The Fourth Sunday of Easter
22 April 2018
The Gathering of the Community
Gathering Music
Announcements
Opening Hymn
‘Through the Red Se Brought at Last’ Common Praise#226
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.
Hymn of Praise
‘Glory, in the Highest Glory’ Common Praise#366
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.[1]
The Proclamation of the Word
The First Reading: Acts 4.5-12
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
4.5The next day their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, 6with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, 10let 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.
11This Jesus is ‘the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.’
12There 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.
The Psalm: Psalm 23 (Songs for a Gospel People #75)
My shepherd is the living Lord,
nothing therefore I need;
in pastures fair, near pleasant streams
you settle me to feed.
You bring my wand’ring spirit back
when I forsake your ways,
and lead me for your mercy’s sake
in paths of truth and grace.
When I walk thro’ the shades of death,
your presence is my stay;
a word of your supporting breath
drives all my fears away.
Your hand, in sight of all my foes,
does still my table spread;
my cup with blessings overflows,
your oil anoints my head.
The sure provisions of my God
attend me all my days;
O may your house be mine abode,
and all my work be praise.
There would I find a settled rest,
while others come and go ---
no more a stranger or a guest,
but like a child at home.
The Second Reading: 1 John 3.16-24
A reading from the First Letter of John.
3.16We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us — and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. 17How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?
18Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. 19And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him 20whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; 22and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.
23And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
Thanks be to God.
Hymn before the Gospel
‘Jesus Is Risen from the Grave’ Common Praise#232 v. 1
The Gospel: John 10.11-18
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
10.11 [Jesus said,] “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12The 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. 13The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16I 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. 17For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18No 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.
Hymn after the Gospel
‘Jesus Is Risen from the Grave’ Common Praise#232 v. 5
The Sermon
The Apostles’ Creed
Let us confess the faith of our baptism.
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
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.
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.[2]
The Prayers of the Community
Intercessions, Petitions and Thanksgivings
The Exchange of the Peace
The peace of the risen Christ be with you all.
And also with you.
The Holy Communion
The Offertory Hymn
‘You, Lord, Are Both Lamb and Shepherd’ Common Praise#630
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.[3]
The Great Thanksgiving
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.
All thanks and praise are yours
at all times and in all places, our true and loving God;
through Jesus Christ, your eternal Word,
the Wisdom from on high by whom you created all things.
You laid the foundations of the world
and enclosed the sea when it burst out from the womb.
You brought forth all creatures of the earth
and gave breath to humankind.
Wondrous are you, Holy One of Blessing,
all you create is a sign of hope for our journey.
And so as the morning stars sing your praises
we join the heavenly beings and all creation as we shout with joy:
You are holy, you are whole.
You are always ever more than we ever understand.
Blessed are you coming here to your church in wine and bread,
raised from soil, raised from dead.
You are holy, you are wholeness,
you are present. Let the cosmos praise you, Lord!
Sing hosanna in the highest! Sing hosanna!
Glory and honour are yours, Creator of all,
your Word has never been silent;
you called a people to yourself, as a light to the nations,
you delivered them from bondage
and led them to a land of promise.
Of your grace, you gave Jesus to be human,
to share our life, to proclaim the coming of your holy reign
and give himself for us, a fragrant offering.
Through Jesus Christ our Redeemer,
you have freed us from sin,
brought us into your life,
reconciled us to you,
and restored us to the glory you intend for us.
We thank you that on the night before he died for us
Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks to you,
he broke it, gave it to his friends and said:
‘Take, eat, this is my body, broken for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.’
After supper Jesus took the cup of wine,
said the blessing, gave it to his friends and said:
‘Drink this, all of you:
this cup is the new covenant in my blood,
poured out for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this for the remembrance of me.’
Therefore let us proclaim our hope:
Dying, you destroyed our death.
Rising, you restored our life.
Christ Jesus, come in glory!
Send your Holy Spirit upon us
and upon these gifts of bread and wine
so that they may be to us the body and blood of your Christ.
Grant that we, burning with your Spirit’s power,
may be a people of hope, justice and love.
Giver of life, draw us together in the body of Christ,
and in the fullness of time gather us with all your people
into the joy of our true eternal home.
Through Christ and with Christ and in Christ,
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
we worship you our God and Creator in voices of unending praise.
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.[6]
The Breaking of the Bread
Lord, we died with you on the cross.
Now we re raised to new life.
We were buried in your tomb.
Now we share in your resurrection.
Live in us, so that we may live in you.[7]
These are the gifts of God for the people of God.
Thanks be to God.
The Communion of the Community
The Hymn after Communion
‘Jesus, Joy of Our Desiring’ Common Praise#514
The Sending Forth of the Community
The 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 heaven 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.[8]
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
‘That Eastertide with Joy Was Bright’ Common Praise#231
The Dismissal
Alleluia! Alleluia! Go forth in the love of the Good Shepherd.
Thanks be to God. Alleluia! Alleluia!
[1]Liturgy Task Force(2016), 72.
[2]Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), 105.
[4]Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006) #525.
[5]Enriching Our Worship (1998), 62-65 alt.
[6]Songs for a Gospel People (1987) #12.
[7]The Book of Alternative Services (1985), 213 alt.
[8]Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), 65 alt.
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