Easter Sunday Service

8:00am, 9:30am, & 11:00am Services March 31, 2024 MORE PEOPLE, MORE LIKE CHRIST

SERVICE FOR THE LORD’S DAY Sunday, March 31, 2024 8:00am, 9:30am, & 11:00am PLEASE SILENCE OR PLACE YOUR CELL PHONE ON VIBRATE.

GATHERING PRELUDE

David White, organ

The Sonoran Brass WORDS OF WELCOME *CALL TO WORSHIP Leader: People: Leader: People: Leader: People: Leader: People:

Today is the day of resurrection!

We will rejoice and be glad!

Our sin has been forgiven.

Death has been defeated.

Light has overcome the darkness.

The tomb is empty!

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!

*PRAYER OF INVOCATION *HYMN

Jesus Christ Is Risen Today

*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (Apostles’ Creed) I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost, The holy catholic church, The communion of saints, The forgiveness of sins, The resurrection of the body, And the life everlasting. Amen. *HYMN Alleluia, Christ Is Risen!

PRAYER OF CONFESSION Holy God, we have propped up our lives with lies rather than devote ourselves to truth. We have allowed our thoughts to be polluted with selfish desires rather than focus on the well being of Your people. We have coveted for ourselves the things of earth rather than aspired to the intentions of our Creator. We have embraced attitudes and actions that kill and destroy rather than those that build up and bring life. O God, we ask that You prune from us what is sick, diseased, and sinful.We ask You to strengthen our abiding in Jesus Christ, and our ability to bear Fruit through the Holy Spirit.We want to be new creations in Christ Jesus. May the power of the resurrection be a reality within and among us, Lord. We pray all this in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON Leader: Sisters and brothers in Christ, hear the good news of the Gospel: the tomb is empty! Our Lord

and Savior has risen from the grave! That which has been dead is alive! No barrier, none

whatsoever, can keep us from the love of God! Therefore, let us assure one another of God’s pardon.

All:

In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. Alleluia! Amen!

ANTHEM

Joy in the Morning Chancel Choir and Orchestra

There’ll be joy in the morning on that day, there’ll be joy in the morning on that day, for the daylight will dawn when the darkness is gone, there’ll be joy in the morning on that day.

Natalie Sleeth

There’ll be peace and contentment evermore, there’ll be peace and contentment evermore, ev’ry heart, ev’ry voice on that day will rejoice, there’ll be peace and contentment evermore.

There’ll be love and forgiveness ev’rywhere, there’ll be love and forgiveness ev’rywhere, and the way of the Lord will that day be restored, There’ll be love and forgiveness ev’rywhere.

PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION Spirit of God, speak once again through the Words of Scripture that our listening ears may hear Your voice. Help us to place Your Word in our minds, treasure it in our hearts, choose it with our wills, and live it through our bodies. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

SCRIPTURE John 20:1-10 NIV 1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside.

He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)

10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

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Leader: All:

This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God!

CARING PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE THE 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 debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

OFFERINGS OF THE PEOPLE OFFERTORY Rise, Holy Jesus Chancel Choir and Orchestra

Paul Thompson

Rise, Holy Jesus and let Your glory shine.

All who will love Thee ever shall be Thine.

The grip of sin is broken and death has lost its sting.

Arise, Holy Jesus, Our high, eternal King. *DOXOLOGY

OLD HUNDREDTH

*PRAYER OF DEDICATION

GROWING SCRIPTURE John 20:11-23 NIV 11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

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On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

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SERMON

“Peace Be with You”

*HYMN

In Christ Alone

Rev. Jim Noble

GOING *BENEDICTION & RESPONSE

Now unto Him

*POSTLUDE

You are invited to join us every Sunday at 9:00 am or 10:30 am for our worship services.

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