Fifth Sunday of Easter 5/18/25
THE FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
MAY 18, 2025
IN THE NAME OF JESUS, WELCOME TO ST. PAUL’S!
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THE ENTRANCE RITE
PRELUDE This Joyful Eastertide Setting: Keith Kolander
WELCOME
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
ENTRANCE HYMN This Joyful Eastertide LSB 482
1 This joyful Eastertide
Away with sin and sorrow!
My love, the Crucified,
Has sprung to life this morrow: Refrain
Refrain
Had Christ, who once was slain,
Not burst His three-day prison,
Our faith had been in vain:
But now has Christ arisen,
arisen, arisen;
But now has Christ arisen!
2 Death’s flood has lost its chill
Since Jesus crossed the river;
Lover of souls, from ill
My passing soul deliver: Refrain
3 My flesh in hope shall rest
And for a season slumber
Till trump from east to west
Shall wake the dead in number: Refrain
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION LSB 151
In the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination.
Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. 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. We justly deserve Your present and eternal
punishment. 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.
Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
KYRIE LSB 152
In peace let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the peace from above and for our salvation let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
Amen.
HYMN OF PRAISE – “This is the Feast” LSB 155
This is the feast of victory for our God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain, whose blood set us free to be people of God.
This is the feast of victory for our God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Power, riches, wisdom, and strength, and honor, blessing, and glory are His.
This is the feast of victory for our God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Sing with all the people of God, and join in the hymn of all creation:
Blessing, honor, glory, and might be to God and the Lamb forever. Amen.
This is the feast of victory for our God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
For the Lamb who was slain has begun His reign. Alleluia.
This is the feast of victory for our God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
THE PRAYER OF THE DAY
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray. O God,
You make the minds of Your faithful to be of one will. Grant that we may love
what You have commanded and desire what You promise, that among the many
changes of this world our hearts may be fixed where true joys are found; through
Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
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THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
FIRST LESSON (Be seated) Acts 11:1-18
Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” But Peter began and explained it to them in order: “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me. Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air. And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ But I said, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ But the voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’ This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven. And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea. And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’ As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM 148 (Sung responsively)
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his hosts!
Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars!
Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!
Let them praise the name of the Lord!
For he commanded and they were created.
And he established them forever and ever;
he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all deeps,
fire and hail, snow and mist,
stormy wind fulfilling his word!
Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
Beasts and all livestock,
creeping things and flying birds!
Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
Young men and maidens together,
old men and children!
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his majesty is above earth and heaven.
He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for all his saints,
for the people of Israel who are near to him. Praise the Lord!
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
SECOND LESSON Revelation 21:1-7
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.”
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
10:30 CHILDREN’S SERMON
ALLELUIA VERSE (Stand) LSB 156
Alleluia.
Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
Alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL John 13:31-35
The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the 13th chapter
Glory to You, O Lord.
When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to You, O Christ.
SERMON (Be seated)
Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus. Amen. Dear friends in Christ:
The earliest manuscripts of the New Testament, written in Greek, did not contain punctuation marks. This is not a huge issue because in most cases the text’s meaning can clearly be determined by the sentence structure and the various word endings. Over the years punctuation was added to help the reader more easily catch the meaning, and in those cases where clarity was hard to determine, punctuation was added as thought to be best. There is no authoritative punctuation, however, and this is one of the reasons why our English language translations are often so different from each other.
Today’s Gospel reading is a good example of this. The version we just read translates Jesus’ words as saying: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: [colon] just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” The colon which I highlighted is meant to show a separation between what are thought to be two distinct phrases. But as I shared, the original doesn’t have punctuation, thus we don’t know if these phrases should actually be separated or not.
What I’ve discovered in looking at other translations is that most of them will separate these phrases with some kind of marking. And a few will even use a period to make two separate sentences. At the same time, other translations use markings that signify less division, such as a semi-colon or comma. And still others have no punctuation divider at all.
Every translation seeks to be faithful to what Jesus said. And sometimes the driving force behind the punctuation choice is simply readability. At the same time, these choices can also lead to different understandings of what Jesus had in mind.
This might be a concern to us. But that’s why we analyze these texts instead of just reading them. An analysis helps us catch what is and is not being said. Oftentimes we can determine the meaning based on other things Jesus said. And in many cases, the analysis will show that there can be different shades of meaning which are both acceptable.
Such is certainly the case with the statement of Jesus I just read. When a semicolon, comma, or no punctuation is placed between the “love one another” phrase and the “just as I have loved you” phrase which follows it, this promotes the understanding that we are to love one another in the same manner in which Jesus loved us. In other words, we are not just to love others in any old way that might seem best to us, but to love them in the way Jesus loves them.
This understanding seems to follow very naturally from Jesus’ description of this statement as a “new commandment.” For his manner of love was certainly new. God had always commanded his people to love one another, but in Jesus he was showing them how to love in a new way.
This understanding of the statement also makes sense to us because when we read in the scriptures about Jesus’ words and ways, we see how unique and special his love is. His is not an ordinary love.
For example, Jesus’ love was not just a love of neighbor but also a love for one’s enemies. Jesus commanded this difficult kind of love and showed it as well.
Likewise, Jesus’ love was a serving kind of love. Right before making today’s statement, Jesus showed his disciples an example of this love by washing their feet. He said at that time: “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you” (13:14,15). Washing someone’s feet is definitely an act of serving love, for feet are usually grimy – and especially after they’ve been walking around all day.
Furthermore, Jesus also understood, and made clear to us too, that love is behind all of God’s commandments. We know this because Jesus summarized the two tables of the Law by saying: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself.”
One of songs I sing with the preschool children during their chapel time says: “love, love, love… that’s what it’s all about. Because God loves us we love each other; father, mother, sister, brother. Everybody sing and shout! Because that’s what it’s all about. It’s about love, love, love…”
The Christian message is definitely about love. But here’s where we need to understand this rightly. Jesus may have commanded us to love one another, and he certainly has the best thoughts on how to love, but his command to love is not the essence of our faith. Rather, the essence of our faith is God’s love for us. That’s what’s unique and new and special. Notice how the children’s song makes sure to list God’s love first.
And this is why I prefer a colon, or even better, a period, after that first phrase of Jesus’ statement today. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. [period] Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” This little change, in my mind, lessens the pressure we feel to love just like Jesus did. And that’s important. Because Jesus has loved us perfectly, while we, on the other hand, will never be able to love others perfectly. We simply do our best. And thankfully, God understands this. Because he loves us!
Our best efforts will get better when we know, study and experience the love of Jesus. And improving in this way is always a goal. But it is not the greatest goal. The greatest goal of our faith is that people be saved from their sin and live with God as his trusting child.
Jesus’ command to love as he loves can rightfully be seen as raising the bar higher. And that’s a good thing, for a higher bar is something we need in this fallen world of ours.
I think it’s safe to say that our world’s view of love is extremely poor. And that’s because it continually confuses love with attraction. Our everyday speech gives witness to this, for we learn to talk about the foods we love and the places we love and all the people we love. Love is definitely on our minds a lot, but what we mean by this love is that certain people and things appeal to us more than others.
Jesus’ love is not like this. Jesus’ love is a treating of everyone with respect, dignity, kindness and mercy. Jesus’ love is an action, not an emotion or a preference. And as such it is much more difficult.
His love is so difficult, in fact, that it’s actually impossible for us. For as much as we can grow, improve, and somedays do quite well with our love, it will never be perfect. And this is the bar God gives us; and which Jesus shows us.
We don’t measure up to Jesus’ love. For even when we try our very best, we always end up hurting others at some point. Think about the ones you love the most and about how you have failed them far too often. You don’t want to hurt them, but you do.
Thankfully, Jesus’ love is not just a serving love or a unique love or a special love but also a sacrificial love. And through this sacrificial love, we are forgiven.
In today’s reading, Jesus says: “Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’” Here Jesus is telling us about his journey to the cross – referring to it as the place that only he could go. What he means by this is that only he could go to that place of death and become the needed sacrifice for the world’s sin.
This sacrificial love of Jesus is indicated to us here in another way as well. And that’s through the Greek word for love that is used. The love Jesus shows to us and commands us to share is not an ἔρως (eros) love of attraction nor the φιλία (philia) love of friendship but an ἀγάπη (agape) love of commitment. Jesus showed this committed love to us, in the strongest of ways, when he gave himself as a sacrifice for our sin.
And then there’s the trajectory of the Gospel accounts themselves. As we read through these, we see that during his ministry Jesus gave plenty of commands– commands to love, to serve, to believe, and to make disciples. But we see, even more, that his ministry clearly culminates in his death and resurrection. These are the events that his actions and teachings all point toward. And these are what clearly stand out.
The Gospels want us to know of Christ’s deeds of love for us far more than they want us to know of anything else. And they especially want us to know of his sacrificial death for our sins.
The reason for this is because these deeds of Christ’s are what is ultimately transformational. When people know that their sins are forgiven and that heaven awaits them, they can then show love to others naturally, from a place of joy, and not just because of a command.
Yes, we still want to learn to love like Jesus did. Life will be better when we do. To help in this we should study the scriptures to learn what Jesus says and does. Today’s chapter from John begins with a saying about Jesus that reminds us of this. It says: “having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” That’s the kind of love Jesus teaches… one that loves people to the end.
And we can also read from those who knew the message of Jesus well. Here we think of the apostle Paul’s great description of love in First Corinthians chapter 13, where he reminds us that “love is patient and kind, it is not envious and does not boast,” and that it is characterized by many other beautiful qualities as well. And we think of the apostle John and his great thoughts on the subject in his first epistle, especially where he says: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God” (4:7).
The scriptures teach us to love one another well. But even more, they teach us of God’s love for us in Christ.
To conclude, let’s briefly revisit that statement in today’s reading where Jesus says: “Where I am going you cannot come.” We remarked already about how this statement refers to Jesus’ upcoming death on the cross. But the statement can also lead us to think about where Jesus was going after that death. As we know, Jesus would be gloriously resurrected on the third day and eventually return to the Father in heaven.
And here we should recall that sinful man cannot make this same journey. None of us can go to the heavenly place where Jesus was going. Our sin precludes us from this. And Jesus’ words are a reminder of this.
And yet, even so, Jesus said to his disciples just a few verses later: “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (14:2,3).
Jesus has gone where we cannot go so that we can be taken to that good place where we could not go on our own. Jesus has made it possible, through his preparations. This is the heavenly home with the Father to which Jesus himself has ascended. And we are invited there as well!
Through God’s grace, and by the sacrificial love of his Son Jesus, we will go to that place someday soon. And there we will experience, in full, the perfect love of God that in this life we only know in part.
Beloved, let us love one another. For Christ our Savior has first loved us.
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
HYMN OF THE DAY (Stand) Love Divine, All Loves Excelling LSB 700
1 Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heav’n, to earth come down!
Fix in us Thy humble dwelling,
All Thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
Pure, unbounded love Thou art;
Visit us with Thy salvation,
Enter ev’ry trembling heart.
2 Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit
Into ev’ry troubled breast;
Let us all in Thee inherit;
Let us find Thy promised rest.
Take away the love of sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
End of faith, as its beginning,
Set our hearts at liberty.
3 Come, Almighty, to deliver;
Let us all Thy life receive;
Suddenly return, and never,
Nevermore Thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
Serve Thee as Thy hosts above,
Pray and praise Thee without ceasing,
Glory in Thy perfect love.
4 Finish then Thy new creation,
Pure and spotless let us be;
Let us see Thy great salvation
Perfectly restored in Thee,
Changed from glory into glory,
Till in heav’n we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise!
APOSTLES’ CREED Hymnal, back cover
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His 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 into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life ✠ everlasting. Amen.
OFFERING
Offerings support the church’s mission work – both here and through our many partners. Offerings may be placed in the box at the sanctuary entrance or sent to the church through our website or the mail. Fellowship Cards help us welcome new people and track participation. Please fill one out and place it in the offering box following the service.
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord of heaven and earth, in the glorious resurrection of Your Son You have given the promise of our own resurrection. As we await his appearance on the Last Day, calm our hearts and strengthen our faith through our sorrows, that we may look forward to that Day with great joy. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, You have promised us the gift of the Holy Spirit, who makes known to us all truth and keeps us in Your Word. Grant us faithful pastors and devoted church workers who will teach us your Word and serve us in Your name. And bless those who are preparing for church work vocations and inspire many more to follow Your call. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You have commanded us to love one another and have shown and equipped us to love them through the love of your dear Son. Give us wisdom and courage to love them well. And sustain us through love’s heartbreaks with the promise of your eternal care. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Father, strengthen and sustain all mothers with child and those with young children. And bless Your Church, the mother of all Your faithful children, that it may care for us in the power of the Spirit and witness boldly to our world. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You hold all people accountable for the responsibilities You give them. Bless our president, our governor, our Congress and legislatures, and all judges and magistrates. Guide them to serve according to Your will and for the common good of all. Give peace to the nations, raise up those with virtue who will guard our liberties, and protect those who defend us at home and abroad. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord God, the Alpha and the Omega, You pledge to bring all things to their perfect consummation, for in that Day you will bring heaven to earth and banish all sorrow, sin and death. Until that time, sustain all those who are in tribulation, including all those on our prayer list and all those we name in our hearts… By the comfort of Your Holy Word, increase their faith and see them through their trials. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Lord, just as You have given us bread for the body, so you have also given us Christ, the bread of life. Prepare us now to receive with faith and thanksgiving His flesh for the life of the world and His blood that cleanses us from all sin. Unite us that we may believe and confess one faith. And bring us to that day when we shall be one people together at the table of our Lord forever. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your goodness and mercy through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT
OFFERTORY LSB 159
What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits to me?
I will offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call on the name of the Lord.
I will take the cup of salvation and will call on the name of the Lord.
I will pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people,
in the courts of the Lord’s house, in the midst of you, O Jerusalem.
PREFACE LSB 160
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 Him thanks and praise.
It is truly good, right, and salutary …evermore praising You and saying:
SANCTUS
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of pow’r and might:
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna. Hosanna. Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
THE WORDS OF OUR LORD
PROCLAMATION OF CHRIST
As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
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.
PAX DOMINI
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
Amen.
AGNUS DEI
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.
THE COMMUNION (Be seated)
Those wishing to commune at the foot of the steps should come forward first. Those wishing to commune at the altar rail should come forward after these, front rows first, from both sides of the aisle. After receiving, all should return to their seats. A common dismissal will be given at the end.
DISTRIBUTION HYMN Here, O My Lord, I See Thee Face to Face LSB 631
1 Here, O my Lord, I see Thee face to face;
Here would I touch and handle things unseen;
Here grasp with firmer hand the_eternal grace,
And all my weariness upon Thee lean.
2 Here would I feed upon the bread of God,
Here drink with Thee the royal wine of heav’n;
Here would I lay aside each earthly load,
Here taste afresh the calm of sin forgiv’n.
3 This is the hour of banquet and of song;
This is the heav’nly table spread for me;
Here let me feast and, feasting, still prolong
The brief bright hour of fellowship with Thee.
4 I have no help but Thine; nor do I need
Another arm but Thine to lean upon.
It is enough, my Lord, enough indeed;
My strength is in Thy might, Thy might alone.
5 Mine is the sin, but Thine the righteousness;
Mine is the guilt, but Thine the cleansing blood;
Here is my robe, my refuge, and my peace:
Thy blood, Thy righteousness, O Lord my God.
6 Too soon we rise; the vessels disappear;
The feast, though not the love, is past and gone;
The bread and wine remove, but Thou art here;
Nearer than ever; still my shield and sun.
7 Feast after feast thus comes and passes by,
Yet, passing, points to that glad feast above,
Giving sweet foretaste of the festal joy,
The Lamb’s great marriage feast of bliss and love.
PRAYER (Stand)
BENEDICTION
SENDING HYMN Christ Has Arisen, Alleluia LSB 466
1 Christ has arisen, alleluia.
Rejoice and praise Him, alleluia.
For our Redeemer burst from the tomb,
Even from death, dispelling its gloom. Refrain
Refrain
Let us sing praise to Him with endless joy;
Death’s fearful sting He has come to destroy.
Our sin forgiving, alleluia!
Jesus is living, alleluia!
2 For three long days the grave did its worst
Until its strength by God was dispersed.
He who gives life did death undergo;
And in its conquest His might did show. Refrain
3 The angel said to them, “Do not fear!
You look for Jesus who is not here.
See for yourselves the tomb is all bare;
Only the grave cloths are lying there.” Refrain
4 “Go spread the news: He’s not in the grave;
He has arisen this world to save.
Jesus’ redeeming labors are done;
Even the battle with sin is won.” Refrain
5 Christ has arisen; He sets us free;
Alleluia, to Him praises be.
Jesus is living! Let us all sing;
He reigns triumphant, heavenly King. Refrain
ANNOUNCEMENTS
DISMISSAL
Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE Christ Has Arisen, Alleluia Setting: Lynn L Petersen
FELLOWSHIP – Board of Evangelism
FLOWERS – To the Glory of God and in celebration of Stephanie’s graduation from Purdue University. By Vic and Janet Poore
Those serving:
Sunday, 8:00 a.m.:
Greeter: Jim Easterly
Comm. assist: Judy Koucky
Reader: Anne Kauzlarich
10:30 a.m.:
Greeter: Jason Starck
Comm. assist: Jill Hecht
Reader: Michael Chamberlain
Acolyte: Joshua Wang
Acknowledgments
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2025 Concordia Publishing House.
482 This Joyful Eastertide Text: George R. Woodward, 1848–1934 Tune: Davids Psalmen, 1684, Amsterdam Text and tune: Public domain
700 Love Divine, All Loves Excelling Text: Charles Wesley, 1707–88 Tune: Rowland H. Prichard, 1811–87 Text and tune: Public domain
631 Here, O My Lord, I See Thee Face to Face Text: Horatius Bonar, 1808–89, alt. Tune: Henry Lawes, 1595–1662 Text and tune: Public domain
466 Christ Has Arisen, Alleluia Text: Bernard Kyamanywa, 1938–2021; tr. Howard S. Olson, 1922–2010 Tune: Tanzanian Text: © 1977 Howard S. Olson. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326 Tune: Public domain
