Worship for Sunday, April 26, 2020
The Third Sunday of Easter
Sunday, April 26, 2020
Sunday, April 26, 2020
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OUR WORSHIP FOR TODAY
THE OPENING SENTENCE
PRAYER OF THE DAY
O God, your Son makes
himself known to all his disciples in the breaking of bread. Open the eyes of
our faith, that we may see him in his redeeming work, who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
FIRST READING: Acts 2:14a, 36-41
But
Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: Therefore
let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both
Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.’
Now
when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the
other apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do?’ Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and
be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may
be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise
is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the
Lord our God calls to him.’ And he testified with many other arguments and
exhorted them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ So those
who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand
persons were added.
PSALM: Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19
I
love the Lord, who has heard my voice,
and listened to my supplication,
for the Lord has given ear to me
whenever I called.
The cords of death entangled me; the anguish
of the grave came upon me;
I came to grief and sorrow.
Then I called upon the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I pray you, save my life.”
How shall I repay the Lord
for all the good things God has done for me?
I will lift the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord.
I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all God’s people.
Precious in your sight, O Lord,
is the death of your servants.
O Lord, truly I am your servant;
I am your servant, the child of your
handmaid;
you have freed me from my
bonds.
I will offer you the sacrifice of
thanksgiving
and call upon the name of the Lord.
I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all God’s people,
in the courts of the Lord‘s house,
in the midst of you, O Jerusalem.
Hallelujah! SECOND READING: 1 Peter 1:17-23
If you invoke as Father
the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in
reverent fear during the time of your exile. You know that you were ransomed
from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like
silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb
without defect or blemish. He was destined before the foundation of the world,
but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. Through him you have
come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that
your faith and hope are set on God.
Now that you have
purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine
mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. You have been born anew,
not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring
word of God.
THE HOLY GOSPEL: Luke 24:13-35
Now on that same day two of them were
going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking
with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were
talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their
eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, ‘What are you
discussing with each other while you walk along?’ They stood still, looking
sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, ‘Are you the only
stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there
in these days?’ He asked them, ‘What things?’ They replied, ‘The things about
Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all
the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be
condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to
redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these
things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at
the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they
came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said
that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it
just as the women had said; but they did not see him.’ Then he said to them,
‘Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the
prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer
these things and then enter into his glory?’ Then beginning with Moses and all
the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the
scriptures.
As they came near the village to which
they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him
strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is
now nearly over.’ So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table
with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their
eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight.
They said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he was
talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?’ That
same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and
their companions gathered together. They were saying, ‘The Lord has risen
indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!’ Then they told what had happened on the
road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
THE 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.
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
Uplifted by the promised hope of healing and
resurrection, we join the people of God in all times and places in praying for
the church, the world, and all who are in need.
A brief silence.
For the
diverse natural world: for jungles, prairies, forests, valleys, mountains, and
for all the wild and endangered animals who call these spaces home, that they
are nurtured and protected. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For
broken systems we have inherited and that we continue to perpetuate, forgive
us. Restrain the nations from fighting over limited resources. Redeem us from
the cycles of scarcity and violence. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For all
who call upon your healing name, give rest. Stay with us, and walk with all
those who are hungry, friendless, despairing, and desiring healing in body and
spirit. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For the
faith forming ministries of this church. For those preparing for baptism, first
communion, confirmation, and membership. For those who participate in Sunday
school and adult education; guide and inspire learners of every age and
ability. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For all
who cry out during this time of distance and quarantine. During Christ’s ministry on Earth, you showed
your power and caring by healing people of all ages and stations of life from
physical, mental, and spiritual ailments. Be present now to people who need
your loving touch because of COVID-19. May they feel your power of healing
through the care of doctors and nurses.
Take away the fear, anxiety, and feelings of isolation from people
receiving treatment or under quarantine. Give them a sense of purpose in
pursuing health and protecting others from exposure to the disease. Protect
their families and friends and bring peace to all who love them. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For all
of those who live in fear of this disease in our midst. We lift to You our concern for people who are
more likely than others to become severely ill from COVID-19 — the elderly and
people with chronic health conditions. Protect them from harm and be their
comfort in this time of uncertainty. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For those
who are called to serve all the more in this difficult time. Be with people making decisions that affect
the lives and futures of our families, communities, countries, and the wider
world. Strengthen doctors, nurses, and other caregivers. Strengthen pastors and chaplains. Inspire and
invigorate people developing better tests to diagnose the virus, vaccines to
prevent it, and protocols and communication to eliminate the disease’s spread.
May truth and empathy be the touchstones of people setting policies for our
protection. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Create in
our hearts a yearning to rest in your promise of eternal and resurrected life.
Give us thankful hearts for those who have died, even as we look forward to the
hope of new life with you. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
With bold
confidence in your love, almighty God, we place all for whom we pray into your
eternal care; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE LORD'S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen.
forever and ever. Amen.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
A Prayer of St. Chrysostom
A Prayer of St. Chrysostom
Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them:
Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be
best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your
truth, and in the age to come life everlasting.
Amen
CLOSING PETITION FOR BLESSING
May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
Amen
Amen
CLOSING HYMN: Let Us Break Bread Together (Video Link): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDNX9AkCAr0&feature=youtu.be
Thanks for the wonderful message. Let us pray that we will all be able to be together again soon.
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