Easter 4
Sunday, May 8, 2022
PRELUDE “The King of Love, My Shepperd Is” arr. Sandra Eithu
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
CALL TO WORSHIP
In the name of the Father,
and of the ☩ Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
This morning we come to celebrate the Good Shepherd.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
The beginning of faith is trust. Our trust in this world is shaken every week – through terror, accidents, and natural disasters. In the middle of all this, we put our trust in God.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In this world, we don’t like to be sheep. We want to be independent; we want to lead our lives. But we are all dependent in some way. We need to put our trust in God.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
As we receive the care and wisdom of Christ our shepherd, we give back to those who need our caring support.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
May we walk in faith, trusting God to guard our steps and prepare a place of abundance for us. Amen.
GATHERING SONG “Christ The Lord Is Risen Today; Alleluia” ELW 369
GREETING
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.
CANTICLE OF PRAISE “Glory To God in the Highest”
PRAYER OF THE DAY
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
O God of peace, you brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great shepherd of the sheep. By the blood of your eternal covenant, make us complete in everything good that we may do your will, and work among us all that is well-pleasing in your sight, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
WORD
CHILDREN’S TIME
FIRST READING: Acts 9:36-43
A reading from Acts.
36Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. 37At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. 38Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, “Please come to us without delay.” 39So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. 40Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. 41He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. 42This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner.
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
PSALM: Psalm 23 “The Lord Is My Shepherd” Psalm 23 composer Paul Bowman (sung)
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Gospel: John 10:22-30
The holy gospel according to John.
Glory to you, O Lord.
22At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, 23and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. 24So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” 25Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; 26but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. 27My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 29What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. 30The Father and I are one.”
The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
SERMON Pastor Eric Trozzo
HYMN OF THE DAY “You, Lord, Are Both Lamb and Shepherd” ACS 954
1 You, Lord, are both Lamb and Shepherd.
You, Lord, are both prince and slave.
You, peacemaker and sword-bringer
of the way you took and gave.
You, the everlasting instant;
you, whom we both scorn and crave.
2 Clothed in light upon the mountain,
stripped of might upon the cross,
shining in eternal glory,
beggared by a soldier’s toss,
you, the everlasting instant;
you, who are both gift and cost.
3 You, who walk each day beside us,
sit in power at God’s side.
You, who preach a way that’s narrow,
have a love that reaches wide.
You, the everlasting instant;
you, who are our pilgrim guide.
4 Worthy is our earthly Jesus!
Worthy is our cosmic Christ!
Worthy your defeat and vict’ry;
worthy still your peace and strife.
You, the everlasting instant;
you, who are our death and life.
Text: Sylvia G. Dunstan, 1955–1993 Text © 1991 GIA Publications, Inc., giamusic.com. All rights reserved
NICENE CREED
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,*
who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
Response after each prayer: hear our prayer.
PEACE
The peace of Christ be with you always.
And also with you.
MOMENT FOR MISSION – CRU FamilyLife
Our offering is a form of worship, taking part in God’s transforming mission in this world. Each dollar we give contributes to changing lives. Each week we will take a moment to remember one way that our offerings do that. This week, we remember CRU’s FamilyLife ministry, focused on providing pre-marriage and marriage counseling to couples. We will now receive our offering.
ANTHEM
OFFERING “Now the Green Blade Rises”, verse 1 ELW 379
Now the green blade rises from the buried grain,
wheat that in dark earth many days has lain;
love lives again, that with the dead has been;
love is come again like wheat arising green.
OFFERING PRAYER
Let us pray. Blessed are you, O God, ruler of heaven and earth. Day by day you shower us with blessings. As you have raised us to new life in Christ, give us glad and generous hearts, ready to praise you and to respond to those in need, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
GREAT THANKSGIVING
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
PREFACE
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,
through our Savior Jesus Christ.
You call your people to cleanse their hearts
and prepare with joy for the paschal feast,
that, renewed in the gift of baptism,
we may come to the fullness of your grace.
And so, with all the choirs of angels,
with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven,
we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
HOLY, HOLY, HOLY 
THANKSGIVING AT THE TABLE
You are indeed holy, almighty and merciful God.
You are most holy,
and great is the majesty of your glory.
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.
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.
For as often as we eat of this bread and drink from this cup,
we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
To you, O God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
be all honor and glory in your holy church, now and forever.
LORD’S PRAYER
Lord, remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray.
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.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.
INVITATION TO COMMUNION
The gifts of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.
HYMNS DURING COMMUNION
“Have No Fear, Little Flock” ELW 764
“You Satisfy the Hungry Heart” ELW 484
POST-COMMUNION BLESSING
May the body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in God’s grace. Amen
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Let us pray. Life-giving God, in the mystery of Christ’s resurrection you send light to conquer darkness, water to give new life, and the bread of life to nourish your people. Send us forth as witnesses to your Son’s resurrection, that we may show your glory to all the world, through Jesus Christ, our risen Lord. Amen.
SENDING
BLESSING
May the strength of God sustain us; may the power of God preserve us; may the hands of God protect us; may the way of God direct us; may the love of God go with us this day and forever. Amen.
SENDING SONG “The King of Love My Shepherd Is” ELW 502
DISMISSAL
Go in peace. Christ is with you. Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing” arr. Charles Callahan