Worship for Easter 2

Friday after the Resurrection of our Lord

April 25, 2014

He is Risen. He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

Well, my Worship Notes are returning. As is often the case, I have to trim some activities during the days leading up to the Resurrection of our Lord, and these notes are typically one of those activities. However, if you want to get a sense of what happened, you can always listen the the sermons given throughout the week by going to the sermon page. It can be found on the right-hand side of this blog's page.

This coming Sunday is the Second Sunday of Easter. The Easter season actually has seven Sundays. Don’t forget to read the lead article in the May newsletter for some ideas about how you can continue the celebration of Easter throughout the Easter season.

For our liturgy Sunday we will use Divine Service, first setting (page 151). All the festive features that were removed for Lent will return. This includes the canticles “This is the Feast” and “Thank the Lord.” Our hymns will also reflect the joy of the season. Our opening hymn will be “All You Works of God, Bless the Lord” (LSB 930). The sermon hymn will be “At the Name of Jesus” (LSB 512). Our closing hymn will be “Sent Forth by God’s Blessing” (LSB 643). Our distribution hymns will be “Jesus Christ Is Risen Today) (LSB 457), “He’s Risen, He’s Risen” (LSB 480) and “Jesus Lives! The Victory’s Won” (LSB 490). As you can tell from the fact that we have distribution hymns, we will celebrate the Lord’s Supper Sunday. You may prepare by re-reading what the Small Catechism has to say about this blessed Sacrament.

The assigned lections for Sunday are Acts 5:29–42; 1 Peter 1:3–9; and John 20:19–31. The sermon is titled “Walking the Walk.” The text is Acts 5:29.

In our prayers this week we will include the Lutheran Malaria Initiative. We have been making wonderful progress against this disease in sub-Saharan Africa, but much more remains to do.

After our worship service Sunday, our Church Council will meet.

Sunday evening, beginning at 6:30, our book club, LitWits, will meet. They will be discussing the book An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 by Jim Murphy. You can read a bit more about the book in a post I made earlier this week.

Below is a video of First Baptist Church choir and congregation of Ashville singing our opening hymn, “All You Works of God, Bless the Lord.” They even have a small orchestra. What they might not know is that the words are taken from the Apocrypha.

Our Sunday morning Bible hour begins at 9:00 am. We continue with Colossians.

Below is the summary of the lessons provided by the LCMS.

Christ Jesus Breathes His Spirit and His Life into Us

by the Ministry of the Gospel

The crucified and risen Lord Jesus establishes the ministry of the Gospel in order to bestow His life-giving Holy Spirit and His peace upon the Church. To those who are called and ordained to this office, and to those whom they serve in His name, He grants the Holy Absolution of all sins. By the fruits of His cross, He replaces fear and doubt with peace and joy, and thus gives “repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins” (Acts 5:31). Through the preaching of His sent ones, He calls us to believe that He “is the Christ, the Son of God,” so that by such faith we “may have life in his name” (John 20:31). In His resurrection, we have the “living hope” to which we have been “born again” and by which we are guarded “for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3, 5). Until then, “though you have not seen him, you love him,” and by the mercies of God “you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory” (1 Peter 1:8).

Sunday’s Lessons

Acts 5:29-42

²⁹        But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. ³⁰The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. ³¹God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to 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.”

³³        When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. ³⁴But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. ³⁵And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. ³⁶For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. ³⁷After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. ³⁸So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; ³⁹but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, ⁴⁰and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. ⁴¹Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. ⁴²And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.

1 Peter 1:3-9

³         Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, ⁵who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, ⁷so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ⁸Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, ⁹obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

John 20:19-31

¹⁹        On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. ²¹Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” ²²And when 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 withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

²⁴        Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, 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 in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

²⁶        Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, 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; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, 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 believed.”

³⁰        Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; ³¹but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Just two more quick notes

The May newsletter has been posted on this blog. Just go the “newsletter” page, which can be found in a link on the right-hand side of this page.

As you probably know, the Portals of Prayer have arrived. Copies have been placed in your mailboxes. Extra copies are available for you to give away.

Well, I pray we will see you Sunday morning.

Easter Blessings in Christ,

Pastor John Rickert