An Order for the Eucharist on the Fourth Sunday of Easter (26 April 2015)

The Fourth Sunday of Easter

26 April 2015

The Gathering of the Community

Entrance Hymn

‘Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service’  Common Praise #585

Greeting

Alleluia!  Christ is risen.

The Lord is risen indeed.  Alleluia!

May his grace and peace be with you.

May he fill our hearts with joy.

Canticle

‘Praise the Lord with the Sound of Trumpets’ Common Praise #309

Collect of the Day

Let us pray.

Shepherd of all,

by laying down your life for your flock

you reveal your love for all.

Lead us from the place of death

to the place of abundant life,

so that guided by your care for us,

we may rightly offer our lives

in love for you and our neighbour.  Amen. [i]

The Proclamation of the Word of God

The First Reading

A Reading from Zechariah (10.1-12).

            ¹ Ask rain from the Lord in the season of the spring rain, from the Lord who makes the storm clouds, who gives showers of rain to you, the vegetation in the field to everyone.  ² For the teraphim utter nonsense, and the diviners see lies; the dreamers tell false dreams, and give empty consolation.  Therefore the people wander like sheep;

they suffer for lack of a shepherd. 

            ³ My anger is hot against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders;

for the Lord of hosts cares for his flock, the house of Judah, and will make them like his proud war-horse.  ⁴ Out of them shall come the cornerstone, out of them the tent peg, out of them the battle bow, out of them every commander.  ⁵ Together they shall be like warriors in battle, trampling the foe in the mud of the streets; they shall fight, for the Lord is with them, and they shall put to shame the riders on horses.

            ⁶ I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph.  I will bring them back because I have compassion on them, and they shall be as though I had not rejected them; for I am the Lord their God and I will answer them.  ⁷ Then the people of Ephraim shall become like warriors, and their hearts shall be glad as with wine.  Their children shall see it and rejoice, their hearts shall exult in the Lord.

            ⁸ I will signal for them and gather them in, for I have redeemed them, and they shall be as numerous as they were before.  ⁹ Though I scattered them among the nations, yet in far countries they shall remember me, and they shall rear their children and return.  ¹⁰ I will bring them home from the land of Egypt, and gather them from Assyria; I will bring them to the land of Gilead and to Lebanon, until there is no room for them.  ¹¹ They shall pass through the sea of distress, and the waves of the sea shall be struck down, and all the depths of the Nile dried up.  The pride of Assyria shall be laid low, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart.   12 I will make them strong in the Lord, and they shall walk in his name, says the Lord.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.

Thanks be to God.

The Psalm of the Day

Psalm 23 with Refrain from Songs for the Holy One

Refrain (twice):  Alleluia!  Alleluia!  Alleluia

¹  The Lord is my shepherd; *

            I shall not be in want.

²  You make me lie down in green pastures *

            and lead me beside still waters.

³  You revive my soul *

            and guide me along right pathways for your name’s sake.

Refrain:  Alleluia!  Alleluia!  Alleluia!

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.

⁵  You spread a table before me *

            in the presence of those who trouble me;

you have anointed 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 for ever.

Refrain:  Alleluia!  Alleluia!  Alleluia!

The Second Reading

A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles (4.5-12).

            ⁵ The next day [the religious] rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, ⁶ with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high- priestly family.  ⁷ When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?”  ⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, ⁹ if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, ¹⁰ let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead.  ¹¹ This Jesus is ‘the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.’  ¹² There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.”

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.

Thanks be to God.

Hymn before the Gospel

‘Surely It Is God Who Saves Me’  Common Praise #361

The Gospel

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John (10.11-18)

Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

            ¹¹ [Jesus said,] “I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.  ¹² The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away — and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.  ¹³ The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.  ¹⁴ I am the good shepherd.  I know my own and my own know me, ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.  And I lay down my life for the sheep.  ¹⁶ I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.  I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice.  So there will be one flock, one shepherd.  ¹⁷ For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.  ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

The Gospel of Christ.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

The Sermon

An Affirmation of Faith

Goodness is stronger than evil;

love is stronger than hate;

light is stronger than darkness;

life is stronger than death;

victory is ours through Jesus who loved us. [ii]

The Prayers of the Community

Intercessions, Petitions and Thanksgivings

The Exchange of the Peace

May the peace of the risen Christ be with you all.

And also with you.

The Holy Communion

Offertory Hymn

‘The Lord’s My Shepherd’  Common Praise #519 (sung to Common Praise #498)

The Prayer over the Gifts

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 Saviour and Lord.  Amen. [iii]

The Thanksgiving at the Table

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Blessed are you, gracious God,

creator of heaven and earth;

we give you thanks and praise

for the glorious resurrection of your Son

Jesus Christ our Lord;

for he is the true paschal lamb

who has taken away the sin of the world. 

By his death he destroyed death,

and by his rising to life again

he has won for us eternal life. 

Therefore, joining our voices

with the whole company of heaven,

we sing our joyful hymn of praise

to proclaim the glory of your name.

Holy, holy, holy Lord,

God of power and might. 

Heaven and earth are full of your glory. 

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 

Hosanna in the highest. [iv]

Blessed are you, O God of the universe. 

Your mercy is everlasting

and your faithfulness endures from age to age.

Praise to you for creating the heavens and the earth. 

Praise to you for saving the earth from the waters of the flood. 

Praise to you for bringing the Israelites safely through the sea. 

Praise to you for leading your people

through the wilderness to the land of milk and honey. 

Praise to you for the words and deeds of Jesus, your anointed one. 

Praise to you for the death and resurrection of Christ. 

Praise to you for your Spirit poured out on all nations.

In the night in which he was betrayed,

our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks;

broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: 

Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. 

Do this for the remembrance of me.

Again, after supper, he took the cup,

gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: 

This cup is the new covenant in my blood,

shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. 

Do this for the remembrance of me.

With this bread and cup

we remember our Lord’s Passover from death to life

as we proclaim the mystery of faith:

Christ has died. 

Christ is risen. 

Christ will come again.

O God of resurrection and new life: 

Pour out your Holy Spirit on us

and on these gifts of bread and wine. 

Bless this feast. 

Grace our table with your presence.

Come, Holy Spirit.

Reveal yourself to us in the breaking of the bread. 

Raise us up as the body of Christ for the world. 

Breathe new life into us. 

Send us forth, burning with justice, peace and love.

Come, Holy Spirit.

With the ever-blessed Virgin Mary,

blessed Joseph, blessed Faith

and your holy ones of all times and places,

with the earth and all its creatures,

with sun and moon and stars,

we praise you, O God,

blessed and holy Trinity,

now and forever.  Amen. [v]

The Lord’s Prayer

As our Saviour taught us, let us pray,

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 for ever.  Amen. [vi]

The Breaking of the Bread

Lord, we died with you on the cross.

Now we are raised to new life.

We were buried in your tomb.

Now we share in your resurrection.

Live in us, that we may live in you.

The gifts of God for the people of God.

Thanks be to God.

Communion

Hymn after Communion

‘Before the World Began’  Common Praise #621

The Sending Forth of the Community

The Prayer after Communion

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. [vii]

Glory to God,

whose power, working in us,

can do infinitely more

than we can ask or imagine. 

Glory to God from generation to generation,

in the Church and in Christ Jesus,

for ever and ever.  Amen.

Closing Hymn

‘Lead Us, Heavenly Father, Lead Us’  Common Praise #564

The Dismissal

Let us go forth in the name of Christ.  Alleluia, alleluia!

Thanks be to God.  Alleluia, alleluia!

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[i] ‘Trial Use Propers:  Maundy Thursday to Trinity Sunday Year B 2015’, 4.

[ii] Desmond Tutu as quoted in Janet Morley, ed., Bread for the Journey:  Prayers for the Church Year (1992), 117.

[iii] ‘Offering Prayer for Easter’, Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), 64.

[iv] Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), #525.

[v] ‘Thanksgiving at the Table IV’, Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), 111.

[vi] Songs for a Gospel People #12.

[vii] ‘Prayer after Communion for Easter’, Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), 65.