The Second Sunday of the Easter Season
known traditionally as Quasi modo geniti Sunday and Dominica in albis Sunday
April 12, 2026
For Thomas (and for us) Easter Changes Everything!
For most people this morning (even a few in this sanctuary) the memories of the Church’s celebration of our Savior’s bodily resurrection from the grave are already fading fast if not entirely gone. And so, lest you and I lose sight of the precious and personally comforting truth of Easter — that our Lord is a living Lord, and that we will live forever with Him — the Christian Church has made it a point to continue celebrating Christ’s resurrection through the six Sundays after Easter. As a result, our Scripture readings today will revolve around Jesus’ power over the grave, and two of His post-resurrection appearances. In particular we’ll consider Jesus’ encounter with a skeptical disciple, Thomas, to Whom our Savior provided the assurance that He is alive… and so that we have been justified by His sinless life, death and resurrection, and that our eternal future is certain because He conquered sin, death and the grave for us as our Risen Lord and Savior.
Today on the Church “Calendar”
This Second Sunday of the Easter Season is traditionally referred to as “Quasi modo geniti” Sunday, which is a Latin term meaning “as newborn infants.” It is the opening line of a centuries’ old dialogue between pastor and people, based on a portion of I Peter 2 and Psalm 81, and customarily used on this Sunday. Along with select verses from
Psalm 16 they will serve as our Psalm Reading. In the earliest days of the church this day was also known as “Dominica in albis” Sunday (“the Lord’s Day in White”) because those who had been baptized on Easter would receive communion for the first time, and then would be laying aside the white robes which they had worn throughout the week following Easter Sunday.
Recently this particular day on the church calendar has come to be known as “Low Sunday” both because of the contrast of this Second Sunday of Easter with the great festival celebrated 7 days earlier, and (sadly) because worship services on this day receive attendances much lower than those found in Christian congregations on Easter Sunday.
Our Sequence Hymn this morning is # 144, “Christ is Arisen.” Over nearly 9 centuries this Hymn has been used in Christian churches during the post-Easter season as a “sequence” hymn separating the Epistle and Gospel lessons. It dates back to A.D. 1100 and is of German origin. In fact, it is one of the earliest German hymns of any kind. Martin Luther’s estimate of this hymn is this: “After a time one tires of singing all other hymns, but the ‘Christ is erstanden’ (“Christ is arisen”) one can always sing again and again.” The tune we sing today is as old as the words of this traditional Easter hymn, and is based on the Gregorian Chant whose Latin name is “Victimae paschali” (“to the Paschal Victim”).
This Morning’s Scripture Lessons
The First Lesson for today is the story of Peter and John healing a lame man in Jesus’ name, after which the Jews seized them and officially ordered them not to preach and teach any longer about Christ. Rather than cower before the Jews, Peter and John boldly declared that they could not and would not stop proclaiming the Gospel. Their boldness is astonishing when you consider that Peter and John had once been terrified of the Jews. What changed in them? They had encountered the risen Christ – and that had changed everything for them.
In this morning’s Children’s Lesson we have a summary of the account of Lazarus being raised from the dead by Jesus after being in the grave for three days. As Christ forced death to give up its hold on Lazarus, so because of His resurrection victory, death, in the final analysis, no longer has any power over us; we need never fear it.
Today’s Gospel Lesson is John’s account of Jesus’ third post-resurrection appearance, when He met His disciples on the shore of the Sea of Galilee and caused a miraculous catch of fish.
Finally, our Sermon Text deals with two of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances to Ten of His disciples in the upper room on Easter evening, and then – a week later – to the Eleven in the same place. On Easter evening, Thomas was missing. As a result, he missed the Lord and the peace of being in the presence of the risen Lord. Thomas would have to wait another week (and what a long and troubling week it must have been for him!) before he, too, would be able to experience the joy of seeing his risen Lord. Being certain that Christ, indeed, had risen and was alive gave the Eleven (and the rest of the early church) the purpose and foundation for their ministry, as well as the source of strength that they needed for their own spiritual lives. Similarly, knowing that Christ is alive, and that He has conquered sin and death for us, gives you and me the assurance that our forgiveness and salvation are sure. It also affirms for us that Jesus truly is our God and Lord, and so that He is worthy of our worship and trust. Finally, we realize that, just as He conquered His grave, He also will enable us to one day conquer our graves (when we will rise on the Last Day with sin-purged bodies perfectly prepared for everlasting life in heaven).
Pre-Service Prayer
In the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
I thank You my Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your Son, for keeping me through the night from all harm and danger. Keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. Into Your hands I commit my body and soul and all things. Let your holy angel be with me, that the Devil may have no power over me. Amen.
The portions of God’s Word used in this worship flyer have been taken from The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version Copyright 2019, The Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission Music and lyrics, as needed, are used with permission via OneLicense.net #A712831
Prayer upon entering the sanctuary
Pre-service Music
Let Us Praise The Lord
The Welcoming and Invitation to Worship
At the Pastor’s Invitation, the Congregation will rise for
The Invocation
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Psalm for This Day selected verses from
I Peter 2, Psalm 81, and Psalm 16
P: Like newborn infants long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation, – if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good!
C: Sing aloud to God our strength; + shout for joy to the God of Jacob! + Raise a song; + sound the tambourine, + the sweet lyre with the harp.
P: I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from You.”
C: The LORD is my chosen Portion and my Cup; + You hold my lot.
P: The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
C: I will bless the LORD, Who gives me counsel; + in the night also my heart instructs me.
P: I have set the LORD always before me. Because He is at my right hand I shall not be shaken.
C: Therefore my heart is glad and my whole being rejoices; + my flesh also dwells secure.
P: For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let Your Holy One see corruption.
C: You make known to me the path of life:
P: In Your presence there is fullness of joy;
C: at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
After which the Congregation will be seated for
The Opening Hymn “Resurrection Medley”
I know that my Redeemer lives
What comfort this sweet sentence gives.
He lives, He lives, Who once was dead.
He lives my ever-living Head. (CW 152 v1)
* * * * * * *
The Foe was triumphant when on calvary
The Lord of creation was nailed to the tree.
In Satan’s domain did the foes shout and jeer,
For Jesus was slain Whom the evil ones fear. (CW 143 v2)
But short was their triumph, the Savior arose.
And death, hell and Satan, He vanquished, His foes.
The conquering Lord lifts His banner on high;
He lives, yes, He lives, and will nevermore die. (CW 143 v3)
* * * * * * *
Jesus lives! For me He died; Hence will I, to Jesus living
Pure in heart and act abide, Praise to Him and glory giving.
All I need God will dispense; This shall be my confidence.
(CW 145 v3)
* * * * * * *
He lives and grants me daily breath;
He lives, and I shall conquer death.
He lives, my mansion to prepare;
He lives to bring me safely there. (CW 152 v7)
* * * * * * *
(The Congregation will rise for the singing of the final verse.)
Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!
Unto Christ, our heav’nly King, Alleluia!
Who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
Sinners to redeem and save, Alleluia! AMEN (CW 157 v2)
We Make Confession Of Our Sins To God
Pastor God, our Heavenly Father, invites us to come into His presence and to worship Him with humble and penitent hearts. Therefore, let us now turn to Him, acknowledging our sinfulness and seeking His forgiveness for all our sins.
Congregation 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 in Your sight and have failed to do what is good. For this I know that I deserve Your punishment, both now and for eternity. But I am truly sorry for all my sins and trusting in the perfect life and innocent death of my Savior, Jesus Christ, I plead: God have mercy on me, a sinner.
(Sung) Lord have mercy on us;
Christ have mercy on us;
Lord, have mercy on us.
Pastor Our gracious Lord and Master has shown us His mercy: He has given His one and only Son to save us from all our sins. And now, having humbly and sincerely confessed your sins before Almighty God, be strengthened in your faith, mindful that our Lord is not willing that anyone should perish eternally, but that everyone should come to repentance, turning from their evil ways and receiving from Him everlasting life. God has commanded His ministers to declare His forgiveness of sins to all who are penitent. Therefore, addressing you as a called servant of Christ, and according to His command and under His authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. May the peace of God rest upon all of you. Amen.
(Sung) Glory be to God on high
and on earth peace good will to men.
We praise You, we bless You, we worship You.
We glorify You, we give thanks to You for Your great glory.
O Lord God heavenly King, God the Father almighty.
O Lord, the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ,
O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
You take away the sin of the world. Have mercy on us.
You take away the sin of the world. Receive our prayer.
You sit at the right hand of God the Father.
Have mercy on us.
For You only are holy. You only are the Lord.
You only, O Christ, with the Holy Spirit.
Are most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen
The Prayer for Today
Almighty God, Heavenly Father + Who, through Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, + has overcome death and opened to us the gates of everlasting life, + grant us the peace for our troubled conscience + which comes from knowing that, in Christ, our sins are all forgiven. + Also grant that, trusting in the merits of Your Son, + and enabled by Your Holy Spirit’s power + we might produce the kind of fruits of faith in our daily lives + that clearly prove to others + the Christian faith which we profess with our lips. + And, finally, when our days on this earth come to an end + grant us the blessing of entering into everlasting life in heaven + in all its completeness and bliss, + for the sake of Jesus Christ, Your Son our Lord, + Who lives and rules You and the Holy Spirit, + as the one, true God, + now and forever. + Amen.
after which the Congregation will be seated
We Hear God’s Word
The First Lesson Acts 4:1-22
As Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests, the commander of the temple guard, and the Sadducees approached them. 2 They were very upset because Peter and John were teaching the people and proclaiming the resurrection from the dead in connection with Jesus. 3 They arrested them and put them in jail until the next day because it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had heard the message believed, and the number of the men increased to about five thousand.
5 The next day, the rulers, the elders, and the experts in the law assembled in Jerusalem 6 with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all the rest of the high priest’s family. 7 After they made Peter and John stand in front of them, they began to question them: “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel, 9 if we are being questioned today for a kind act that was done for the lame man, as to how this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that it was by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, Whom you crucified, Whom God raised from the dead! By Him this man stands before you healed. 11 This Jesus is the Stone that was rejected by you builders, which has become the Cornerstone. 12 “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.”
13 When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and found out that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were astonished and took note of the fact that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they saw the man who had been healed standing there with them, they could not say anything in reply. 15 After they had ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin, they discussed the matter among themselves. 16 They asked, “What should we do with these men? To be sure, it is evident to all who live in Jerusalem that a miraculous sign has been done through them, and we cannot deny it. 17 However, in order that this may spread no further among the people, let us give them a strict warning not to speak any longer to anyone in this name.”
18 Then they summoned them and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered them, “Decide whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God. 20 For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” 21 After they had threatened them further, they let them go. They found no way to punish them because all of the people were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man on whom this miraculous sign of healing was performed was over forty years old.
The Sequence Hymn Hymn 144 “Christ is Arisen”
Christ is arisen From the grave’s dark prison.
We now rejoice with gladness; Christ will end all sadness.
Lord, have mercy.
All our hopes were ended Had Jesus not ascended
From the grave triumphantly. For this, Lord Christ, we worship Thee.
Lord, have mercy.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
We now rejoice with gladness; Christ will end all sadness.
Lord, have mercy.
The Gospel Lesson John 21:1-14
After this, Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. This is how He showed Himself: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I’m going fishing.”
They replied, “We’ll go with you.”
They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4 Early in the morning, Jesus was standing on the shore, but the disciples did not know it was Jesus.
5 Jesus called to them, “Boys, don’t you have any fish?”
“No!” they answered.
6 He told them, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” So they cast the net out. Then they were not able to haul it in because of the large number of fish.
7 The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard, “It is the Lord!” he tied his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about one hundred yards. 9 When they stepped out on land, they saw some bread and a charcoal fire with fish on it. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.”
11 So Simon Peter climbed aboard and hauled the net to land, full of large fish, 153 of them. Yet even with so many, the net was not torn.
12 Jesus said to them, “Come, eat breakfast.”
None of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord.
13 Jesus came, took the bread, and gave it to them, and also the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.
The Nicene Creed
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, + Maker of heaven and earth, + and of all things visible and invisible. + And in one Lord Jesus Christ, + the only-begotten Son of God, + begotten of His Father before all worlds, + God of God, + Light of Light. + Very God of Very God. + Begotten, not made. + Being of one substance with the Father, + By whom all things were made; + Who for us men and for our salvation, + came down from heaven + And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary + And was made man; + And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. + He suffered and was buried; + And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures; + And ascended into heaven, + And sitteth on the right hand of the Father; + And he shall come again with glory, + to judge both the quick and the dead; + Whose Kingdom shall have no end. + And I believe in the Holy Ghost, + The Lord and Giver of Life, + Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, + Who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, + Who spake by the Prophets. + And I believe one holy Christian and Apostolic Church. + I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, + And I look for the resurrection of the dead, + And the life of the world to come. + Amen.
After which the Congregation will be seated for
The Children’s Lesson John 11:17-27
17 When Jesus arrived, He found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.
18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. 19 Many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him, while Mary was sitting in the house.
21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha replied, “I know that he will rise in the resurrection on the Last Day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even if he dies. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me will never perish. Do you believe this?”
27 “Yes, Lord,” she told Him. “I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, Who was to come into the world.”
Is It Wrong To Be Sad When Someone We Love Dies?
The Hymn of the Day “These Things Did Thomas Count”
used with permission, CCLI song # 230886, by Thomas H. Troeger
CCLI license number 133666699; to the tune St. Crispin (CW 376)
These things did Thomas count as real:
The warmth of blood, the chill of steel,
The grain of wood, the heft of stone,
The last frail twitch of flesh and bone.
The vision of his skeptic mind
Was keen enough to make him blind
To any unexpected act
Too large for his small world of fact.
His reasoned certainties denied
That one could live when one had died,
Until his fingers read like braille
The markings of the spear and nail.
May we, O God, by grace believe
And thus the risen Christ receive,
Whose raw, imprinted palms reached out
And beckoned Thomas from his doubt. Amen.
after which the Congregation will rise for
The Pre-Sermon Salutation
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ! And grace and peace to you from Him Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come. Amen.
The Sermon Text John 20:19-31
19 On the evening of that first day of the week, the disciples were together behind locked doors because of their fear of the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you!” 20 After He said this, he showed them His hands and side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you! Just as the Father has sent Me, I am also sending you.” 22 After saying this, He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 Whenever you forgive people’s sins, they are forgiven. Whenever you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
24 But Thomas, one of the Twelve, the one called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples kept telling him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in His hands, and put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will never believe.”
26 After eight days, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace be with you,” He said. 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at My hands. Take your hand and put it into My side. Do not continue to doubt, but believe.”
28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
30 Jesus, in the presence of His disciples, did many other miraculous signs that are not written in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.
Easter Changes Everything
after the Sermon, the Congregation will REMAIN SEATED for
The Post-Sermon Blessing
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God our Father, Who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, now encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. Amen.
We Bring God Our Offerings
We Offer Our Gifts to the Lord
We offer you the following suggestions for providing God with Your thank-offerings through our ministry:
1) Those in the chapel can place their offerings in the offering plates
2) You can send a check (no cash) in the mail to Grace Lutheran Church (415 N. 6th Place, Lowell, AR 72745)
3) Or, go online to our website (www.gracelutherannwa.com) and use the giving option there.
after the offerings are brought forward, the Congregation will rise for
Today’s Prayers
Included in our prayers this morning are
A prayer of intercession on behalf of Terry Bruns, who
will undergo back surgery this coming Friday.
P O Lord, in Your mercy You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, made Him an offering for our sin, raised Him from the dead, and made Him Ruler over all things. Let Your saving Word of life be spoken faithfully in every Christian congregation and be carried to all people everywhere on earth. Grant that Your Church in every circumstance might not be faithless but trustworthy, especially when its members are challenged by doubts, hardships, and persecution. And please send ambassadors of Your grace to all who have wandered from the faith, so that they might once more know and love Your Son Who alone is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
C Lord, in Your mercy, please hear our prayer.
P Almighty God, You have always ruled the nations of this earth according to Your will. Give us good government in our towns and cities. Lead our state officials to serve with honesty and good judgment. Enable all who work in our federal government to be faithful servants of their fellow citizens. Curb hatred and violence in our nation and in all those lands where war and rumors of war abound. In Your mercy, empower all people everywhere to live in peace, harmony and safety.
C Lord, in Your mercy, please hear our prayer.
P Gracious Father, watch over and provide help for all children who have lost their parents, for widows and widowers, for those who have no family to care for them, for those who have been abused, for those who are lonely and friendless, for those who have no work, and for those who seek a purpose in life. Lead us to be generous and helpful to all who are in need.
C Lord, in Your mercy, please hear our prayer.
P O Lord, we give You thanks and praise for all Your wonderful acts. Help all of us who are partners in this congregation, and all our guests here today, to grow in our faith and in our service to You. Bless our worship, our Sunday School, our Bible and Confirmation classes, as well as our daily study of Your Word that all of us might increase in our spiritual knowledge and our love for Him Who loved us, washed us from our sins and Who has made us kings and priests – even our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
C Lord, in Your mercy, please hear our prayer.
P Father, Your own Son is the Stone rejected by the builders but Who has now become the very Cornerstone of the world’s – and our – redemption. Give to those of us who will commune later this morning, the peace and joy that comes from receiving His body and blood in His Holy Supper, so that we may be cleansed and forgiven, and receive strength to serve faithfully wherever we live or work.
C Lord, in Your mercy, please hear our prayer.
P As we rejoice with the whole Christian Church, both on earth and in heaven, basking in the glow of Christ’s resurrection glory, we commend to You, O Lord, ourselves and all for which we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. We offer this prayer in His name, and we continue now by praying:
C: 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 for ever and ever. Amen.
We Celebrate the Lord’s Supper
P: The Lord be with you.
C: (Sung) And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: (Sung) We lift them up unto the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God
C: (Sung) It is good and right so to do.
The Words of Institution – Spoken by the Pastor
P: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C: (sung) Amen
The Exhortation Regarding the Lord’s Supper
(Please read the following if you have not spoken with
our Pastor about taking communion. Thank you.)
TO OUR GUESTS AND FRIENDS
We ask that only “Confirmed, Communicant” members of this congregation, or of one of our Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod congregations come forward to receive the Lord’s Supper at this time.
We believe, according to Scripture, that only those who are “one,” that is, in complete doctrinal agreement, united in a common public confession of faith, are to commune together at the same altar (see I Corinthians 10:17 and I Corinthians 1:10).
To be “in communion” means to share and to hold in common. By eating and drinking at our Lord’s Table, we are not only sharing in, with, and under the bread and wine, Jesus’ very body and blood…we are also publicly declaring that we hold in common a specific confession of faith. In other words, as a result of having comprehensively studied the Scriptures together all of our communicants have agreed to accept and proclaim the same Biblical doctrines and practices.
Through membership in a particular church body (for us, that church body is the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod), each person makes a public statement that he/she is in full agreement with the teachings and practices of that body. Because not every church body or Lutheran Synod teaches and practices the same things, we in the WELS want to be honest in our recognition of the doctrinal differences that, here on earth, separate us from other church bodies. Please bear in mind that we are not, in any way, judging the legitimacy of your Christian faith. Still, we ask that if you have not (upon study of the Word with us) declared yourself to be in full doctrinal agreement with us, you would respectfully not join us in the Lord’s Supper this morning.
It is our prayer that our Scripture-based practice of “Close Communion” will encourage anyone among us today who is not presently in full fellowship with us to seriously examine the teachings and practices of his/her church in order to determine if those teachings and practices are really in full agreement with God’s Word.
And if you are guest among us today, we want you to know that it is our earnest desire that you might become familiar with the Biblical doctrines our congregation confesses, in order that you might one day join with us at the Lord’s altar in this public expression of full unity of doctrine and practice. Until then, please know that we are most grateful for your participation as a fellow Christian in this worship service, and that we appreciate your understanding and respect of our Communion practice.
The Distribution of the Elements
The Distribution Hymn “I Stand Here Before You”
Sung to the melody of “How Firm A Foundation” (CW 416)
I stand here before You, O mightiest One
In need of forgiveness for wrongs I have done.
Oh, grant me Your pardon, my spirit now pleads
Forgive my transgressions in thoughts, words, and deeds.
The Tempter keeps taunting me day after day,
I often succumb and submit to his way.
From birth I’ve been evil — my mortal flesh weak,
I do not abide by the words that You speak.
I humbly confess with the deepest of shame
The times I abused Your magnificent Name.
In spite of Your right to demand faithfulness,
My life’s often guided by my selfishness.
I covet, I slander, I look with lust, too.
I fail to give honor where honor is due.
I steal and I gossip…..so far do I fall –
Your perfect commandments: I’ve broken them all.
Right here at Your table forgiveness is found
In Christ’s holy blood that flowed down to the ground,
His body and blood in the bread and the wine
A marvel of love that is truly divine!
That blood of Your Chosen was shed to erase
The sins of the world. How I cherish that grace!
Dear God I am thankful to be such a one,
Washed clean by the blood of my Savior, Your Son.
Following the distribution, at the Pastor’s invitation the Congregation will rise as
We Leave With The Lord’s Blessing
The Closing Prayer
The Benediction
The LORD bless you and keep you.
The LORD make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
The LORD look with favor upon you, and give you His peace. Amen.
The Closing Hymn Hymn 330 “Now the Hour of Worship Oe’r”
1 Now, the hour of worship o’er,
Teaching, hearing, praying, singing,
Let us gladly God adore,
For his Word our praises bringing;
For the rich repast he gave us
Praise the Lord, who deigned to save us.
2 Now the blessing cheers our heart,
By his grace to us extended.
Let us joyfully depart;
Be our souls to God commended.
May his Spirit ever guide us
And with all good gifts provide us.
3 Bless our going out we pray
Bless our entrance in like measure
Bless our bread, O Lord, each day
Bless our toil, our rest, our pleasure.
Bless us when we reach death’s portal.
Bless us, then, with life immortal.
Silent Prayer, Announcements, post service music
Biblical Creationism vs Evolution
Part I – Introduction
A. Adam Found!
“Does the earth have the marks of a history it never experienced?” Yes, but….
B. Scripture teaches a literal six-day, normal 24-hour creation via the powerful word of the Almighty God. The Lord created with the appearance of age; an adult world, but a young world after all; Genesis 1:3 ff; Exodus 20:11; Colossians 1:16
C. As we contemplate the “mysteries” and “perplexities” of the Laws of Nature (true science vs “scientism”), we will want to remember Romans 9:20-21
Part II – Some Definitions
A. Creationism – The personal belief, revealed in the Bible, and confessed in the three Ecumenical Creeds (Apostles’, Nicene, Athanasian) that God perfectly created the heavens and the earth and everything that is in them, “out of nothing,” by the power of His Word, in six, normal, twenty-four hour days. This belief is built on two assumptions: 1) that God exists; and 2) That the Bible is true in all it says.
B. Atheistic Evolution – Categorically rejects the premise of a Creator as defined and described in Genesis and the rest of Scripture. Atheistic Evolution maintains that everything which exists came into existence by random chance, and that that which exists continues to improve or evolve upward. This belief system (really, a religion) is also built on two assumptions: 1) that things are as they are because they have evolved/developed through a long process (billions of years ?); and 2) uniformitarianism: that rates of change which are observable today and which can be calculated, have always been the same in the past.
C. Theistic Evolution – A feeble attempt to create a bridge of religious-scientific compromise between Biblical Creationism and Atheistic Evolution. The fallacious theory that God “began” the creation, but is using the process of evolution to complete the creation. Theistic Evolution either totally twists, distorts, or ignores clear Biblical statements, or it misrepresents evolutionism. It takes neither seriously, and in itself should not be taken seriously by anyone.
Part III – Creationism vs Evolution, compared
EVOLUTION CREATIONISM
THE PREMISE a continuous process beginning a once and for all event;
with the simple and progressing made perfect by God from the start
to the more complicated
TIME dependant upon long periods occurred in six, normal, 24 hour days
(billions of years) of time from then to the present: @ 6000 years
METHOD by accident / chance by God’s will, effected through the power of His Word
MANKIND developed from lower life a unique creation of God;
forms / just another animal distinct from animals
no soul possessing an immortal soul
SIN merely cultural inhibitions any violation of God’s immutable,
holy will
REDEMPTION man needs no redeemer; he has a gift of God to all, without which we
nothing from which to be would all be lost eternally in hell; redeemed; Jesus was merely it comes to us through the merits of
a martyr of Jesus Christ, God the Son
MAN’S PURPOSE to serve himself; to serve God
survival of the fittest
Part IV – Evolution’s Challenge to the Christian
A. Two Quotes…………
“Today biological scientists may quibble over the details of evolution, but they all agree that evolution is fact.” (National Geographic Video: Mysteries of Mankind. 1988)
“At this point, if the matter comes up you should point out that the Biblical creation accounts can be harmonized with an evolutionary theory of the origin of the human species. It is possible to take the position of theistic evolution, which holds that the Bible tells Who created, and the evolutionary explanation attempts to clarify the matter of how things came into being.” (James Limbury, “Search Weekly Bible Studies: Unit 3/Genesis 1-17, Leader’s Guide, page 34 (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1983)…….an ELCA publication!
B. Evolution eliminates the need for God and any accountability to Him. On the basis of this statement, why could it be that many people today are flocking to embrace this false theory?
C. What are….please name/identify some of the areas/situations in your life in which you’ve encountered the theory of evolution face to face?
D. We’re not going to convert evolutionists on the basis of “true science” and the corresponding physical evidence. Only the Gospel of Jesus Christ converts. See I Peter 3:15; Romans 10:17; and Acts 4:12.
E. “True Science”: Observation; Hypothesis; Theory; Law
F. What connection can be drawn between society’s widely-accepted belief in evolution and the corresponding anti-Scriptural positions of our culture on such issues as business ethics, human sexuality, and various life concerns?
G. Ephesians 6:4 and Proverbs 22:6
Evolution: The Incredible Theory
Part I -The Question of Origin
A. Where do we come from?
B. Two competing, and mutually exclusive philosophies:
1. Evolution, which says that men and women are simply the product of accidental spontaneous generation; and
2. Genesis 1:1, which says “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
C. How you answer the question will ultimately determine everything else about your life, such as:
1. The value you place on your life and that of other humans;
2. The basis for your morality;
3. The meaning and purpose of your life; and
4. Your ultimate, eternal destiny.
Part II – The Flawed Premise of Evolution
A. A hopelessly illogical equation: Nothing plus aeons of chance equals everything!
B. A nineteenth century philosophy destroyed by twentieth century “true” science.
C. Biogenesis versus Spontaneous Generation (the idea that 3.5 billion years ago an inorganic “soup” of ammonia, nitrogen, salts, and carbon dioxide spontaneously generated the first amino acid, from which the first single celled creature, and eventually humankind evolved) was categorically disproved already by Louis Pasteur in 1860! Regarding Spontaneous Generation, Dr. George Wald, Professor Emeritus of Biology at Harvard University wrote recently in Life: Origin and Evolution: “One has only to contemplate the magnitude of this task to concede that the spontaneous generation of a living organism is impossible.” Biogenesis is a basic axiom of biology. It affirms that life arises only from life. Biogenesis, all by itself, discredits evolution.
D. Biochemical Reproduction: The ability of every cell (no matter how simple) has what amounts to a “metabolic motor” through which it extracts energy from its environment in order to find the energy for reproduction. The existence of that “metabolic motor” — for example, in human beings it is DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) the genetic code which determines our hereditary characteristics — is absolutely essential for life, but DNA can only be produced from a living organism.
Some of you may recall that a few years ago Time magazine published an article few years ago about a a worldwide DNA study done among women, the result of which showed that every woman’s DNA could be traced back to one single woman, which they appropriately titled, “Mother Eve.” Hmmmm.
E. The Laws of Probability state that random, impersonal chance does not produce complexity and organization (remember, evolution is dependant on the notion that life is progressively becoming more complex and organized!), but only greater chaos.
F. The Second Law of Thermodynamics – Again, evolution presupposed that life began in a most primitive state and has, with time and random chance, become more complex. However, the Second Law of Thermodynamics, a fundamental tenet of physics, teaches that consistently — without fail! — the opposite actually occurs; that everything loses energy and degrades and degenerates over time. It says that everything in the universe is progressively moving from a state of order and complexity toward chaos and disorganization. (This is also known as the law of entropy). Just look at any junkyard, or at what happens to your living room once you put away the vacuum cleaner and dust cloth. Things do not become more “ordered,” but more disorderly; the more time elapses, the greater the chaos!
G. The Fossil Record – Darwin believed that for evolution to be valid, adequate proofs for it would have to be found in the fossil record. He felt that the geological strata would reveal a gradual progression upward (an evolution) of species toward greater and greater complexity. However a continuing source of professional embarrassment to paleontologists in the century since Darwin first publicly articulated his fantasies, is their manifest inability to find within the fossil record the remains of any “transitional” species, the so-called “missing links.” Over and over, all paleontologists can find are fully formed species with no transitional intermediates/missing links.
H Evolution’s dependance on Circular Reasoning – which is not logical. Evolutionists depend on something known as the Geological Column, which says there have been 12 millions-of-years-long “earth ages” (supposedly each of these 12 periods was long enough to allow for random chance to evolve lower forms into higher life forms) to legitimize their theory that the universe is billions of old. The dating of the earth’s various strata (layers) is then based on what are called specific “index fossils.” From these “index fossils,” evolutionists arbitrarily assign great age to other rocks and fossils. How? You’d be surprised. Interestingly enough, paleontologists (the people who study fossils) simply determine the age of their fossils from the age of the rocks with contain them, while geologists (who study rocks) determine the age of their rocks from the age of the fossils within them. That’s circular reasoning, and it is untenable. But if a person persists in using it, reality notwithstanding, you can date/prove anything you want, exactly the way you want it. That’s precisely what evolutionists attempt to do. And, by the way, this “geological column” (upon which all evolutionary dating is based) has never been found anywhere in the world!
I. Uniformitarianism – The idea that everything continues on at the same constant rate of change, without any deviation in that rate. Both Atheistic and Theistic evolutionists of necessity reject the possibility (much moreso the reality) of the Great Flood (Genesis 7-9). They recognize that the tremendous volume of water on the earth from such a Flood would have generated forces so dramatic that they would have produced instantaneous and unprecedented changes on our ecosystem; the results of which would have a devastating effect on any rule of uniformitarianism.
J. The Age of the Cosmos and the “Big Bang Theory” – Today evolutionists date the universe as being roughly 12-15 billion years old. They’ve arrived at this date based on the distance of particular stars from the earth (specifically a quasar that they say is the most distant thing we can see from the earth) and the time that it takes for light to travel from those distant stars to our planet. But the possibility that a star named Earendel is 24 billion light years away (a light year is roughly 6 trillion miles) is not necessarily in conflict with Genesis 1. The heavens, so Psalm 19:1 reminds us, exist to declare the glory of God. To stretch out his universe so that it is 24 billion light years from earth (if that estimate is true) only confirms how majestic, glorious, and powerful our Creator-God is! (See also Isaiah 40:12,22, & 26.) Let’s not forget that distance in God’s creation does not have to (and does not) equal time. God is not limited either by time or space. In fact, that He chose to create the universe in 6 days should not be a problem for us at all. It’s a wonder the almighty God didn’t create everything in six seconds! So God didn’t need the Big Bang. He created the stars, the galaxies, the solar systems, and planets, and the light they emit (or reflect) instantly, when He simply said, “Let there be….”
The Biblical Doctrine of Creation
Part I -The Source of the Doctrine of Creation
Hebrews 11:3
Romans 10:7
II Timothy 3:16
John 10:35
John 17:17
Part 2 – The Natural Knowledge of the Creator
Romans 1:19-20
Psalm 19:1
Acts 14:17
Acts 17:26-28
Part 3 – The “Moment of Origin:”
Formed Out of Nothing at God’s Command
Genesis 1:1
Hebrews 11:3
Romans 4:20
John 1:3
Jeremiah 4:23
II Corinthians 4:6
Part 4 – An “Orderly” Creation
Genesis 1:21
Genesis 1:12
Genesis 1:14-18
Job 38:31-33
Psalm 104
Acts 14:17
Hosea 2:9,11-12
Jeremiah 8:7
Matthew 16:2,3
Part 5 – God Blessed His Creation
Genesis 1:22
Colossians 1:17
Part 6 – In Six “Normal” 24-hour Days
Genesis 1:31
Genesis 2:2
Exodus 20:9,11
Part 7 – The Trinity’s Involvement
Genesis 1:26
John 5:17
I Corinthians 8:6
Hebrews 1:10
John 1:3
Colossians 1:16
Genesis 1:2
Psalm 33:6
Part 8 – A Perfect World
Genesis 1:28
Romans 8:19-23
Part 9 – Still Guided By God
Romans 8:28
Genesis 50:20
Matthew 10:30
Luke 21:18
Luke 12:6
Genesis 20:6
Part 10 – Creation Affirmed by Christ
Matthew 19:4-6
John 5:39
Part 11 – Man, A Unique Creation
Genesis 2:7
Ephesians 4:24
Colossians 3:10
I Corinthians 15:45,47
Acts 17:26
Romans 5:12
Part 12 – The Purposes of the Creation
Psalm 19:1
Psalm 104:1
Psalm 115:15,16
Psalm 1361-5
Romans 11:36
I Corinthians 10:31