Easter Sunday 2020

St. Luke Evangelcial Lutheran Church

Chambersburg, Pennsylvania

Easter Sunday 2020

Set out and light a candle. You may wish to have a bowl of water as a reminder of your baptism into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

Opening Hymn  Jesus Christ Is Risen Today

1 Jesus Christ is ris'n today, Alleluia! our triumphant holy day, Alleluia! who did once upon the cross, Alleluia! suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!

2Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia! unto Christ, our heav'nly king, Alleluia! who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia! sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia!

3 But the pains which he endured, Alleluia! our salvation have procured; Alleluia! now above the sky he's king, Alleluia! where the angels ever sing. Alleluia!

4 Sing we to our God above, Alleluia! praise eternal as his love; Alleluia! praise him, all you heav'nly host, Alleluia! Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Alleluia!

Text: Latin carol, 14th cent., sts. 1-3; tr. J. Walsh, Lyra Davidica, 1708, alt.; Charles Wesley, 1707-1788, st. 4

Greeting and Prayer of the Day

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all!  And also with you!

Let us pray:  Holy God! With the women who were the first to proclaim the good news, we gather in many places - in our houses, apartments, rooms, in front of our computers - to meditate and to sing your praises. Through the resurrection, a door has been opened and your peace is shared. Keep us in that peace throughout these exceptional times. We ask this in the name of Jesus, our Savior and Lord. Amen

Readings

Acts 10:36-40a 

“You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, 
preaching peace by Jesus Christ
— he is Lord of all. 
That message spread throughout Judea, 
beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced:
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; 
how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, 
for God was with him. 
We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. 
They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; 
but God raised him on the third day.”
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Colossians 3:1-4 

If you have been raised with Christ, 
seek the things that are above, 
where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 
Set your minds on things that are above, 
not on things that are on earth, 
for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 
When Christ who is your life is revealed, 
then you also will be revealed with him in glory. 
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Gospel  Matthew 28:1-10

The holy Gospel according to Matthew. Glory to you, O Lord. 

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” 

The gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon

Offering

Your continued financial support is inspiring. During this season of pandemic, may we maintain our solid footing for whatever God is preparing for usin our mutual ministry and mission as a congregation.

Offering Prayer

Merciful God,our ordinary gifts seem small for such a celebration, but you make of them an abundance, just as you do with our lives. We thank you for your faithfulness that is new to us every morning and equips us for service in your name, in the strength of the risen Christ. Amen

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 

Concluding prayers.

Let us pray,

A brief silence is kept before the prayer.

Praise and thanks to you, holy God, for by your Word you made all things: you spoke light into darkness, called forth beauty from chaos, and brought life into being. For your Word of life, O God,
we give you thanks and praise.

By your Word you called your people Israel to tell of your wonderful gifts: freedom from captivity, water on the desert journey, a pathway home from exile, wisdom for life with you. For your Word of life, O God,
we give you thanks and praise.

Through Jesus, your Word made flesh, you speak to us and call us to witness: forgiveness through the cross, life to those entombed by death, the way of your self-giving love. For your Word of life, O God,
we give you thanks and praise.

Send your Spirit of truth, O God; rekindle your gifts within us: renew our faith, increase our hope, and deepen our love, for the sake of a world in need. Faithful to your Word, O God, draw near to all who call on you; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory forever.
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

Blessing

The blessing of God, Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit, surround and sustain you, keep you from harm, and fill you with courage. Amen

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Christ is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

Devotional Music Links: For your individual or group devotion, you may choose to listen to the following choral recordings made available through Augsburg Fortress. “The Day of Resurrection”; “Awake My Heart with Gladness”

Prayer Requests

Marybeth Murray Emmerth, sister of Kathy Bookheimer. Marybeth is a respiratory therapist. She is a professor in a four year college respiratory program. She has been recruited to work in West Virginia Coronavirus hotspots. There are now more ventilators but not enough trained staff to use them.

Sam Main, sister of Nancy Carson and Sue Cline. She is in Wellspan Gettysburg Hospital. While she tested negative for Covid-19, she is recieving treatments to regulate her breathing.

Orlena, wife of Dick Kuhn's brother, who has been diagnosed with stage one breast cancer. She is awaiting a treatment plan.

For Herb and Barb Faust as they mourn the death of Herb's sister, Celia.

Chet Walker is at Wellspan Chambersburg Hospital undergoing further testing and evaluation for cancer.

Sadie and Rich Garner have tested positive for Covid-19 and are at home.

Readings for the Week:

Monday Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24. 

Tuesday Colossians 3:12-17. 

Wednesday Matthew 28:1-10. 

Thursday Psalm 16. 

Friday 1 Corinthians 15:1-11. 

Saturday Song of Solomon 8:6-7.

Second Sunday of Easter (commemoration of Olavus Petri, priest, died 1552; Laurentius Petri, Bishop of Uppsala, died 1573; renewers of the church) Acts 2:14a, 22-32; Psalm 16; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31.

Portions from Evangelical Lutheran Worship and sundaysandseasons.com, © 2020 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress. Reflection material: Gordon Lathrop. Intercessory Prayer: Gail Ramshaw

Offertory Music:  Prelude No. 20 by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Source: http://chriszabriskie.com/preludes/

Artist: http://chriszabriskie.com/

Readings from Readings for the Assembly © 1995, 1996, 1997 Augsburg Fortress. Citations from the Revised Common Lectionary © 1992 Consultation on Common Texts. Scripture quotations from NRSV Bible, Copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America, adapted and edited with permission by Gordon Lathrop and Gail Ramshaw.