Jesus Christ is Risen Today... having come through Friday s Fiery Furnace to redeem and rescue His people. Easter Festival Worship Sunday, March 27, 2016 BETHEL LUTHERAN CHURCH & PRESCHOOL 5110 Grand Avenue, Gurnee, Illinois 60031 (847) 244-9647 Pastor Ben Squires Cell phone: 224-419-5519 or email: pastor@bethelgurnee.org Website: www.bethelgurnee.org
WORSHIP SCHEDULE Sundays 8:00 a.m. & 10:45 a.m. Holy Communion: 1st, 3rd, 5th Sundays Becky Lanzito & Karen Leicht - Organists, Ann Souza - Music Director, Mandi Stilson Choir/New Music Accompanist WELCOME TO OUR VISITORS We are pleased you chose to be with us in worship today, and pray the Lord blesses you as he has blessed us with your presence. Our goal is to help people find the right place for them to hear God s word and serve His mission. We d love to support you in that spiritual journey. Please take a moment to complete an attendance card and place it in the Offering plate or give to an usher. This card will help us connect with you. HOLY COMMUNION The Lord s Supper is celebrated according to the Lutheran Confessions based on the teaching Jesus gave his disciples and us that he is truly present in this meal. Confident that our sins are forgiven, we experience our oneness with him and each other as he gathers us at his table. His true body and blood, given and shed for us, we share in this meal as he invites in Matthew 26:26-28, Take and eat; this is My Body This is My Blood Baptized Christians sharing these beliefs are invited to receive Communion. All others are invited to the altar rail for a blessing. Wine can be taken by common chalice, individual cup, or by dipping your wafer into the chalice. Please address questions to the Elders or the Pastor. Non-alcoholic wine is in purple-colored cups. NURSERY We have two rooms available for your use. When the service is in the sanctuary, the nursery is down the hall just past the restrooms. If the service is held in the gym, the nursery is in the youth room at the far end of the gym. SERVING TODAY 2
Prelude Anthem On the Third Day Adult Choir Opening Anthem & Hymn Easter Song Choir sings the verse once as the congregation stands in joy and prayer. Then congregation joins in, beginning with the 2 nd time through the verse. 3
Proclamation P: Christ is risen. C: He is risen indeed! P: Christ is risen. C: He is risen indeed! P: Christ is risen. C: He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Invocation P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen. P: Sing to the Lord and bless His name, proclaim His salvation from day to day. C: Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. P: Now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that sleep. C: Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. P: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. C: Give to the Lord all glory and strength. Alleluia, alleluia. Hymn This Joyful Eastertide LSB 482 sts. 1, ref, 2 4
Kyrie (Lord, Have Mercy) P: Lord, have mercy. C: Christ, have mercy. P: Lord, have mercy. Greeting and Collect (Prayer of the Day) P: The Lord be with you. C: And also with you. P: Let us pray. Almighty God the Father, through Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, You have overcome death and opened the gate of everlasting life to us. Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of our Lord s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by Your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen. Anthem Christ is Risen, Alleluia Adult Choir Old Testament Reading Psalm 100:1 5 (ESV) 1 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! 2 Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! 3 Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! 5 For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. L: This is the Word of the Lord C: Thanks be to God. 5
Reading Response This Joyful Eastertide LSB 482 sts. ref, 3 Second Reading Acts 13:26 33 (ESV) [And Paul declared to the people of Antioch:] 26 Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. 27 For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. 28 And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29 And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. 32 And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, 33 this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, You are my Son, today I have begotten you. L: This is the Word of the Lord C: Thanks be to God. 6
Anthem I Will Sing of My Redeemer Adult Choir Holy Gospel Luke 24:1 12 (ESV) P: The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the 24 th chapter. C: Glory to You, O Lord. 1 On the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise. 8 And they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened. P: This is the Gospel of the Lord. C: Praise to You, O Christ. P: Christ is risen. C: He is risen indeed! Alleluia! 7
Hymn of the Day Awake, My Heart, with Gladness LSB 467 sts. 1 2, 4 6 5 The world against me rages, Its fury I disdain; Though bitter war it wages, Its work is all in vain. My heart from care is free, No trouble troubles me. Misfortune now is play, And night is bright as day. 6 Now I will cling forever To Christ, my Savior true; My Lord will leave me never, Whate er He passes through. He rends death s iron chain; He breaks through sin and pain; He shatters hell s grim thrall; I follow Him through all. 8
Sermon Friday s Fiery Furnace Daniel 3:8-28 Sermon Text Daniel 3:8 28 (ESV) 8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. 9 They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live forever! 10 You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image. 11 And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up. 13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands? 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up. 19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. 22 Because the king s order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. 9
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, Did we not cast three men bound into the fire? They answered and said to the king, True, O king. 25 He answered and said, But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods. 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here! Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. 27 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. 28 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. Offering Offertory Prayer P: Let us pray. Lord, may we always give our gifts to you as a thank offering for the magnificent gift of Jesus that you so generously gave to us. In the name of Jesus, C: Amen. Prayers 10
Confession and Absolution (Forgiveness) P: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. C: But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8-9 P: We pause in silence to reflect on our personal sins that trouble us. P: Let us then confess our sins to God our Father: C: 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. P: 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. C: Amen. P: Christ is risen. C: He is risen indeed! Alleluia! The Lord s Supper: What We Believe All Christians who are baptized and have been instructed are invited to receive Communion with us if you believe as we do that the bread is the body of Christ, and the wine is the blood of Christ, truly present for us for the forgiveness of our sins. If this is a new teaching to you, or if this is different than you believe, we ask that you wait to commune until we ve had a further chance to talk. We invite those who are not communing to come to the rail, cross your arms, and receive a blessing from the Lord. 11
Communion Distribution Pastor distributes the bread, and the Elders distribute the wine with individual cups or common cup. The individual trays also contain alcohol-removed wine in the center of each tray in the purple cups. Each side will be ushered from the center aisle to the communion rail, row by row, starting with the front. Go to the rail on your side of the sanctuary, filling in starting with the outside wall towards the center. Once you have received the elements, you may remain at the rail for prayer and leave at your own pace. Return to your seat using the outside aisle. Use the distribution time to prepare yourself for communion, sing the hymns as prayers to God, and maintain this as meditative time. Preparation for the Lord s Supper P: The Lord be with you. C: And also with you. P: Lift up your hearts. C: We lift them to the Lord. P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. C: It is right to give Him thanks and praise. P: We pray: It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God. And most especially are we bound to praise You on this day for the glorious resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the very Passover Lamb, who was sacrificed for us and bore the sins of the world. By His dying He has destroyed death, and by His rising again He has restored to us everlasting life. Therefore with Mary Magdalene, Peter and John, and with all the witnesses of the resurrection, with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying: 12
Sanctus (Holy Lord) Christ Has Arisen, Alleluia LSB 466 sts. 1, ref 1977 Howard S. Olson. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License.NET, no. 100013448. The Lord s Prayer P: Lord, remember us in Your kingdom, and teach us to pray: All: 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. Words of Institution Pax Domini (The Peace of the Lord) P: The peace of the Lord be with you always. C: And also with you. 13
Angus Dei (Lamb of God) Christ Has Arisen, Alleluia LSB 466 st. ref 1977 Howard S. Olson. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License.NET, no. 100013448. First Distribution Hymn At the Lamb's High Feast We Sing LSB 633 sts. 1 4, 6 7 6 Now no more can death appall, Now no more the grave enthrall; You have opened paradise, And Your saints in You shall rise. Alleluia! 7 Easter triumph, Easter joy! This alone can sin destroy; From sin s pow r, Lord, set us free, Newborn souls in You to be. Alleluia! 14
Second Distribution Hymn Alleluia! Jesus Is Risen LSB 474 1995 Augsburg Fortress. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License.NET, no. 100013448. Common Dismissal P: Now may this true body and true blood of our Lord. C: Amen. Post-Communion Prayer P: Let us pray. We give thanks to you, almighty God, that you have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore you that of your mercy you would strengthen us through the same in faith toward you and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen.
Proclamation P: Christ is risen. C: He is risen indeed! P: Christ is risen. C: He is risen indeed! P: Christ is risen. C: He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Benediction P: The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace. C: Amen. Closing Hymn Jesus Christ Is Risen Today LSB 457 Announcements Used by permission: LSB Hymn License.NET, no. 000013448. Created by Lutheran Service Builder 2006 Concordia Publishing House. 16