WELCOME…!

Please join Immanuel Lutheran’s Worship Service on Sunday, May 15, 2022 at 10:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time (US and Canada). Pr. David Bowman will lead the Holy Communion service. The Rev. David Bowman is ordained in the United Church of Christ. He holds a Ph.D in theological ethics from Glasgow University (Scotland). He’s the author of three books, most recently, Faith Rising—Between the Lines: Intimations of Faith Embedded in Modern Fiction. He and his spouse, Dianne,  parents of three adult children, reside in Saratoga. He is pleased to worship with the Alameda congregation.
Please have bread and wine/juice available if you want to receive communion in your home as we gather together. A zoomed Coffee Hour will follow immediately after the service. Join us…! All are welcome.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85370070582?pwd=e9cCPPU-vsTYOXRciE3YqkLC_Dqae-.1

Meeting ID: 853 7007 0582
Passcode: 484277
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,85370070582#,,,,*484277# US (San Jose)
+12532158782,,85370070582#,,,,*484277# US (Tacoma)

Dial by your location
        +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
        +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
        +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
        +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
        +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
        +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 853 7007 0582
Passcode: 484277
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcE2f9lnhr

THE EASTER PROCLAMATION

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Because he lives, we too shall live.
Thanks be to God who gives us the victory!
Glory and honor, dominion and power be to God forever and ever.
Christ is risen! Alleluia!

GATHERING

In the name of the Father, and of the ☩ Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

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 our Lord.

Amen

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.

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. Amen

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 of the Church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

PRAYER OF THE DAY (read together)

O Lord God, you teach us that without love, our actions gain nothing. Pour into our hearts your most excellent gift of love, that, made alive by your Spirit, we may know goodness and peace, through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

WORD

FIRST READING: Acts 11:1-18

In defense of his earlier baptism of non-Jewish believers, Peter demonstrates to the members of the Jerusalem church that God’s intention to love Gentiles as well as Jews is revealed in Jesus’ testimony. In this way the mission to the Gentiles is officially authorized.

¹Now the apostles and the believers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also accepted the word of God. ²So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, ³saying, “Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?” ⁴Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying, ⁵“I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners; and it came close to me. ⁶As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. ⁷I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’ ⁸But I replied, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ ⁹But a second time the voice answered from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, you must not call profane.’ ¹⁰This happened three times; then everything was pulled up again to heaven. ¹¹At that very moment three men, sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were. ¹²The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. ¹³He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter; ¹⁴he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be saved.’ ¹⁵And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning. ¹⁶And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁷If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?” ¹⁸When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God, saying, “Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.”

Word of God, word of life.     Thanks be to God.

PSALM: Psalm 148 (sung responsively)

 ¹Hallelujah! Praise the Lord^| from the heavens;
  praise God ^| in the heights.
 ²Praise the Lord, ^| all you angels;
  sing praise, all you ^| hosts of heaven.
 ³Praise the Lord, ^| sun and moon;
  sing praise, all you ^| shining stars.
 ⁴Praise the Lord, heav- ^| en of heavens,
  and you waters a- ^| bove the heavens.
 ⁵Let them praise the name ^| of the Lord,
  who commanded, and they ^| were created,
 ⁶who made them stand fast forev- ^| er and ever,
  giving them a law that shall not ^| pass away.
 ⁷Praise the Lord^| from the earth,
  you sea monsters ^| and all deeps;
 ⁸fire and hail, ^| snow and fog,
  tempestuous wind, do- ^| ing God’s will;
 ⁹mountains ^| and all hills,
  fruit trees ^| and all cedars;
 ¹⁰wild beasts ^| and all cattle,
  creeping things and ^| flying birds;
 ¹¹sovereigns of the earth ^| and all peoples,
  princes and all rulers ^| of the world;
 ¹²young ^| men and maidens,
  old and ^| young together.
 ¹³Let them praise the name ^| of the Lord,
  whose name only is exalted, whose splendor is over ^| earth and heaven.
 ¹⁴The Lord has raised up strength for the people and praise for all ^| faithful servants,
  the children of Israel, a people who are near the Lord. ^| Hallelujah!

SECOND READING: Revelation 21:1-6

John’s vision shows us that in the resurrection the new age has dawned; God dwells with us already. Yet we wait for the time when the tears that cloud our vision will be wiped away. Then we will see the new heaven, new earth, and new Jerusalem.

¹I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. ²And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
 “See, the home of God is among mortals.
 He will dwell with them;
 they will be his peoples,
 and God himself will be with them;
 ⁴he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
 Death will be no more;
 mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
 for the first things have passed away.”
 ⁵And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” ⁶Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.”

Word of God, word of life.     Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation (sung)

Alleluia. Lord, to whom shall we go?
you have the words of eternal life. Alleluia.

GOSPEL: John 13:31-35

Glory to you, O Lord. (sung)

After washing the disciples’ feet, predicting his betrayal, and then revealing his betrayer, Jesus speaks of his glorification on the cross. This deep complicated love of Jesus, even to death on the cross, will be the distinctive mark of Jesus’ community.

³¹When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. ³²If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. ³³Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ ³⁴I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. ³⁵By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

The gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ. (sung)

HOMILY

APOSTLE’S CREED

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

Amen.

Prayers of Intercession

Set free from captivity to sin and death, we pray to the God of resurrection for the church, people in need, and all of creation.

A brief silence.

Loving God, lead us to follow your Spirit, rather than our own prejudices or desires, as the church cares for one another. Open us to perceive your gifts in those we least expect. God, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

Inspire us to praise you through the beauty and majesty of the natural world around us. Urge us toward more deliberate care of the world you have made. God, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

Humble the rulers of nations before your splendor. Direct them to the people who need their attention most, and turn them from the temptation to hoard wealth or power. May this be especially true in Ukraine, Afghanistan, and other nations facing strife. God, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

Hasten to dwell among those who are in pain or distress. As Christ enters our deepest suffering, remain with those experiencing despair and great need. As the US reacjed one million COVID deaths, comfort those who are suffering or grieving due to the virus here and around the world, those who care for them, those suffering lingering effects of the virus, and those in regions with limited access to vaccines. God, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

Place holy love at the center of all our relationships and communities. By your love heal us, convict us, and renew us. Bring an end to racism in our churches and communities. Let everyone know your goodness by the love we show one another. God, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

Here other prayers may be offered. Please unmute yourself.

Give us a place in the diverse company of your beloved saints. Teach us the value of each person’s identity, and bless us with a shared identity as your children, kindred of Christ. God, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

In your mercy, O God, respond to these prayers, and renew us by your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ, our Savior.

Amen.

COMMUNION

Today as we receive communion at home, please have bread and wine available. After the Prayer of Institution and Lord’s Prayer, Pastor Bowman will invite us to partake of the body and blood of Christ.

THE 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 him thanks and praise.

The Proper Preface: It is indeed right and salutary…

SANCTUS (sung)

Holy, holy, holy Lord.
Lord God of power and might:
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

Prayer of Institution

LORD’S PRAYER

Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.

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.

Invitation to Communion

Post Communion Prayer

We give you thanks, Almighty God, that you have refreshed us through the healing power of this gift of life; and we pray that in your mercy you would strengthen us, through this gift, in faith toward you and in fervent love toward one another; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

SENDING

Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, bless us now and forever. Amen.

PEACE AND DISMISSAL

The peace of the Lord be with you always.
And also with you.
Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

SENDING HYMN: LBW 315 Love divine, all loves excelling

1 Love divine, all loves excelling, Joy of heav’n, to earth come down!
Fix in us thy humble dwelling, all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion, pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation, enter ev’ry trembling heart.

2 Breathe, oh, breathe thy loving Spirit into ev’ry troubled breast;
let us all in thee inherit; let us find thy promised rest.
Take away the love of sinning; Alpha and Omega be;
end of faith, as its beginning, set our hearts at liberty.

3 Come, Almighty, to deliver; let us all thy life receive;
suddenly return, and never, nevermore thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing, serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray, and praise thee without ceasing, glory in thy perfect love.

4 Finish then thy new creation, pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation perfectly restored in thee!
Changed from glory into glory, till in heav’n we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love, and praise!

Text: Charles Wesley, 1707-1788