4768 Union Deposit Road, Harrisburg, PA 17111

Ascension Evangelical Lutheran Church Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod

office: 652-8285; cell: 319-5424; home: 732-2631;

Email: ;

Church’s Website:

Pastor Robert Green; Officers: President: Gary Graf; Vice President: Chuck Thompson; Secretary: Ralph Buehler; Elders: Gary Graf, Chuck Thompson, Ralph Buehler, Rick Grove; Fellowship: Ron Althoff; Treasurer: Rick Grove; Properties: Larry Stoner; Publications: Terry Reilly; Stewardship: Franklin Stauffer; Evangelism: Steve Lange; Organists/pianists: Marge Metz, and Brook Larson; Willing Workers: Chairwoman: Barb Buehler; Secretary: Linda Graf; Altar Guild: Barb Buehler; LWMS Reporter: Marge Metz; Choir director: Lori Nowaczyk.

April 5, 2015

Easter Service

We welcome out friends and visitors to worship as we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ!

He is Risen!

Resurrection 2 by Carl Bloch

“Do not be afraid, for I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.” I tell you the truth: your grief will turn to joy!”

We welcome our friends, and visitors to worship as we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior

A personal prayer for before worship from page 10 in the hymnal Christian Worship: Heavenly Father, I have come to worship you. Draw near to me in your gracious Word, and assure me of your loving kindness. Curb my wandering thoughts, that with undivided attention I may hear your voice and sing your praise. Amen.

Our Ascension Choir sings from the Hymnal Supplement hymn 719 Christ Has Arisen, Alleluia[1]

PASTOR: He is risen!

CONGREGATION: He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

PASTOR: Where, O death, is your victory? Where O death, is your sting?

CONGREGATION: Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our risen and living Savior, Jesus Christ!

Holy Baptism

This Easter morn we are given the privilege of watching the miracle of faith worked in the heart of Tyler O’Connor Larson born son of Eric and Kimberly Larson, born March 9, 2015, and, God willing, born again in holy baptism this day, April 5, 2015.

This orderincorporates Holy Baptism into congregational worship by combining the Sacrament of Baptism with the Confession of Sins. Martin Luther said that confessing sins and receiving forgiveness is nothing else than a reliving of Baptism. Thus this order provides opportunity not only to baptize but also to recall the lasting blessings of Baptism.

Please stand.

M:The grace of our Lord † Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you.

C:And also with you.

CONFESSION OF SINS

M:Our Savior Jesus Christ commanded Baptism when he said: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” All of us are born into this world with a deep need for Baptism. From our parents we inherit a sinful nature; we are without true fear of God and true faith in God and are condemned to eternal death. But Jesus took away our sin by giving his life on the cross. At our baptisms he clothes us with the robe of his righteousness and gives us a new life. Our sinful nature need not control us any longer. We recall what Baptism means for our daily lives as we speak these words:

C:Baptism means that the sinful nature in us should be drowned by daily sorrow and repentance, and that all its evil deeds and desires be put to death. It also means that a new person should daily arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.

M:As baptized children of God we confess our sins:

C:Holy and merciful Father, I confess that I am by nature sinful, and that I have disobeyed you in my thoughts, words, and actions. I have done what is evil and failed to do what is good. For this I deserve your punishment both now and in eternity. But I am truly sorry for my sins, and trusting in my Savior Jesus Christ, I pray: Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.

M:God, our heavenly Father, has been merciful to us and has given his only Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Therefore, as a called servant of Christ and by his authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son † and of the Holy Spirit.

C:Amen.

Please be seated.

We join in singing hymn 300 See This Wonder in the Making, verses 1-2.

Text: Jaroslav J. Vajda, b.1979 TRYOGARE KAN INGEN VARA

Tune: Swedish folk tune, 19th century. LM Trochaic Used by permission, Reprinted under OneLicense A-718321

SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM

M:In obedience to the command of our Lord and trusting in his promise, you have brought this child to be baptized. Jesus told us: “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” It is in Baptism that God grants the new life of forgiveness, joy, and peace to little children. By the power of God’s Word, this gracious water of life washes away sin, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe.

M:Receive the sign of the cross on the head and heart † to mark you as a redeemed child of Christ.

The minister applies water as he says: Tyler Larson, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.The Almighty God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—has forgiven all your sins. By your baptism, you are born again and made a dear child of your Father in heaven. May God strengthen you to live in your baptismal grace all the days of your life. Peace be with you.

STAND

EXHORTATION

M:Brothers and sisters in Christ, our Lord commands that we teach his precious truths to all who are baptized.Christian love therefore urges all of us, especially parents and sponsors, to assist in whatever manner possible so that Tyler may remain a child of God until death. If you are willing to carry out this responsibility, then answer: Yes, as God gives me strength.

C:Yes, as God gives me strength.

M:Let us pray.

Merciful Father in heaven, we thank you for the blessing of Baptism by which you offer and grant the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. Help us to regard our baptisms as the robe of righteousness we are to wear all the days of our lives. Look with special favor on Tyler and grant him a rich measure of your Spirit that he may grow in faith and godly living. Make us willing to carry out our responsibilities to those who have been baptized, so that all of us may finally come to the blessed joys of heaven, through Jesus our Lord.

C:Amen.

We join in singing hymn 300 See This Wonder in the Making, verses 3-4, pg 4.

Pastor: O come let us sing for joy to the Lord. Let us shout aloud to the rock of our salvation.

CONGREGATION: We come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and songs.

Pastor: Christ has risen from the dead!

Prayer: (All) O living and risen Savior Jesus, we come before you today to worship and praise you for delivering us from sin, death and the devil. We thank you for allowing us to live a full and joy filled life free from the fear of eternal punishment and free from the fear of death itself. Bless our worship this morning and strengthen our faith, increase our love and joy. Amen.

First reading: The song of Moses and the Israelites foreshadows our song of joy on this day. The evil foe sought to pull us back into the slavery of sin. Yet the hand of the Lord has saved his people. Just as he rescued the Israelites through the waters of the Red Seas, so he has rescued us from sin and death through water and the Word. He has connected to the sacrificial death and victorious resurrection of his one and only Son through the waters of baptism.

Isaiah 25:6–9 (NIV84)

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.

7On this mountain he will destroy

the shroud that enfolds all peoples,

the sheet that covers all nations;

8he will swallow up death forever.

The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears

from all faces;

he will remove the disgrace of his people

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.”

Psalm 118In this psalm, the Church sings of the wonderful victory God gives to those who believe, “I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.”

The Lord is my strength 'and my song;*

he has become my sal'vation.

The Lord's right hand is 'lifted high;*

the Lord's right hand has done 'mighty things!

I will not 'die but live,*

and will proclaim what the 'Lord has done.

Refrain

I will give you thanks, for you 'answered me;*

you have become my sal'vation.

The stone the builders rejected has become the 'capstone;*

the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous 'in our eyes.

This is the day the 'Lord has made;*

let us rejoice and be 'glad in it.

Glory be to the Father and 'to the Son*

and to the Holy 'Spirit,

as it was in the be'ginning,*

is now, and will be forever. 'Amen.

Refrain

Refrain, Tune and setting: Marty Haugen. c 1983 GIA Publications, Inc., Chicago IL. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Psalm Tone *Tune and setting: c 1993 Kermit G. Moldenhauer. Used by permission.

Second reading: The message of the Gospel, Christ crucified for our sins and raised to life for our justification, is the power of salvation for everyone who believes. Let there be no doubt: Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Not just in our minds and hearts, he has risen in the flesh. Paul appeals to eyewitnesses who still lived and told what they had seen. Christ resurrection had no doubt; so neither does its power. The power of this message enters our hearts by the grace of God and fills us with resurrection joy.

1 Corinthians 15:19–26 (NIV84)

19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.

20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Confession of faith: Luther’s Explanation of the Second Article of the Apostles’ Creed:

I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord. He has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won me from all sins, from death and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with his holy, precious blood and with his innocent suffering and death. All this he did that I should be his own, and live under him in his kingdom, and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence and blessedness, just as he has risen from the dead and lives and rules eternally. This is most certainly true.

Gospel reading: With the women, we have traveled along with Jesus through his Passion and watched as he was laid in the tomb. But the final trip to the tomb doesn’t reveal the finality of death. Rather, it reveals the finality for death. What a change! Death has been swallowed up in victory; Christ has risen just as he said! Death no longer has mastery over us. Easter means that death ends in life!

Mark 16:1–8 (NIV84)

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. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 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.’ ”

8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

Hymn: 149 Christ the Lord is Risen Today(verses 1-2)

Text: Charles Wesley, 1707-88, abr., alt. ORIENTIS PARTIBUS

Tune: Pierre de Corbeille, d. 1221, adapt. 77 77 Reprinted under OneLicense A-718321

Hymn 143: He's Risen, He's Risen(verses 1, and 4) next page

Sermon Hymn 157: Jesus Christ is Risen Today(1and 3)

Text: Latin Hymn. 14th century, st. 1-3; Charles Wesley, 1707-88, st. 4: tr. Lyra Davidica, London, 1708, st. 1-3, alt. Easter Hymn

Tune: Lyra Davidica, London, 1708, alt.; Dese. Hymns Ancient and Modern, London, 1955 77 77 with Alleluias

The Easter Message: by Pastor Robert Greenbased on John 16:16-22 (NIV84)

I Tell You the Truth . . . Your Grief Will Turn to Joy

16 “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”

17 Some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”

19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? 20 I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

Offering: A time to give to the Lord out of thanks for what he has given us: eternal life! During the offering we sing verses 1,and 8 of Hymn 152 I Know that My Redeemer Lives.

The Prayer of the Church for Easter

Pastor: O Lord God, our strength, our song, and our salvation, you fulfilled your promises by the resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ, from the dead.

Congregation: Thanks be to God! You give us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Pastor: In your compassion you sent Christ, the Good Shepherd, who laid down his life to rescue the lost.

Congregation: Drive out all doubt and gloom that we may delight in your glorious triumph.

Pastor: Lift our eyes heavenward to see him who lives to make intercession for the saints, and grant us confidence in the greatness of his power. Keep before us the vision of your redeemed people standing before your throne and singing the song of victory.

Congregation: Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive wisdom and power and honor and glory and praise.

Pastor: Make us instruments of your peace as we bring the good news of the empty tomb and hope and new life to those around us. Guide us in the use of all that you have entrusted to us: our time, our talents, and our treasures.

Congregation: Risen Lord, live in us that we may live for you.

Pastor: Merciful Lord Jesus, grant healing to the sick, and strengthen the faith of the suffering and dying. Assure them of your abiding presence, and comfort them with the hope of eternal life.

(Special prayers are now offered)

Hear us Lord, as we bring you our private prayers this Easter morning.