
in your life. Knowing God exists and
believing in Christ’s
resurrection can bring your life more peace,
more joy, and more
meaning than you could possibly imagine.
And
for
those of you who are safe and secure in your
faith, listen in
today also, because there’s good stuff here
for you too. Such as
this: God is like a dog whistle. What do I
mean? Dogs can hear
higher pitched sound frequencies than
humans, so when you blow a dog
whistle, dogs can hear it but people can’t.
Does the fact that you
can’t hear the whistle mean it doesn’t
exist? Of course not. There are all kinds of
things that really, truly exist that we
cannot
hear or touch or taste or see or smell, but
they are there” beauty,
justice, truth, love.
The
fact
that you do not perceive God in your life,
the fact that
Christ’s resurrection doesn’t move you,
doesn’t necessarily
mean that God doesn’t exist or that Christ
didn’t rise from the
grave. It just may mean that you are not yet
attuned to spiritual
realities. It just may mean that you haven’t
learned to perceive
the subtleties of faith yet. To me all white
paint looks the same:
white. But to an interior decorator there
are differences between
true white, off white, eggshell, cream,
arctic ice, and so on. To
one person a sunrise is just a sunrise, and
a flower is just a
flower. To another they are expressions of
God’s wisdom, majesty,
and power. It’s all a matter of perception
and perspective.
Someone
might
say, “It’s obvious God does not exist. Why
would a good
God let innocent people suffer? He wouldn’t,
so God must not be
real.” Looking at the world, doesn't it also
appear that the earth
is flat, that the sun revolves around the
earth, and that this pulpit
is solid. All those things are obvious, but
incorrect. Over time,
as humanity progressed, or should we say
that as God shared His
wisdom with a maturing humanity, people came
to realize and find ways
to observe that the earth is round and that
it revolves around the
sun, and that the pulpit is made of atoms
where the electrons orbit
the nucleus in ellipses that have, relative
to their size, even
greater distances between them than the
distances between the earth
and sun. So no, this pulpit is not solid.
What appears obvious may
actually be false.
How
then
do we prove that God exists and that Jesus
is His crucified and
risen Son? Unfortunately, I don’t have
videotape. Of course, as we
said, that could be doctored anyway. There
is no proof of our faith
that will convince everyone already decided
against it every time. Faith is a gift, a
gift that the Holy Spirit works in whom and
when
he will, but we pray that His gift of faith
will come to you. Perhaps the Holy Spirit
might use these words might help facilitate
that process.
God
can
be known, in part at least, through His
creation. The universe
is not God, but the cosmos bears the stamp
of its creator. Modern
science tells us that the universe had a
beginning and will have an
end. The universe just wasn’t “always was”
as some people say. But how did that
beginning happen? Where did atoms and
subatomic
particles come from? That’s awful hard to
explain without some
reference to some kind of higher power. To
say the universe just
sprang up out of nothing seems to me to take
more of a blind leap of
faith than to profess belief in a creating
God.
If
you
will concede that there is a Creator God,
then it only makes
sense that God would want to communicate
with his creation,
especially human beings, the crown of
creation, that he created for
loving communion with himself. Have you ever
watched a movie or
played a computer simulation game and found
yourself really moved by
or concerned about the characters, as if
they were real? How much
more so does God care about us, real live
beings made in His own
image.
If
God
was to communicate with us, he’d have to
pick a particular time
and place. Christians say God revealed
himself in Christ in Israel
2000 years ago. Why Israel in the first
century A.D.? Why not
Israel
in the first century A.D? It had to happen
sometime and somewhere. Perhaps God had
reasons for choosing “such a backward time
and such
a strange land” that we don’t know.
Some
people
used to claim that Jesus never lived at
all, that he was just
a myth, like Hercules. Archeologists and
scholars today say that we
have more evidence pointing to an actual
historical Jesus than we do
for people like King Arthur or Julius
Caesar. But to say there was a
Jesus of Nazareth and to say that Jesus
of Nazareth is God’s Son
are two different things. What proof do
we have that Jesus rose from
the grave? If God really is a great God,
to do anything less than
defeat death would be grossly
underachieving. If God really cares
about his people, to do anything less
than save them from their worst
enemy, death, would call His love into
question.
There
were
eyewitnesses who saw the resurrected Christ
and ate and drank
with him. Those witnesses are dead now, but
the testimony of those
witnesses was written down, we have it in
the Bible. Of course, not
everyone recognizes the Bible as inspired
Holy Writ as we do. It’s
easy to see why the skeptics are skeptical.
But how does one explain
that in a time and place that produced
“Messiahs by the sack full”
only one is said to have been raised from
the tomb, only one is
remembered today? If Jesus’ resurrection was
faked, why did those
who supposedly conspired with him and
claimed to have seen him alive
go happily to the gruesome deaths of martyrs
if they knew Jesus was
in fact dead? The only explanation is that
they knew him to be alive
beyond the shadow of a doubt alive.
I
admit it; it is not easy to believe in
Jesus. It’s harder to
believe than not to. It’s easy to understand
why some people won’t
make the effort. Believers sometimes envy
non-believers. They
imagine it would be nice to live without all
the commitments faith
brings and without moral absolutes – just do
whatever you like. There is great pressure
on people today, especially not to believe.
Faith doesn’t win us many earthly rewards
like popularity or
wealth.
But
for
those who know that Jesus lives, there’s
just no ignoring it or
denying it. For those who have experienced
his love and grace,
you’ve just got to share that with
everybody. I pray that God will
get that resurrection faith into everyone’s
life somehow, sometime,
somewhere. I pray that all the believers
here today will go home
affirmed and strengthened in their faith.
And I especially pray that
the agnostics and skeptics, and those
wrestling with their faith or
lack thereof, will have their hearts and
minds opened to God’s
Word, his Word of truth and beauty, the Word
of life abundant and
eternal, the Word which is Jesus Christ,
crucified and risen. Amen.
Votum
P
The
peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep
your hearts and
minds in Christ Jesus.
C
Amen.
Stand
Nicene
Creed
C
I
believe in one God,
the
Father Almighty,
maker
of heaven and earth
and
of all things visible and invisible.
And
in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the
only-begotten Son of God,
begotten
of His Father before all worlds,
God
of God, Light of Light,
very
God of very God,
begotten,
not made,
being
of one substance with the Father,
by
whom all things were made;
who
for us men and for our salvation came down from
heaven
and
was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin
Mary
and
was made man;
and
was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He
suffered and was buried.
And
the third day He rose again according to the
Scriptures
and
ascended into heaven
and
sits at the right hand of the Father.
And
He will come again with glory to judge both the
living and the dead,
whose
kingdom will have no end.
And
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the
Lord and giver of life,
who
proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who
with the Father and the Son together is
worshiped and glorified,
who
spoke by the prophets.
And
I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic
Church,
I
acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of
sins,
and
I look for the resurrection of the dead
and
the life T
of the world to come. Amen.
Prayers
Let
us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ
Jesus and for all
people according to their needs.
Holy
Lord, mighty God, You have borne the sin of the
world and given to us
the promise of new and everlasting life. Receive
our thanks for the
glorious resurrection of Jesus, the Christ. Bring
us with Him to our
own joyful resurrection and the reunion of all
Your saints. Lord, in
Your mercy, hear our
prayer.
Bless
Donald, our president, and all who make and
administer our laws.
Frustrate the forces of evil, and do not let our
leaders cooperate
with them or further their goals. Guard our armed
forces as they
stand watch for us at home and abroad. Let them
serve with honor and
integrity. Lord, in Your mercy, hear
our
prayer.
Gracious
Lord, Your healing and strength are the hope of
all the weary and
afflicted. According to Your gracious will, give
to all the sick and
those who suffer healing and relief [especially
_____________].
Grant them patience and
hope until that day when they put on new and
glorious bodies raised
by Christ and receive the end of all afflictions.
Lord, in Your
mercy, hear our
prayer.
O
Lord, heavenly Father, You have not let Your Holy
One see corruption,
but have raised Him in triumph from the dead,
never to die again.
Therefore, our hearts are glad and we rejoice, for
our flesh also
dwells secure. Since You have set Him at Your
right hand, lead us to
set His resurrection before us at all times, that
His path of life
and the fullness of joy in His presence may be
known to us, until we
come also to the eternal pleasures at His right
hand, forevermore;
for You, O Father, with the Son and the Holy
Spirit are one God, now
and forever. Amen.
Pax
Domini
LSB
197
P
The
peace of the Lord be with you always.
C
Amen.
Sit
Offertory
Invitation
Remembering
the words of our Lord Jesus, "It is more blessed
to give than to
receive." Let us give now with joy and
thanksgiving our gifts,
tithes and offerings to the Lord.
The
Organist plays as the offerings are collected
Stand
Offertory LSB
192
C
Create
in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right
spirit within me.
Cast
me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy
Holy Spirit from me.
Restore
unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and uphold me
with Thy free spirit.
Amen.
Offertory
Prayer
God
our Father, on this holy day [in this holy
season] you give us the
joy of recalling the rising of Christ to new
life. Accept the
offerings of your people and by these Easter
mysteries, bring us to
the glory of the Resurrection. We ask this
through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
SERVICE
OF THE SACRAMENT
Preface
LSB
194
P
The
Lord be with you.
C
And
with thy spirit.
P
Lift
up your hearts.
C
We
lift them up unto the Lord.
P
Let
us give thanks unto the Lord, our God.
C
It
is meet and right so to do.
Proper
Preface
P
It
is truly good, right, and salutary that we should
at all times and in
all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty
Father,
everlasting God. And most especially are we bound
to praise You on
this day for the glorious resurrection of Your
Son, Jesus Christ, the
very Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed for us and
bore the sins of the
world. By His dying He has destroyed death, and by
His rising again
He has restored to us everlasting life. Therefore
with Mary
Magdalene, Peter and John, and with all the
witnesses of the
resurrection, with angels and archangels, and with
all the company of
heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name,
evermore praising You
and saying:
Sanctus LSB
195
C
Holy,
holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
heav’n
and earth are full of Thy glory.
Hosanna,
hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
Blessed
is He, blessed is He, blessed is He that cometh
in the name of the
Lord.
Hosanna,
hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
The
Words of Our Lord
P
On
the night, in which he was betrayed, our Lord
Jesus took bread, gave
thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples
saying, take, eat;
this is my body which is given for you. Do this in
remembrance of
me. In the same way also, after supper, he took
the cup, gave
thanks, and gave it to them saying, this cup is
the New Testament in
my blood, shed for you and for many, for the
forgiveness of sins. Do
this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of
me.
Lord's
Prayer Invitation
Lord,
remember us in your kingdom and teach us to
pray. . .
Lord’s
Prayer
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.
Fraction
P
When we eat this bread, we share the body of
Christ. When we drink
from this cup, we share the blood of Christ.
C
Reveal yourself to us, O Lord, in the breaking
of bread as once you
revealed yourself to your Apostles. Amen.
Agnus
Dei
C
O
Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the
sin of the world, have
mercy upon us.
O
Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the
sin of the world, have
mercy upon us.
O
Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the
sin of the world,
grant us Thy peace. Amen.
Sit
Distribution
The
pastor and those who assist him receive the
body and blood of Christ
first and then distribute them to those who
come to receive, saying:
Take,
eat; this is the true body of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ, given
into death for your sins.
Amen.
Take,
drink; this is the true blood of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ,
shed for the forgiveness of your sins.
Amen.
Stand
In
dismissing the communicants, the following is
said:
The
Dismissal
LSB
199
P
The
body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen
and preserve you
in body and soul to life everlasting. Depart T
in peace.
C
Amen.
Nunc
Dimittis
LSB
199
C
Lord,
now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace
according to Thy word,
for
mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou
hast prepared before
the face of all people,
a
light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of
Thy people Israel.
Glory
be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy
Ghost;
as
it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall
be, world without
end. Amen.
Thanksgiving 200
A
O
give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good,
C
and
His mercy endureth forever.
Salutation LSB
201
P
The
Lord be with you.
C
And
with thy spirit.
Post
Communion Prayer
P
We
give you thanks, almighty God, that you have
refreshed us through the
healing power of this gift of life; and we pray
that in your mercy
you would strengthen us, through this gift in
faith toward you and in
fervent love toward one another; for the sake of
Jesus Christ our
Lord.
C
Amen.
Benediction LSB
202
P
The
Lord bless you and keep you.
The
Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious
unto you.
The
Lord lift up His countenance upon you and T
give you peace.
C
Amen,
amen, amen.
474
Alleluia! Jesus Is Risen
LSB
474
1
Alleluia!
Jesus
is risen!
Trumpets
resounding
in glorious light!
Splendor,
the
Lamb,
Heaven
forever!
Oh,
what a miracle God has in sight! Refrain
ref
Jesus
is risen and we shall arise:
Give
God the glory! Alleluia!
2
Walking
the way,
Christ
in the center
Telling
the story to open our eyes;
Breaking
our
bread,
Giving
us glory:
Jesus
our blessing, our constant surprise. Refrain
3
Jesus
the vine,
We
are the branches;
Life
in the Spirit the fruit of the tree;
Heaven
to earth,
Christ
to the people,
Gift
of the future now flowing to me. Refrain
4
Weeping,
be
gone;
Sorrow,
be silent:
Death
put asunder, and Easter is bright.
Cherubim
sing:
“O
grave, be open!”
Clothe
us in wonder, adorn us in light. Refrain
5
City
of God,
Easter
forever,
Golden
Jerusalem, Jesus the Lamb,
River
of life,
Saints
and archangels,
Sing
with creation to God the I AM! Refrain
Text:
Herbert F. Brokering, 1926–2009
Text:
© 1995
Augsburg
Fortress. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License
no. 110004199
CLOSING
RESPONSE
P
Go
in Peace! Serve the Lord!
C
Praise
be to God!
Acknowledgments
Unless
otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are
from the ESV®
Bible
(The Holy Bible,
English Standard Version®),
copyright © 2001
by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News
Publishers. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
Created
by Lutheran Service Builder ©
2025
Concordia
Publishing House.
20 April 2025
The Resurrection of Our Lord
Easter Day
Ringing of the Bell
– The bell rings as the call to worship, reminding us to discontinue conversation and reverently prepare for worship.
Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
Lutheran Service Book Divine Service Setting Three
Stand
457 Jesus Christ Is Risen Today LSB 457
1
Jesus
Christ is ris’n
today, Alleluia!
Our
triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
Who
did once upon the cross, Alleluia!
Suffer
to redeem our loss. Alleluia!
2
Hymns
of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!
Unto
Christ, our heav’nly
king, Alleluia!
Who
endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
Sinners
to redeem and save. Alleluia!
3
But
the pains which He endured, Alleluia!
Our
salvation have procured; Alleluia!
Now
above the sky He’s
king, Alleluia!
Where
the angels ever sing. Alleluia!
D
4
Sing
we to our God above, Alleluia!
Praise
eternal as His love; Alleluia!
Praise
Him, all ye heav’nly
host, Alleluia!
Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost. Alleluia!
Text:
tr.
Lyra Davidica, 1708, London, alt.; (sts. 1–3):
Latin, 14th cent.; (st. 4): Charles Wesley, 1707–88
Text:
Public domain
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
Invocation
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Exhortation LSB 184
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
Silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination.
Confession of Sins LSB 184
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
Absolution LSB 185
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Gloria in Excelsis LSB 187
P Glory be to God on high:
C and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.
We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee,
we glorify Thee, we give thanks to Thee, for Thy great glory.
O Lord God, heav’nly King, God the Father Almighty.
O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ;
O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.
Thou that takest away the sin of the world, receive our prayer.
Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us.
For Thou only art holy; Thou only art the Lord.
Thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost,
art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
SERVICE OF THE WORD
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And with thy spirit.
P Let us pray.
Almighty God the Father, through Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, You have overcome death and opened the gate of everlasting life to us. Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of our Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by Your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Psalm Psalm 16
Preserve
me, O God,
for
in you I take refuge.
I
say to the Lord,
“You
are my Lord;
I
have no good apart from you.”
As
for the saints in the land,
they
are the excellent ones,
in
whom is all my delight.
The
sorrows of those who run after another god shall
multiply;
their
drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or
take their names on my lips.
The
Lord
is my chosen portion and my cup;
you
hold my lot.
The
lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed,
I have a beautiful inheritance.
I
bless the Lord
who gives me counsel;
in
the night also my heart instructs me.
I
have set the Lord
always before me;
because
he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
Therefore
my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my
flesh also dwells secure.
For
you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or
let your holy one see corruption.
You
make known to me the path of life;
in
your presence there is fullness of joy;
at
your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 65:17–25
“Behold,
I
create new heavens
and
a new earth,
and
the former things shall not be remembered
or
come into mind.
But
be glad and rejoice forever
in
that which I create;
for
behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy,
and
her people to be a gladness.
I
will rejoice in Jerusalem
and
be glad in my people;
no
more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping
and
the cry of distress.
No
more shall there be in it
an
infant who lives but a few days,
or
an old man who does not fill out his days,
for
the young man shall die a hundred years old,
and
the sinner a hundred years old shall be
accursed.
They
shall build houses and inhabit them;
they
shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
They
shall not build and another inhabit;
they
shall not plant and another eat;
for
like the days of a tree shall the days of my
people be,
and
my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their
hands.
They
shall not labor in vain
or
bear children for calamity,
for
they shall be the offspring of the blessed of
the Lord,
and
their descendants with them.
Before
they call I will answer;
while
they are yet speaking I will hear.
The
wolf and the lamb shall graze together;
the
lion shall eat straw like the ox,
and
dust shall be the serpent’s
food.
They
shall not hurt or destroy
in
all my holy mountain,”
says
the Lord.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Epistle 1 Corinthians 15:19–26
If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia LSB 190
C Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Holy Gospel Luke 24:1–12
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the twenty-fourth chapter.
C Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
On the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise be to Thee, O Christ.
Sit
465 Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds LSB 465
1
Now
all the vault of heav’n
resounds
In
praise of love that still abounds:
“Christ
has
triumphed! He is living!”
Sing,
choirs of angels, loud and clear!
Repeat
their song of glory here:
“Christ
has triumphed!
Christ has triumphed!”
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2
Eternal
is the gift He brings,
Therefore
our
heart with rapture sings:
“Christ
has
triumphed! He is living!”
Now
still He comes to give us life
And
by His presence stills all strife.
Christ
has triumphed!
He is living!
Alleluia,
alleluia, alleluia!
3
O
fill us, Lord, with dauntless love;
Set
heart and will on things above
That we
conquer
through Your triumph;
Grant
grace sufficient for life’s
day
That
by our lives we truly say:
“Christ
has triumphed!
He is living!”
Alleluia,
alleluia, alleluia!
D
4
Adoring
praises now we bring
And
with the heav’nly
blessèd
sing:
“Christ
has
triumphed! Alleluia!”
Be
to the Father and our Lord,
To
Spirit blest, most holy God,
All the
glory, never
ending!
Alleluia, alleluia,
alleluia!
Text:
Paul Z. Strodach, 1876–1947,
alt.
Text: ©
1958
Augsburg
Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn
License no.
110004199
Sermon - Pastor Eric Ash
Easter 1 C April 20, 2025 Luke 24;1-12
For the Atheists Among Us Today
When is your birthday? All of us know, or at least think we know, when we were born. There are 365 days in a year. The odds of your birthday being on any one specific day of the year then are 1 out of 365. Those are some pretty long odds. No gambler statistician, no actuary, no stockbroker would take that bet. So how can you prove beyond the shadow of a doubt you were born on a certain day?
You were too young to remember your birth. We could ask your parents, but they would be biased witnesses. You could present a birth certificate, but documents can be forged. Even a video would not be compelling evidence these days; videos can be doctored to look so authentic that even experts cannot tell the difference. We can only conclude then that there was no particular day on which it is certain you were born.
We can play games like that because words and numbers are not reality, they merely reflect reality, and they reflect it imperfectly. Words and numbers can be manipulated to say just about anything, but that does not change what actually does and does not exist. Many things cannot be proven or disproved; they are matters of trust, they are matters of faith. Someone said, “Tell a man there are a billion stars in the sky and he will believe you, tell him there’s wet paint on a wall and he has to touch it for himself.” It’s funny what people will and will not accept on faith.
Today, Easter Sunday, the Resurrection of our Lord is the biggest celebration of the year for Christian believers. But undoubtedly among us today are some people who kind of believe in God but don't see the need to make a big deal out of it. Among us today are people who might describe themselves as agnostics or atheists. They are people who may not believe that God exists; or don’t believe that Jesus was born, died, and rose again; or don’t believe that God’s Holy Spirit is among us here and now.
First let me say that agnostics and atheists and seekers of all sorts are most welcome here. Christians, each and every one of us, have to confess that there have been times that we have not only questioned God’s goodness, but there have also been times that we have doubted God’s very existence. We’ve come to a different conclusion about God than those who don't believe, but we respect your journey, which we know is often a wrestling and a struggle.
We appreciate your honesty and the integrity of your inquiry. We’re not here to beat up on you while you’re a captive audience. But we simply have to witness and testify to what we believe and know to be true because if we didn’t that would be inhospitable, we would be doing you a disservice. We believe the Christian faith is the very best gift we have to give you, and if we don’t offer it to you, we would be withholding from you what should be the most important thing in your life. Knowing God exists and believing in Christ’s resurrection can bring your life more peace, more joy, and more meaning than you could possibly imagine.
And for those of you who are safe and secure in your faith, listen in today also, because there’s good stuff here for you too. Such as this: God is like a dog whistle. What do I mean? Dogs can hear higher pitched sound frequencies than humans, so when you blow a dog whistle, dogs can hear it but people can’t. Does the fact that you can’t hear the whistle mean it doesn’t exist? Of course not. There are all kinds of things that really, truly exist that we cannot hear or touch or taste or see or smell, but they are there” beauty, justice, truth, love.
The fact that you do not perceive God in your life, the fact that Christ’s resurrection doesn’t move you, doesn’t necessarily mean that God doesn’t exist or that Christ didn’t rise from the grave. It just may mean that you are not yet attuned to spiritual realities. It just may mean that you haven’t learned to perceive the subtleties of faith yet. To me all white paint looks the same: white. But to an interior decorator there are differences between true white, off white, eggshell, cream, arctic ice, and so on. To one person a sunrise is just a sunrise, and a flower is just a flower. To another they are expressions of God’s wisdom, majesty, and power. It’s all a matter of perception and perspective.
Someone might say, “It’s obvious God does not exist. Why would a good God let innocent people suffer? He wouldn’t, so God must not be real.” Looking at the world, doesn't it also appear that the earth is flat, that the sun revolves around the earth, and that this pulpit is solid. All those things are obvious, but incorrect. Over time, as humanity progressed, or should we say that as God shared His wisdom with a maturing humanity, people came to realize and find ways to observe that the earth is round and that it revolves around the sun, and that the pulpit is made of atoms where the electrons orbit the nucleus in ellipses that have, relative to their size, even greater distances between them than the distances between the earth and sun. So no, this pulpit is not solid. What appears obvious may actually be false.
How then do we prove that God exists and that Jesus is His crucified and risen Son? Unfortunately, I don’t have videotape. Of course, as we said, that could be doctored anyway. There is no proof of our faith that will convince everyone already decided against it every time. Faith is a gift, a gift that the Holy Spirit works in whom and when he will, but we pray that His gift of faith will come to you. Perhaps the Holy Spirit might use these words might help facilitate that process.
God can be known, in part at least, through His creation. The universe is not God, but the cosmos bears the stamp of its creator. Modern science tells us that the universe had a beginning and will have an end. The universe just wasn’t “always was” as some people say. But how did that beginning happen? Where did atoms and subatomic particles come from? That’s awful hard to explain without some reference to some kind of higher power. To say the universe just sprang up out of nothing seems to me to take more of a blind leap of faith than to profess belief in a creating God.
If you will concede that there is a Creator God, then it only makes sense that God would want to communicate with his creation, especially human beings, the crown of creation, that he created for loving communion with himself. Have you ever watched a movie or played a computer simulation game and found yourself really moved by or concerned about the characters, as if they were real? How much more so does God care about us, real live beings made in His own image.
If God was to communicate with us, he’d have to pick a particular time and place. Christians say God revealed himself in Christ in Israel 2000 years ago. Why Israel in the first century A.D.? Why not Israel in the first century A.D? It had to happen sometime and somewhere. Perhaps God had reasons for choosing “such a backward time and such a strange land” that we don’t know.
Some people used to claim that Jesus never lived at all, that he was just a myth, like Hercules. Archeologists and scholars today say that we have more evidence pointing to an actual historical Jesus than we do for people like King Arthur or Julius Caesar. But to say there was a Jesus of Nazareth and to say that Jesus of Nazareth is God’s Son are two different things. What proof do we have that Jesus rose from the grave? If God really is a great God, to do anything less than defeat death would be grossly underachieving. If God really cares about his people, to do anything less than save them from their worst enemy, death, would call His love into question.
There were eyewitnesses who saw the resurrected Christ and ate and drank with him. Those witnesses are dead now, but the testimony of those witnesses was written down, we have it in the Bible. Of course, not everyone recognizes the Bible as inspired Holy Writ as we do. It’s easy to see why the skeptics are skeptical. But how does one explain that in a time and place that produced “Messiahs by the sack full” only one is said to have been raised from the tomb, only one is remembered today? If Jesus’ resurrection was faked, why did those who supposedly conspired with him and claimed to have seen him alive go happily to the gruesome deaths of martyrs if they knew Jesus was in fact dead? The only explanation is that they knew him to be alive beyond the shadow of a doubt alive.
I admit it; it is not easy to believe in Jesus. It’s harder to believe than not to. It’s easy to understand why some people won’t make the effort. Believers sometimes envy non-believers. They imagine it would be nice to live without all the commitments faith brings and without moral absolutes – just do whatever you like. There is great pressure on people today, especially not to believe. Faith doesn’t win us many earthly rewards like popularity or wealth.
But for those who know that Jesus lives, there’s just no ignoring it or denying it. For those who have experienced his love and grace, you’ve just got to share that with everybody. I pray that God will get that resurrection faith into everyone’s life somehow, sometime, somewhere. I pray that all the believers here today will go home affirmed and strengthened in their faith. And I especially pray that the agnostics and skeptics, and those wrestling with their faith or lack thereof, will have their hearts and minds opened to God’s Word, his Word of truth and beauty, the Word of life abundant and eternal, the Word which is Jesus Christ, crucified and risen. Amen.
Votum
P The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
C Amen.
Stand
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Prayers
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Holy Lord, mighty God, You have borne the sin of the world and given to us the promise of new and everlasting life. Receive our thanks for the glorious resurrection of Jesus, the Christ. Bring us with Him to our own joyful resurrection and the reunion of all Your saints. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bless Donald, our president, and all who make and administer our laws. Frustrate the forces of evil, and do not let our leaders cooperate with them or further their goals. Guard our armed forces as they stand watch for us at home and abroad. Let them serve with honor and integrity. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Lord, Your healing and strength are the hope of all the weary and afflicted. According to Your gracious will, give to all the sick and those who suffer healing and relief [especially _____________]. Grant them patience and hope until that day when they put on new and glorious bodies raised by Christ and receive the end of all afflictions. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, You have not let Your Holy One see corruption, but have raised Him in triumph from the dead, never to die again. Therefore, our hearts are glad and we rejoice, for our flesh also dwells secure. Since You have set Him at Your right hand, lead us to set His resurrection before us at all times, that His path of life and the fullness of joy in His presence may be known to us, until we come also to the eternal pleasures at His right hand, forevermore; for You, O Father, with the Son and the Holy Spirit are one God, now and forever. Amen.
Pax Domini LSB 197
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Sit
Offertory Invitation
Remembering the words of our Lord Jesus, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Let us give now with joy and thanksgiving our gifts, tithes and offerings to the Lord.
The Organist plays as the offerings are collected
Stand
Offertory LSB 192
C Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and uphold me with Thy free spirit. Amen.
Offertory Prayer
God our Father, on this holy day [in this holy season] you give us the joy of recalling the rising of Christ to new life. Accept the offerings of your people and by these Easter mysteries, bring us to the glory of the Resurrection. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT
Preface LSB 194
P The Lord be with you.
C And with thy spirit.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them up unto the Lord.
P Let us give thanks unto the Lord, our God.
C It is meet and right so to do.
Proper Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God. And most especially are we bound to praise You on this day for the glorious resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the very Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed for us and bore the sins of the world. By His dying He has destroyed death, and by His rising again He has restored to us everlasting life. Therefore with Mary Magdalene, Peter and John, and with all the witnesses of the resurrection, with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus LSB 195
C Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
heav’n and earth are full of Thy glory.
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is He, blessed is He, blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
The Words of Our Lord
P On the night, in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples saying, take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the same way also, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, this cup is the New Testament in my blood, shed for you and for many, for the forgiveness of sins. Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.
Lord's Prayer Invitation
Lord, remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray. . .
Lord’s Prayer
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.
Fraction
P When we eat this bread, we share the body of Christ. When we drink from this cup, we share the blood of Christ.
C Reveal yourself to us, O Lord, in the breaking of bread as once you revealed yourself to your Apostles. Amen.
Agnus Dei
C O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.
O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.
O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, grant us Thy peace. Amen.
Sit
Distribution
The pastor and those who assist him receive the body and blood of Christ first and then distribute them to those who come to receive, saying:
Take, eat; this is the true body of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, given into death for your sins.
Amen.
Take, drink; this is the true blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, shed for the forgiveness of your sins.
Amen.
Stand
In dismissing the communicants, the following is said:
The Dismissal LSB 199
P The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen and preserve you in body and soul to life everlasting. Depart T in peace.
C Amen.
Nunc Dimittis LSB 199
C Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word,
for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people,
a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Thy people Israel.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Thanksgiving 200
A O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good,
C and His mercy endureth forever.
Salutation LSB 201
P The Lord be with you.
C And with thy spirit.
Post Communion Prayer
P We give you thanks, almighty God, that you have refreshed us through the healing power of this gift of life; and we pray that in your mercy you would strengthen us, through this gift in faith toward you and in fervent love toward one another; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.
C Amen.
Benediction LSB 202
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and T give you peace.
C Amen, amen, amen.
474 Alleluia! Jesus Is Risen LSB 474
1
Alleluia!
Jesus
is risen!
Trumpets
resounding
in glorious light!
Splendor,
the
Lamb,
Heaven
forever!
Oh,
what a miracle God has in sight! Refrain
ref
Jesus
is risen and we shall arise:
Give
God the glory! Alleluia!
2
Walking
the way,
Christ
in the center
Telling
the story to open our eyes;
Breaking
our
bread,
Giving
us glory:
Jesus
our blessing, our constant surprise. Refrain
3
Jesus
the vine,
We
are the branches;
Life
in the Spirit the fruit of the tree;
Heaven
to earth,
Christ
to the people,
Gift
of the future now flowing to me. Refrain
4
Weeping,
be
gone;
Sorrow,
be silent:
Death
put asunder, and Easter is bright.
Cherubim
sing:
“O
grave, be open!”
Clothe
us in wonder, adorn us in light. Refrain
5
City
of God,
Easter
forever,
Golden
Jerusalem, Jesus the Lamb,
River
of life,
Saints
and archangels,
Sing
with creation to God the I AM! Refrain
Text:
Herbert F. Brokering, 1926–2009
Text:
© 1995
Augsburg
Fortress. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License
no. 110004199
CLOSING RESPONSE
P Go in Peace! Serve the Lord!
C Praise be to God!
Acknowledgments
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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