03 May Bulletin – Sunday, May 3, 2026
WELCOME to MESSIAH & ST. PETER LUTHERAN CHURCHES
The Reverend Nancy Brody, Pastor
Greta Wright, Organist
Sunday, May 3, 2026
Fifth Sunday of Easter
ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRELUDE
THANKSGIVING for BAPTISM
Alleluia! Christ is risen.
Christ is risen, indeed. Alleluia!
Let us give thanks for the gifts of baptism: water, and the Word, anointing by God’s Holy Spirit.
Heavenly Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you formed and filled us with the water of creation. You give us morning dew, gentle rains, and splashing waves. We thank you for every drop of water that nourishes.
Blessed are you. Guide us to springs of life.
Jesus Christ, Word of God, you are the faithful witness who accompanies our journeys. We give thanks for your life-giving death and resurrection and praise you for joining us in joy and sorrow.
Blessed are you. Speak to us and stir our hearts.
Holy Spirit, we need you to inspire and guide this world. There’s far too much turmoil and harm being done. Unite us in the common purpose of seeking peace and being satisfied with enough. Let nothing cloud our ability to recognize you among us.
Blessed are you. Bring calm to places of chaos.
Holy One, we thank you for the gifts and grace of baptism, and for making us a new creation.We join with saints and angels, giving you honor and praise, now and forever. Amen.
ENTRANCE HYMN
You Servants of God #252
HYMN OF PRAISE
🎶Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth.
🎶Lord God, heavenly king, almighty God and Father: we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. Lord Jesus Christ, only 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 prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
🎶The Lord be with you.
🎶And Also with you.
Let us pray:
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Almighty God, your Son Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Give us grace to love one another, to follow in the way of his commandments, and to share his risen life with all the world, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.Amen.
FIRST READING ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 7:55-60
Filled with the Holy Spirit, [Stephen] gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him, and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died.
PSALM 31:1-5, 15-16
In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness.
Incline your ear to me; make haste to deliver me.
Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe, for you are my crag and my stronghold; for the sake of your name, lead me and guide me.
Take me out of the net that they have secretly set for me, for you are my tower of strength.
Into your hands I commend my spirit, for you have redeemed me, O Lord, God of truth.
My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.
Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love.”
SECOND READING 1 PETER 2:2-10
Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture: “See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” This honor, then, is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner,” and “A stone that makes them stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
🎶Alleluia, Lord, to whom shall we go? You hve the words of eternal life. Alleluia. Alleluia.
The Holy Gospel according to Saint John, the 14th chapter.
🎶Glory to you, O Lord.
GOSPEL JOHN 14:1-14
[Jesus said to the disciples:] “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, but if you do not, then believe because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.”
🎶Glory to you, O Christ.
SERMON
HYMN OF THE DAY
O Jesus, I Have Promised #503
PROFESSION of FAITH Nicene Creed
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
creator 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,
by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the virgin Mary and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; 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.
PRAYERS of INTERCESSION
Trusting in the power of Christ’s resurrection to heal and redeem our broken world, let us pray for the needs of all creation. A brief silence.
God of glory, as followers of your Son and the body of your church, help us be brave, able to profess our faith openly through acts of mercy and forgiveness, willing to offer words of kindness and gifts of charity. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
God of majesty, as stewards of all that you have made and generously gifted to us, help us preserve the earth and its atmosphere. We know that you do your part. Thank you for your care of the entire world. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
God of mercy, in your kingdom people would expect fair treatment and be shown compassion. Help our government and its social service agencies be instruments of peace and justice. Guide political leaders and organizations to consider the needs of all. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
God of well-being, soothe those in distress; console all who grieve and comfort those who are sick (especially those on our prayer list or in our hearts and minds). Equip and sustain every caregiver; bring satisfaction to their labors. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
God of community, you created people for mutual support and as witnesses to your love for the world. Make your presence known through us and among those unable to attend church today. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
God of eternal life, you make it so that we are never separate from you. Thank you for those with whom we share an eternal bond. We trust that once loved ones leave our sight, that they lay eyes on you. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
God of resurrection power, you have dominion over life and death. Use us and our prayers to deliver blessings to all the world through you and in your name, Heavenly Father, Son, and Holy Spirit [☩]. To you belong all glory and honor, now and forever, Amen.
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 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.
EXCHANGE of PEACE
OFFERING
OFFERTORY
🎶Let the vineyards be fruitful, Lord and fill to the brim our cup of blessing. Gather a harvest of the seeds that were sown, that we may be fed with the bread of life. Gather the hopes and the dreams of all; unite them with the prayer we offer now. Grace our table with your presence, and give us a foretaste of the feast to come.
OFFERING PRAYER
Risen One, you have gathered us around your table of grace along with these gifts we bring. Come among us again, breathe your life into us, and enliven us with this meal, that we may live as your risen body in the world. Amen.
LITURGY OF HOLY COMMUNION
🎶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.
🎶It is indeed right and salutary….we praise your name and join their unending hymn.
🎶Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might; heaven and earth are full of your glory, Hosana, Hosana, Hosana in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosana in the highest.
INVITATION TO COMMUNION
POST-COMMUNION CANTICLE
🎶Thank the Lord and sing his praise; tell everyone what he has done. Let all who seek the Lord rejoice and proudly bear his name. He recalls his promises and leads his people forth in joy with shouts of thanksgiving. Aleluia, Aleluia.
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER
BLESSING
The triune God, who was, who is, and who is to come, Sovereign, ☩ Savior, and Spirit, light your way with resurrection dawn, now and always. Amen.
CLOSING HYMN
Lord of All Hopefulness #469
DISMISSAL
POSTLUDE
Revised Common Lectionary copyright © 1992 Consultation on Common Texts. Used by permission. Prayers adapted from Sundays and Seasons, copyright © 2019, Augsburg Fortress. Used with permission. Psalm readings from Lutheran Book of Worship, copyright © 1978. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual Subscription #SB160715 Other quotations from Scripture from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989, National Council of Churches in Christ in the United States of America. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Altar flowers at St. Peter are presented by Sallianne Bechtel in memory of loved ones.