St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
24 E. Baltimore St. PO Box 148 Funkstown, MD 21734 301.791.1738
April 25, 2021
WELCOME
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
God of all mercy and consolation, come to the aid of your people, turning us from our sin to live for you alone. Give us the power of your Holy Spirit that, attentive to your Word, we may confess our sins, receive your forgiveness, and grow into the fullness of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.
Silence for reflection and self-examination.
Gracious God,
have mercy on us. In your compassion forgive us our sins, known and unknown, things done and left undone. Uphold us by your Spirit so that we may live and serve you in newness of life, to the honor and glory of your holy name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for you, and for his sake God forgives you all your sins. To those who believe in Jesus Christ he gives the power to become the children of God and bestows on them the Holy Spirit
Amen.
Alleluia! Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed. Alleluia!
GATHERING HYMN ELW 789
PRAYER OF THE DAY
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
O Lord Christ, good shepherd of the sheep, you seek the lost and guide us into your fold. Feed us, and we shall be satisfied; heal us, and we shall be whole. Make us one with you, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.. Amen
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READINGS |
Acts 4:5-12 |
Psalm 23 |
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1 John 3:16-24 |
John 10:11-18 |
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SERMON |
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First Reading: Acts 4:5-12
5The next day [the] rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in
Jerusalem, 6with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and
all who were of the high-priestly family. 7When they had made the prisoners
stand in their midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you
do this?” 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the
people and elders, 9if we are questioned today because of a good deed
done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been
healed, 10let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this
man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of
Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. 11This
Jesus is ‘the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the
cornerstone.’
12There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven
given among mortals by which we must be saved.
Psalm: Psalm 23
1The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not be in want.
2The LORD makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside
still waters.
3You restore my soul, O LORD, and guide me along right pathways for your
name’s sake.
4Though 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.
5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint
my head with oil, and my cup is running over.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Second Reading: 1 John 3:16-24
16We know love by this, that [Jesus Christ] laid down his life for us—and we
ought to lay down our lives for one another. 17How does God’s love abide in
anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and
yet refuses help?
18Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and
action. 19And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will
reassure our hearts before him 20whenever our hearts condemn us; for God
is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21Beloved, if our hearts
do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; 22and we receive from
him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what
pleases him.
23And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his
Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24All
who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by
this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.
Gospel: John 10:11-18
[Jesus said:] 11“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his
life for the sheep. 12The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not
own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs
away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13The hired hand
runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. 14I am the
good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father
knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16I
have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and
they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17For
this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take
it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I
have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have
received this command from my Father.”
SPECIAL MUSIC
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again 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
PREFACE
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 our thanks & praise.
It is indeed right and salutary that we should at all times and in all places offer thanks and praise to you, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and ever-living God. But chiefly we are bound to praise you for the glorious resurrection of our Lord; for he is the true Passover Lamb who gave himself to take away our sin, who by his death has destroyed death, and by his rising has brought us to eternal life. And so, with Mary Magdalene and Peter and all the witnesses of the resurrection, with earth and sea and all their creatures, and with angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
SANCTUS
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power 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 OUR LORD
In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.
Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.
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.
DISTRIBUTION
The body of Christ, given for you. The blood of Christ, shed for you. You may respond: Amen.
PRAYER
We give you thanks, almighty God that you have refreshed us through the healing power of this gift of life; and we pray that in your mercy you would strengthen us, through this gift, in faith toward you and in fervent love toward one another; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
BLESSING
The blessing of the living God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, surround and sustain you, keep you from harm, and fill you with courage. Amen.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
SENDING HYMN Shepherd Me, O God ELW 780
Refrain: Shepherd me, O God, beyond my wants, beyond my fears from death into life.
God is my shepherd, so nothing shall I want, I rest in the meadows of faithfulness and love, I walk by the quiet waters of peace. Refrain
Gently you raise me and heal my weary soul, you lead me by pathways of righteousness and truth, my spirit shall sing the music of your name. Refrain
Though I should wander the valley of death, I fear no evil, for you are at my side, your rod and your staff, my comfort and my hope. Refrain
You have set me a banquet of love in the face of hatred,
crowning me with love beyond my pow'r to hold. Refrain
Surely your kindness and mercy follow me all the days of my life;
I will dwell in the house of my God forevermore. Refrain
Text: Marty Haugen, b. 1950, based on Psalm 23 Text © 1986 GIA Publications, Inc., 7404 S. Mason Ave., Chicago, IL 60638. www.giamusic.com. 800.442.3358. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Duplication in any form prohibited without permission or valid license from copyright administrator.
DISMISSAL
Go in peace. Share the good news. Thanks be to God. POSTLUDE
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