Welcome & Announcements

Prelude

Thanksgiving for Baptism:
Blessed be the holy Trinity, + one God, by whose hands we are given new birth, by whose speaking we are given new life.
Amen.

Joined to Christ in the waters of baptism, we are welcomed, restored, and supported as citizens of the new creation. Let us give thanks for the gift of baptism.

Holy God, holy and merciful, holy and mighty, you are the river of life, you are the everlasting wellspring.

In mercy and might you have freed us from death and raised us with Jesus, the firstborn of the dead.  In baptismal waters our life is washed away, and in them we are born anew.

Glory to you for oceans and lakes, for rivers and streams. Honor to you for waters that wash us clean, quench our thirst, and nurture both crops and creatures. Praise to you for the life-giving water of baptism, the outpouring of the Spirit of the new creation.

Wash away our sin and all that separates us from you. Empower our witness to your resurrection. Strengthen our resolve in seeking justice for all.

Satisfy the world’s need through this living water.  Where drought dries the earth, bring refreshment. Where despair prevails, grant hope.  Where chaos reigns, bring peace.  We ask this through Christ, who with you and the Spirit reigns forever.
Amen.

Opening Hymn: ELW 522 “As We Gather at Your Table”
As we gather at your table, as we listen to your word,
help us know, O God, your presence; let our hearts and minds be stirred.
Nourish us with sacred story till we claim it as our own;
teach us through this holy banquet how to make Love’s vict’ry known.

Turn our worship into witness in the sacrament of life;
send us forth to love and serve you, bringing peace where there is strife.
Give us, Christ, your great compassion to forgive as you forgave;
may we still behold your image in the world you died to save.

Gracious Spirit, help us summon other guests to share that feast
where triumphant Love will welcome those who had been last and least.
There no more will envy blind us nor will pride our peace destroy,
as we join with saints and angels to repeat the sounding joy.

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

Hymn of Praise:
Glory to God in the highest, and peace to God’s people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father.
Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.  for you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, withh thhe Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father.  Amen

Prayer of the Day:
Let us pray.
O God, your Son makes himself known to all his disciples in the breaking of bread.  Open the eyes of our faith, that we may see him in his redeeming work, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

First Reading: 1 Peter 1:17-23
¹⁷If 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. ¹⁸You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, ¹⁹but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. ²⁰He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. ²¹Through 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. ²²Now 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. ²³You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation:
Alleluia. Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia.

Gospel Reading: Luke 24:13-35
This is the Holy Gospel according to Luke, the 24^th chapter.
Glory to you, O Lord.

¹³Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, ¹⁴and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. ¹⁵While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, ¹⁶but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. ¹⁷And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. ¹⁸Then 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?” ¹⁹He 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, ²⁰and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. ²¹But 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. ²²Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, ²³and 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. ²⁴Some 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.” ²⁵Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! ²⁶Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” ²⁷Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. ²⁸As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. ²⁹But 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. ³⁰When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. ³¹Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. ³²They 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?” ³³That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. ³⁴They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” ³⁵Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.

Children’s Message

Sermon

Hymn of the Day: ELW 377 “Alleluia! Jesus Is Risen!”
Alleluia! Jesus is risen! Trumpets resounding in glorious light!
Splendor, the Lamb, heaven forever! Oh, what a miracle God has in sight!

Jesus is risen and we shall rise. Give God the glory! Alleluia!

Walking the way. Christ in the center Telling the story to open our eyes;
Breaking our bread, giving us glory; Jesus our blessing, our constant surprise.

Jesus is risen and we shall rise. Give God the glory! Alleluia!

Jesus the vine, we are the branches; Life in the Spirit the fruit of the tree;
Heaven to earth, Christ to the people, Gift of the future now flowing to me.

Jesus is risen and we shall rise. Give God the glory! Alleluia!

Weeping, be gone; sorrow, be silent; Death put asunder, and Easter is bright.
Cherubim sing: O grave, be open! Clothes us in wonder, adorn us in light

Jesus is risen and we shall rise. Give God the glory! Alleluia!

Apostle’s Creed:
Let us confess our faith using the 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:
United in the hope and joy of the resurrection, let us pray for the church, the world, and all in need.

Prayers continue with each petition ending:

Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.

Rejoicing in the victory of Christ’s resurrection, we lift our prayers and praise to you, almighty and eternal God; through Jesus Christ our risen Lord.
Amen

Sharing of the Peace:
May the peace of the Lord be with you always.
And also with you.

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

Offertory Hymn:
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and up-hold me with your free spirit.

Offering Prayer:
Let us pray.
Generous God, in this meal you offer your very self.  We give thanks for these gifts of the earth. In the breaking of this bread reveal to us the Risen One.  In the pouring of this wine pour us out in service to the world; through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

The Great Thanksgiving:
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God, for the glorious resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ, the true Paschal Lamb who gave himself to take away our sin; who in dying has destroyed death, and in rising has brought us to eternal life.  And so, with Mary Magdalene and Peter and all the witnesses of the resurrection, with the earth and sea and all their creatures, and with the angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, Lord God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the  Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

Holy God, mighty Lord, gracious Father:
Endless is your mercy and eternal your reign.
You have filled all creation with light and life;
heaven and earth are full of your glory.

We praise you for the grace shown to your people in every age:
the promise to Israel, the rescue from Egypt,
the gift of the promised land, the words of the prophets;
and, at this end of all the ages, the gift of your Son,
who proclaimed the good news in word and deed
and was obedient to your will, even to giving his life.

In the night in which he was betrayed,
our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks;
broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take and eat; this is my body, given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.

Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks,
and gave it for all to drink, saying:
This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this for the remembrance of me.

For as often as we eat of this bread and drink from this cup,
we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

Therefore, O God, with this bread and cup
we remember the life our Lord offered for us.
And, believing the witness of his resurrection,
we await his coming in power
to share with us the great and promised feast.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Send now, we pray, your Holy Spirit,
that we who share in Christ’s body and blood
may live to the praise of your glory
and receive our inheritance with all your saints in light.
Amen. Come, Holy Spirit.

Join our prayers with those of your servants of every time and every place, and unite them with the ceaseless petitions of our great high priest until he comes as victorious Lord of all. Through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, almighty Father, now and forever.
Amen.

Lord’s Prayer:
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us 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.

Invitation to Communion:
Come and know Christ, broken and poured out for you.

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; grant us peace, grant us peace.

Communion

Table Blessing:
The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
Amen.

Post-Communion Canticle:
O Lord, now let your servant depart in heavenly peace,
for I have seen the glory of your redeeming grace:
a light to lead the nations unto your holy hill,
the glory of your people, your chosen Israel.

Post-Communion Prayer:
Let us pray.
Gracious God, in you we live and move and have our being.  With your word and this meal of grace, you have nourished our life together.  Strengthen us to show your love and serve the world in Jesus’ name.
Amen.

Benediction:
The God of all,  who raised + Jesus from the dead, bless you by the power of the Holy Spirit to live in the new creation.
Amen.

Sending Hymn: ELW 384 “That Easter Day with Joy was Bright”
That Easter day with joy was bright; the sun shone out with fairer light
when, to their longing eyes restored, the apostles saw their risen Lord!

O Jesus, king of gentleness, with constant love our hearts possess;
to you our lips will ever raise the tribute of our grateful praise.

O Christ, you are the Lord of all in this our Easter festival,
for you will be our strength and shield from ev’ry weapon death can wield.

All praise, O risen Lord, we give to you, once dead, but now alive!
To God the Father equal praise, and God the Spirit, now we raise!

Dismissal:
Go in peace. Serve the Risen One.
Thanks be to God!

Postlude

 

Prayer Requests:
Sandi Ritter, Robert Becker, family and friends of Alice Snyder, Rodney Neilson, family and friends of Nancy Danowsky, Bob Keifer, family and friends of Joanne Stahl, Tiffany, Gaye Stahl, Dale Strassner, Scott Clewell, Marie Tanner, Cindy Reedy, Denise Clark, Karen Aikey, Loren, Ken Criswell, Martha Ketchem, Annette Baker, Rusty, Shirley Russell, Russ Wynn, Viv Marsh, Peg Swinehart.

 

Portions reprinted from Evangelical Lutheran Worship, copyright 2006.  Used by permission of Augsburg Fortress, license #SBL09796L.  Music reprinted from the ELW, by permission of OneLicense, license #A712349.  Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.   Used by permission.