Recorded Worship Service for April 9, 2023
Easter Sunday






Watch this week’s service above.

Today’s Readings and Hymns:
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34Peter began to speak to [the people]: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. 37That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; 40but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, 41not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. 43All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”


1   
Give thanks to the Lord, for the Lord is good;
God’s mercy endures forever.
2
Let Israel now declare,
“God’s mercy endures forever.”
14
The Lord is my strength and my song,
and has become my salvation.
15
Shouts of rejoicing and salvation echo in the tents of the righteous:
“The right hand of the Lord acts valiantly!
16
The right hand of the Lord is exalted!
The right hand of the Lord acts valiantly!”
17
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the Lord.
18
The Lord indeed punished me sorely,
but did not hand me over to death.
19
Open for me the gates of righteousness;
I will enter them and give thanks to the Lord.
20
“This is the gate of the Lord;
here the righteous may enter.”
21
I give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and you have become my salvation.
22
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
23
By the Lord has this been done;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
24
This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.

1If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, 3for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.


1After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. 5But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” 8So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 10Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”




Alleluia! Jesus is risen!
Trumpets resounding in glorious light!
Splendor, the Lamb, heaven forever!
Oh, what a miracle God has in sight!

Refrain
Jesus is risen and we shall arise.
Give God the glory! Alleluia!

Walking the way, Christ in the center
telling the story to open our eyes;
breaking our bread, giving us glory:
Jesus our blessing, our constant surprise. Refrain

Jesus the vine, we are the branches;
life in the Spirit the fruit of the tree;
heaven to earth, Christ to the people,
gift of the future now flowing to me. Refrain

Weeping, be gone; sorrow, be silent:
death put asunder, and Easter is bright.
Cherubim sing: O grave, be open!
Clothe us in wonder, adorn us in light. Refrain

City of God, Easter forever,
golden Jerusalem, Jesus the Lamb,
river of life, saints and archangels,
sing with creation to God the I Am! Refrain



Thine is the glory,
risen, conqu’ring Son;
endless is the vict’ry
thou o’er death hast won!
Angels in bright raiment
rolled the stone away,
kept the folded grave-clothes
where thy body lay.

Refrain
Thine is the glory,
risen, conqu’ring Son;
endless is the vict’ry
thou o’er death hast won!

Lo, Jesus meets thee,
risen from the tomb!
Lovingly he greets thee,
scatters fear and gloom;
let his church with gladness
hymns of triumph sing,
for the Lord now liveth;
death hath lost its sting! Refrain

No more we doubt thee,
glorious Prince of life;
life is naught without thee;
aid us in our strife;
make us more than conqu’rors,
through thy deathless love;
bring us safe through Jordan
to thy home above. Refrain



Christ is risen! Alleluia!
Risen our victorious head!
Sing his praises! Alleluia!
Christ is risen from the dead!
Gratefully our hearts adore him
as his light once more appears;
bowing down in joy before him,
rising up from griefs and tears.

Refrain
Christ is risen! Alleluia!
Risen our victorious head!
Sing his praises! Alleluia!
Christ is risen from the dead!

Christ is risen! All the sadness
of our Lenten fast is o’er;
through the open gates of gladness
he returns to life once more;
death and hell before him bending
see him rise, the victor now,
angels on his steps attending,
glory round his wounded brow. Refrain

Christ is risen! All the sorrow
that last evening round him lay
now has found a glorious morrow
in the rising of today.
See the grave its first-fruits giving,
springing up from holy ground;
Christ was dead, but now is living;
he was lost, but he is found. Refrain

Christ is risen! Henceforth never
death or hell shall us enthrall.
We are Christ’s, in him forever
we have triumphed over all.
All the doubting and dejection
of our trembling hearts have ceased;
hail the day of resurrection!
Let us rise and keep the feast. Refrain



Christ is alive! Let Christians sing.
The cross stands empty to the sky.
Let streets and homes with praises ring.
Love, drowned in death, shall never die.

Christ is alive! No longer bound
to distant years in Palestine,
but saving, healing, here and now,
and touching ev’ry place and time.

In ev’ry insult, rift, and war,
where color, scorn, or wealth divide,
Christ suffers still, yet loves the more,
and lives, where even hope has died.

Women and men, in age and youth,
can feel the Spirit, hear the call,
and find the way, the life, the truth,
revealed in Jesus, freed for all.

Christ is alive, and comes to bring
good news to this and ev’ry age,
till earth and sky and ocean ring
with joy, with justice, love, and praise.




Worship Leaders: Pastor Colleen Cox, Donnasue Thompson

Music: Deb Jenks (organ and piano), Madelyn Sellers (trumpet), Jacob Hepler (trumpet), Lauren Tennant (trombone), Natalie Travers (euphonium), Senior Choir


Additional Resources:

View and print the pre-reader’s version of this Sunday’s children’s bulletin: Pre-reader’s Version
View and print the reader’s version of this Sunday’s children’s bulletin: Reader’s Version


The radio program Sing for Joy follows the weekly Sunday lectionary through music and reflection. To listen, click here: Sing for Joy. Program host Pastor Bruce Benson ties the biblical readings of the day with musical selections from a number of sources brought together by Dr. John Ferguson, retired professor of organ and church music. The program is produced by St. Olaf College.


Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE #A-730287. All rights reserved.

Liturgies and music graphics from Sundays and Seasons, © 2022 Augsburg Fortress Publishers. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of Augsburg Fortress Publishers under license #SB143962.