St. Paul Lutheran Church and Child Development Center - San Antonio TX

The Ringing of the Bells and The Welcome

Opening Hymn: Alleluia Hearts To Heaven

Alleluia, alleluia! Hearts to heav'n and voices raise;

Sing to God a hymn of gladness, Sing to God a hymn of praise;

He who on the cross a victim, For the world's salvation bled--

Jesus Christ, the King of Glory, Now is risen from the dead.

Alleluia, Christ is risen! Death at last has met defeat:

See the ancient pow’rs of evil in confusion and retreat;

Once He died, and once was buried: now He lives forevermore,

Jesus Christ, the world’s Redeemer,

whom we worship and adore

Alleluia, alleluia! Glory be to God on high;

Alleluia to the Savior, Who has gained the victory;

Alleluia to the Spirit, Fount of love and sanctity!

Alleluia, alleluia, to the triune Majesty.

Invocation and Opening Sentences

Pastor:             En el nombre del Padre, y del Hijo, y del Espíritu Santo.

People:           Amen.

Pastor: Alleluia! Christ is risen!

People:           He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

Pastor: If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness,

People:           we lie and do not live in the truth.

Pastor: But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another,

People:           and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Pastor: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

People:           If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Pastor: Let us then confess our sins to God our Father:

Pastor:            Señor, ten piedad de nosotros.

People:           Señor, ten piedad de nosotros.

Pastor:            Cristo, ten piedad de nosotros.

People:           Cristo, ten piedad de nosotros.

Pastor:            Señor, ten piedad de nosotros

People:           Señor, ten piedad de nosotros

(Silent Prayer) (Momento de Oración Personal)

People:           Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.

Pastor: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the  Son and of the Holy Spirit.

People:           Amen.

The Prayer of the Day

Pastor: The Lord be with you.

People:           And also with you.

Pastor: Let us pray;

People:           Risen Christ, for whom no door is locked, no entrance barred: open the doors of our hearts, that we may seek the good of others and walk the joyful road of sacrifice and peace, to the praise of God the Father. Amen.

The Response: This is the Feast

This is the feast of victory for our God.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Worthy is Christ the lamb who was slain,

Whose blood set us free to be people of God.

This is the feast of victory for our God.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Power, riches, wisdom, and strength,

and honor, blessing, and glory are His.

This is the feast of victory for our God.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Sing with all the people of God,

and join in the hymn of all creation:

Blessing, honor, glory, and might

Be to God and the Lamb forever. Amen

This is the feast of victory for our God.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

For the Lamb who was slain has begun His reign. Alleluia.

This is the feast of victory for our God.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Acts 4:32-35

³² The group of believers was one in mind and heart. None of them said that any of their belongings were their own, but they all shared with one another everything they had. ³³With great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God poured rich blessings on them all. ³⁴There was no one in the group who was in need. Those who owned fields or houses would sell them, bring the money received from the sale, ³⁵and hand it over to the apostles; and the money was distributed to each one according to his need.

Reader:           This is the Word of the Lord.

People:           Thanks be to God!

1 John 1:1 - 2:2

^1:1 We write to you about the Word of life, which has existed from the very beginning. We have heard it, and we have seen it with our eyes; yes, we have seen it, and our hands have touched it. When this life became visible, we saw it; so we speak of it and tell you about the eternal life which was with the Father and was made known to us. ³What we have seen and heard we announce to you also, so that you will join with us in the fellowship that we have with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. ⁴We write this in order that our joy may be complete. ⁵ Now the message that we have heard from his Son and announce is this: God is light, and there is no darkness at all in him. ⁶If, then, we say that we have fellowship with him, yet at the same time live in the darkness, we are lying both in our words and in our actions. ⁷But if we live in the light—just as he is in the light—then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from every sin. ⁸If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and there is no truth in us. ⁹But if we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing. ¹⁰If we say that we have not sinned, we make God out to be a liar, and his word is not in us. ^2:1  I am writing this to you, my children, so that you will not sin; but if anyone does sin, we have someone who pleads with the Father on our behalf—Jesus Christ, the righteous one. ²And Christ himself is the means by which our sins are forgiven, and not our sins only, but also the sins of everyone.

Reader:           This is the Word of the Lord.

People:           Thanks be to God!

John 20:19-31 

¹⁹ It was late that Sunday evening, and the disciples were gathered together behind locked doors, because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities. Then Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. ²⁰After saying this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord. ²¹Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I send you.” ²²Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive people’s sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”  ²⁴ One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (called the Twin), was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”  Thomas said to them, “Unless I see the scars of the nails in his hands and put my finger on those scars and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”  ²⁶ A week later the disciples were together again indoors, and Thomas was with them. The doors were locked, but Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁷Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands; then stretch out your hand and put it in my side. Stop your doubting, and believe!”  ²⁸ Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”  ²⁹ Jesus said to him, “Do you believe because you see me? How happy are those who believe without seeing me!”  ³⁰ In his disciples’ presence Jesus performed many other miracles which are not written down in this book. ³¹But these have been written in order that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through your faith in him you may have life.

Pastor: This is the Gospel of the Lord.

People:           Praise to You, O Christ.

The Apostle’s 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.

Kid Sermon

Sermon Hymn: Ancient Words

Holy words long preserved for our walk in this world

They resound with God's own heart;

oh, let the ancient words impart.

Words of life words of hope

give us strength help us cope

In this world where e’er we roam,

ancient words will guide us home.

Ancient words, ever true, changing me and changing you.

We have come with open hearts;

oh, let the ancient words impart.

Holy words of our faith, handed down to this age,

Came to us through sacrifice.

Oh, heed the faithful words of Christ.

Holy words long preserved for our walk in this world

They resound with God's own heart;

oh, let the ancient words impart.

Ancient words, ever true, changing me and changing you.

We have come with open hearts;

oh, let the ancient words impart. (X3)

We have come with open hearts;

oh, let the ancient words impart.

Sermon

Prayers

Prayer Hymn: Cantad al Señor

Cantad al Señor un cantico nuevo.  (3 veces)

¡Cantad al Señor, cantad al Señor!

Porque el Señor ha hecho prodigios. (3 veces)

¡Cantad al Señor, cantad al Señor!

Cantad al Señor alabadle con arpa.  (3 veces)

¡Cantad al Señor, cantad al Señor!

Es él que nos da el Espíritu Santo.  (3 veces)

¡Cantad al Señor, cantad al Señor!

¡Jesús es Señor, amén, aleluya!  (3 veces)

¡Cantad al Señor, cantad al Señor!

Service of the Sacrament

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.  

Pastor: It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, always and everywhere to give you thanks, eternal Father, and in these days of Easter to celebrate with joyful hearts the memory of your wonderful works. For by the mystery of his passion Jesus Christ, your risen Son, has conquered the powers of death and hell and restored in humanity the image of your glory. He has placed them once more in paradise and opened to them the gate of life eternal. And so, in the joy of this Passover, earth and heaven resound with gladness, while angels and archangels and the powers of all creation speak forever of your glory.

People:           Amen!

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent 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 to faithfully eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us to in His own testament. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate, with all the faithful, the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone be all glory, honor, and worship, now and forever.

Lamb of God

Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world;

have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world;

have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world;

grant us peace.

Consecration and Distribution

The Ringing of the Bells and The Welcome

The Invocation

Pastor:            En el nombre del Padre, y del Hijo, y del Espíritu Santo.

People:         Amen.

Entrance Hymn(Lamb of God)

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;

have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;

have mercy on us. 

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;

grant us peace.

The Confession of Sins

Pastor:           Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.

People:         Amen.

Pastor:           If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

All:                 O most merciful God, we confess that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves.  We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have  not loved our neighbors as ourselves.  For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us, forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name.

Pastor:           Señor, ten piedad de nosotros. 

People:         Señor, ten piedad de nosotros.

Pastor:           Cristo, ten piedad de nosotros

People:         Cristo, ten piedad de nosotros.

Pastor:           Señor, ten piedad de nosotros.

People:         Señor, ten piedad de nosotros.

The Forgiveness

Pastor:           Almighty God, in his mercy, has given his Son to die for us and for his sake, forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister in the Church of Jesus Christ, and by his authority, I declare to you the forgiveness of your sins, in the name of the Father,  and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

People:          Amen.

The Readings   

Isaiah (Isaías) 53:4-8

But he endured the suffering that should have been ours, the pain that we should have borne.  All the while we thought that his suffering was punishment sent by God. But because of our sins he was wounded, beaten because of the evil we did. We are healed by the punishment he suffered, made whole by the blows he received. All of us were like sheep that were lost, each of us going his own way. But the Lord made the punishment fall on him, the punishment all of us deserved.  “He was treated harshly, but endured it humbly; he never said a word.  Like a lamb about to be slaughtered, like a sheep about to be sheared he never said a word. He was arrested and sentenced and led off to die, and no one cared about his fate. He was put to death for the sins of our people.

Hebrews (Hebreos) 4:14-16; 5:7-9

Let us, then, hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we have a great High Priest who has gone into the very presence of God—Jesus, the Son of God. ¹⁵Our High Priest is not one who cannot feel sympathy for our weaknesses. On the contrary, we have a High Priest who was tempted in every way    that we are, but did not sin. ¹⁶Let us have confidence, then, and approach God’s throne, where there is grace. There we will receive mercy and find grace to help us just when we need it. In his life on earth Jesus made his prayers and requests with loud cries and tears to God, who could save him from death. Because he was humble and devoted, God heard him. ⁸ But even though he was God’s Son, he learned through his sufferings to be obedient. ⁹ When he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him.

Luke (San Lucas) 23:26-27, 32-43

²⁶ The soldiers led Jesus away, and as they were going, they met a man from Cyrene named Simon who was coming into the city from the country. They seized him, put the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus. ²⁷ A large crowd of people followed him; among them were some women who were weeping and wailing for him. ³² Two other men, both of them criminals, were also led out to be put to death with Jesus. ³³When they came to the place called “The Skull”, they crucified Jesus there, and the two criminals, one on his right and the other on his left. Jesus said, “Forgive them, Father! They don’t know what they are doihis clothes among themselves by throwing dice. The people stood there watching while the Jewish leaders jeered at him: “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah whom God has chosen!” ³⁶ The soldiers also mocked him: they came up to him and offered him cheap wine, ³⁷and said, “Save yourself if you are the king of the Jews!” ³⁸ Above him were written these words: “This      is the King of the Jews.”  One of the criminals hanging there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” ⁴⁰The other one, however, rebuked him, saying, “Don’t you fear God? You received the same sentence he did. ⁴¹Ours, however, is only right, because we are getting what we deserve for what we did; but he has done no wrong.” ⁴²And he said to Jesus, “Remember me, Jesus, when you come into your kingdom!”   ⁴³ Jesus said to him, “I promise you that today you will be in Paradise with me.”

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

When I survey the wondrous cross

on which the prince of glory died,

my richest gain I count but loss

and pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast

save in the death of Christ, my God;

all the vain things that charm me most,  

I sacrifice them to his blood.

See, from his head, his hands, his feet

sorrow and love flow mingled down.

Did e'er such love and sorrow meet

or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,

that were a tribute far too small;

love so amazing, so divine,

demands my soul, my life, my all!

The Sermon

The Litany

Pastor:           God the Father, in heaven,

People:          have mercy.

Pastor:           God the Son, Redeemer of the world,

People:          have mercy.

Pastor:           God the Holy Spirit,

People:          have mercy.

Pastor:           Be gracious to us.

People:          Spare us, good Lord.

Pastor:           Be gracious to us.

People:          Help us, good Lord.

Pastor:           By the mystery of Your holy Incarnation; by Your holy Nativity; by Your Baptism, fasting, and temptation; by Your agony and bloody sweat; by Your Cross and Passion; by Your precious Death and Burial; by Your glorious Resurrection and Ascension; and by the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter:

People:          Help us, good Lord.

Pastor:           In all our time of tribulation; in all our time of prosperity; in the hour of death; and in the day of judgment:

People:          Help us, good Lord.

Pastor:           We poor sinners implore You

People:          to hear us, O Lord.

Pastor:           To prosper the preaching of Your Word; to bless our prayer and meditation; to strengthen and preserve us; to give heart to our sorrow and strength to our repentance:

People:          We implore You to hear us, good Lord.

Pastor:           To draw us to Yourself; to bless those who are instructed in the faith; to watch over and console the poor, the sick, the distressed, the lonely, the forsaken, the abandoned, and all who stand in need of our prayers; to give abundant blessing to all our works of mercy; to have mercy on us all:

People:          We implore You to hear us, good Lord.

Pastor:           To turn our hearts to You; to turn the hearts of our enemies, persecutors, and slanderers; and graciously to hear our prayers:

People:          We implore You to hear us, good Lord.

Pastor:           Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,

People:          we implore you to hear us.

Pastor:           Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,

People:          have mercy.

Pastor:           Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,

People:          have mercy.

Pastor:           Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us Your peace. O Christ,

People:          hear us.

Pastor:           O Lord,

People:          have mercy.

Pastor:           O Christ,

People:          have mercy.

Pastor:           O Lord,

People:          have mercy.

All:                  Amen.

The Lords Prayer (Prayed quietly by all)

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

Lamb of God (550)

Your only Son no sin to hide

But You have sent Him from Your side

To walk upon this guilty sod

And to become the Lamb of God

Oh Lamb of God sweet Lamb of God

I love the holy Lamb of God

Oh wash me in His precious blood

My Jesus Christ the Lamb of God

Your gift of love they crucified

They laughed and scorned Him as He died

The humble King they named a fraud

And sacrificed the Lamb of God

Oh Lamb of God sweet Lamb of God

I love the holy Lamb of God

Oh wash me in His precious blood

My Jesus Christ the Lamb of God

I was so lost I should have died

But You have brought me to Your side

To be led by Your staff and rod

And to be called a lamb of God

Oh Lamb of God sweet Lamb of God

I love the holy Lamb of God

Oh wash me in His precious blood

My Jesus Christ the Lamb of God

Readings Continued   Luke (San Lucas) 23:44-46

^44-45 It was about twelve o’clock when the sun stopped shining and darkness covered the whole country until three o’clock; and the curtain hanging in the Temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father! In your hands I place my spirit!” He said this and died.

The Removal of the Christ Candle