5th Sunday of Easter – 5/03/2026
5TH SUNDAY OF EASTER
05-03-2026 10:00AM Worship (in person and online)
+ WE ANNOUNCE THE VICTORY +
THE OPENING RITE FOR EASTER 5:
L Sisters and brothers, today Jesus Christ offers you both a promise and a plea:
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in Me.”
Oh, it is easy to talk as if we believe, harder still to let true belief shape our lives.
C We confess that, in troubled times, we are often discouraged disciples,
and even the smallest trial or temptation can disrupt or disturb our faith.
L Brothers and sisters, today Jesus Christ reaches out to you with both comfort and a challenge:
“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me,”
It makes us happy and proud to say, “Jesus is Lord”, harder still to live honestly by it.
C We confess that we too often find ourselves
living lives that wander in every direction,
living lives that are not authentically Christian,
living lives that are more decay, destruction, and dying than living.
We long so much for HIS way, HIS truth, and HIS life to become our own!
L Lift up your troubled hearts this morning, turn away from your sin, stop surrendering to death and despair.
God has loved you enough to send you his very best, his own and only Son, Jesus, to die for you!
C And God continues to love us too much to let us go!
Now is the time to be newly alive, truly alive, fully alive, and eternally alive through Jesus Christ!
OPENING SONG: “I Know that My Redeemer Lives” Tan #276
CELEBRATION OF NEW LIFE IN CHRIST:
L Friends, once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you
have received mercy. Through Jesus Christ you have become a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s
own people, that you may proclaim the mighty acts of God’s love. I invite you to help celebrate here and now the
presence, peace, power, and promises of Jesus Christ by turning to a neighbor, making the sign of the cross on their
forehead, saying and believing —
C “Receive [+] the sign of the cross. Because HE died, YOU are alive!”
THE PEACE GREETING… We share the peace, love, and forgiveness of the RISEN CHRIST!
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 ):
Great and loving God, I want to let your Son Jesus Christ show me the way, tell me the truth, and give me life.
Lead me and guide me to a place in your Kingdom, both now and forever. Amen.
+ WE PROCLAIM GOD’S SAVING WORD +
FIRST READING: ACTS 7:55-60
[Stephen is not afraid of “falling” for THE TRUTH.]
SECOND READING: 1 PETER 2:2-10
[Christians stand on the solid rock of THE LIFE that is Jesus!]
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…”
THE HOLY GOSPEL: JOHN 14:1-14
[In life and in death, Jesus is THE WAY!]
SONG SELECTION: ALL SAINTS CHOIR
THE SERMON: Pastor Gwen or Pastor Neil
SONG RESPONSE: “Ain’t-a That Good News” Tan #592
AN AFFIRMATION OF OUR FAITH (The Apostles’ Creed):
L Living in the joy and the power of the Risen Lord, let us boldly confess our faith…
C I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and
born of the virgin Mary. He 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, and is seated at the
right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the
resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
THE PRAYERS… We pray that all people might be transformed by the GOOD NEWS of Easter!
+ WE SHARE GOD’S NOURISHING MEAL +
TITHES (10% giving) AND GIFTS
Let us give to declare and to share that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life for a searching world. Those in the Sanctuary can put their offering in the offering plate. Those farther away can: mail a check or money order to St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2169 74th Avenue, Philadelphia,
PA 19138… or contribute online through bit.ly/stpetersgiving and set up a one-time donation
or a recurring weekly gift to the categories you select… or text Give+ at 833-914-0896 and follow the instructions for 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! [sing this line 3 times]
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! We dedicate our gifts and our lives
to drying tears and sharing good news of peace. Make us bold and eager witnesses to others of 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! You may come up by the center
and kneel or stand at the altar. Get an empty glass as you come up if you want wine from the chalice; we will also have a tray of poured glasses of grape juice at the altar. You may return to your seats by the side aisles. TO GIVE US LIFE, HE WAS WILLING TO DIE! WHEN WE EAT THIS BREAD AND DRINK THIS CUP, WE REMEMBER HIS DEATH… PROCLAIM HIS RESURRECTION… AND LOOK FORWARD TO HIS RETURN.
COMMUNION SONGS: Tan #573 Tan #377
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… Leave with a message upon your heart, on your lips, and revealed through your daily living!
Go in the faith-filled power of the Risen Lord (+) to love God and to serve your neighbor in all that you do.
CLOSING SONG: “When We All Get to Heaven” Tan #594