MARCH 31, 2024
EASTER

Prelude     Entrée En Forme de Carillon          Théodore Dubois

Introit     Good Christians All, Rejoice and Sing

Good Christians all, rejoice and sing

Now is the triumph of our King

To all the world glad news we bring

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

The Lord of life is ris’n today

Sing songs of praise along his way

Let all the earth rejoice and say

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Praise we in song of victory

That love, that life which cannot die

And sing with hearts uplifted high

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

To God the father, God the son

To God the spirit, always one

We sing for life in us begun

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Call to Worship

“Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.” 

— Matthew 28:5-6

He is risen!

He is risen indeed!

Invocation

Hymn     # 388     Christ the Lord is Risen Today          (Gray Psalter Hymnal)

Prayer of Confession and Assurance of Pardon

Almighty God, you have raised Jesus from the grave

and crowned him Lord of all.

We confess that we have not bowed before him

or acknowledged his rule in our lives.

We have gone along with the way of the world

and failed to give him glory.

Forgive us and raise us from sin,

that we may be your faithful people,

obeying the commands of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who rules the world and is head of the church, his body. Amen

Prayer for Illumination          Sue Young

Old Testament Reading     Genesis 22:1-14          (NRSVUE)

       22 After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.” 3So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. 4On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. 5Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.” 6Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. And the two of them walked on together. 7Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them walked on together.

       9When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. 11But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14So Abraham called that place “The Lord will provide,” as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

Gospel Reading     Mark 16:1-8

       16 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. 5As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 6But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. 7But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” 8So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Lector: This is the Word of the Lord.

Congregation: Thanks be to God for His Word.

Anthem     Christ Is Risen, He Is Risen Indeed

How can it be, the One who died

Has borne our sin through sacrifice

To conquer ev’ry sting of death

Sing, sing hallelujah

For joy awakes as dawning light

When Christ's disciples lift their eyes

Alive, He stands, their friend and king

Christ, Christ, He is risen

Chorus:

Christ is risen, He is risen indeed!

Oh, sing hallelujah

Join the chorist' and all the redeemed

Christ is risen, He is risen indeed

Where doubt and darkness once had been

They saw Him and their hearts believed

But blessed are those who have not seen

Yet, sing hallelujah

Once bound by fear now bold in faith

They preached the truth and power of grace

And pouring out their lives they gained

Life, life everlasting

The power that raised Him from the grave

Now works in us to powerfully save

He frees our hearts to live His grace

Go tell of His goodness

He is risen, He's alive, He's alive!

Heaven's gates are opened wide

He's alive, He's alive!

Now in heaven glorified

Children’s Sermon

Hymn     # 390     The Day of Resurrection          (Gray Psalter Hymnal)

Epistle Reading     1 Peter 1:3-9

       3Blessed 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 4and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, 7so 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. 8Although 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, 9for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Sermon          Pastor Andrew Winter