| Prelude Greeting and Welcome Lighting of the Candles Hymn of Invocation – Alleluia! Let Praises Ring (LSB 822) Alleluia! Let praises ring! To God the Father let us bring Our songs of adoration. To Him through everlasting days Be worship, honor, pow’r, and praise, Whose hand sustains creation. Singing, ringing: holy, holy, God is holy; spread the story Of our God, the Lord of glory. Alleluia! Let praises ring! Unto the Lamb of God we sing, In whom we are elected. He bought His Church with His own blood, He cleansed her in that blessèd flood, And as His bride selected. Holy, holy is our union And communion. His befriending Gives us joy and peace unending.
Alleluia! Let praises ring! Unto the Holy Ghost we sing For our regeneration. The saving faith in us He wrought And us unto the Bridegroom brought, Made us His chosen nation. Glory! Glory! Joy eternal, Bliss supernal; there is manna And an endless, glad hosanna. Alleluia! Let praises ring! Unto our triune God we sing; Blest be His name forever! With angel hosts let us adore And sing His praises evermore For all His grace and favor! Singing, ringing: holy, holy, God is holy; spread the story Of our God, the Lord of glory! + Preparation + Invocation P: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen. Opening Sentences P: Alleluia! Christ is risen! C: He is risen indeed! Alleluia! P: God raised Jesus from the dead C: and gave Him honor and glory. P: We place our faith in Him, C: and we place our hope in His resurrection. Confession and Absolution – 1 Peter 1:24-25 P: As human beings, we inherited futile ways and deeds. We were born in sin, and we daily sin much. Though we may try to do what is right, we always fall short, burdened by mistakes and the weight of sin. Yet, our heavenly Father invites us to draw near, confess our sins, and long to hear His living and abiding Word. Silence for reflection. P: Heavenly Father, C: we have not been pure of heart and mind and soul. We have not obeyed Your truth. We have not loved one another as we should. Forgive us for our futility, renew us by Your resurrection, and lead us back to the lives You want for us, on account of Jesus. Amen. P: “The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” That Word of God tells us clearly that almighty God, in His mercy, has given His Son to die and rise for you, and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen. We are purified because of the precious blood of Jesus. + Word + Introit for The Third Sunday of Easter P: Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! C: It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! P: It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore All: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen P: Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! Salutation and Prayer of the Day P: The Lord be with you. C: And also with you. P: Let us pray. O God, through the humiliation of Your Son You raised up the fallen world. Grant to Your faithful people, rescued from the peril of everlasting death, perpetual gladness and eternal joys; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen. First Reading – 1 Samuel 4:1–11 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines. They encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped at Aphek. The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and when the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of battle. And when the troops came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here from Shiloh, that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.” So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. As soon as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded. And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, “What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” And when they learned that the ark of the Lord had come to the camp, the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight.” So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home. And there was a very great slaughter, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died. P: This is the Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God. Epistle – 1 Peter 1:17–25 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for your sake, who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you. P: This is the Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God. Holy Gospel – Luke 24:13–35 P: The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the twenty-fourth chapter. C: Glory to You, O Lord. That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But 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 happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. P: This is the Gospel of the Lord. C: Praise to You, O Christ. Apostles' Creed I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, His 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 into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life + everlasting. Amen. Children’s Hymn – How Majestic is Your Name O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth! O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth! O Lord, we praise Your name. O Lord, we magnify Your name, Prince of Peace, Mighty God, O Lord, God Almighty. (Repeat) Children’s Sermon – Stephanie Chapa Hymn of the Day – Holy God, We Praise Thy Name (LSB 940) Holy God, we praise Thy name; Lord of all, we bow before Thee. All on earth Thy scepter claim, All in heav’n above adore Thee. Infinite Thy vast domain, Everlasting is Thy reign. Hark! The glad celestial hymn Angel choirs above are raising; Cherubim and seraphim, In unceasing chorus praising, Fill the heav’ns with sweet accord: Holy, holy, holy Lord! Lo, the_apostles’ holy train Join Thy sacred name to hallow; Prophets swell the glad refrain, And the white-robed martyrs follow, And from morn to set of sun Through the Church the song goes on. Thou art King of Glory, Christ; Son of God, yet born of Mary. For us sinners sacrificed, As to death a Tributary, First to break the bars of death, Thou hast opened heav’n to faith. Holy Father, holy Son, Holy Spirit, three we name Thee; Though in essence only one, Undivided God we claim Thee And, adoring, bend the knee While we own the mystery. From Thy high celestial home, Judge of all, again returning, We believe that Thou shalt come On that final judgment morning, When Thy voice shall shake the earth And the startled dead come forth. Sermon | 
