Second Sunday of Easter April 11, 2021

Today’s Theme for Worship: Today is often called “the Sunday of St. Thomas.” With Thomas, we hear our Lord’s word of assurance: “Look at my hands and side! Stop doubting and believe!” With him we exclaim, “My Lord and my God!”

Opening Hymn: 160 This Joyful Eastertide

1 This joyful Eastertide

Away with sin and sorrow!

My love, the Crucified,

Has sprung to life this morrow.

Refrain:

Had Christ, who once was slain,

Not burst his three-day prison,

Our faith had been in vain:

But now is Christ arisen, arisen, arisen;

But now is 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

Had Christ, who once was slain,

Not burst his three-day prison,

Our faith had been in vain:

But now is Christ arisen, arisen, arisen;

But now is Christ arisen.

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

Had Christ, who once was slain,

Not burst his three-day prison,

Our faith had been in vain:

But now is Christ arisen, arisen, arisen;

But now is Christ arisen.

Text: George R. Woodward, 1848-1934.

P: The grace of our Lord + Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you.

C: And also with you.

Confession of Sins

P: We have come into the presence of God, who created us to love and serve him as his dear children. But we have disobeyed him and deserve only his wrath and punishment. Therefore, let us confess our sins to him and plead for his mercy.

C: Merciful Father in heaven, I am altogether sinful from birth. In countless ways I have sinned against you and do not deserve to be called your child. But trusting in Jesus, my Savior, I pray: have mercy on me according to your unfailing love. Cleanse me from my sin, and take away my guilt.

P: God, our heavenly Father, has forgiven all your sins. By the perfect life and innocent death of our Lord Jesus Christ, he has removed your guilt forever. You are his own dear child. May God give you strength to live according to his will.

C: Amen.

P: In the peace of forgiveness, let us praise the Lord.

♬ Oh Taste And See

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.

Bless-ed are they who take re-fuge in him.

Your Word, O Lord, is e-ter-nal;

it stands firm in the heav-ens.

Your faith-ful-ness con-tin-ues for-ev-er.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.

Bless-ed are they who take re-fuge in him.

Prayer of the Day

P: Let us Pray.

O risen Lord, you came to your disciples and took away their fears with your word of peace. Come to us also by Word and sacrament, and banish our fears with the comforting assurance of your abiding presence; for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: ♬ Amen.

First Lesson: Acts 3:12-20
After Peter heals a crippled beggar, he proclaims the power of Christ.

¹²When Peter saw this, he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this? Why are you staring at us, as if by our own power or godliness we have made this man walk? ¹³The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and disowned in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. ¹⁴You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you. ¹⁵You killed the Author of Life, whom God raised from the dead. We are witnesses of this. ¹⁶And on the basis of faith in his name, it is the name of Jesus that has strengthened this man, whom you see and know. This faith that comes through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.

¹⁷“Now brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, just like your leaders. ¹⁸But in this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through the mouth of all the prophets: that his Christ would suffer. ¹⁹Therefore repent and return to have your sins wiped out, ²⁰so that refreshing times may come from the presence of the Lord and that he may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you.”

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 16

Refrain

I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.

Keep me safe, O God,*

for in you I take refuge.

I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord;*

apart from you I have no good thing.”

I have set the LORD always before me.*

Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Refrain

I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.

My heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;*

my body also will rest secure,

because you will not abandon me to the grave,*

nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

You have made known to me the path of life;*

you will fill me with joy in your presence.

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.

Refrain

I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.

Second Lesson: 1 John 5:1-6
Those who believe “that Jesus is the Son of God” share in his victory and have “overcome the world.”
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the God who has given birth also loves one who has been born of him. ²This is how we know that we love the children of God: when we love God and keep his commands. ³In fact, this is love for God: that we keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, ⁴because everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith. ⁵Who is the one who overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

⁶This is the one who came by water and blood: Jesus Christ. He did not come by the water alone but by the water and by the blood. The Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.

Verse:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

These words are written that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Gospel: John 20:19-31
Jesus appears to his disciples on Easter evening and a week later when Thomas is present.
¹⁹On the evening of that first day of the week, the disciples were together behind locked doors because of their fear of the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you!” ²⁰After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

²¹Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you! Just as the Father has sent me, I am also sending you.” ²²After saying this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³Whenever you forgive people’s sins, they are forgiven. Whenever you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

²⁴But Thomas, one of the Twelve, the one called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵So the other disciples kept telling him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, and put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

²⁶After eight days, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. ²⁷Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands. Take your hand and put it into my side. Do not continue to doubt, but believe.”

²⁸Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”

²⁹Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

³⁰Jesus, in the presence of his disciples, did many other miraculous signs that are not written in this book. ³¹But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

C: ♬ Praise be to you, O Christ!

Hymn of the Day: 165 O Sons and Daughters of the King vv. 1,4,5,6,8&9

1 O sons and daughters of the King,

Whom heav’nly hosts in glory sing,

Today the grave has lost its sting!

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

4 That night th’ apostles met in fear;

Among them came their Lord most dear

And said, “Peace be unto you here.”

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

5 When Thomas afterwards had heard

That Jesus had fulfilled his word,

He doubted if it were the Lord.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

6 “Thomas, behold my side,” said he,

“My hands, my feet, my body see;

And doubt not, but believe in me.”

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

8 Blessèd are they that have not seen

And yet whose faith has constant been;

In life eternal they shall reign.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

9 On this most holy day of days

To God your hearts and voices raise

In laud and jubilee and praise.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Text: attr. Jean Tisserand, d. 1494, abr.; tr. John M. Neale, 1818-66, alt.

Sermon

Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

I believe 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 is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there 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 Prayer

Electronic Giving! You can give your offerings from your smartphone with the GivePlusChurch app, which can be downloaded for free at Google Play or the App Store. You can also give at holytrinitylutheranwyoming.com by clicking the Offerings link at the top of the page or scan the QR code below. If you have any questions about any of these options, please contact Dave Conrad at dconrad765@gmail.com or 616-406-7172

Prayer of the Church

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.

Special Music: I Know of a Sleep

Prayer and Blessing

P: O Lord God, our heavenly Father, pour out the Holy Spirit on your faithful people. Keep us strong in your grace and truth, protect and comfort us in all temptation, and bestow on us your saving peace, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

P: Almighty God, we thank you for teaching us the things you want us to believe and do. Help us by your Holy Spirit to keep your Word in pure hearts that we may be strengthened in faith, guided in holiness, and comforted in life and in death, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: ♬ A-men.

P: Brothers and sisters, go in peace. Live in harmony with one another. Serve the Lord with gladness.

The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.

The Lord look on you with favor and + give you peace.

C: ♬ A-men, A-men, A-men

Closing Hymn: 142 Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain

1 Come, you faithful, raise the strain Of triumphant gladness!

God has brought his Israel Into joy from sadness.

See the spring of souls today: Christ has burst his prison

And from three days’ sleep in death As a sun has risen.

2 All the winter of our sins, Long and dark, is flying

From his light, to whom we give Laud and praise undying.

Neither could the gates of death Nor the tomb’s dark portal

Nor the watchers nor the seal Hold him as a mortal.

3 But today among his own Christ appeared, bestowing

Blessed peace, which evermore Passes human knowing.

Come, you faithful, raise the strain Of triumphant gladness!

God has brought his Israel Into joy from sadness.

Text: John of Damascus, c. 696-c. 754; tr. John M. Neale, 1818-66, adapt.