The Second
Sunday of Easter
3 April 2016
The Gathering of the
Community
Entrance Hymn
‘Alleluia!
O Sons and Daughters’ Common
Praise #228 vv. 1, 4-8
Greeting
Alleluia!
Christ is risen.
The
Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!
May his grace and peace be with us.
May
he fill our hearts with joy.
There is one body and one Spirit;
there
is one hope in God’s call to us;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one
God, the Source of all being.
Canticle
‘Glory to God on High’ Common Praise #365
Collect of the Day
Let us pray.
Risen Christ,
for
whom no door is locked,
no
entrance barred:
open
the doors of our hearts,
so
that we may seek the good of others
and
walk the joyful road of sacrifice and peace,
The Proclamation of the
Word of God
The First Reading (ELLC Hebrew Bible option for Easter 2 Year C)
A Reading from the Second Book of Kings (7.1-16).
[Elisha]
said, “Hear the word of the Lord: thus says the Lord,
Tomorrow about this time a measure of choice meal shall be sold for a shekel,
and two measures of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.” Then the captain on whose hand the king
leaned said to the man of God, “Even if the Lord were to make windows in the sky, could
such a thing happen?” But he said, “You
shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat from it.”
Now there were four leprous men
outside the city gate, who said to one another, “Why should we sit here until
we die? If we say, ‘Let us enter the
city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there; but if we sit here,
we shall also die. Therefore, let us
desert to the Aramean camp; if they spare our lives, we shall live; and if they
kill us, we shall but die.” So they
arose at twilight to go to the Aramean camp; but when they came to the edge of
the Aramean camp, there was no one there at all. For the Lord had caused the Aramean army to hear the
sound of chariots, and of horses, the sound of a great army, so that they said
to one another, “The king of Israel has hired the kings of the Hittites and the
kings of Egypt to fight against us.” So
they fled away in the twilight and abandoned their tents, their horses, and
their donkeys leaving the camp just as it was, and fled for their lives. When these leprous men had come to the edge
of the camp, they went into a tent, ate and drank, carried off silver, gold,
and clothing, and went and hid them.
Then they came back, entered another tent, carried off things from it,
and went and hid them.
Then they said to one another, “What
we are doing is wrong. This is a day of
good news; if we are silent and wait until the morning light, we will be found
guilty; therefore let us go and tell the king’s household.” So they came and called to the gatekeepers of
the city, and told them, “We went to the Aramean camp, but there was no one to
be seen or heard there, nothing but the horses tied, the donkeys tied, and the
tents as they were.” Then the
gatekeepers called out and proclaimed it to the king’s household. The king got up in the night, and said to his
servants, “I will tell you what the Arameans have prepared against us. They know that we are starving; so they have
left the camp to hide themselves in the open country, thinking, ‘When they come
out of the city, we shall take them alive and get into the city.’” One of his servants said, “Let some men take
five of the remaining horses, since those left here will suffer the fate of the
whole multitude of Israel that have perished already; let us send and find
out.” So they took two mounted men, and
the king sent them after the Aramean army, saying, “Go and find out.” So they went after them as far as the Jordan;
the whole way was littered with garments and equipment that the Arameans had
thrown away in their haste. So the messengers returned, and told the king.
Then
the people went out, and plundered the camp of the Arameans. So a measure of choice meal was sold for a
shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the
church.
Thanks
be to God.
The Psalm of the Day (ELLC Psalm option for Easter 2 Year C)
Psalm 2 with Refrain from Songs for the Holy
One
Refrain (twice): Happy
are those who trust in the Holy One.
1 Why are the nations in an uproar? *
Why
do the peoples mutter empty threats?
2 Why do
the rulers of the earth rise up in revolt,
and
the princes plot together, *
against the Lord and the Lord’s
anointed?
3 “Let us break their yoke,” they say; *
“let
us cast off their bonds from us.”
4 The
One enthroned in heaven is laughing; *
the Lord has them in derision.
Refrain:
Happy are those who trust in the
Holy One.
5 Then God speaks to them in wrath, *
and
the divine rage fills them with terror.
6 “I
myself have set my anointed *
upon my holy hill of Zion.”
7 Let me announce the decree of the Lord, *
who
said to me, “You are my heir;
this
day have I begotten you.
8 Ask of
me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance *
and the ends of the earth for your
possession.
Refrain:
Happy are those who trust in the
Holy One.
9 You shall crush them with an iron rod *
and
shatter them like a piece of pottery.”
10 And
now, you monarchs, be wise; *
be warned, you rulers of the earth.
11 Submit to the Lord with fear, *
and bow with trembling before the presence
of the Lord;
12 lest God be angry and you perish; *
for
the divine wrath is quickly kindled.
Happy
are they all *
who take refuge in God!
Refrain:
Happy are those who trust in the
Holy One.
The Second Reading
A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles
(5.27-32).
When
[the temple police] had brought [Peter and the apostles], they had them stand
before the council. The high priest
questioned them, saying, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,
yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to
bring this man’s blood on us.” But Peter
and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than any human
authority. The God of our ancestors
raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader
and Saviour that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of
sins. And we are witnesses to these
things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the
church.
Thanks
be to God.
Hymn before the Gospel
‘Confitemini Domino’ Common Praise #402 (sung twice)
The Gospel
The Lord be with you.
And
also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to John (20.19-31).
Glory
to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
When
it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the
house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of [the Jewish
authorities], Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with
you.” After he said this, he showed them
his hands and his side. Then the
disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send
you.” When he had said this, he breathed
on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are
forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
But Thomas (who was called the Twin),
one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have
seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless
I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the
nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
A week later his disciples were again
in the house, and Thomas was with them.
Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said,
“Peace be with you.” Then he said to
Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands.
Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my
God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you
believed because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”
Now Jesus did many other signs in the
presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to
believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing
you may have life in his name.
The Gospel of Christ.
Praise
to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Hymn after the Gospel
‘Confitemini Domino’ Common Praise #402 (sung twice)
The Sermon
The Apostles’ Creed
Do you believe in God the Father?
I
believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator
of heaven and earth.
Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of
God?
I
believe in Jesus Christ, God’s 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. Amen.
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
‘We Walk by Faith, and Not by Sight’ Common Worship #244
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;
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.
It is indeed right, our duty and our joy,
that we should at all times and in all
places
give thanks and praise to you, almighty and
merciful God,
for the glorious resurrection of our Saviour
Jesus Christ,
the true Paschal Lamb who gave himself to
take away our sin,
who in dying has destroyed death, and in
rising has brought us to eternal life.
And so, with Mary Magdalene and Peter and
all the witnesses of the resurrection,
with earth and sea and all their creatures,
and with angels and archangels, cherubim and
seraphim,
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.
Holy God, mighty Lord, gracious Father:
Endless is your mercy and eternal your
reign.
You have filled all creation with light and
life;
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
We praise you for the grace shown to your
people in every age:
the promise to Israel, the rescue from
Egypt,
the gift of the promised land, the words of
the prophets;
and, at this end of all the ages, the gift
of your Son,
who proclaimed the good news in word and
deed
and was obedient to your will, even to
giving his life.
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.
For as often as we eat of this bread and
drink from this cup,
we proclaim the Lord’s death until he
comes.
Christ
has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
Therefore, O God, with this bread and cup
we remember the life our Lord offered for
us.
And, believing the witness of his
resurrection,
we await his coming in power
to share with us the great and promised
feast.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
Send now, we pray, your Holy Spirit,
so that we who share in Christ’s body and
blood
may live to the praise of your glory
and receive our inheritance with all your
saints in light.
Amen. Come, Holy Spirit.
Join our prayers with those of your servants
of every time and every place,
and unite them with the ceaseless petitions
of our great high priest
until he comes as victorious Lord of
all.
Through him, with him, in him,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honour is yours, Creator of
all,
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,
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
‘Breathe on Me, Breath of God’ Common Praise #649
The Sending Forth of the
Community
The Prayer after Communion
God of the living,
we
have seen with our eyes
and
touched with our hands the bread of life.
Strengthen
our faith,
so
that we may grow in love for you and for each other;
May the light of God illumine your hearts.
May the flame of Christ kindle your love.
May the fire of the Spirit free you to live
boldly.
And the blessing of holy and undivided
Trinity:
✚ Source of all
being, Word of redemption and Spirit of wisdom,
Closing Hymn
‘Hallelujah!
We Sing Your Praises’ Common
Praise #82
The Dismissal
Let us go forth in the name of Christ. Alleluia, alleluia!
Thanks
be to God. Alleluia, alleluia!
[i]
Liturgy Task Force, ‘Trial Use Collects and Prayers over the Gifts and after
Communion for Year C: Easter during the
Day through Pentecost’ (2015), 2.
[ii]
Liturgy Task Force, ‘Trial Use Collects and Prayers over the Gifts and after
Communion for Year C: Easter during the
Day through Pentecost’ (2015), 10.
[iii] Evangelical
Lutheran Worship: Leaders Desk Edition
(2006), 275.
[iv] Common Praise #719.
[v] Evangelical
Lutheran Worship (2006), 66 alt.
[vi] Songs for a Gospel People #12.
[vii] The
Book of Alternative Services (1985), 337 alt.
[viii]
J. Philip Newell, Celtic Benediction:
Morning and Night Prayer (2000), 5 alt.
