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Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Applause is appropriate.

The earliest Christian greeting on Easter was Christ is risen. And believers would respond amen. >> Hallelujah.

Allelujah. Invite you to stand as you're able and join me for the confession. We we give thanks for our baptism.

Blessed be the Holy Trinity, one God, by whose name and hand we are given new birth, by whose speaking we are given new life. Joined to Christ in the waters of baptism, we are welcomed, restored, and supported as citizens of the new creation. Let us give thanks for the gift of baptism.

Holy God, holy and merciful, holy and mighty, you are the river of life. You are the everlasting wellspring. In mercy and might, you have freed us from death and raised us with Jesus, the firstborn of the dead.

In baptismal waters, our old life is washed away, and in them we are born a new. Glory to you for oceans and lakes, for rivers and streams. Honor to you for waters that wash us clean, quench our thirst, and nurture both crops and creatures.

Praise to you for the lifegiving water of baptism, the outpouring of the spirit of the new creation. Wash away our sin and all that separates us from you. Empower our witness to your resurrection.

Strengthen our resolve in seeking justice for all. >> Satisfy the world's need through this living water. Where drought dries the earth, bring refreshment.

Where despair prevails, grant hope. Where chaos reigns, bring peace. We ask this through Christ who with you and the spirit reigns forever.

Amen. Good morning. >> Okay.

Jesus Christ is risen. Hallelu our triumpant holy dayluff to redeem our lost. Hy prais single to Christ our heavenly kinglu who the cross and praylelu sinners to redee and But the kings which he endured for salvation procured the Christalu where the angels ever singlelu.

Sing to our God alone. Hallelu. Praise eternal as his son.

Hallelu. might be Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Glory to God in theest people on earthy God and father. We worship you. We give you thanks.

We praise you for your glory. Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us. You are seated at the right hand of the Father.

Receive our pray. For you alone are the holy one. You alone are the Lord.

You alone are the high Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit in the glory of God the Father. Amen. >> The Lord be with you.

>> Let us pray together. Oh God, you gave your only son to suffer death on the cross for our redemption. And by his glorious resurrection, you delivered us from the power of death.

Make us die every day to sin so that we may live with him forever in the joy of the resurrection through your son Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit one God now and forever. Amen. Please be seated.

I invite children to visit with me for a few minutes. And you can move around a little closer if you want. I have so I can see I am really glad you're here.

Are you really glad you're here? Yep. And that message is from God.

It's a holy special day. But every day that we gather in God's presence is a special day. Was this a a special day at your house this morning when you Was there something that made it special?

What made it special at your house? >> Easter Bunny gave you stuff. Were you surprised?

>> Yeah. >> Okay. Well, good.

Turned out differently, didn't it? Good. Anything special at your house?

or anybody else. What happened at your house? >> You had an Easter basket.

Was there something in the Easter basket? Yeah. You would have been pretty disappointed if there was just an empty Easter basket, right?

Yeah. That would have been sad, but it happens. This was something special at your house.

Yeah. Yeah. And then, you know, I'm happy for you that there was something that made this day special.

Easter baskets, Easter candy, um, Easter eggs last week with the Easter egg hunt stuff. Sometimes in these plastic eggs, there's what? >> Yeah, chocolate.

Sometimes it's chocolate. Is there anything in this? No, that would be disappointing, wouldn't it?

If you thought you were going to get something in it and there was nothing here. The neat thing about what we're doing today is to remind us that how blessed you are, how blessed we are, that there was something there for you. Well, good for you, too.

Something special at your house that started your day. I hope there was some special reminder of Easter. It's candy.

We have lots of different ways of of reminding us that this is a special day. But the wonderful thing that reminds us is there's something there. The basket isn't empty.

The place where the Easter Bunny leaves stuff is has some stuff there. It's not empty. For some, for some children there is, and we would truly be disappointed if it was empty, if there was nothing there.

But interestingly, the whole point of Easter is there's nothing there. That's what people can't figure out. And you know the Easter story.

You're going to hear it again in just a minute. What confuses people is there should have been something there, but there wasn't anything there. So why is there not something there?

That's the whole point of Easter. Well, I'm going to I'm going to talk a little bit more about that. And I'm going to talk about it with something that you recognize with with this egg.

Think about it. I'm happy for you that when you came down and started your Easter day, there was something special for you. I'm even happier for you and for all of us, for all God's people for 2,000 years than on that very first Yes, sir.

That's my hearing aid. That's right. You're right.

Good for you. What makes us special is it was it was empty. It was empty.

Let's pray. >> Dear God, >> holy God, >> you made this day holy. >> You made >> because your tomb was empty.

>> Praise be to you, O Lord. >> Lord. >> Amen.

Thank you so much for coming. Actuality message to the people of message. We are witnesses to all God.

on the third day. Thanks be to God. This is the day that the Lord let us be glad in it.

Let us give thanks to the Lord for the Lord is good. God's mercy endures forever. God's mercy endures forever.

The Lord is my strength and my song and become my shout of the rightous exed. declare the words of the Lord. Let us be glad.

The Lord indeed punish me, but did not hand me over. I will enter the Lord. >> This is the gate of the Lord.

The rightous I give thanks to you and you have become my saljected. marvelous. >> This is the day that let us be glad in it.

This is the day that A reading from the letter to the Colossians. If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth.

For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory. The word of the Lord.

>> Thanks be to God. >> Halleluah. Hallelu.

shall we go? Hallelujah. Halleluah.

Hallelu. Halleluah. Halleluah.

Hallelu. The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the 28th chapter.

>> Glory to you, Lord. >> After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And 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. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes white as snow. For fear of him, the guard shook and became like dead men.

But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised as he said.

Come see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, he has been raised from the dead and indeed is going ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see him.

This is my message for you." So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said greetings. And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.

Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee. There they will see me.

The gospel of the Lord. >> Praise to you, O Christ. Hallelujah.

Halleluj to shall we go through the words of eternal life. Halleluah. Halleluah.

Hallelu. Please be seated. Gospel truth today, folks.

Our Lord's resurrection comes first. Understanding God's mighty act follows later. It was true for Peter.

It was true for me. It's true for you. And it was true for Jeremy.

That wasn't his real name, but the story is true. Adidime Kemple, from whom the story comes, changed that name to protect the family's privacy. Jeremy, Kimple wrote, was born with a twisted body and a slow mind.

At the age of 12, he was still in the second grade, seemingly unable to learn. His teacher, Doris Miller, often became exasperated with him. He would squirm his seed.

He would drool. He would make grunting noises. At other times, he spoke clearly and distinctly as if a spot of light had somehow penetrated the darkness of his mind.

Most of the time, however, Jeremy simply irritated the teacher. One day, she called Jeremy's parents and asked them to come to St. Teresa's for a consultation.

As the foresters sat quietly in the empty classroom, Doris said to them, "Jeremy really belongs in a special school. It isn't fair for him to be with younger children who don't have the same learning disabilities. Why there's even a fiveyear gap between his age and that of the other children?" Mrs.

Forester cried softly into her tissue while her husband spoke. Miss Miller, he said, there is no school of that kind nearby. It would be a terrible shock for Jeremy if we had to take him out of this school.

We know that he really likes it here. Doris sat for a long time after the foresters left, staring at the snow outside the window. Its coldness seemed to seep into her very spirit.

She wanted to sympathize with the foresters. After all, Jeremy was their only child, and Jeremy had a terminal illness. But it just wasn't fair to keep him in her class.

She had 18 others youngsters to teach and Jeremy was simply a distraction. Furthermore, he would never learn to read or to write. So why waste time trying?

Even as she pondered her dilemma, guilt washed over her. Oh my god, she said aloud. Here I am complaining when my problems are nothing compared to that poor family.

Please help me be more patient with Jeremy. From that day on, Doris tried hard to ignore Jeremy's noises and his blank stairs. Then one day he lipped to her desk, dragging his bag leg behind him.

"I love you, Miss Miller," he exclaimed loudly and clearly enough for everyone in the room to hear. The other students giggled and snickered, and Doris's face turned red. She sammered, "Well, that's very nice, Jeremy.

Now, please take your seat. Spring came and the children talked excitedly about the coming of Easter. Doris told them the story of Jesus.

And then to emphasize the idea of new life springing forth, she gave each of the children a large plastic egg. Now she told them, "I want each of you to take this egg home and bring it back tomorrow with something inside the egg that shows new life." "Do you understand?" "Yes, Miss Miller," the children responded with enthusiasm. "All except Jeremy.

He just listened intently," Kimple said. his eyes, never leaving his teacher. He did not make his usual noises.

Had Jeremy understood what she said about Jesus death and resurrection? Did he understand the assignment that she gave? Perhaps she should call his parents and explain the assignment to them.

But that evening, Doris's sink stopped up. She had to call her landlord for help and waited an hour for him to come and unstopp that sink. And then after that, she had to buy groceries.

She had to iron a blouse. She had to prepare a vocabulary test for the next day. And she forgot all about calling Jeremy's parents.

The next morning, 19 children came to school laughing and talking as they put their eggs in the wicker basket on Miss Miller's desk. And after they completed their math lesson, it was time to open the eggs. In the first egg, Miss Miller found a flower.

Oh, yes. She said, "A flower is certainly a sign of new life. When plants peek up through the ground, we know that spring is here." A small girl in the front row waved her arms.

"That's my me, Miss Miller." The next egg contained a plastic butterfly, which really looked very real. Oh, yes. That's a sign of new life, too.

Little Judy smiled proudly, knowing that caterpillars change and become beautiful butterflies. Next, Doris found a rock, an egg with a rock in it, and moss on the rock. She explained that moss too showed life.

Elise spoke up from the back of the classroom. "My daddy helped me do that," he said. "Then Doris opened the fourth egg." And the egg was empty.

Surely it must have been Jeremy's egg, she thought. And of course, he did not understand the instructions. if only she had remembered to call his parents.

Because she did not want to really embarrass him, she set the egg aside and reached in for another. Suddenly, Jeremy spoke up clearly. "Miss Miller, aren't you going to talk about my egg?" Flustered Doris replied, "But Jeremy, your egg was empty.

He looked directly into her eyes, Kimple said, and said, spoken softly. Yes. But Jesus tomb was empty, too.

Time stood still in that classroom. When she could speak again, Doris asked Jeremy, "Do you know why the tomb was empty?" "Oh, yes," said Jeremy. Jesus was killed and put in there and then his father raised him up.

The recess bell rang while the children ran excitedly out to the schoolyard. Doris sat at her desk and sobbed violently. The cold inside her melted completely away.

Three months later, Jeremy died. Those who came to the funeral home to pay their respects were surprised to see 19 plastic eggs on top of his casket and all of them were empty. Gospel truth God gives us this holy day.

Folks, our Lord's resurrection comes first. Understanding God's mighty act follows later. That's the testimony of today's first lesson from Acts 10.

Remember Peter? He's the disciple Easter day who can't quite figure out what has happened. The message Mary brought the disciples in hiding that Easter day was confusing.

But by today's first reading, a significant amount of time has passed for Peter and the others since that first Easter day. The context of Peter's words today includes a god-fearing gentile Roman centurion named Cornelius who had a vision that directed him to send for a Jewish Christian Peter. Peter in another city entirely had a vision that turned his ways of understanding God's will and God's ways in this world completely around.

His most recent experience suddenly and dramatically illumined the meaning of his Lord's resurrection. Peter began to speak to the people. Luke told us in Acts 10, I now know, the literal translation is, I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but that in every nation, anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.

You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ. He is Lord of all. We are witnesses, Peter continued, to all that he did in Judea and in Jerusalem.

They put him to death by hanging him on a tree. But God raised him on the third day and did allowed him to appear, not to all the people, but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God to judge the living and the dead.

I now know, I truly understand. Our Lord's resurrection comes first, folks. Understanding God's mighty act follows later.

It was true for Peter. It was true for Jeremy. It was true for me.

And it's true for you. Amen. Hallelujah.

Jesus is residing in glorious light forever. Oh God has sight. Jesus is wisdom and we shall king of the glory.

Hallelujah. Walking the way Christ is the story to open our eyes of Christ. Jesus is rising the glory.

Hallelujah. Jesus the vine. We are the branches.

The fruit of the tree. Heaven to earth to the people to the wind to me. Jesus is rising the glor.

Glororrow be and Easter is brighter and sing adorn. Jesus is ris the glory. Hallelujah.

City of God forever and Jesus of saints and archangels with creation to God. Jesus is rising the glory. Hallelujah.

With the whole church, let us confess our faith using the words of the Nying 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 Pontious Pilot.

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.

Trusting in the power of Christ's resurrection to heal and redeem our broken world, let us pray for the needs of all creation. Risen Savior, you have conquered death and opened the gates of everlasting life. Dispel our doubts and fears and renew our faith and hope in you.

Merciful God, >> receive our prayer. >> Lifegiving God, the created world rejoices in Christ's victory over death. May all the earth be renewed by the light of Jesus resurrection and may we be faithful stewards of all that you have made.

Merciful God, >> our pray. >> Sovereign God, let the nations acknowledge your reign, your reign of justice and truth where violence, oppression, and corruption hold sway. Pour out your holy and likegiving spirit to transform and redeem.

Merciful God. >> Gentle shepherd, like the woman at the empty tomb, may any grieve or feel lost and afraid. Draw near to those who are ill or in pain, especially those whom we lift before you now, whether silently or aloud.

reveal yourself to them as the risen one. Merciful God, our pray. >> Faithful God, we thank you for the living hope you give us through Christ's resurrection.

Bless this community that we may b boldly proclaim Christ's victory over death in word and deed. Merciful God, >> receive our prayer. >> Eternal one, we give thanks for all who have died and now share in the joy of your resurrection.

Bring us with them to the unending feast of your victory. Merciful God, >> receive our pray. >> God of resurrection power, use us and these prayers to proclaim the good news of the new life to all the world through Jesus Christ, our savior and lord.

Amen. >> The peace of the Lord be with you always. >> And also with you.

>> Share as you're comfortable a sign of God's peace with There's no peace I've come to know. Though my heart and flesh may fail, there's a soul. I can say it is Jesus has overcome and the great is overwhelmed.

The victory is won. He is rising wings before my fall on my knees and I will draw near when this darkness breaks to light. And the shadows and my face shall be on my Jesus and the grave is overwhelmed.

The victory is won. He is ris. risen from the dead.

And I will rise when he calls my name. No more sorrow, no more pain. I will rise on wings before my God.

Fall my knees and rise. I will rise. And I hear the voice of many angels sing.

Worthy is a lamb and I hear the cry of every longing heart. Worthy is the lamb. I hear the voice of many angels sing.

Worthy is the lamb. And I hear the cry of every longing heart. Worthy is the lord.

Worthy is the lord. I will call my name. No more sorrow.

No more pain. I will wings before my God and I will. I will rise.

be fruitful and filled to the brim of our blessings. a harvest from the seeds that were sown that we may be fed with the bread of life. the hopes and the dreams of all them with the praise we prescul 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. Amen.

>> 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.

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 pascal lamb, who gave himself to take away our sin, who in dying has destroyed death and in rising ing 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 saraphim we praise your name and join their unending hymn. Holy, holy, holy Lord God of might heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosana in the highest. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosana in the highest.

Estana in the highest. Holy God, mighty Lord, gracious father, endless is your mercy and eternal your reign. You have filled all creation with light and life with heaven and earth are full of your glory.

We praise you for the grace give shown to your people in every age. the promise to Israel, the rescue from Egypt, the gift of the promised land, the words of the prophets, and at the end of all the ages, the gift of your son, who proclaimed the good news in word and deed, and was obedient to your will, even to giving his life. In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, 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 as often as you drink it in remembrance of me.

For as often as we eat of this bread and drink from the cup, we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. >> Christ is Christ. >> Therefore, oh God, with this bread and cup, we remember the life our Lord offered for us.

and believing the witness of his resurrection, we await his coming in and power to share with us the great and promised feast. >> Jesus. >> Send now, we pray, your holy spirit that we who share in Christ's body and blood may live to the praise of your glory and receive our inheritance with all your saints in life.

Holy Spirit. >> Join our prayers with those of your servants of every time and every place and unite them with the ceaseless petitions of our great high priest until he comes as victorious Lord of all. Through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, almighty God, now and forever.

>> Amen. >> L would remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray. 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.

>> Leave us not temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. >> Amen.

>> Come to the table of new life. Receive the risen Lord. Body of Christ given for you.

>> Body of Christ given for you. >> Body of Christ given for you. >> The blood of Christ shed for you.

>> The blood of Christ shed for you. The blood of Christ shed for you. The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ given and shed for you.

sneewous. He humbled himself and carried the cross. So, so amazing.

Jesus Messiah, name above all names, blessed redeemer, Emmanuel, the rescue for sinners, the ransom from heaven. Jesus, Messiah, Lord of all the bread, his blood the water broken and poured out all the hol So amazing. Oh, so amazing.

Jesus Messiah, name above all names, blessed redeemer, Emmanuel, the rescue for sinners, the ransom from heaven. Jesus Messiah, Lord of all. All our hope is in you.

All our hope is in you. All the glory to you, God. The light of the world.

Jesus Messiah name above all name. Blessed redeemer for sinners. The ransom from heaven.

Jesus Messiah, Lord of all. Lord, hear our cry. Come here.

Bring life into thee. and thirsty soul. Lord hear our prayer for our soul to dwell.

Open the wide eyes. of the ears. Come to your people as we draw near.

Hear us from heaven. Touch our generation. We are your people crying out in desperation.

Lord, hear our cry. Children worship as we sing out your praise. Would you make this for your glory to dwell?

Open the blind eyes. Unlock the deaf ears. Come to your people as we draw near.

Hear us from heaven. Hear us from heaven. Hear us from heaven.

Hear us from heaven. Hear us from heaven. Hear us from heaven.

Hear us from heaven. Hear us from heaven. Hear us from heaven.

Hear us from heaven. Hear us from heaven. Hear us from heaven.

Hear us from heaven. Open the blind eyes. Unlock the death to your people as we draw near.

Hear us from heaven. Touch our generation. We are your people.

crying out in desperation. Open the blind eyes. Unlock the dead.

Come to your people as we draw near. Hear us from heaven. Touch our generation.

We are your people. Crying out in desperation. The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.

Amen. >> Let us pray together. Holy one, through this meal, you have made your home among us and will 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. Amen. 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. Amen. Mine is glor.

Glor is the victory now our death in bright where thy body Thine is the glorus from the tomb. He greets me scatter tear and blue. Let his church with gladness of triumph sing for the Lord now.

Death has lost. Light is the glory. Rising sonless is the victory or death.

No more glory in the in our make us more than coners through thy deathless love. Bring us safe through Jordan to thy home. is a coning song.

This is the victory. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah.

Thanks be to God. Hallelujah. You got to go.