April 12, 2026 11:15 A.M.
Welcome!
Introduction
In today’s gospel the risen Christ appears to the disciples and offers them the gift of peace. Even amid doubts and questions, we experience the resurrection in our Sunday gathering around word and meal, and in our everyday lives. Throughout the coming Sundays of Easter the first two readings will be from the Acts of the Apostles and the first letter of Peter. Even as the early Christians proclaimed the resurrection, we rejoice in the new birth and living hope we receive in baptism.
(please stand for our opening song)
Hymn: Christ the Lord Is Risen Today; Alleluia! ELW 369
Thanksgiving for Baptism
P: Alleluia! Christ is risen.
C: Christ is risen, indeed. Alleluia!
P: Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb!
C: Amen.
P: Let us give thanks for the gifts of baptism.
(silence)
P: Merciful God, you are the one who was, who is, and who is to come. You lead us beside still waters. We thank you for the waters of creation: morning dew, gentle rain, roaring waves. We thank you for the waters that nourish us.
Blessed are you.
C: You guide us to springs of the water of life.
P: Jesus Christ, you are the faithful witness who accompanies us on our journeys.
We give you thanks for your life-giving death and resurrection.
We praise you for joining us in joy and sorrow.
Blessed are you.
C: You guide us to springs of the water of life.
P: Holy Spirit, you anoint our head with oil and our cup overflows.
Break down barriers that divide us. Fill us with the breath of peace.
Blessed are you.
C: You guide us to springs of the water of life.
P: Holy One, we thank you for the gifts and grace of baptism, and for making us a new creation. We join with saints and angels, giving you honor and praise, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Prayer of the Day
Almighty and eternal God, the strength of those who believe and the hope of those who doubt, may we, who have not seen, have faith in you and receive the fullness of Christ’s blessing, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
(Please be seated for the readings)
First Reading: Acts 2:14a, 22-32
After the Holy Spirit comes to the apostles on Pentecost, Peter preaches the gospel to the gathered crowd. He tells them that Jesus, who obediently went to his death according to God’s plan, was raised from the dead by God. Finally, he appeals to scripture, quoting Psalm 16:8-11, to show that Jesus is the Messiah: though crucified, the risen Jesus is now enthroned.
R: 14a Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed [the crowd]: 22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know 23 this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. 24 But God raised him up, having released him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. 25 For David says concerning him, ‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken; 26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover, my flesh will live in hope. 27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades or let your Holy One experience corruption. 28 You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
29 “Fellow Israelites, I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Foreseeing this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying, ‘He was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh experience corruption.’ 32 “This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses.”
…This is the Word of the Lord
C: Thanks be to God
Psalmody: Psalm 16
In your presence there is fullness of joy. (Ps. 16:11)
1 Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you; I have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, my good above all other.”
2 All my delight is in the godly that are in the land, upon those who are noble among the people.
3 But those who run after other gods shall have their troubles multiplied.
4 I will not pour out drink offerings to such gods, never take their names upon my lips.
5 O Lord, you are my portion and my cup; it is you who uphold my lot.
6 My boundaries enclose a pleasant land; indeed, I have a rich inheritance.
7 I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel; my heart teaches me night after night.
8 I have set the Lord always before me; because God is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
9 My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices; my body also shall rest in hope.
10 For you will not abandon me to the grave, nor let your holy one see the pit.
11 You will show me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy, and in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Second Reading: 1 Peter 1:3-9
This epistle was written to encourage Christians experiencing hardships and suffering because of their faith in Christ. The letter opens by blessing God for the living hope we have through Christ’s resurrection even amid difficult circumstances and surroundings.
R: 3 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 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, 7 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. 8 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, 9 for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
…This is the Word of the Lord
C: Thanks be to God
Gospel: John 20:19-31
The risen Jesus appears to his disciples, offering them a benediction, a commission, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. But one of their number is missing, and his unbelief prompts another visit from the Lord.
R: 19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors were locked where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 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.”
26 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.” 27 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.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 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.”
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
…This is the Gospel of the Lord
C: Praise to you, oh Christ
Hymn: O Sons and Daughters, Let Us Sing ELW 366
w/Pastor John
(Please stand)
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 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 sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence 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.
Prayers of Intercession
Trusting in the power of Christ’s resurrection to heal and redeem our broken world, let us pray for the needs of all creation.
A brief silence.
Almighty God, you give life to the dead and call into existence things that do not exist. Breathe your Spirit upon us, that our faith may be renewed day by day. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
Maker of heaven and earth, your mercies are new every morning. Open us to the wonders of creation, from the beauty of flowers to the complexity of subatomic particles. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
God of peace, in every place where conflict rages, sow seeds of calm and openness to reconciliation. Strengthen the resolve of leaders and citizens to work for peace in their nations. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
Healing God, come alongside all who are doubting, fearful, or suffering in any way (especially). Reveal to them your presence and assure them of the inheritance you have prepared for them. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
Giver of joy, let this assembly be a place of genuine love and mutual affection. Deepen our care for one another and help us to embody your forgiving and sacrificial love. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
Eternal One, we give thanks for saints who were faithful unto death and have joined the church triumphant. Inspire us by their witness and bring us with them into your glorious presence. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
God of resurrection power, use us and these prayers to proclaim the good news of new life to all the world, through Jesus Christ, our risen Savior.
Amen.
(stand)
The Sharing of the Peace:
P: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C: And also with you.
P: We Greet one another with the Peace of Christ
Hymn: The Peace of the Lord ELW 841
Communion
P: Merciful God, accept the fruits of our labor, gathered to give you glory. You have set a table before us, a glimpse of that great day when we will hunger and thirst no more.
Nourish us with the body and blood of Jesus, that goodness and mercy may follow us
and bless the world you love. In the name of Jesus,
C: Amen.
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: It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God, for the glorious resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ, the true Paschal Lamb who gave himself to take away our sin; who in dying has destroyed death, and in rising has brought us to eternal life. And so, with Mary Magdalene and Peter and all the witnesses of the resurrection, with earth and sea and all their creatures, and with angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
P: In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.
P: Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.
P: For as often as we eat of this bread and drink from this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
C: Christ has died: Christ is risen: Christ will come again.
P: O God of resurrection and new life: Pour out your Holy Spirit on us and on these gifts of bread and wine. Bless this feast. Grace our table with your presence.
C: Come, Holy Spirit.
P: We pray as Jesus taught us:
C: 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.
Invitation to Communion
P: Come to the table of new life. Receive the risen Lord.
(sit)
Distribution & video
Post-Communion Prayer
P: Holy One, through this meal you have made your home among us and are making all things new. Send us now to speak peace to anxious hearts, to love our enemies, and to bring your healing to the nations. In the name of Jesus,
C: Amen.
Blessing
P: God Almighty, who is the beginning and the end, Jesus Christ, the firstborn of the dead, and the Spirit, our advocate and peace, ☩ bless you now and forever.
C: Amen.
Announcements
| Birthdays April 13 – Alyssa Maleski, Andrea Maleski, & Lucas Glover 18 – Deanna Kyser, Peter Schultz, & Dave Wiltse | Weekly Calendar Wednesday 10am – Bible Study at Immanuel 2:45 – Sonshine 6 pm – prayer gathering Thursday 9 am – Quilting |
CLOSING HYMN: Lift Every Voice and Sing ELW 841
Dismissal
P: Go in peace. Praise the Lord. Alleluia!
C: Thanks be to God. Alleluia!
