4TH SUNDAY OF EASTER / MOTHER’S DAY – May 11, 2025

4TH SUNDAY OF EASTER / MOTHER’S DAY
05-11-2025 10:00AM “Hybrid” Worship

+ WE ANNOUNCE THE VICTORY +

OPENING SONG: “Lead Me, Guide Me” Brown #70
OPENING RITE FOR EASTER 4 (with PSALM 23):
L Celebrate with me, Easter People, that Jesus Christ, the Lamb who was slain,
C is risen and alive!
L Jesus Christ, the Lamb who was slain,
C is triumphant and glorified!
L Jesus Christ, the Lamb who was slain,
C is the Shepherd of our lives!
L Therefore we are full of confidence –
C THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD.
L And we experience his care –
C HE MAKES ME LIE DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES.
L He offers us healing –
C HE LEADS ME BESIDE STILL WATERS, HE RESTORES MY SOUL.
L He gives us direction and security –
C HE LEADS ME IN RIGHT PATHS FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE.
L He is our faith and our trust –
C THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, I SHALL FEAR NO EVIL;
FOR YOU ARE WITH ME.
L He is our blessed assurance –
C YOUR ROD AND YOUR STAFF COMFORT ME.
L He offers us an amazing feast –
C YOU PREPARE A TABLE BEFORE ME IN THE PRESENCE OF MY ENEMIES.
L He consecrates us to be his –
C YOU ANOINT MY HEAD WITH OIL.
L He shows us the joy of abundant living –
C MY CUP OVERFLOWS.
L In Jesus we will find our present and our future, always and forever –
C SURELY GOODNESS AND MERCY SHALL FOLLOW ME ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE;
AND I WILL DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD FOREVER! HALELUJAH!
SONG OF PRAISE: “Lord, I lift your name on high, Lord, I love to sing your praises.
I’m so glad you’re in my life, I’m so glad you came to save us.
You came from heaven to earth to show the way;
from the earth to the cross, my debt to pay;
from the cross to the grave, from the grave to the sky; Lord, I lift your name on high!”

THE PRAYER OF THE DAY (together):
Jesus my Shepherd, I listen for your voice in good times and bad, in sickness and in health, in joy and in
sorrow. Please lead me and guide me to walk the right paths of daily life, living faithfully and loving fervently
and trusting your promise to never let me go. Amen.

+ WE PROCLAIM GOD’S SAVING WORD +

FIRST READING: ACTS 9:36-43
[Tabitha / Dorcas, a faithful “shepherd” serving widows, is miraculously healed from death back to life!]
SECOND READING: REVELATION 7:9-17

[A vision of the Lamb who was slain, triumphant on heaven’s throne… and leading the faithful to waters of life!]
GOSPEL VERSE: “Oh, how He loves you and me. Oh, how He loves you and me.
He gave His life, what more can He give?
OH, HOW HE LOVES YOU; OH, HOW HE LOVES ME;

OH, HOW HE LOVES YOU AND ME!

Jesus to Calv’ry did go, His love for this world to show.
What He did there brought hope from despair…”
GOSPEL READING: JOHN 10:22-30
[Jesus identifies himself both as one with God and also as the Good Shepherd who gives his followers new and everlasting life.]
SONG SELECTION: ALL SAINTS CHOIR
TODAY’S SERMON: Janice Henderson, Mariah Morris, Mary Ann Evans
A SONG RECORDING: “23rd PSALM (dedicated to my mother)” Bobby McFerrin
THE PRAYERS… We pray that all people might be transformed by the GOOD NEWS of Easter!
+ WE SHARE GOD’S NOURISHING MEAL +

OFFERING [If Jesus is our Shepherd, let us tenderly love others like he does! Give gratefully and generously!]
Those in the Sanctuary can put their offering in the offering plate to share their gratitude and their
generosity in response to Christ’s love. Those who are farther away might: mail a check or money
order to St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2169 74th Avenue, Philadelphia, PA
19138… contribute online through bit.ly/stpetersgiving and set up a one-time donation or a
recurring weekly gift to selected categories… or text Give+ at 833-914-0896 and follow the
instructions to register and record your contribution. God has blessed us to be a blessing!
SONG SELECTION: ALL SAINTS CHOIR
THE OFFERTORY SONG: “Get all excited, go tell ev’rybody that Jesus Christ is King!
Get all excited, go tell ev’rybody that Jesus Christ is King!
Get all excited, go tell ev’rybody that Jesus Christ is King!
Jesus Christ is still the King of kings, the King of kings!”

OFFERING PRAYER led by the Communion Assistant:
O God, it is only by your amazing grace that we are Easter-alive today! Now give us the bold confidence
and the passionate love to dry tears, to lift up broken hearts, and to testify with our gifts and our lives that
there is NEW LIFE IN CHRIST. Amen.
THE PREFACE… We prepare to celebrate the LORD’S SUPPER with humble joy!
L The Lord be with you. C And also with you.
L Lift up your hearts! C We lift them up in love for God!
L Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. C It is right to give God our thanks and praise.
L The Lord delivers us from sin and death… C … and grants us salvation and eternal life!
L [continues the Preface]… we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
C [singing…] “Holy, holy, holy, holy,
holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!
and we lift our hearts before you as a token of our love,
holy, holy, holy, holy.
Precious Jesus, precious Jesus,
We’re so glad that you redeemed us, precious Jesus…
Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit,
come and fill our hearts anew, O Holy Spirit…”
THE EUCHARISTIC WORDS by the Celebrant, who recalls and re-enacts Jesus’ Holy Meal.

THE LORD’S PRAYER
COMMUNION AND BLESSINGS… All believers in Christ are welcome at the Lord’s Table! We will have “continuous
distribution” with wafers and the option of wine or grape juice. TO GIVE US LIFE, HE WAS WILLING TO DIE!
COMMUNION SONGS: Brown #119 Brown #254
THE COMMUNION BLESSING by the Celebrant after all have communed.
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER by the Communion Assistant.

+ WE ARE SENT TO SHOW AND TELL +

THE BENEDICTION:
L Leave with a message upon your heart, on your lips, revealed through your daily living: I have seen the Lord!
Go in the faith-filled power of the Risen Lord (+) to love God and to serve your neighbor in all that you do!
C (singing…) “A-MEN! A-MEN! A—MEN!”
CLOSING SONG: “Because He Lives” Brown #93