Service outline for Sunday, April 24, 2022

                                     The Second Sunday after the Resurrection

                                                                April 23, 2022

CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Almighty God,

to whom all hearts are open,

all desires known,

and from whom no secrets are hid:

cleanse the thoughts of our hearts

by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,

that we may perfectly love you

and worthily magnify your holy name,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.

Silence is kept for reflection.

Most merciful God,

we confess that we are captive to sin

and cannot free ourselves.

We have sinned against you

in thought, word, and deed,

by what we have done

and by what we have left undone.

We have not loved you

with our whole heart; we have not loved

our neighbors as ourselves.

For the sake

of your Son, Jesus Christ,

 have mercy on us.

Forgive us, renew us, and lead us,

so that we may delight in your will

and walk in your ways,

to the glory of your holy name.

Amen.

The presiding minister announces God’s forgiveness with these or similar words.

In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God forgives us all our sins. By the authority of Jesus Christ, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the ☩ Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

 

GREETING

The grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the love of God, and communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

And also with you.

 

PRAYER OF THE DAY

 

FIRST READING: Acts 5:27-32

²⁷When they had brought [the apostles], they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, ²⁸saying, "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." ²⁹But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than any human authority. ³⁰The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. ³¹God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. ³²And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him."

 

PSALM: Psalm 118:14-29

¹⁴The LORD is my strength ^| and my song,

            and has become ^| my salvation.

¹⁵Shouts of rejoicing and salvation echo in the tents ^| of the righteous:

            "The right hand of the ^| LORD acts valiantly!

¹⁶The right hand of the LORD ^| is exalted!

            The right hand of the ^| LORD acts valiantly!"

¹⁷I shall not ^| die, but live,

            and declare the works ^| of the LORD.   R

¹⁸The LORD indeed pun- ^| ished me sorely,

            but did not hand me o- ^| ver to death.

¹⁹Open for me the ^| gates of righteousness;

            I will enter them and give thanks ^| to the LORD.

²⁰"This is the gate ^| of the LORD;

            here the righ- ^| teous may enter."

²¹I give thanks to you, for you have ^| answered me

            and you have become ^| my salvation.   R

²²The stone that the build- ^| ers rejected

            has become the chief ^| cornerstone.

²³By the LORD has ^| this been done;

            it is marvelous ^| in our eyes.

²⁴This is the day that the ^| LORD has made;

            let us rejoice and be ^| glad in it.

²⁵Hosanna! ^| O LORD, save us!

            We pray to you, LORD, pros- ^| per our days!   R

²⁶Blessed is the one who comes in the name ^| of the LORD;

            we bless you from the house ^| of the LORD.

²⁷The LORD is God and has giv- ^| en us light.

            Form a procession with branches up to the corners ^| of the altar.

²⁸You are my God, and ^| I will thank you;

            you are my God, and I ^| will exalt you.

²⁹Give thanks to the LORD, for the ^| LORD is good;

            God's mercy en- ^| dures forever.   R

 

SECOND READING: Revelation 1:4-8

⁴John 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, ⁵and 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, ⁶and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

            ⁷Look! 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.

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

 

GOSPEL ACCLIMATION

 

GOSPEL: John 20:19-31

¹⁹When 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." ²⁰After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." ²²When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

            ²⁴But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵So 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."

            ²⁶A 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." ²⁷Then 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." ²⁸Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" ²⁹Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."

            ³⁰Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. ³¹But 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.

 

SERMON

 

 

APOSTLES CREED

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

 

I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, 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, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come 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

 

Prayers of Intercession

 

THANKGiving for the word

 

Praise and thanks to you Holy God, most blessed three in one.  Co-equal in majesty, co-existent in eternity, you lovingly stretched out your hands moved over the darkened waters.  Through your Word you called forth life and gave breath to bodies made of dust.  By your unmatched love you brought creation into being and made human community to reflect that love. 

For Your Word of Life, O God. we give you thanks and praise

 

You called Abraham and through him formed a nation.  You chose your people, rescued them from slavery, gave them the covenants and the everlasting promise; you gifted them to witness your saving power, be examples of freedom from slavery and set them apart to love the life you want all people to live. 

For Your Word of Life, O God.  we give you thanks and praise

 

In Jesus Christ your Word became flesh and lived among us.  He healed the sick, made the lame to walk, raised the dead and proclaimed your kingdom come.  With a love stronger then death he gave himself for us, creating a new community focused on proclaiming your love.  His life, death and resurrection is for us a glimpse of your commitment.

For Your Word of Life, O God.  we give you thanks and praise

 

Your Word founded your church, equally washed, communally based, empowered to serve you and each other.  Your Word commanded the church to make disciples of all nations and teach all that you have commanded.  Fill us that we will carry forth that command and strive to embrace our Holy Calling.  Make us instruments of your unmatched grace.   Watch over the weak and needy and be present with those who need your care.  We thank you and praise you almighty God with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God equal and eternal, now and forever.  Amen

Lord remember us in your kingdom and hear us as we pray....

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

BLESSING