04.19.2020

Welcome

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Below you will find prayers, songs, readings, and a message to help you experience worship. You can light a candle, like we do at church, to remind you of the presence of the Holy Spirit. You can have a bowl of water in the vicinity to remind you of your baptism, and to use during the ‘Thanksgiving for Baptism’ portion of worship. Whether you are alone or with others, we hope that you can feel each other’s presence, and the presence of God, as we find creative ways to worship together, even though we are not in the same building. One good thing about virtual worship is that if you really like a song, you can listen to it again! Do what you need to do to worship God wherever you are.

Thanksgiving for Baptism

Read these words to yourself our out loud. Mark the sign of the cross on your hand or forehead or in the air space in front of you. If you are with other people, you can mark the sign of the cross for each other.

Alleluia! Christ is risen. Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia! We give you thanks, holy and gracious God, for you created the waters of the earth: oceans, streams, lakes, and rivers. You led your people through the sea and called them to life in covenant with you. Your Son was baptized in the river Jordan to begin his mission among us. You pour out your Holy Spirit to renew the all of the earth. Through this water remind us of the gift of baptism. Renew us in your promise so that we may serve this world in all its need; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Opening Song Celebrate Jesus

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Celebrate Jesus celebrate. Celebrate Jesus celebrate. Celebrate Jesus celebrate. Celebrate Jesus celebrate

He is risen He is risen. And He lives forevermore. He is risen He is risen. Come on and celebrate. The resurrection of our Lord.

Prayer of the Day

Almighty and eternal God, the strength of those who believe and the hope of those who doubt, may we, who have not seen, have faith in you and receive the fullness of Christ’s blessing, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Reading 1 Peter 1:3-9

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³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, ⁵who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, ⁷so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ⁸Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, ⁹for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Anthem How he loves us

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Children’s Moment

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Reading and Message John 20:19-31

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¹⁹When 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 Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” ²²When 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 retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

²⁴But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, 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 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.”
²⁶A 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.” ²⁷Then 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.” 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 come to believe.”

³⁰Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. ³¹But 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.

Hymn of the Day We Walk by Faith

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We walk by faith and not by sight; with gracious words draw near, O Christ, who spoke as none e’er spoke: “My peace be with you here.”

We may not touch your hands and side, nor follow where you trod; but in your promise we rejoice, and cry, “My Lord and God!”

Help then, O Lord, our unbelief; and may our faith abound to call on you when you are near and seek where you are found:

For you, O resurrected Lord, are found in means divine: beneath the water and the word, beneath the bread and wine.

And when our life of faith is done, in realms of clearer light we may behold you as you are, with full and endless sight.

Apostles’ Creed

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With the whole church, let us confess our faith.

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

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Praying in our homes while gathered together in the Spirit of Christ, we ask God to bestow peace upon a needy world.

Faithful God, we pray for the church around the world. Enter into our separate houses with your gift of peace. Guard the health of your church and unite us also in the hope of life in the Risen Christ. Protect the church, O God, for we take refuge in you.

Creating God, we pray for the earth that you have given into our care. As human society is quieted by sickness, give your plants and animals, lands and seas, a time to renew and replenish themselves. Nurture the fields that will supply our food. Protect the earth, O God, for we take refuge in you.

Righteous God, we pray for the nations. Give peace to our troubled world. Bless the efforts of the United Nations and the World Health Organization. Strengthen democracies. Bring an end to violence between nations, across borders, within countries, between gangs, and inside homes. Uphold the governors of our land. Bless our country with integrity in government, attention to the needy, persistence in facing the pandemic, and wisdom in proceeding into an unknown future. Protect the nations, O God,for we take refuge in you.

Compassionate God, we pray for all in any need. Comfort the bereaved. Accompany all people who are sick, especially those who have contracted the coronavirus. Visit the homes of all who are isolated, and hold the lonely and fearful in your arms. Grant your peace to the millions of unemployed; give them food for today and hope for tomorrow. Help us find a home for refugees. Support medical care workers in their endless and sometimes fruitless tasks of attending to the pandemic patients. Provide needed medical supplies for hospitals. Protect the needy, O God, for we take refuge in you.

Gracious God, we pray for children and youth. Shelter them from all sickness. Keep homebound children safe from hunger and abuse. Nurture teenagers with a vision of life beyond this pandemic. Give them assurance as they are separated physically from friends and mentors. Give to all children and youth forbearance beyond their years. Protect children and youth, O God, for we take refuge in you.

Loving God, we pray for ourselves. Renew our spirits with the living hope of Christ’s resurrection, and hear also the private petitions of our hearts. Protect us, O God, for we take refuge in you.

Eternal God, we praise you for the lives of all who have died in the faith, free us from the fear of death, and bring us at our end with all the saints into the joy of your presence. Protect your people, O God, for we take refuge in you.

With bold confidence in your peace which passes human understanding, we offer these prayers in the name of Jesus Christ, our Risen Lord, now and forever. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.

Sending Song Alleluia! Jesus is Risen!

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Alleluia! Jesus is risen! Trumpets resounding in glorious light! Splendor, the Lamb, heaven forever! Oh, what a miracle God has in sight!