Welcome:

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

 

Litany of Doubt: Who Can Roll Away the Stone?

 

Would we be counted among the doubters hiding in the shadow cast by that cruel cross?

Or, when challenged, like Peter openly deny you?

There are times, Lord when doubts assail and the distance between us seems to increase.

There are times, Lord when sin has its hold, like a barrier between us that will not move.

Who is there we can turn to when we feel so overwhelmed? Who can roll away the stone and reveal the empty tomb?

No-one but you, Jesus, no-one but you!

 

Confession and Forgiveness:

Blessed be the holy Trinity, + one God, who forgives all our sin, whose mercy endures forever.

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.

 

Creator God, 

we confess that at times we are skeptics.  At times we doubt that you exist because of the evil we have seen in the world.  Oppression, marginalization, and plain hate still plague our world, and it is hard to see your love and light.  Sometimes, even we who bear your name do not walk in your ways.  Help us to see your goodness in this world.  Help us to know your love.  Fill us with your love and goodness, so that we might love one another, and lift up one another in faith. Amen.

 

God, who is rich in mercy, loved us even when we were paralyzed in doubt and dead in sin, and made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved. In the name of + Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven. Almighty God strengthen you with power through the Holy Spirit, that Christ may live in your hearts through faith.

Amen.

 

Prayer of the Day: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xWUabEajw68D-V3yW2hYSITNn3rG_D4B/view?usp=sharing 

Let us pray.

Into your spacious heart and loving hands, dear God, we place our fears, our “what ifs”, our spinning worlds and minds. Comfort us with the truth: no fear is too big for the Great One who is always with us. We are never alone. Calming God, bring courage. Tender Spirit, breathe peace. Gentle Jesus, be close.

Amen.

 

First Reading: Acts 2:14a, 22-32

14a But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them,

22 “You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know— 23 this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. 24 But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. 25 For David says concerning him,

    ‘I saw the Lord always before me,

        for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken;

26     therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;

        moreover my flesh will live in hope.

27     For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,

        or let your Holy One experience corruption.

28     You have made known to me the ways of life;

        you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

 

29 “Fellow Israelites, I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Foreseeing this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying,

    ‘He was not abandoned to Hades,

        nor did his flesh experience corruption.’

32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses.

 

The Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God.

 

This is the Holy Gospel according to John, the 20th chapter.

Glory to you, O Lord.

 

Gospel: John 20:19-31

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

 

Children’s Sermon

 

Sermon

 

Apostle’s 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:

http://www.pilgrimpaths.co.uk/Finger%20Labyrinth%20and%20Prayer%20Guide%20Leaflet.pdf

 

Uplifted by the promised hope of healing and resurrection, we join the people of God in all times and places in praying for the church, the world, and all who are in need.

 

. . .  Lord, in your mercy 

hear our prayer. . . 

 

With bold confidence in your love, almighty God, we place all for whom we pray into your eternal care; through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

 

Sharing of the Peace

 

Announcements 

 

Offering

https://tithe.ly/give_new/www/#/tithely/give-one-time/468062

 

Sending Litany: Seeing the Risen Christ

Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

 

We have not seen the risen Christ,
But we see him in the lives
of those transformed by grace.

 

We have not seen Jesus face-to-face,

But we have seen him in the faces
of everyone whose love encourages us.

 

We have not touched the wounds from the cross,
But we have been called 

to bring healing to the scarred of the world.

 

The Lord’s Prayer:

Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, we are bold to pray as Jesus taught us saying:

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.

 

Benediction:

May the One who brought forth Jesus from the dead raise you to new life, fill you with hope, and turn your mourning into dancing. Almighty God, Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever.

Amen.

 

Dismissal:

Alleluia, Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Christ is risen, just as he said.
Go in peace. Share the good news. Alleluia!

 

Prayer Requests:
FrankDanowsky, Marie Tanner, Sonja Noll, Irene Stark, Peg Swinehart, Alice Snyder, Greg Seibert, Harold Snyder, family and friends of Bill Krause, Colette Richards, Carlie Shaffer and baby Abi, Pat Thomas, family and friends of George Guffey, Gladys Guffey, Terry Funk, Darv Krouse, Rosemary Fernsler, Rob Lockwood, Kevin Hosey, and Rodney Heckert, Terry Smith.