SERVICE PROGRAM

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PRINTABLE PDF FOR SUNRISE MARCH 31,
630 AM Service
EasterSunriseM31.PDF

Easter Sonrise Service
March 31, 2024 — 6:30 AM
He Is Risen!

Grace Lutheran Church
1787 Klerner lane
New Albany, Indiana 47150
(812) 944-1267
glcna.org
Pastor Bruce Kischnick
Pastor Matt Woods

Grace Lutheran Church
Easter “Sonrise” Service
6:30 AM with Communion
March 31, 2024

Where Friday Left Off…
The Burial of Christ
1st Reading: Luke 23:50-56
50 Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, 51 who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. 52 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. 53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. 54 It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. 55 The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. 56 Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

THE CALL TO WORSHIP:
Pastor: Beloved in the Lord! You and I gathered here this morning in a spirit of holy joy and expectation?
People: We first remember that the first Easter started with the mourning of the women. They expected to continue the burial process with spices but discovered instead an empty tomb and a Risen Savior.
Pastor: This morning our sadness is turned into eternal joy. Christ is Risen!
People: He is risen indeed!

OPENING HYMN: “Hail Thee Festival Day” LSB 489

THE PROCLAMATION OF RESURRECTION AND VICTORY:
Pastor: Christ is risen!
People: He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Pastor: If Christ has not been raised your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.
People: But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead!
Pastor: Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.”
People: “He who believes in Me will live, even though He dies; and whoever believes in me will never die!”
Pastor: We were therefore buried with Christ through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
People: If we have been united with Him like this in His death, we certainly be united with Him in His resurrection”
Pastor: Christ is Risen.
People: He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Pastor: The uncountable multitudes of nations and peoples stand before the Lamb upon his throne and cry out with a loud voice:
People: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne and to the Lamb!’

HYMN: “I Know That My Redeemer Lives” LSB 461 vs. 5, 7

CONFESSION OF OUR SINS & RECEIVING GOD’S FORGIVENESS
Pastor: The transformation of our lives and God’s world begins with the acknowledgement that Jesus is the Lord who overcame sin, death, and the devil. By confession of our sins, we are also asking for God’s gracious forgiveness. With sincere hearts and midst, let us confess our sins.
All: Lord Jesus Christ, You are the victor over death and the grave. You have risen from the tomb. We also want to rise victoriously over the death and defeat we face every day. We therefore confess, that we so easily live only for ourselves. We have neglected to live whole-heartedly for You and others. We have trapped ourselves in the tombs of self-centeredness and we need the power of your forgiveness. Roll away the stone of our sin and crush the hardness of our heart so that we do not suffocate our souls. Raise us to new life and by Your death and resurrection make us alive in You; Through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
Pastor: Jesus has carried our sins to His own death. His sacrifice is complete and full. He has won the victory! He is Your living, personal, and sure Redeemer. Hardened hearts are crushed! Stone walls of sin have been rolled away! Alleluia! In Jesus’ name, I forgive you all of your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen. We have been forgiven! We have been restored to new life in Christ! Alleluia!
Pastor: Alleluia! Christ is risen!
People: He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!

PRAYER FOR THE DAY: (Spoken Together)
Almighty God, Heavenly Father, through Your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ You have overcome our sin, death, and the power of the devil, and opened up to us the gate of Everlasting life. Grant that we, who celebrate with joy this victorious day of our Lord’s resurrection, may be raised to new life in You; We pray through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, both now and forever. Amen.

+++WORD+++

OLD TESTAMENT: Isaiah 25:6-9 (Death will be swallowed up)
6On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare
a feast of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine—
the best of meats and the finest of wines.
7 On this mountain he will destroy
the shroud that enfolds all peoples,
the sheet that covers all nations;
8 he will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears
from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace
from all the earth.
The LORD has spoken.
9 In that day they will say,
“Surely this is our God;
we trusted in him, and he saved us.
This is the LORD, we trusted in him;
let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.

NEW TESTAMENT: 1 Corinthians 15:51-58 (Death has been swallowed up)
51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL HYMN: “Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds” LSB 465

GOSPEL: John 20:1-9 (The Empty Tomb)
1Early 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!” 3 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.)

Pastor: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to you, O Christ.

AN EASTER MESSAGE: Pastor Matthew Woods

CONFESSION OF FAITH: An Easter Creed
I Believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, who sent His Son as my Savior to rise on Easter Morning. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, Born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, died on Good Friday, Rose again on Easter morning to free me from the curse of sin and the sting of death, and the power of the devil. I believe in the Holy Spirit, who has brought me to faith in the Christ of Easter, and by whose continuous work in my heart I am ever led to be steadfast and unmovable, always abounding in the work of my resurrected Lord. Amen.

OFFERTORY: Jesus Christ Is Risen Today LSB 457 vs. 1 & 4

THE PRAYERS

LORD’S PRAYER
+++ SACRAMENT +++
PREFACE
Pastor: The Lord be with you.
People: and also with you.
Pastor: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them to the Lord.
Pastor: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give Him thanks and praise.

PROPER PREFACE
Pastor: It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God. And most especially are we bound to praise You on this day for the glorious resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the very Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed for us and bore the sins of the world. By His dying He has destroyed death, and by His rising again He has opened to us everlasting life. Therefore, with Mary Magdalene, Peter and John, and all the witnesses of the resurrection, with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify your glorious name, evermore praising You and singing:

SANTCUS–Tune…Good Christian Friends Rejoice and Sing LSB 475
Holy are You, the heav’nly King!
With angel hosts we join to sing,
“Your majesty fills ev’rything!”
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Holy are You, O Lord most high!
Blessed is He who now draws nigh
In God’s own name! With joy we cry:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

WORDS OF INSTITUTION
Pastor: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
People: And also with you.

DISTRIBUTION HYMNS
“At the Lamb’s High Feast” LSB 633
“He’s Risen, He’s Risen” LSB 480

POST-COMMUNION COLLECT
Pastor: We give thanks and praise to You, gracious Lord, for Your mercy is truly eternal. We are especially grateful for the gift of life which we have just celebrated at Your invitation. Strengthen us now through the very body and blood that has been received that we may celebrate our Christian faith in our lifestyle and as a way of life. By the power of the Holy Spirit make us able to live in the hope of the resurrection until at last we too may awake to the face of our Lord, Jesus Christ in all eternity. In the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son, Our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
People: AMEN.

THE BENEDICTION

CLOSING: “Glorious Day” (Choir & Congregation)
EASTER BREAKFAST
Fellowship Hall
7:00 AM – 10:15 AM.
Please join us!

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PRINTABLE PDF FOR MARCH 31,
Sunday Service: 8 & 1030 AM
EasterFestival31.PDF

EASTER SERVICES
8:00 & 10:30 A.M. with Communion
SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2024
Grace Lutheran Church
1787 Klerner Lane, New Albany IN 47150
(812) 944-1267 / www.glcna.org
Senior Pastor: Bruce Kischnick
Associate Pastor: Matthew Woods
The FEAST of the RESURRECTION
Easter Festival Service (8:00 & 10:30 am)
March 31, 2024

PRE-SERVICE MUSIC

The CHIMES ANNOUNCE the MORNING

(Please Rise)
The GOSPEL ANNOUNCEMENT:
PK: “When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other,”
WO: ‘Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?’
PK: “But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. He said,”
PW: “Don’t be alarmed! You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”
PK: “Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.” (Mark 16:1-8)
PW: Do not be afraid!
PK: Do not be afraid!
PW: “Why do you look for the living amongst the dead? He is not here; he has risen!”
PK: “Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” (Luke 24:5b-7)
PW: Do not be afraid!
PK: Do not be afraid!
PW: Alleluia! Christ is risen!
CONGREGATION: HE IS RISEN INDEED! ALLELUIA!

ENTRANCE HYMN: LSB 457 “Jesus Christ Is Risen Today”
{PLEASE TURN AND FACE TOWARD THE CHRIST BANNER AND PROCESSIONAL CROSS. AS THEY PASS YOU, TURN AND FACE THE ALTAR ONCE AGAIN. THE CHRIST BANNER WAS BURIED ON GOOD FRIDAY AND NOW LEADS THE PROCESSIONAL SYMBOLIC OF THE RISEN CHRIST.}

INVOCATION
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: AMEN.

P: Christ is Risen!
C: HE IS RISEN INDEED!

The CONFESSION
P: Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
C: Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.
P: When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
C: Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.
P: I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD-“
C: and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
P: Let us confess our sins to God our Father…
All: O Almighty God, Merciful Father, I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess to you all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended you and justly deserved your punishment now and forever. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray you of your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor sinful being.

The ABSOLUTION

P: The LORD has Good News for you today. Though you have run from him, He receives you back into His loving arms; though you have sinned, for Jesus’ sake, you are fully forgiven. In the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen. Thanks be to God!

(Please Sit)
The KYRIE: (sung, LSB p.168-69)
P: In peace let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
P: For the peace from above and for our salvation let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
P: For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
P: For this holy house and for all who offer their worship and praise let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
P: Help, save, comfort, and defend us gracious Lord.
C: Amen.

The HYMN of PRAISE: “This Is the Feast” LSB p. 171

The COLLECT
P: The Lord be with you.
C: and also with you.
P: Let us pray together…
All: Almighty God the Father, through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ you have overcome death and opened the gate of ever-lasting life to us. Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of our Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving spirit; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

CHOIR ANTHEM “Dance of Exultation”
Text based on 1 Chronicles 29:11 / Music by: Dan Forrest (ASCAP)
© 2013 Hal Leonard Corporation / CCLI License #1672462

The OLD TESTAMENT LESSON: Isaiah 25:6-9 NIV 2011
[We will celebrate LIFE with God!]
6 On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines. 7 On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.
9 In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”

R: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.

The EPISTLE LESSON: I Corinthians 15:1-11 NIV 2011
[St. Paul testifies to the Resurrection of Jesus.]
1Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.
6After that, he appeared to more than five hundred the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. 9For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

R: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.

(Please Rise)
The HYMN of the DAY: LSB 483 “With High Delight, Let Us Unite”

SERMON: Pastor Bruce Kischnick
Theme: “WE WIN”
Text: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

The NICENE CREED

(Please Sit)
OFFERTORY: LSB 456 vs. 1 & 4 “Were You There”

The PRAYERS of the CHURCH:
P: Heavenly Father, to you we bring our thanks and praise for the glorious Resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ. Your plan for our salvation was in your heart and on your mind throughout the ages past. With the sacrifice of your Son, your only Son, you provided for our forgiveness. With the Resurrection of our Redeemer, you have graciously foreshadowed our own resurrections from the dead.
C: To you, Gracious Father, we give all thanks and praise, all glory and honor.
P: O, dearest Jesus, to you we bring our thanks and praise for your glorious Resurrection and your triumph over the grave. We stand in awe of your willing sacrifice for us on the cross, and we are thrilled by your victory over death. Because you live, we shall live also!
C: To you, Victorious Savior, we give all thanks and praise, all glory and honor.
P: Holy Spirit, Lord of Life, to you we bring our thanks and praise for the glorious Resurrection of Jesus. You have shown us the Good News of our Savior and have called us to faith in Him. The life that we now live, we live in Him. Keep us ever true to Him and lead us into all good works that the name of our God might be praised.
C: To you, Holy Fire, we give all thanks and praise, all glory and honor.
P: Gracious God, hear us as we remember our sick and hurting ones…
C: To you, Almighty God, we give all thanks and praise, all glory and honor, forever and ever. Amen.

+ + + THE LORD’S SUPPER + + +
(Please Rise)
PREPARATION:
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And with your spirit.
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 good and right so to do.
P: Lord of heaven and earth, we praise and thank you for having had mercy on those whom you created, sending your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of his body and his blood on the cross. Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg you, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat his body and drink his blood as he bids us do in his own testament. Hear us as we pray in his name and as he has taught us.

The LORD’S PRAYER

The WORDS of INSTITUTION
P: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C: And also with you.

(Please Sit)
The DISTRIBUTION
{COMMUNION WILL BE SERVED IN CONTINUOUS FASHION. THE USHERS WILL DIRECT YOU FROM ONE SIDE OF YOUR PEW AND YOU WILL RETURN AT THE OTHER SIDE. PLEASE BE SURE TO STUDY AND COMPLETE ONE OF THE COMMUNION CARDS FOUND ON THE BACK OF THE PEW IN FRONT OF YOU. HAND THIS TO THE USHER AS YOU COME FORWARD TO THE TABLE. CHILDREN MAY ACCOMPANY THEIR FAMILY AND RECEIVE A BLESSING. IF YOU USE AN INDIVIDUAL CUP, PLEASE PLACE IT IN ONE OF THE BASKETS SET ON THE STANDS AT THE HEAD OF THE AISLES.}

Hymns: LSB 467 vs. 1-3, 6-7 “Awake, My Heart, With Gladness”
LSB 475 “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing”
LSB 478 “The Day of Resurrection”
LSB 461 “I Know That My Redeemer Lives”

Blessing: “The body and blood of our Lord strengthen and preserve you steadfast in the true faith unto life everlasting. Go in peace and Easter joy. Amen.”

(Please Rise)
The POST-COMMUNION CANTICLE: LSB p. 181 “Thank the Lord”

COLLECT of THANKSGIVING
P: Let us pray…

P: …one God, now and forever.
C: AMEN.

BENEDICTION
P: He is risen!
C: HE IS RISEN INDEED! ALLELUIA!!

(Please be seated)
The HYMN to DEPART: “Glorious Day” Choir & Congregation
John Wilbur Chapman | Mark Hall | Michael Bleecker
© 2009 My Refuge Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
Be Essential Songs (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC)
Curb Word Music (Admin. by WC Music Corp.)
CCLI License # 1672462

SILENT PRAYER

ANNOUNCEMENTS

POSTLUDE

+ + + Soli Deo Gloria + + +