Monday, May 5, 2014

An Order for the Eucharist on Easter 4 (11 May 2014)

Fourth Sunday of Easter
11 May 2014

The Gathering of the Community

Entrance Hymn

‘Jesus Shall Reign Where’er the Sun’  Common Praise #383

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

‘Alleluia No. 1’  Common Praise #405

Collect of the Day

Let us pray.

Holy Shepherd,
you know your sheep by name
and lead us to safety through the valleys of death.
Guide us by your voice,
so that we may walk in certainty and security
to the joyous feast prepared in your house,
where we celebrate with you for ever.  Amen. [i]

The Proclamation of the Word of God

The First Reading

A Reading from the prophet Ezekiel (34.7-15).

            Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord:  As I live, says the Lord God, because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild animals, since there was no shepherd; and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep; therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord:  Thus says the Lord God, I am against the shepherds; and I will demand my sheep at their hand, and put a stop to their feeding the sheep; no longer shall the shepherds feed themselves.  I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, so that they may not be food for them.

            For thus says the Lord God:  I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out.  As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep.  I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.  I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land.  I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.  I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
Thanks be to God.

The Psalm of the Day

Psalm 100 with Refrain from Songs for the Holy One

Refrain (twice):  Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!

1 Be joyful in the Lord, *
            all you lands;
2 serve the Lord with gladness
            and come into God’s presence with a song.

Refrain (twice):  Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!

3 Know this:  the Lord, the Lord, is God; *
            the one made us and to whom we belong;
            we are God’s people, the sheep of God’s pasture.
4 Enter the gates of the Lord with thanksgiving;
go into these courts with praise; *
            give thanks to God and call upon the name of the Lord.
5 For the Lord is good, whose steadfast love is everlasting; *
            and whose faithfulness endures from age to age.

Refrain (twice):  Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!

The Second Reading

A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles (2.42-47).

            They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

            Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles.  All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.  Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people.  And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
Thanks be to God.

Hymn before the Gospel

‘God, You Have Caused to be Written’  Common Praise #476

The Gospel

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John (10.1-10).
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

            [Jesus said,] “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit.  The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.  The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice.  He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.  They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.”  Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

            So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.  All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them.  I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.  I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

The Gospel of Christ.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

The Sermon

An Affirmation of the Resurrection

Let us affirm the message of the resurrection.

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

‘Shepherd of Souls, Refresh and Bless’  Common Praise #85

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

‘Come, My Way, My Truth, My Life’  Common Praise #569

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,
so 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!




[i] Revised Common Lectionary Prayers (2002), 118 alt.

[ii] Desmond Tutu as quoted in Janet Morley, ed., Bread for Tomorrow:  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.

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