Service outline for Sunday, May 3, 2026

   Welcome to worship at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church!

PRELUDE         “Christ Is Alive! Let Christians Sing”                         arr. J WM. Greene

CONFESSION AND FORGIVNESS

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.

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.

In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God       forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the church of Christ, and by his authority, 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.

 

HYMN                                        Christ is Alive! Let Christians Sing                               #389

 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.

 

KYRIE

 

HYMN OF PRAISE                    “This Joyful Eastertide”                                #391 v. 1

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Children's message

First Reading: Acts 7:55-60

55 Filled with the Holy Spirit, [Stephen] gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 57 But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. 58 Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him, and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died.

Psalm: Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16

 1 In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge; let me never be | put to shame;

  deliver me | in your righteousness.
 2 Incline your | ear to me;
  make haste to de- | liver me.
 3 Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe, for you are my crag | and my stronghold;
  for the sake of your name, lead | me and guide me.
 4 Take me out of the net that they have secretly | set for me,
  for you are my tow- | er of strength. R
 5 Into your hands I com- | mend my spirit,
  for you have redeemed me, O Lord, | God of truth.
 15 My times are | in your hand;
  rescue me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who | persecute me.
 16 Let your face shine up- | on your servant;
  save me in your | steadfast love.” R

Second Reading: 1 Peter 2:2-10

2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation—3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

  4 Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and 5 like living stones let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in scripture:
 “See, I am laying in Zion a stone,
  a cornerstone chosen and precious,
 and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
7 This honor, then, is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,
 “The stone that the builders rejected
  has become the very head of the corner,”
8 and
 “A stone that makes them stumble
  and a rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
  9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
 10 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.

 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

 

Gospel: John 14:1-14

[Jesus said to the disciples:] 1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And you know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
  8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, but if you do not, then believe because of the works themselves. 12 Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.”

 

 

 

 

 SERMON

 

 

HYMN                                                        Hallelujah! Jesus Lives                                            #380

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 THE PEOPLE, PEACE, OFFERING

GREAT THANKSGIVING

 

SANCTUS

 

COMMUNION PRAYER

 

LORD'S PRAYER

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

 

DISTRIBUTION OF COMMUNION

HYMN                                  I Received the Living God                          #477

POST COMMUNION PROCLAMATION AND PRAYER

BLESSING

HYMN             Go, My Children, with My Blessing                                               #543

 

DISMISSAL 

POSTLUDE                                       “Behold the King!”                         Lani Smith

 Liturgy and hymns printed and streamed with permission through OneLicense. A-710659