THE ORDER OF WORSHIP

The Fourth Sunday of Easter

April 16th and 17th

PRELUDE

Holy Communion (ELW I)

WELCOME

Adagio

Josef Haydn

INVOCATION
In the name of the Father, and of the (+) Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
GATHERING SONG: The Lord's My Shepherd (ELW 778)
GREETING
INTRODUCTION
The gift of new life, of eternal life, is the gift of the risen Christ. It is the
promise of Jesus. It was true for Dorcas in Joppa. It was true for those
who have come out of the great ordeal in the Revelation vision. It is true
for us and for all the baptized. Today we rejoice to welcome Elliot Andrew
Ewing into Christs flock through holy baptism. Surely goodness and mercy
shall follow him all the days of our life, and we will dwell in the house of
the Lord forever.
CHILDREN are always welcome to our Worship Service. Rainbow bags
and a cry room are available. A staffed nursery is also available if needed.
An usher will gladly provide you with assistance.
As a worship courtesy, we ask that you please turn off or set to vibrate
all cellular telephones and pagers during the worship service.
We ask that all present today please fill out the Attendance and Communion
registration card found in your bulletin and place it in the offering plate so
that we may record your presence with us.
PRAYER UPON ENTERING THE PEW
O Lord Christ, good shepherd of the sheep, you seek the lost and guide us
into your fold. Feed us, and we shall be satisfied; heal us, and we shall be
whole. Make us one with you, for you live and reign with the Father and
the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of
the Holy Spirit be with you all!
And also with you!
KYRIE

PRAYER OF THE DAY

CANTICLE OF PRAISE

Let us pray.
O God of peace, you brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ,
the great shepherd of the sheep. By the blood of your eternal covenant,
make us complete in everything good that we may do your will, and work
among us all that is well-pleasing in your sight, through Jesus Christ, our
Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one
God, now and forever. Amen.
Please be seated.
A MESSAGE FOR OUR CHILDREN
FIRST READING: Acts 9:36-43
36

Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha,

which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of
charity. 37At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her,
they laid her in a room upstairs. 38Since Lydda was near Joppa, the
disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the
request, Please come to us without delay. 39So Peter got up and went with
them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the

widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing
that Dorcas had made while she was with them. 40Peter put all of them
outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said,
Tabitha, get up. Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat
up. 41He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and
widows, he showed her to be alive. 42This became known throughout Joppa,
and many believed in the Lord. 43Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some
time with a certain Simon, a tanner.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM: Psalm 23
Refrain:

Tone:

The LORD| is my shepherd;

I shall not | be in want.
2
The LORD makes me lie down | in green pastures
and leads me be- | side still waters.
3
You restore my | soul, O LORD,
and guide me along right pathways | for your names sake.
4
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall | fear
no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they | comfort
me. R
5

You prepare a table before me in the presence | of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil, and my cup is | running over.
6
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days | of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the | LORD forever. R
SECOND READING:
9

Revelation 7:9-17

After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one
could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages,
standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm

branches in their hands. 10They cried out in a loud voice, saying,

Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the
Lamb!
11
And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the
four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and
worshiped God, 12singing,
Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor
and power and might
be to our God forever and ever! Amen.
13

Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, Who are these,
robed in white, and where have they come from? 14I said to him, Sir, you
are the one that knows. Then he said to me, These are they who have
come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them
white in the blood of the Lamb.
15For this reason they are before the throne of God,
and worship him day and night within his temple,
and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.
16They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;
the sun will not strike them,
nor any scorching heat;
17for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Please stand for the reading of the gospel.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

VERSE:

Jesus says, I am | the good shepherd.*

I know my own and my | own know me. (John 10:14)

GOSPEL

JOHN 10:22-30

The holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to John.

Glory to you, O Lord.
22

At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem.

It was winter, 23and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of
Solomon. 24So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, How long
will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us
plainly. 25Jesus answered, I have told you, and you do not believe. The
works that I do in my Fathers name testify to me; 26but you do not believe,
because you do not belong to my sheep. 27My sheep hear my voice. I know
them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they will never
perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 29What my Father has
given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Fathers
hand. 30The Father and I are one.
The gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.

I present Elliot Andrew for baptism.

Called by the Holy Spirit, trusting in the grace and love of God, do you
desire to have Elliot Andrew baptized into Christ?
Response: I do.
As you have brought your children to receive the gift of baptism, you are
entrusted with responsibilities:
to live with them among God's faithful people,
bring them to the word of God and the holy supper,
teach them the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments,
place in their hands the holy scriptures,
and nurture them in faith and prayer,
so that your children may learn to trust God,
proclaim Christ through word and deed,
care for others and the world God made,
and work for justice and peace.
Do you promise to help your children grow in the Christian faith and life?
Response: I do.

Please be seated.
SERMON Pastor Charles Peterson
Please stand and sing:
HYMN OF THE DAY:

Sponsors in turn, present Elliot:

Baptized and Set Free (ELW 453)

RITE OF HOLY BAPTISM

Candidates for baptism, sponsors, and parents gather with the ministers at
the font. The assembly is seated.
In baptism our gracious heavenly Father frees us from sin and death by
joining us to the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are
born children of a fallen humanity; by water and the Holy Spirit we are
reborn children of God and made members of the church, the body of
Christ. Living with Christ and in the communion of saints, we grow in
faith, love, and obedience to the will of God.

Sponsors, do you promise to nurture Elliot Andrew in the Christian faith as

you are empowered by God's Spirit, and to help him live in the covenant of
baptism and in communion with the church?
Response: I do.
People of God, do you promise to support Elliot Andrew and pray
for him in his new life in Christ?
We do.
I ask you to profess your faith in Christ Jesus, reject sin, and confess the
faith of the church.
Do you renounce the devil and all the forces that defy God?
Response:
I renounce them.
Do you renounce the powers of this world that rebel against God?
Response:
I renounce them.

Do you renounce the ways of sin that draw you from God?
Response:
I renounce them.

Blessed are you, holy God. You are the creator of the waters of the earth.
You are the fire of rebirth. You poured out your Spirit on your people Israel.
You breathe life into our dry bones. Your Son Jesus promised to send the
Spirit to us that the world may know your peace and truth.

Do you believe in God the Father?

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

Pour out your Holy Spirit, and breathe new life into those who are here
baptized. By your Spirit adopt us all as your children, through our Savior
Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
now and forever. Amen.
Elliot Andrew, I baptize you in the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

I believe in Jesus Christ, Gods 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.
Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?
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.
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
Let us join our hearts and minds with all the people of God in Christ Jesus
as we pray for the church, those in need, and all of Gods creation.
Please kneel or sit as you are able.
Each petition ends with:
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Into your hands, living God, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in
your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.
Water may be poured into the font before or during the thanksgiving. At the
font, the presiding minister begins the thanksgiving:
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Let us pray.
We give you thanks, O God, that through water and the Holy Spirit you
give your daughters and sons new birth, cleanse them from sin, and raise
them to eternal life.
Laying both hands on the head of the newly baptized, the minister prays for
Elliot Andrew:
Sustain Elliot Andrew with the gift of your Holy Spirit: the spirit of wisdom
and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge
and the fear of the Lord, the spirit of joy in your presence, both now and
forever. Amen.
The presiding minister marks the sign of the cross on the forehead of the
baptized. Oil prepared for this purpose may be used. As the sign of the
cross is made, the minister says:
Elliot Andrew, child of God, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and
marked with the cross of Christ forever. Amen.
A lighted candle may be given to the newly baptized (to a sponsor of a
young child) as a representative of the congregation says: Let your light so
shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your
Father in heaven.

The ministers and the baptismal group face the assembly. A representative
of the congregation leads the assembly in the welcome.
Let us welcome Elliot Andrew.
We welcome you into the body of Christ and into the mission we share:
join us in giving thanks and praise to God and bearing God's creative
and redeeming word to all the world.
PEACE

OFFERING PRAYER
Let us pray.
Blessed are you, O God, ruler of heaven and earth. Day by day you shower
us with blessings. As you have raised us to new life in Christ, give us glad
and generous hearts, ready to praise you and to respond to those in need,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
DIALOGUE

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!
The peace of Christ be with you always.
And also with you.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ANTHEM AT THE OFFERING O Bread of Life from Heaven

White

OFFERTORY HYMN: Gods Paschal Lamb is Sacrificed for Us

PREFACE
HOLY, HOLY, HOLY

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER
You are indeed holy, almighty and merciful God. You are most holy,
and great is the majesty of your glory For as often as we eat of this bread
and drink from this cup, we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

All baptized people are welcome to the table to receive Christs body and
blood. If you have not been baptized, you are also welcome to the table as
Gods guest; we are honored by your presence. We recognize the Body of
Christ as the community of the baptized, so if you would like to become
part of the Body of Christ, we encourage you to seek baptism. If you cant
or dont wish to receive today, we encourage you to hold your hands over
your chest for a blessing as you come forward.
LAMB OF GOD

To you, O God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be all honor and glory in
your holy church, now and forever.

LORD'S PRAYER
Risen Lord, remember us in your kingdom, and teach us to pray:
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
Alleluia! Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us!
Therefore let us keep the feast! Alleluia!
COMMUNION
The body of Christ, given for you.
The blood of Christ, shed for you. Amen.

SONG DURING DISTRIBUTION:

Children of the Heavenly Father

(ELW 781)

SONG AFTER COMMUNION: This Joyful Eastertide, v. 1 (ELW 391)

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Go in peace. Share the good news.
Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia!
POSTLUDE
Prelude and Fugue in e

J. S. Bach

COMMEMORATIONS FOR THE WEEK

Olavus Petri, priest, died 1552; Laurentius Petri, Bishop of Uppsala,
died 1573; renewers of the church
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
These two brothers studied with Luther at the University of Wittenberg and
then returned to their native Sweden to introduce the Lutheran reforms.
Olavus published a catechism and hymnal; Laurentius was a professor who
defended the office of bishop and later became one.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

Let us pray. Life-giving God, in the mystery of Christ's resurrection you
send light to conquer darkness, water to give new life, and the bread of life
to nourish your people. Send us forth as witnesses to your Son's
resurrection, that we may show your glory to all the world, through Jesus
Christ, our risen Lord. Amen.
BLESSING
The God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the
great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, make you
complete in everything good so that you may do God's will, working in you
that which is pleasing in God's sight; through + Jesus Christ, to whom, with
the Father and the Holy Spirit be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
SENDING HYMN:
DISMISSAL

Christ Is Alive! Let Christians Sing (ELW 389)

Anselm, Bishop of Canterbury, died 1109

Thursday, April 21, 2016
This eleventh-century monk was one of the greatest theologians of the
Middle Ages. He is remembered for emphasizing the maternal aspects of
God, and for the theory that the Son of God became human in order to
make the necessary payment for our sin.
Day of the Creation (Da de la Creacin) (LLC)
Friday, April 22, 2016
This observance invites us to notice and give God thanks for the wonders of
the created universe. As stewards of that creation, we are also challenged to
be careful in our use of it.
Toyohiko Kagawa, renewer of society, died 1960
Saturday, April 23, 2016
Born in Kobe, Japan, Kagawa was orphaned as a young child. Later, when
he became Christian, he was disowned by the rest of his family. Wishing to
bring Christian principles into society, he worked among poor people,
established schools and hospitals, and worked for peace.