HELPFUL LINKS

Blacknall Easter Worship
April 4, 2021

Invocation

The tomb could not hold you and death has no dominion over you! You are the resurrected Lord who is on the move, and sovereign over all creation. Awaken us to join you in your active work and give us words to proclaim this truth to a hurting world. Prepare our hearts to hear your voice this morning and to enter into the story of new life that you invite us to participate in. Amen.

Song | Christ the Lord is Risen Today

Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies. Alleluia!

Words by Charles Wesley, 1739. Music from “Lyra Davidica”, 1708.

Scripture Reading | 1 Corinthians 15:3-11

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But 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.11 Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

Song | I Know that My Redeemer Lives

I know that my Redeemer lives!
What joy this blest assurance gives!
He lives, he lives, who once was dead;
He lives, my ever-living head!

He lives triumphant from the grave;
He lives eternally to save;
he lives exalted, throned above;
he lives to rule his church in love.

He lives, my kind, wise, heavenly friend;
He lives and loves me to the end;
He lives, and while he lives, I’ll sing;
He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King!

He lives, all glory to his name!
He lives, my Savior, still the same;
What joy this blest assurance gives:
I know that my Redeemer lives!

By John C. Hatton and Samuel Medley (1775). Public Domain.

Song | Vicit Agnus

Vicit Agnus
Vicit Agnus
Noster eum sequamur

Did Abraham himself not say
God would provide a lamb
To take instead the punishment
That should belong to man

And so to humble shepherds
Was His glory first revealed
And with His birth a covenant
Made long ago was sealed

Out of His dark obscurity
The Light of God has shone
And through the meekness of the Lamb
God's strength would be made known

The just and gentle Promised One
Would triumph o're the fall
And conquer by His own defeat
And win by losing all

Call to Confession

Behold the risen Christ! A few days after his resurrection, Jesus appears to his disciples who had just abandoned him and were hiding in fear. Days earlier, one of these disciples had even denied knowing Jesus three different times. How does Jesus greet them? Peace be with you. [John 20:19] This is the God we come to when we kneel to confess our sins. In the midst of our running and hiding, Jesus comes to us and greets us with words of peace. So come, let us confess our sins together.

Prayer of Confession

Lord, we worship you as the risen Savior who is victorious over sin and death. Yet we often still choose to live as if we are in bondage. We remain discontent, we grumble, and we don’t trust your promises. Open our hearts to the glorious mystery of a life defined by resurrection. Make us into a people who live every day with the wonder of Easter Sunday inscribed upon our hearts. Make us a new creation people who are always open to the ways that your grace transforms us and the world that we live in. Teach us to trust you, the resurrected king, who rules victorious over all creation. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

Friends, it is true! In Jesus Christ you are forgiven.

Passing the Peace

May the peace of the Lord be with you.
Response: And also with you

Affirmation of Faith | Apostles Creed

We 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, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. We 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.

Children’s Blessing

With Leslie Petree

Children’s Worship

If you would like to receive the Children’s Worship video email, please contact Beth Solie.

Proclamation of the Word | Pastor Allan Poole

John 20:19-31

19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed;blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Song of Response | Our Great God

Eternal God, unchanging, mysterious, and unknown
Your boundless love, unfailing, in grace and mercy shown
Bright seraphim in endless flight around Your glorious throne
They raise their voices day and night in praise to You alone
Chorus:
Hallelujah! Glory be to our great God!
Hallelujah! Glory be to our great God!

Lord, we are weak and frail, helpless in the storm
Surround us with Your angels, hold us in Your arms
Our cold and ruthless enemy, his pleasure is our harm
Rise up, O Lord, and he will flee before our sovereign God

Let every creature in the sea, and every flying bird
Let every mountain, every field, and valley of the earth
Let all the moons and all the stars in all the universe
Sing praises to the living God, who rules them by His Word

Presenting Our Gifts | Online Giving

You are invited to respond to God’s Word by giving to the mission God has called us to at Blacknall.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession

Would you like to share a prayer request? Submit your request here.

(As you pray the following petitions, you are encouraged to pause and lift to the Lord particular concerns or people or events. Read prayer requests from Blacknall members and ministry partners here.)

Lord, we remember today a reality that it is not only true this Sunday, but the reality upon which the whole Christian life is built. Resurrection. New life. New creation. We remember today that death could not hold you, and that you invite us into the life of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit so that death will not have dominion over us either. You have given us a new identity that is defined by new life found through Christ. We join all of creation in praising your name.

We are cognizant that the church often chooses not to live as a people defined by the resurrection. We often forget that we belong to you. By the power of your Holy Spirit make us an instrument of your peace in the world.

We continue to pray for the families and all those who have been affected by the recent shootings. We pray for those who are sick and grieving. We pray for those who are lonely and suffering because of the pandemic. We pray for those who feel as if they perpetually live in crucifixion Friday and never experience the joy of resurrection Sunday.

Teach us to pray, just as your Son taught us to pray…

The Lord’s Prayer
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 debts, as we forgive our debtors;
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen.

Benediction

Song | Man of Sorrows

Man of sorrows what a name
For the Son of God, who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned he stood,
Sealed my pardon with his blood:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Guilty, helpless, lost were we;
Blameless Lamb of God was he,
Sacrificed to set us free:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!

He was lifted up to die;
"It is finished" was his cry;
now in heaven exalted high:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!

When he comes, our glorious King,
All his ransomed home to bring,
Then anew this song we'll sing:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!