Second Sunday of Easter Worship Service

St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

2ND SUNDAY OF EASTER  –  Coronavirus

04-24-2022      10:00AM Zoom Worship

INTRODUCTION TO OUR WORSHIP:       

      In spite of the reports, the scared, frightened, and anxious disciples were still hiding. We also are still often hiding. Why were they, why are we, so afraid? What evidence do you require, what are your conditions for trusting faith and obedient service? At our worst points of failure, and when it is so hard to believe, the Risen Lord – who could burst through the tight-sealed tomb and the locked doors – can also burst through our locked minds and sealed faith.

+   WE ANNOUNCE THE VICTORY   +

OPENING SONG:        “Alleluia! Jesus Is Risen!”                                                      Brown #91

OPENING RITE FOR EASTER 2 AND THE EASTER PEACE:

L   Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Check out the “breaking news”!

That dead guy isn’t dead! Jesus Christ is risen!

C    Death could not hold him!

L   The girls say the tomb is open! The guards admit the stone is rolled away!

Some even whisper that the Lord is risen and alive! Is this “fake news” or the real deal?

C    But dead disciples still tremble behind bolted doors!

    I’ve got MY door locked! I’m hiding under the table just in case!

L   The door of the tomb is open! The grave is empty!

The buzz online and out there on the streets is that Jesus is risen and alive!

C    But denying doubters demand positive proof!

    I’M not saying NOTHING to NOBODY about this! Not a word, not a whisper from me!

L   Glory to God! Holy, holy, holy!

Death, despair, and the devil don’t have the last word!

Alleluia, get happy! Jesus is alive!

C    But how do I know? 

How can I be sure?

How can I trust?

L   Brothers and sisters, we have a message to hear and a story too tell!

Christ comes through our barricades of doubt and fear and into our locked minds and shadowed hearts to resurrect our spirits and to breathe into us new life. Thank God for the resurrection victory of Jesus Christ! Thank God for the peace of God’s forgiveness and the power of the Holy Spirit! Thank God for second chances to live the new life of Christ and to share it! I invite now you to turn to a neighbor or turn to yourself… to make the sign of the cross on the forehead… and to share these words of peace, power, and promise:

“Receive [+] the sign of the cross. Because HE died, YOU are alive!”

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:             

O God of life, we were not there to see the empty tomb, to hear the angel’s words, to touch those holed hands and that pierced side, and to feel the warm breath of the One who was crucified. But we are here together in one place – even over many miles. And we pray that you might breathe your Holy Spirit upon us, open our minds, unlock our hearts, and use our lips and our lives to share your love and to offer the good news of CHRIST ALIVE here, there, and everywhere.  Amen.

 

+   WE PROCLAIM GOD’S SAVING WORD   +

FIRST READINGACTS 5:27-32 [In spite of arrest, unwavering witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.]

5:27 When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them,

5:28 saying, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.”

5:29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.

5:30 The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree.

5:31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

5:32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”

SONG SELECTION          

SECOND READING:  REVELATION 1:4-8 [An encouraging vision of the risen Christ, firstborn of the dead.]

1:4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,

1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood,

1:6 and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

1:7 Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen.

1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

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 20:19-31 [The Easter gift of Christ’s presence, peace, power, promises.]

20:19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

20:20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

20:21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

20:22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

20:23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

20:24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.

20:25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

20:26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

20:27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.”

20:28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”

20:29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

20:30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book.

20:31 But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

THE SERMON:          Pastor Gwen or Pastor Neil

SONG SELECTION      

AN AFFIRMATION OF OUR FAITH:                           

     We believe that God graciously revealed himself in Jesus Christ,

the Light of the world,

the Word of life made flesh

God’s own Son living among us,

and yet a human just like us.

We believe that Jesus Christ willingly

shared our life, its joys and sorrows;

taught us how to love God and each other;

allowed himself to be broken at the hands of humanity;

and met his death on a cross.

We believe, even beyond our understanding, that Jesus

was resurrected from the dead;

disarmed and conquered death;

cancelled out the power of sin;

       and wiped the smile forever off of Satan’s face.

We believe that Jesus Christ is alive and well

in the Church that proclaims him;

in our lives that serve him;

in our world that needs him;

and everywhere that God’s love reaches now and forever.  Amen.

OFFERING   [Convinced that Jesus is alive and committed to his lordship in our lives, let us give gladly and generously of who we are, how we act, and what we have to go, to show and tell his forgiving love!]  

THE OFFERTORY SONG:     “I Know It Was the Blood”                                             

  • I know it was the blood… I know it was the blood…    I know it was the blood for me.

One day when I was lost, he died upon the cross…     I know it was the blood for me.

  1. It was my Savior’s blood…
  2. They pierced him in the side…
  3. He’s coming back again…

OFFERING PRAYER:                 

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, more life, eternal life in Christ.  Amen.

MUSIC SELECTION:    “Open Our Eyes”     Dennis Fortune                                                                     Brown #98          

THE PRAYERS We pray that THE WAY OF THE CROSS will continue to impact our lives and transform the world!

THE LORD’S PRAYER

+   WE ARE SENT TO SHOW AND TELL   +

THE BENEDICTION:   

L   Alleluia! Christ is risen!

C    He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

L   Leave with a message upon your heart: I have seen the Lord! 

     Leave with a message on your lips: I have seen the Lord!

Leave with a message 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!

    AMEN NOW! AMEN ALWAYS! AMEN!

CLOSING SONG:        “To God Be the Glory”                                                      Brown #264

  • To God be the glory, great things He has done; so loved He the world that He gave us his Son,

Who yielded his life an atonement for sin, and opened the life-gate that all may go in.

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice!

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice!

Oh, come to the Father through Jesus the Son,

And give Him the glory – great things He has done!

  • Oh, perfect redemption, the purchase of blood, to ev’ry believer the promise of God;

The vilest offender by grace may believe, that moment from Jesus a pardon receive.

  • Great things He has taught us, great things He has done, and great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;

But purer, and higher, and greater will be our wonder, our vict’ry when Jesus we see.