Easter Sunday Bulletin

Happy Easter! Thank you for joining us for worship! Wherever you are, we invite you to create space for worship, both in your physical space and in your heart — perhaps light a candle or fill a bowl with water to remember your baptism, or grab a bible or hymnal, or do whatever helps you most to feel worshipful.

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Sunday, April 17, 2022 • Easter Sunday
Ministers: the people
Pastor: Day Hefner
Organist: Chrissi Bywater
Lector: Jon Knutson
Usher: Rick Fendrick
Communion assistant: Tracey Kracl
Bulletin slideshow: Crystal Callahan

Click here to see announcements and the prayer list.

GATHERING
The Holy Spirit calls us together as the people of God.

WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

THANKSGIVING FOR BAPTISM 
Alleluia! Christ is risen.
Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia!

In the waters of baptism, we have passed over from death to life with Jesus Christ, and we are a new creation. For this saving mystery, and for this water, let us bless God, who was, who is, and who is to come.

We thank you, God, for your river of life, flowing freely from your throne: through the earth, through the city, through every living thing. You rescued Noah and his family from the flood; You opened wide the sea for the Israelites. Now in these waters you flood us with mercy, and our sin is drowned forever. You open the gate of righteousness and we pass safely through. In Jesus Christ, you calm and trouble the waters. You nourish us and enclose us in safety. You call us forth and send us out. In lush and barren places, you are with us. You have become our salvation.

Now breathe upon this water and awaken your church once more. Claim us again as your beloved and holy people. Quench our thirst; cleanse our hearts; wipe away every tear. To you, our Beginning and our End, our Shepherd and Lamb, be honor, glory, praise, and thanksgiving, now and forever.
Amen.

GATHERING SONG (ELW 382) Christ Is Risen! Alleluia!

Christ is risen! Alleluia! Risen our victorious head!
Sing his praises! Alleluia! Christ is risen from the dead!
Gratefully our hearts adore him as his light once more appears;
bowing down in joy before him, rising up from griefs and tears.
Christ is risen! Alleluia! Risen our victorious head!
Sing his praises! Alleluia! Christ is risen from the dead!

Christ is risen! All the sadness of our Lenten fast is o’er;
through the open gates of gladness he returns to life once more;
death and hell before him bending see him rise, the victor now,
angels on his steps attending, glory round his wounded brow. 
Christ is risen! Alleluia! Risen our victorious head!
Sing his praises! Alleluia! Christ is risen from the dead!

Christ is risen! All the sorrow that last evening round him lay
now has found a glorious morrow in the rising of today.
See the grave its firstfruits giving, springing up from holy ground;
Christ was dead, but now is living; he was lost, but he is found. 
Christ is risen! Alleluia! Risen our victorious head!
Sing his praises! Alleluia! Christ is risen from the dead!

Christ is risen! Henceforth never death or hell shall us enthrall.
We are Christ’s, in him forever we have triumphed over all.
All the doubting and dejection of our trembling hearts have ceased;
hail the day of resurrection! Let us rise and keep the feast. 
Christ is risen! Alleluia! Risen our victorious head!
Sing his praises! Alleluia! Christ is risen from the dead!

GREETING
Alleluia!  Christ is risen!
Christ is risen indeed!  Alleluia!
Alleluia!  Christ is risen!
Christ is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

KYRIE
In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For the peace from above, and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For this holy house, and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
Amen.

CANTICLE OF PRAISE
This is the feast of victory for our God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain,
whose blood set us free to be people of God.
This is the feast of victory for our God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Power, riches, wisdom and strength,
and honor, blessing, and glory are his.
This is the feast of victory for our God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Sing with all the people of God,
and join in the hymn of all creation:
Blessing, honor, glory, and might
be to God and the Lamb forever. Amen.
This is the feast of victory for our God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
For the Lamb who was slain has begun his reign.
Alleluia.
This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

Let us pray.

God of mercy, we no longer look for Jesus among the dead, for he is alive and has become the Lord of life. Increase in our minds and hearts the risen life we share with Christ, and help us to grow as your people toward the fullness of eternal life with you, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

WORD
God speaks to us in scripture reading, preaching, and song.

FIRST READING: Acts 10:34-43
Peter began to speak to [the people]: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 

We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Word of God, word of life.
Thanks be to God.

PSALM: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
Give thanks to the Lord, for the  Lord is good; God’s mercy endures forever.
Let Israel now declare, “God’s mercy endures forever.”

The Lord is my strength and my song, and has become  my salvation.
Shouts of rejoicing and salvation echo in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the Lord acts valiantly!

The right hand of the Lord is exalted! The right hand of the Lord acts valiantly!”
I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. 

The Lord indeed punished me sorely, but did not hand me over to death.
Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter them and give thanks to the Lord.

“This is the gate of the Lord; here the righteous may enter.”
I give thanks to you, for you have answered me and you have become my salvation. 

The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
By the Lord has this been done; it is marvelous  in our eyes.

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

SECOND READING: 1 Corinthians 15:19-26
If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Word of God, word of life.
Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Alleluia, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL: Luke 24:1-12
The holy gospel according to Luke.  
Glory to you, O Lord.

On the first day of the week, at early dawn, [the women] came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” Then they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.

The gospel of the Lord. 
Praise to you, O Christ.

SERMON

HYMN OF THE DAY (ELW 380) Hallelujah! Jesus Lives!

Hallelujah!  Jesus lives! 
He is now the Living One;
from the gloomy halls of death
Christ, the conquerer, has gone,
bright forerunner to the skies
of his people, yet to rise.

Jesus lives!  Why do you weep?
Why that sad and mournful sigh?
Christ who died our brother here
lives our brother still on high,
lives forever to bestow
blessings on his church below.

Jesus lives!  And thus, my soul, 
life eternal waits for you;
joined to Christ, your living head,
where he is, you shall be too;
with the Lord, at God’s right hand,
as a victor you shall stand.

Jesus lives!  Let all rejoice.
Praise him, ransomed of the earth.
Praise him in a nobler song,
cherubim of heav’nly birth.
Praise the victor king, whose sway
sin and death and hell obey.

Hallelujah!  Angels, sing!
Join with us in hymns of praise.
Let your chorus swell the strain
which our feebler voices raise:
Glory to our God above
and on earth his peace and love!

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
On this day of resurrection joy, let us offer our prayers for ourselves, our neighbors, and our world.
A brief silence.

Renewing God, the good news of your resurrection changed the world. Give church leaders and all the baptized the same excitement as the women at the tomb, and inspire us to share your abundant life. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.

Sustaining God, your creation abounds with signs of new life in budding trees and newborn creatures. Provide fertile soil, ample sunlight, and nourishing rain for the growth of plants, and provide farmers with a plentiful harvest. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.

Sheltering God, strengthen and sustain all who support vulnerable people across the world (especially). Empower government agencies and international organizations that provide for refugees and migrants forced to leave their homelands. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.

Encouraging God, you do a new thing among us. We pray for those gripped by fear and anxiety or who suffer in any way (especially). Send us as your healing presence to places of hunger, pain, illness, or overwhelming sorrow. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.

Surprising God, you offer endless ways for us to delight in your grace. Give this community of faith a sense of joy and wonder in exploring new avenues of faith formation, worship, and discipleship. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.

Resurrecting God, you make us alive in Christ. Thank you for blessing us with faithful witnesses who now rest in you (especially). Merciful God,
receive our prayer.

We offer to you these petitions and those we carry in our hearts, trusting in your abundant and ever-present mercy.
Amen.

PEACE
The peace of Christ be with you always.  
And also with you.

MEAL
God feeds us with the presence of Jesus Christ.

OFFERING
There are many ways to make your offering:

• Checks may be mailed or dropped off at the church
• Ask your bank about setting up automatic giving
• Make a secure offering online by clicking on the button below (opens up our Tithe.ly giving page in a new window)

OFFERING PRAYER
Living God, you gather the wolf and the lamb to feed together in your peaceable reign, and you welcome us all at your table. Reach out to us through this meal, and show us your wounded and risen body, that we may be nourished and believe in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.

GREAT THANKSGIVING

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

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

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

PREFACE

It is indeed right, our duty and our joy… we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

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

THANKSGIVING AT THE TABLE
With this bread and cup… we proclaim the mystery of faith:
Christ has died.  Christ is risen.  Christ will come again.

O God of resurrection and new life… grace our table with your presence.
Come, Holy Spirit.

Reveal yourself to us… send us forth burning with justice, peace, and love.
Come, Holy Spirit.

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.

INVITATION TO COMMUNION
Taste and see that the Lord is good.

COMMUNION
All are welcome at the Lord’s table, whether Lutheran or not.  Ushers will invite you up by household to take communion at the table. Wine and juice are available.

COMMUNION SONG (ELW 393) A Hymn of Glory Let Us Sing

A hymn of glory let us sing!
New hymns throughout the world shall ring:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Christ, by a road before untrod,
ascends unto the throne of God.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

The holy apostolic band
upon the Mount of Olives stand,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
and with his faithful foll’wers see
their Lord ascend in majesty.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

To whom the shining angels cry,
“Why stand and gaze upon the sky?”
Alleluia! Alleluia!
“This is the Savior!” thus they say,
“this is his glorious triumph day!”
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

“You see him now, ascending high
up to the portals of the sky.”
Alleluia! Alleluia!
“Hereafter Jesus you shall see
returning in great majesty.”
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

O risen Christ, ascended Lord,
all praise to you let earth accord:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
You are, while endless ages run,
with Father and with Spirit one.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

POST-COMMUNION BLESSING

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

Let us pray.

We give you thanks, generous God, for in this bread and cup we have tasted the new heaven and earth where hunger and thirst are no more. Send us from this table as witnesses to the resurrection, that through our lives, all may know life in Jesus’ name.
Amen.

SENDING
God blesses us and sends us in mission to the world.

SENDING SONG (ELW 385) Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing!

Good Christian friends, rejoice and sing!
Now is the triumph of our king!
To all the world glad news we bring:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

The Lord of life is ris’n this day;
death’s mighty stone is rolled away;
let all the earth rejoice and say:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Praise we in songs of victory
that love, that life which cannot die,
and sing with hearts uplifted high:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Your name we bless, O risen Lord,
and sing today with one accord,
the life laid down, the life restored:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

BLESSING
God, the Author of life, Christ, the living Cornerstone, and the life-giving Spirit of adoption, bless you now and forever.
Amen.

DISMISSAL
Alleluia! Christ is risen.
Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Go in peace. Tell what God has done.
Thanks be to God.