Third Sunday of Easter
April 18, 2010
Prelude Prelude on “Rhosymedre” R. Vaughan Williams
Welcome
We’re delighted to greet everyone in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who takes away our sin and offers grace to all people. If you are a guest, please fill out the Guest Form. If you’re looking for a meaningful ministry with which to become involved, you are encouraged to speak with the Pastor.
Gathering
(Please stand)
Brief Order for Confession & Forgiveness
P We gather in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P God of all mercy and consolation, come to the help of your people, turning us from our sin to live for you alone. Give us the power of your Holy Spirit that we may confess our sin, receive your forgiveness, and grow into the fullness of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
C Amen.
(Please kneel)
Confession
P Most merciful God,
C we confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name. Amen.
Absolution
P In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the ς Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
(Please stand)
Entrance Hymn Alleluia! Jesus is Risen! Hymn 377
Greeting
P The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all!
C And, also with you.
Reception of New Members
Prayer of the Day
P Eternal and all-merciful God, with all the angels and all the saints we laud your majesty and might. By the resurrection of your Son, show yourself to us and inspire us to follow Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Word
Lesson (Please sit) Acts 9:1–6
Each of us has a story of meeting God’s grace. Saul (later called Paul) was an ardent persecutor of all who followed the Way of Christ. This reading recounts the story of his transformation, beginning with an encounter with Jesus Christ on the way to Damascus.
Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”
P The Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalmody Psalm 30
I will exalt you, O LORD, because
you have lifted me up
and have not let my enemies triumph over me.
O LORD my God, I cried out to you,
and you restored me to health.
You brought me up, O LORD, from the dead;
you restored my life as I was going down to the grave.
Sing praise to the LORD, all you faithful;
give thanks in holy remembrance.
R
God’s wrath is short; God’s favor lasts a lifetime.
Weeping spends the night, but joy comes in the morning.
While I felt secure, I said, “I shall never be disturbed.
You, LORD, with your favor, made me as strong as the
mountains.”
Then you hid your face, and I was filled with fear.
I cried to you, O LORD; I pleaded with my Lord, saying,
“What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you or declare your faithfulness?
Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me; O LORD, be my
helper.”
R
You have turned my wailing into dancing;
you have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.
Therefore my heart sings to you without ceasing;
O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.
R
Lesson Revelation 5:11–14
The vision of John recorded
in Revelation offers a glimpse of cosmic worship on the
Lord’s Day. At its center is “the Lamb who was
slain.”
Then I looked, and I heard the
voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living
creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads
and thousands of thousands, singing with full voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power
and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and
blessing!” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on
earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is
in them, singing, “To the one seated on the throne and to
the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever
and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And
the elders fell down and worshiped.
P The
Word of the Lord.
C Thanks
be to God.
Gospel
Acclamation
Gospel John
21:1-19
P The
Holy Gospel according to Saint John, the 21st chapter.
C
Glory to you, O Lord.
The risen Christ appears
again to his disciples by the sea where they were first
called. After echoes of the fishing and feeding miracles,
he gives a final reminder of the cost of a disciple’s love
and obedience.
After these things Jesus showed himself again to the
disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in
this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas
called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of
Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said
to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will
go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that
night they caught nothing. Just after daybreak, Jesus stood
on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was
Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish,
have you?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast
the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find
some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul
it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom
Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon
Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes,
for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. But the other
disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish,
for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred
yards off. When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal
fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them,
“Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So
Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of
large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there
were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them,
“Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared
to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the
Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them,
and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time
that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised
from the dead. When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said
to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more
than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I
love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” A second
time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the
third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt
hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love
me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you
know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to
fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But
when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and
someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you
where you do not wish to go.” (He said this to indicate the
kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he
said to him, “Follow me.”
P The Gospel of the Lord.
C
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon
(Please
sit) Real
Forgiveness Evokes Love Pastor Robert Wallace
(Please
stand)
Hymn
of the Day Blessing and
Honor Hymn
854
Apostles’ Creed
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.
The
Prayers of the People (Please
kneel)
The prayers
conclude:
P Receive our prayers, holy God, and
give us all we need for this day and the days to come,
through the power
of the Holy Spirit, and in the name of Jesus Christ our
Lord.
C
Amen.
Peace
(Please
stand)
P The peace of the Lord be with you
always.
C
And also with you.
(Please feel free to move about and share God’s Peace with
one another!)
Meal
Offering
(Please
sit)
Anthem
(8:30 am)
Alleluia! Sing to
Jesus Rowland Prichard
Family Choir
Anthem
(11:00 am)
Rejoice in the
Lord Alway Henry Purcell
Gallery Choir
Offertory Thine Is the
Glory Hymn
376
(Stanza 2)
Lo, Jesus meets thee, risen from the tomb!
Lovingly he greets thee, scatters fear and gloom;
let his church with gladness, hymns of triumph sing,
for the Lord now liveth; death hath lost its sting!
Thine is the glory, risen conqu’ring Son,
endless is the vict’ry thou o’er death hast won!
Offering Prayer
P 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.
The
Great Thanksgiving Music on page 152
P The
Lord be with you.
C
And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C
We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our
God.
C
It is right to give our thanks and
praise.
Proper
Preface
Sanctus
Music on page 153
Holy, holy, holy Lord. Lord God of pow’r 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.
Words
of Thanksgiving
P . . . as we
proclaim the mystery of faith.
C
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come
again.
P . . . Grace our table with your
presence.
C
Come Holy Spirit.
P . . . Send us forth . . . peace
and love.
C
Come Holy Spirit.
Lord’s Prayer
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 forever. Amen.
Communion
All baptized Christians are invited to share in the
Eucharist. Those who are not baptized, or wish to receive
only a blessing, are asked to fold their arms over their
chest. Communion will be by intinction (dipping).
Please follow the usher’s direction. If you are not
physically able to come forward to receive communion,
please inform the usher and someone will come to you.
(Please
sit)
Music at Distribution
Agnus Dei Music
on page 154
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy
on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy
on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: grant us
peace.
Hymns
729, 462
Post
Communion Blessing and Prayer (Please
stand)
P 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.
C
Amen.
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord’s face shine on you with grace and mercy. The Lord
look upon you
with favor and
ςgive you
peace.
C
Amen.
Sending
Hymn Crown
Him with Many Crowns Hymn 855
Dismissal
P Go in peace.
Serve the Lord.
C
Thanks be to God.
Postlude
__________________________________________
Music reproduced with permission
by Augsburg Fortress.
Liturgies License # 23349
St.
Matthew’s Lutheran Church * 405 King Street * Charleston,
SC * 29403
843.723.1611
The Reverend Dr. Robert W. Wallace, Pastor
(7)