Third Sunday of Easter Worship Service | 4-23-23
St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
3RD SUNDAY OF EASTER
04-23-2023 10:00AM “Hybrid” Worship
+ WE ANNOUNCE THE EASTER VICTORY +
EASTER 3 OPENING RITE:
L Jesus is risen! Jesus is alive! Death could not hold him!
The tomb is open, the grave is empty, and there is an astounding message of hope and joy in the air!
C But dejected disciples trudge bleary eyed and dreary hearted along a dusty road.
L Jesus is risen! Jesus is alive! Jesus is both real and right here with us!
C But hearts have been broken, dreams were shattered, and lives are left empty and lonely.
L Jesus is risen! Jesus is alive! Jesus is our Messiah and the Lord of our life!
C Lord, help us to stop living as if we are the dead ones!
Meet us on that dusty road of lost causes and transform us with your resurrection power!
L May our hearts burn! May the scriptures inspire us! May the broken bread sustain us!
C Risen Lord, the good news cannot wait!
Send us up the road and down the street in a hurry to share the life-changing news with others.
Jesus is risen! Jesus is alive! Jesus is Lord! ALLELUIA!
OPENING SONG: “This Is the Day” Brown #262
- This is the day, this is the day… that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made.
We will rejoice, we will rejoice… and be glad in it, and be glad in it.
This is the day that the Lord has made… We will rejoice and be glad in it.
This is the day, this is the day… that the Lord has made.
- He is alive, He is alive… and now so am I, and now so am I.
Sing praise to Him, sing praise to Him… He forgives my sin, He forgives my sin.
He is alive and now so am I… Sing praise to Him, He forgives my sin.
He is alive, He is alive… and now so am I.
CELEBRATION OF NEW LIFE IN CHRIST:
L Followers of Jesus, we have a message to hear and a story to tell.
Let sorrow turn to joy and let shadows turn to light,
let fear turn to faith and let doubt turn to assurance,
let cowardice turn to courage and let hesitation turn to proclamation,
let death turn to life, and let there be hope when hope is gone!
I invite you to celebrate the presence, the peace, the power, and the promises of Jesus Christ by making the sign of the cross on your forehead, saying, and believing —
“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, by the cross of your Son we are redeemed from the futility of sin… by his rising we are free from the fear of death… and by his love we are made new in the living and enduring Word of God.
Open our eyes and our hearts in faith and joy. Free our tongues and our hands in witness and in love. Amen.
+ WE PROCLAIM GOD’S SAVING WORD +
FIRST READING: ACTS 2:14a, 36-41 [Peter concludes his sermon on Pentecost Day to the crowd outside: “GOOD NEWS! The One you killed offers you life!”]
2:14a: But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them,
2:36 “Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
2:37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”
2:38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
2:39 For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.”
2:40 And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”
2:41 So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.
SONG SELECTION: All Saints Choir
SECOND READING: 1 PETER 1:17-23 [The author tells those in the Christian community to live like someone who knows she or he is loved: “GOOD NEWS! Through Christ you are reborn to a living hope!”]
1:17 If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile.
1:18 You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold,
1:19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish.
1:20 He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake.
1:21 Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God.
1:22 Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart.
1:23 You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.
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: LUKE 24:13-35 [[GOOD NEWS: “The Lord has risen indeed!”]
24:13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem,
24:14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened.
24:15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them,
24:16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him.
24:17 And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad.
24:18 Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?”
24:19 He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,
24:20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him.
24:21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place.
24:22 Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning,
24:23 and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive.
24:24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.”
24:25 Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared!
24:26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?”
24:27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.
24:28 As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on.
24:29 But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them.
24:30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.
24:31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight.
24:32 They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?”
24:33 That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together.
24:34 They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!”
24:35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
THE SERMON: Pastor Gwen or Pastor Neil
SONG: “Because He Lives” Brown #93
THE PRAYERS… We pray that all people might be transformed by the GOOD NEWS of Easter!
+ We Share God’s Nourishing Meal +
OFFERING [Christ opens our hearts and our hands to believe and to share through our gifts and our daily lives!]
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 Jesus Christ are welcome at the Lord’s Table!
COMMUNION SONGS: Brown #119 Brown #220
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: “They Crucified My Savior” Brown #90