​

Join Zoom Meeting

​

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82730716739?pwd=javTba0kt5Zak5jN1rOo5Q9MaQIzSU.1

 

Meeting ID: 827 3071 6739

Passcode: 514679

​​

April 12, 2026

Second Sunday of Easter

​

GATHERING IN GOD’S NAME​​​

 

SILENT PREPERATION:  I bless the LORD, who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I keep the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure.                                                                                                                                                                                        – Psalm 16:7-9

 WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

PIANO PRELUDE        "Near the Cross"  arranged by Raney                                   

CHIMES

*CALL TO WORSHIP  (Please join responsively)

Leader:   We come again to celebrate resurrection.  God gives us new birth into a living hope.

People:  Death has no power over us.  Christ goes before us in the new life God offers.

Leader:   Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!  Our faith, even if tested by fire, is renewed.

People:  Our hearts are glad; our souls rejoice.  God shows us the path of life.

Leader:   Again, Jesus says to us: “Peace be with you.”  Come to receive life in Christ’s name.

People:  We rejoice in God’s amazing good news.  In God’s presence, we find fullness of joy.

 *HYMN                             “Christ Is Risen! Shout Hosanna!”                                                                      #104 (Blue)

PRAYER OF INVOCATION (Unison)

Great God of power, we – your Easter people – gather to praise you.  Continue to make your ways known to us; fill us with your presence.  We cannot live apart from you.  Your counsel and instruction are with us day and night – we have only to open ourselves to your direction.  Inspire in us fullness of joy – we pray – as we respond in faith to the risen Christ, and embrace the tasks he sets before us.  Build us up in Christian community, that we may truly care for one another, through all of life’s trials.  Amen.

CALL TO CONFESSION

PRAYER OF CONFESSION  (Unison)

Forgive us, O God, for seeking to limit your truth to what we can understand.  Forgive us for chasing after gods of our own making.  We are often so busy with them that we close ourselves to your larger reality.  We then reduce the circles of connection and caring that Jesus demonstrated for us.  Goodness is crucified by our narrow prejudices, and our doubts plunge us into despair. Be to us a refuge; grant us courage to face the questions that haunt us, and lead us to a deeper understanding of your way.     

SILENT PRAYER OF CONFESSION

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

 

                                                                                       PROCLAIMING GOD’S WORD

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

SPECIAL MUSIC                 "Lord, Speak to Me"    Green Hill Handbell Ensemble

FIRST SCRIPTURE READIING         1 Peter 1:3-9  NT p. 250

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  By his great mercy, he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God – through faith – for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.  In this you rejoice, even if now – for a little while – you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith – being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire – may be found to result in praise, and glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.  Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

 

                    The Word of the Lord.          Thanks be to God!

ANTHEM                 "Teach Me Your Way, O Lord"   by Ramsey                  

 SECOND SCRIPTURE READING     John 20:19-31 NT p. 119

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked – for fear of the Jews, Jesus came – and stood among them – and said, "Peace be with you."  After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.  Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you.  As the Father has sent me, so I send you."  When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,  "Receive the Holy Spirit.  “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."  But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.  So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord."  But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."  A week later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them, and said, "Peace be with you."  Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands.  Reach out your hand and put it in my side.  Do not doubt but believe."  Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"  Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me?  Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."  Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book.  But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

 

          The Word of the Lord         Thanks be to God!

TIME FOR YOUNG DISCIPLES

MEDITATION              “The Case of the Three Locked Rooms”

                                           Rev. Dr. David Lovelace

 *HYMN                            “We Walk by Faith and Not By Sight”                                                                   #399 (Blue)

 

                                                                           RESPONDING TO GOD’S WORD

​

*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH  (Unison)  Adapted from the Second Helvetic Confession (1561)

Christian faith in not an opinion or human conviction, but a most firm trust and a clear and steadfast assent of the mind, and then a most certain apprehension of the truth of God. This truth is presented in the Scriptures and in the Apostles’ Creed.  It includes an apprehension of God himself – the greatest good – and especially of God’s promise, and of Christ who is the fulfillment of all promises.  This faith is a pure gift of God which God alone – of his grace – gives to his elect according to his measure.  God does this by the Holy Spirit, by means of the preaching of the Gospel and steadfast prayer. This same faith keeps us in the service we owe to God and neighbor, strengthens our patience in adversity, fashions and makes a true confession, and – in a word – brings forth good fruit of all kinds and good works.  To God be the glory!  Amen.

OFFERING INVITATION

OFFERTORY      "Take My Life"

*DOXOLOGY                                                                                                                 # 592 (Blue)

*PRAYER OF DEDICATION  (Unison)

O God, we rejoice in the inheritance you have given to us, and we delight in sharing it with others.  You have given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  You have touched our lives with eternity, with indescribable and glorious joy.  We want others to experience what we have begun to realize in company with one another and with you; to that end, bless all the offerings of this day.  Amen.

THE SACRAMENT IF THE LORD'S SUPPER                                                  

WORDS OF INVITATION                                                                              

GREAT PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

Leader:   The Lord be with you.

People:  And also with you.

Leader:   Lift up your hearts.

People:  We lift them to the Lord.

Leader:   Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

People:  It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Leader:   It is truly right and our greatest joy to give you thanks and praise, eternal God, creator and ruler of the universe.  At your word the earth was made and spun on its course among the planets.  Your hand formed us from the dust of the earth and set us among all your creatures to love and serve you. When we were unfaithful to you you kept faith with us.  When we were slaves in Egypt, you broke the bonds of our oppression, and brought us through the sea to freedom, and made covenant to be our God. By a pillar of fire you led us through the desert to a land flowing with milk and honey, and set before us the way of life.  You spoke of love and justice in the prophets, and in the Word made flesh you lived among us,                manifesting your glory.  He died that we might live, and is risen to raise us to new life.  Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with angels and       archangels and with all the faithful of every time and place, who forever sing to the glory of your name:

People:  Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty, who was and is and is to come.  Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving

 and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever!

Leader:  You are holy, O God of majesty, and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, whom you sent to save us.  He came with healing in his touch, and was wounded for our sins.  He came with mercy in his voice, and was mocked as one despised.  He came with peace in his heart, and met with violence and death.  By your power he broke freed from the prison of the tomb, and at his command the gates of hell were opened.  The one who was dead now lives.  The one who humbled himself is raised to rule over all creation, the Lamb upon the throne.  The one ascended on high is with us always, as he promised.  Remembering all your mighty and merciful acts, we take this bread and this wine from the gifts you have given us, and celebrate with joy the redemption won for us in Jesus Christ.  Accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving as a living and holy offering of    ourselves, that our lives may proclaim the One crucified and risen. Praise to you, Lord Jesus:

People: Dying you destroyed our death, rising you restored our life.

Leader:  Gracious God, pour out your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these your gift of bread and wine, that the bread we break and the cup we bless may be the communion of the body and blood of ChrisT.  By your Spirit make us one with Christ, that we may be one with all who                              share this feast, united in ministry in every place.  As this bread is Christ’s body for us, send us out to be the body of Christ in the world.  Nourished at this table, O God, may we know Christ’s redemptive love and live a new life in him.  Give us who are fed at his hand, grace to share                              our bread with the hungry and with the hungry of heart.  Keep us faithful in your service until Christ comes in final victory, and we shall feast with all       your saints in the joy of your eternal realm.  Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ, all glory and honor are yours,  Almighty God, with the Holy Spirit in  the holy church, now and forever.

People:  Amen.

HYMN                                     “The Lord’s Prayer”                                         #440 (Red)

WORDS OF INSTITUTION

DISTRIBUTION OF THE ELEMENTS               

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION (Unison)

Here at this table we celebrate resurrection, as you feed us with bread and the fruit of the vine. And as much as we might prefer to stay here in this protected place, you send us back to our work – only it is no longer the same work – because we know that you are with us and in us, shaping and transforming us to be your witnesses in the world.  Nourished in body and in spirit, may all we say and do give you glory.  Amen.

​

                                                                                        GOING IN GOD’S NAME

 

*HYMN                                  “We Know That Christ Is Raised”                                                                       #495 (Blue)

*CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

*BENEDICTION RESPONSE     "Lord, Dismiss Us with Your Blessing"                        #538 (Blue) 

POSTLUDE                         "Liebster Jesu"    Bach