JESUS LIVES! HE IS OUR ETERNAL HIGH PRIEST!

JESUS LIVES! HE IS OUR ETERNAL HIGH PRIEST! The Resurrection of Our Lord: Easter Day April 1, 2018

N84 W15252 Menomonee Ave. Menomonee Falls, WI 53051 N108 W14290 Bel Aire Lane Germantown, WI 53022 WELCOME TO WORSHIP! We are pleased that you have chosen to worship the Lord with us today. If you are a guest visiting with us, know that we are thankful you have joined us, and please take a moment to sign the guest register in the entryway. Large print hymnals (both locations) are available upon request from an usher. Hearing assist devices (Falls only) are available upon request from an usher. Restrooms at the Falls: In the lower level of the church and also down the school hallway. Restrooms at Germantown: In the north and south halls of the building. If you need a place to quiet a restless child, the service is streamed to a TV in the lower level of the Falls and in the Alpha Room at Germantown. SERVICE NOTES FOR THIS SUNDAY The order of service for today is printed in this folder. The hymns are found in the hymnals or are printed in the folder. THOUGHT FOR WORSHIP The darkness of the early dawn must have reflected the darkness of sin and sadness in the hearts of the early visitors to Jesus tomb on that first Easter morning. How they had placed their hopes in him! Now he was dead. Their hoped had died with him. That all changed when they were greeted by an empty grave, neatly folded graveclothes, an angel s announcement to the women and even an appearance of the living Jesus to Mary Magdalene. Darkness is changed to light with the message: Christ is risen; he is risen indeed! Nothing but that news can dispel the darkness of sin in our hearts and enlighten us to the truth that because he lives we shall live also! 2

THE RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD: EASTER DAY OPENING HYMN Rejoice This Easter Day tune 322 1 ALL: Rejoice this Easter day! Christ conquered sin and death! Rejoice, give thanks, and praise God with your ev ry breath. Lift up your heart, lift up your voice! Rejoice, again I say, rejoice! 2 Men: God s power cannot fail, Christ rules o er earth and heav n; Women: The keys of death and hell Are to our Savior giv n; ALL: Lift up your heart, lift up your voice! Rejoice, again I say, rejoice! 3 ALL: Rejoice in glorious hope! For Christ, the Judge, shall come To glorify the saints For their eternal home; Lift up your heart, lift up your voice! Rejoice, again I say rejoice! INVOCATION P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen. OPENING SENTENCES P: Alleluia! Christ is risen! C: He is risen indeed! Alleluia! P: The stone has been rolled away! Alleluia! C: The crucified is risen! Alleluia! P: Christ has conquered death by the cross! C: He has come out of the tomb! 3

P: Christ has risen and will not die again! C: Death has been swallowed up in victory! P: This is the day the Lord has made! C: Let us rejoice and be glad in it! P: Alleluia! Christ is risen! C: He is risen indeed! Alleluia! CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION P: If Christ had not been raised from the dead, we would still be dead in our trespasses and sins. Let us approach God with a true heart and confess our sins, asking him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to forgive us. P: Heavenly Father, C: we have sinned against you in our thoughts, words, and actions. We confess our shameful thoughts about our leaders, enemies, and strangers. We confess our inappropriate words spoken to our families, friends, and colleagues. We confess our inappropriate actions toward our neighbors. For the sake of the risen Christ, forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we follow in his footsteps both now and when he returns in glory. Amen. P: If Christ had not been raised from the dead, we would still be dead in our trespasses and sins, but Christ rose from the grave, and death no longer has dominion over him! God did this in accordance with the Scriptures to forgive our sins. As a called servant of the risen Christ and by his authority, I forgive your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen. 4

FESTIVAL CANTICLE This Is the Feast of Victory 265 PRAYER OF THE DAY P: The Lord be with you. C: And also with you. 5

P: Let us pray. Almighty God, by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ you conquered death and opened the gate to eternal life. Grant that we, who have been raised with him through baptism, may walk in the newness of life and ever rejoice in the hope of sharing his glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be dominion and praise now and forever. C: Amen. THE WORD FIRST LESSON Isaiah 25:6-9 On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine the best of meats and the finest of wines. 7 On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people s disgrace from all the earth. The LORD has spoken. 9 In that day they will say, Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation. P: This is the Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God! 6

PSALM OF THE DAY Psalm 118 7

SECOND LESSON 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. 20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. P: This is the Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God! CHOIR ANTHEM (8:00, 10:30) Alleluia: All the Ages Monica Bonasso Alleluia! Cantate Jesu Christe! (Sing to Jesus) Alleluia! Sing to Jesus! His the scepter, his the throne; Alleluia! His the triumph, his the victory alone; Hark! The songs of peaceful Zion thunder like a mighty flood; Jesus out of ev ry nation Has redeemed us by his blood. Alleluia, alleluia, give thanks to the risen Lord. Alleluia, alleluia, give praise to his Name. Jesus is Lord of all the earth. He is the King of creation. VERSE OF THE DAY (9:15) Psalm 118:24 P: Alleluia. Alleluia. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia. C: This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Alleluia. All sing: This is the day the Lord has made; He calls the hours his own. Let heav n rejoice; let earth be glad And praise surround the throne. 8

Today he rose and left the dead, And Satan s empire fell; Today the saints his triumphs spread And all his wonders tell. (CW 225:1-2) Worship services center around the Gospel Reading; we rise to highlight its function. GOSPEL LESSON Mark 16:1-8 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb? 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 6 Don t be alarmed, he said. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you. 8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. P: This is the Gospel of the Lord! C: Praise be to you, O Christ! HYMN OF THE DAY Christ Jesus Lay in Death s Strong Bands 161 SERMON Hebrews 7:23-27 Jesus Lives and Is Our Eternal High Priest! 1. He met all our needs! 2. He gives us abundant life! 3. He still intercedes for us! THANK OFFERING 9

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. PRAYER OF THE CHURCH P: Heavenly Father, God of grace, you have brought us into a new and living hope by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. C: Christ is risen! P: For as in Adam all died, so in Christ all will be made alive. C: He is risen indeed! P: He was delivered over to death for our sins and raised to life for our justification. C: Alleluia! P: We marvel at the love you showed by your willingness to sacrifice your Son to pay for our sins; we bow down in adoration at your mighty power, which raised him from the dead. C: We praise you for sending the true Life and Light into the world. P: Lord Jesus, God of grace, you have filled our hearts with resurrection joy by your victory over sin, death, and the grave. C: You have conquered the darkness and given us comfort and hope. P: With the Church of every age, we offer you unending praise, for you have crushed Satan s head and have removed our guilt. C: You are risen! 10

P: Dear Savior, we who are weary and burdened come to you for rest, knowing that because of your perfect redemption there is now no condemnation for us. C: You are risen indeed! P: Take away our doubts and fears, and daily renew in us the joy of our salvation. C: Alleluia! P: Holy Spirit, God of grace, you have called us by the gospel and brought us to saving faith in our risen Lord. C: We glorify you for opening our eyes to see the light of life. P: Keep us with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. C: He is risen! P: As we journey through life, make us yearn for the day when you will give eternal life to us and all believers in Christ. C: He is risen indeed! Special prayers and intercessions may follow. P: Hear us, Lord, as we bring you our private petitions. Silent prayer. P: Work through us as we proclaim the saving message of the crucified and risen Jesus near and far, so that many others may hear your call, obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, and join us before the throne of our God and of the Lamb. C: Alleluia! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Alleluia! Amen. LORD S PRAYER Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread; Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us; Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen. HYMN Jesus Christ Is Risen Today 157 11

CLOSING PRAYER P: Almighty God, we have celebrated with joy the festival of our Lord s resurrection. Now we ask for the help of your power that we may show the power of the resurrection in what we say and do; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen. BLESSING P: 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: Amen. CLOSING HYMN I Know that My Redeemer Lives 152 v. 1-4, 7-8 The hymn will be sung as follows: v. 1, 2 All; v. 3 Men; v. 4 Women; v. 7-8 All SERVING IN WORSHIP Preaching Minister Organists Adult Choir Musicians Pastor Russell Schmidt Liz Sand (M), Jenny Schopper (G) Martha Johnson, director (M) Matthew Hahn and Ethan Mallow, trumpet Erich Schmandt and Evan Schmandt, percussion (M) James Kuehl and Chuck Wierschem, trumpet (G) 12

WEEKLY NEWS AND NOTES Thank you to all who purchased flowers to beautify today s Easter services! EASTER BREAKFAST - Please join us for Easter breakfast! Breakfast will be served today in the Menomonee Falls Gym, beginning at 7:00 AM following the sunrise service, through 10:00 AM. There will be a selection of tasty treats, pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, bagels, and much more! BIBLE CLASSES CANCELLED As a reminder, there will be no regularly scheduled morning or evening Bible classes or Sunday school today at either campus. In addition, please review the The Week Ahead calendar at the end of the News for other cancellations this coming week. Easter blessings to you and your family! CALLS RETURNED AND CALL MEETING REMINDER - After prayerful consideration, God has led Pastor Jonathan Schroeder to return our Pastoral Call and Mrs. Kristine Wegner to return our ECM Director call. Bethlehem's voting members are encouraged to join us on Sunday, April 8 th at 11:30 AM at the Menomonee Falls campus for a Call Meeting. IMPACT FAMILY IN A POWERFUL WAY - Bethlehem is looking for members to use their time and talents to provide child care for families attending Hope Grows. Hope Grows is the Bible Information Class adults attend to learn more about Jesus, our church, and becoming WELS members. By providing childcare during these classes, we address the most-often cited reason families give for not attending Hope Grows. Each Monday, from 6:45-8:45 PM, April 23 rd through June 25 th, teams of (at least) two volunteers are needed to care for children ages 3-12 while their parents study God's Word. The Evangelism Team will provide suggestions and resources for fun activities to do with the children (though you're free to be creative and come up with your own!). Teens may serve as volunteers as long as they are paired with an adult. Please contact Todd Plichta at plichta.todd@gmail.com or Pastor Arnold at parnld@bethlehem-wels.org with any questions and to sign up. We thank you for prayerfully considering this opportunity to use your time and talents to help people learn more about their Savior! COMMUNITY BLOOD DRIVE Bethlehem will be hosting a community blood drive with the American Red Cross on Friday, April 6 th, 2018 from 1:00-6:00 PM at our Germantown campus. Those interested in donating are encouraged to schedule an appointment, but walkins are always welcome. Appointments can be made by going to the Bethlehem website (under Events tab, Upcoming Events) and using the link listed or by contacting the event coordinator, Megan Landvatter, at mlandvatter@bethlehem-wels.org. Everyone is invited to help with this important cause, so make sure to spread the word as well! 13

KETTLE MORAINE LUTHERAN ADULT CHORALE CONCERT REMINDER The Kettle Moraine Lutheran Adult Chorale will present their sacred spring concert on Sunday, April 8 th at 4:00 PM at Peace Lutheran Church, 1001 Center Street in Hartford. A free-will offering will be taken. CHILD CARE REGISTRATION FOR THE SUMMER PROGRAM - We are getting excited about our summer program at Bethlehem Lutheran Child Care (BLCC)! The summer program runs from Monday, June 4 th through Thursday, August 30 th for children from ages six weeks to twelve years. Enrollment is now open! Our theme for this summer is He's Got the Whole World in His Hands and will focus on God's glory and grace displayed in creation as He works out our salvation. Field trips for children in 4K & up will include a trip to the Roden Farm, the Zoo, the Mitchell Park Domes, Retzer Planetarium and Nature Center, and a Sprecher Soda tour. There will be in-house events that include animals, reptiles, & bugs, bubbles, bounce houses, water pools & slides. There will also be weekly mini-camps that include: baseball, soccer, cheerleading, basketball, junior mudder, art, music, and baking. Chapel will be held weekly, giving children the opportunity to join together to praise their Savior regularly. It should be a fun and adventurous summer at Bethlehem! WELS SOUTHEASTERN REGIONAL HANDBELL FESTIVAL - Save the date! Bethlehem s handbell choir will be participating in the 39 th annual WELS Handbell Festival for the Southeast region. The theme this year is Speak, O Lord and the festival will be held at Luther Preparatory School in Watertown on April 15 th at 2:00 PM. Please join us in praising God through the musical art of handbells! KETTLE MORAINE LUTHERAN ANNUAL CHARITY AUCTION REGISTRATION - Early bird registration HAS BEEN EXTENDED until April 4 TH for KML's Annual Charity Auction, Back to the Future! Get your tickets TODAY for only $75 each at www.kmlhs.org/auction. After April 4 TH, ticket prices are $90. April 8 TH is the final day to purchase tickets for the event. Church Attendance Last Week: Lenten Services 212; Regular Worship - 991 Unified Offerings Last Week: $28,541.17 Building Relationships Offerings Last Week: $14,774.66 14

Serving in Worship Service Overseer: Easter Sunday, April 1 st Menomonee Falls Bryan Cook Germantown Jeff Mitchell Sunday, April 8 th Menomonee Falls Larry Grodek Germantown OPEN Set Up Teams (Germantown): Easter Sunday, April 1 st Team 6 Steve Zimmermann Sunday, April 8 th Team 7 Kevin Brunow Ushers: Easter Sunday, April 1 st 6:00 AM Team 8 Maliszko 8:00 AM Team 10 Affeldt 9:15 AM Team 16 Neuberger 10:30 AM Team 15 Braun Saturday, April 7 th 5:00 PM Team 10 Affeldt Sunday, April 8 th 8:00 AM Team 9 Rehlinger 9:15 AM Team 15 Braun 10:30 AM Team 16 Neuberger Communion Assistants: Thursday, April 5 th 6:45 PM Dave Koeppel Saturday, April 7 th 5:00 PM Leroy Buelow & Larry Grodek Sunday, April 8 th 8:00 AM Myles Weishoff 10:30 AM Keith Lauersdorf The Week Ahead Easter Sunday, April 1 6:00 AM Sunrise Service M 8:00 AM Worship Service M 9:15 AM Worship Service G 10:30 AM Worship Service M 7:00 AM through 10:00 AM Easter Breakfast M Counters: Sandy s Team Monday, April 2 NO PSC today (cancelled) 6:00 PM Quilters M 6:00 PM Handbells M 7:00 PM Choir M 7:00 PM Stewardship M 7:00 PM Hope Grows Bible Study G Tuesday, April 3 NO Morning Bible Study today (cancelled) Wednesday, April 4 NO Evening Bible Study today (cancelled) Thursday, April 5 6:45 AM Bible Study M 6:45 PM Worship Service w/ Communion 7:00 PM Spiritual Growth G Saturday, April 7 NO Men s Bible Study today (cancelled) 5:00 PM Worship Service w/ Communion Sunday, April 8 8:00 AM Worship Service w/ Communion M 9:15 AM Bible Study & Sunday School M 9:15 AM Worship Service w/ Communion G 10:30 AM Family Bible Hour G 10:30 AM Worship Service w/ Communion M 7:00 PM Live Streaming Bible Study 15