The Celebration of the Gospel
April 28, 2019 — Second Sunday of Easter
Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
—John 20.19
________ We Gather as the Body of Christ______
GREETING
PRELUDE When Morning Gilds The Skies – Joseph Barnby, arr: Ovid Young
[As we listen to the music we quiet our minds and bodies,
listen for our hearts’ deepest desires,
and become present to the Holy One who is lovingly present for us.
You may light a votive candle in prayer
any time during the prelude, hymns, offering, Peace, or postlude.]
* CALL TO WORSHIP – (Revelation 1.4-8)
[John’s greeting to the churches at the beginning of his book. It opens with a greeting from God and from Christ, who has set us free and made us a nation of priests who serve God, and who is coming again.]
Leader: Grace to you and peace from the one who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before the throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead, and sovereign of the rulers of the earth.
All: To Christ, who loves us and whose blood was shed in freeing us from our sins,
and who has made us to be a nation of priests serving our God and Life-Giver,
to Christ be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Look! Christ is coming with the clouds,
for every eye to see,
even those who pierced Jesus—
on whose account all the tribes of the earth will wail.
So it is to be. Amen.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says God the Holy One,
who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
Alleluia!
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* SONG – Thine Be the Glory – Blue hymnal # 308
___________We Attend to the Word___________
(10:30) CHILDREN’S TIME
(10:30) THE WORD IN SONG
I Know That My Redeemer Liveth”, from “Messiah” – G. F. Handel.
PRAYER
God of Resurrection, Jesus stood among the frightened disciples and gave them his peace. Breathe your Peace upon us today, revive our hearts, renew our faith and fill us with your Spirit, so that we may bear witness to your love and grace in all we do. Amen.
NEW TESTAMENT – Acts 5.27-32
[During the Easter season a reading from the book of Acts replaces the Old Testament reading. In this passage, the authorities try to stop Jesus’ followers from preaching in his name, but they say “We obey God, not human authority,” and they keep right on preaching.]
When the temple police had brought the apostles, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, saying, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in the name of this Jesus, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”
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(10:30) * PSALTER – Psalm 150
[The psalm invites us to praise God with all the musical instruments (and all the other means) we can imagine. Let everything that breathes praise the Lord !]
We praise you, God! We praise you in your sanctuary.
We praise you in the swirling universe!
We praise you for your mighty deeds;
We praise you for your surpassing greatness!
We praise you with the sound of trumpets!
We praise you with lute and harp!
We praise you with tambourine and dance,
with strings and pipe!
We praise you with clanging cymbals,
with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that breathes praise the Holy One!
We praise you, God!!
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GOSPEL – John 20.19-31
[The risen Jesus comes to the disciples and breathes his spirit into them (“spirit” and “breath” being the same word in Greek). Thomas misses this and wants to see the crucified and risen Lord—wounds and all. When he does see Jesus he is overwhelmed, not by the physical proof but by Jesus’ presence.]
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 people. Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As God has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
But Thomas (who was called the Twin ), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 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.” 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.” 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.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
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.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 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.
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SERMON Rev. Jeremi Colvin
SONG O Sons and Daughters, Let Us Sing Blue hymnal # 317 v.1, 6-9
* AFFIRMATION OF FAITH – The Apostle’s Creed – Blue hymnal # 882
* SONG – Glory Be to the Father – Blue hymnal #70
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
[Anyone who wishes may share a prayer at the microphone.]
THE PRAYER OF JESUS
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. Amen.
SHARING THE PEACE OF CHRIST
_______We Are Sent in Ministry to the World____
OFFERING OUR GIFTS – Adorn Thyself, My Soul – Johannes Brahms
* OFFERING SONG – Doxology – Blue hymnal #94
* PRAYER
Gracious God, we give you our lives, symbolized in these gifts. Receive them with love, bless them with grace and use them according to your will. Send us into the world to do your will, to spread your love, to embody resurrection, for the sake of the healing of the world, in the name and the Spirit of Christ. Amen.
THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD
* SONG – Easter People, Raise your Voices – Blue hymnal # 304
* THE BLESSING AND SENDING FORTH
RESPONSE We stand and sing to our neighbors:
May the grace and peace of Christ be with you my friends.
Go and share the love of God, love that never ends.
POSTLUDE – Thanks To God for My Redeemer – John A. Hultman, arr: Roy Brunner
Pastor Steve is on a personal retreat this weekend. Thanks to our guest preacher today, Rev. Jeremi Colvin.