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Call to Worship (Psalm 150):

L: Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament!
P: Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness!
L: Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp!
P: Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!
L:  Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
P: Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!

 

Call to Worship

L: He is risen
P: He is risen indeed
L: As the disciples gathered after Jesus resurrection,
P: so do we gather expecting our risen Savior to come to us.
L: May Jesus appear among us and, as he does, may he find room in our hearts and minds. Let us worship God!

 

Invocation

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The grace and peace of Jesus Christ, who was raised from the dead to bring everlasting hope, be with you all.

And also with you.

Let us pray. Almighty God, with joy we celebrate the festival of our Lord's resurrection. Graciously help us to show the power of the resurrection in all that we say and do; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

 

Prayer of Confession (1 John / Acts)
from the Graz worship book

L: Eternal and all-powerful God, you put away nothing of what you have created, and you forget the sins of those who repent. Create and awake in us a new and contrite heart, that we may regret our sins, recognize our weaknesses, and receive from you, God of all mercy, full pardon and peace, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.

L: Let us seek the forgiveness of God and of each other for the divisions that have hindered Christian witness: Lord we have sinned against you and against each other.

C: Lord, have mercy.

L: O Christ, our divisions are contrary to your will and have impeded our common witness to you.

C: Christ have mercy.

L: Lord, we have not loved you enough in our brothers and sisters, created in your image, but different from us.

C: Lord, have mercy.

L: Creator God, let us no longer live beside each other as strangers. Satisfy the longings of our hearts, grant our rightful requests, and unite us soon in one holy church through your Son Jesus Christ who with you in the communion of the Holy Spirit lives and reigns eternally.

brief silence

Pardon:  Hear the Good news: If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. In the name of Christ, you are forgiven.
 

 

Prayer of the Day (based on all lections):

Lord, we offer ourselves to you on this day. We pray that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead may empower us too. Raise us from the dead works of the flesh and empower us to live a life of joyful service. May our hearts be aligned with your awesome purpose for our lives, so that we may go from victory to victory even in the midst of our humanity. We give you thanks for Jesus, in whom we live and move, and in whose name we pray. Amen.

 

Prayerful Devotional on the gospel lesson:

Lord Jesus, you once said to Thomas: "Blessed are they who have not seen and have yet believed."

Today, you say to us: Blessed are you ...

who, without seeing the Risen Christ, also believe in the Resurrection of Jesus!

who, without being wealthy or fortunate in life, continue to believe in the love of God!

who, without receiving the good health or healing for themselves or for some loved one, even after much prayer and sacrifice, continue to believe in the goodness and power of Christ.

who, in spite of the short-comings of many Christians, continue to believe in the Church of Christ.

who, before the mystery and pain of death of a loved one, still believe in the infinite mercy of Christ, and in that Christ would raise this loved one to eternal happiness.

who, without seeing Christ with bodily eyes, believe that Christ is present in the church, in the believing heart and in the lives of the poor, the oppressed, in those who are hungry, in prison, in those who are despised. Amen.

 

Prayer of Intercession

Rejoicing in the resurrection, let us remember in prayer the church, the world, and all those in need.

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, for you brought us to yourself through our baptism into the Easter mystery. Now deliver your church from all doubt, fear, and inaction, that together with your apostles we might be witnesses to the power of your resurrection. For this we pray:

Hear us, living God.

Blessed are you, for you are over all the rulers of the earth. Humble all who are in positions of authority. Raise up justice-seekers and peacemakers and protect all peoples from abuse of power. For this we pray:

Hear us, living God.

Blessed are you, for you have freed us from sin by the blood of the Lamb. Loose the bonds of all those whose sin imprisons them. Free all who unjustly suffer. Deliver those broken in mind, body, or spirit (especially), and by your love bring abundant life to us all. For this we pray:

Hear us, living God.

Blessed are you, for you move beyond closed doors, enfolding all into your love. Look kindly upon those young people who worship you, giving them a rich measure of your Spirit and your peace. For this we pray:

Hear us, living God.

Blessed are you, for you promise life to those who have not seen and yet have come to believe. Build up the faith of this congregation, that through our celebration of the passion and resurrection we may be renewed in our witness and service. For this we pray:

Hear us, living God.

Blessed are you, for in Christ Jesus we have known the firstborn of the dead. Bring us, together with all your saints, to resurrection life. For this we pray:

Hear us, living God.

With alleluias in our hearts and on our lips we commend to your care all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

 

Closing Prayer

Almighty God, you give us the joy of celebrating our Lord's resurrection.  Give us also the joys of life in your service, and bring us at last to the full joy of life eternal; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

 

Benediction:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through he resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  Blessed are you who see not and yet believe, who put their trust in the Lord God who reigns victoriously in the present time and in all eternity.  Amen