Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 25, 2010
Prelude (11:00 am) Make a Joyful Noise Raymond Wise
Nasemond-Suffolk Academy Choir
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 Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing! Hymn 385
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.
Hymn of Praise Music on page 149
P This is the feast of victory for
our God. Alleluia.
C
Worthy is Christ, the
Lamb who was slain, whose blood set us free to be the
people of God.
Power and riches and wisdom and strength, and honor and
blessing and glory are his.
This is the feast of victory for our God, Alleluia.
Sing with all the people of God and join in the hymn of all
creation: Blessing and honor and
glory and might be to God and the Lamb forever. Amen.
This is the feast of victory for our God, for the Lamb who
was slain has begun his reign.
Alleluia. Alleluia.
Prayer of the Day
P O God of peace, you brought again
from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great shepherd
of the sheep. By the blood of your eternal covenant, make
us complete in everything good
that we may do your will, and work among us all that is
well-pleasing in your sight, through
Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
now and forever.
C
Amen.
Mission Moment
Word
Lesson (Please sit)
Acts 9:36–43
Dorcas was a faithful and
devoted woman of charity in the community of Joppa. Her
kindness and her work with clothing was well-known,
especially to the widows in town. When she fell ill and
died, Peter raised her back to life through the power of
prayer.
Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha,
which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and
acts of charity. At that time she became ill and died. When
they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs.
Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that
Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request,
“Please come to us without delay.” So Peter got up and went
with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room
upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and
showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made
while she was with them. Peter put all of them outside, and
then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and
said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and
seeing Peter, she sat up. He gave her his hand and helped
her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her
to be alive. This became known throughout Joppa, and many
believed in the Lord. Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some
time with a certain Simon, a tanner.
P The Word of the Lord.
C
Thanks be to God.
Psalmody (8:30
am) Psalm 23
The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not be in want.
The LORD makes me lie down in green pastures
and leads me beside still waters.
You restore my soul, O LORD,
and guide me along right pathways for your name’s sake.
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.
R
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my
enemies;
you anoint my head with oil, and my cup is running over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of
my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
R
Psalm Anthem (11:00) Non Nobis, Domine
Roger Quilter
Not unto us, O Lord
Nasemond-Suffolk Academy Choir
Lesson Revelation 7:9–17
Christ is the shepherd who
leads his faithful to springs of the water of life. Christ
is also the lamb who vanquishes sin and suffering, in whose
blood the saints have washed their robes and made them
white.
After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that
no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and
peoples and languages, standing before the throne and
before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in
their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying,
“Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne,
and to the Lamb!” And all the angels stood around the
throne and around the elders and the four living creatures,
and they fell on their faces before the throne and
worshiped God, singing, “Amen! Blessing and glory and
wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to
our God forever and ever! Amen.” Then one of the elders
addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and
where have they come from?” I said to him, “Sir, you are
the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they
who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed
their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
For this reason they are before the throne of God, and
worship him day and night within his temple, and the one
who is seated on the throne will shelter them. They will
hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike
them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of
the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them
to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away
every tear from their eyes.”
P
The Word of the Lord.
C
Thanks be to God.
Children’s Message
Gospel Acclamation
Gospel John
10:22-30
P
The Holy Gospel
according to Saint John, the tenth chapter.
C
Glory to you, O Lord.
Jesus
responds to questions about his identity with the
remarkable claim that he and the Father are one. Those who
understand this are his sheep; they hear his voice, follow,
and will never be snatched from his
hand.
At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in
Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the
temple, in the portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered
around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in
suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus
answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The
works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; but you
do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My
sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I
give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one
will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given
me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out
of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”
P
The Gospel of the
Lord.
C
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon (Please sit)
Listening for the
Voice of Jesus Pastor Robert Wallace
(Please
stand)
Hymn
of the Day The King of Love
Hymn 502
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)
Solo
(8:30 am)
Psalm
23 Rhett
Barnwell
Sally Suhrstedt, soprano
Anthem (11:00
am) Come
to the Music Joseph M. Martin
Nasemond-Suffolk Academy 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.
Communion
Anthem (11:00
am)
The World
of Our Dreams Jeffrey L. Ames
Nasemond-Suffolk Academy Choir
Hymns 789
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 Lord,
Dismiss Us with Your Blessing Hymn 545
Dismissal
P Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C
Thanks be to God.
Postlude
__________________________________________
We welcome today the Nasemond-Suffolk Academy Choir under
the direction of Ms. Toni Cotturone.
St.
Matthew’s Lutheran Church * 405 King Street * Charleston,
SC * 29403
843.723.1611
The Reverend Dr. Robert W. Wallace, Pastor
(7)