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Bethany Lutheran Church Long Beach, California

(562) 421-4711

3rd SUNDAY OF EASTER + + + APRIL 26, 2020

+ God Gathers Us In His Presence + WELCOME CALL TO WORSHIP:

Leader: On this most holy day of days be laud and jubilee and praise: To God your hearts and voices raise. People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! INVOCATION OPENING PRAYER:

Gracious Father and Lord of Life, You reach out to us amid our fears with the wounded hands of Your Risen Son. You enter into our minds filled with doubts and hearts filled with anxieties, as You breathe out upon us Your Spirit. You come to us who believe, but have not seen, and again You open the eyes of faith to receive the fullness of Christ's blessings, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, + one God, now and forever. Amen.

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OPENING SONG: “Holy, Holy, Holy”

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CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS: Almighty God, Have mercy upon me; Forgive me my sins; Lead me in life to walk with You, Seeing your presence and promises, And at last to lead me to everlasting life.

+ God Gives Us the Gift of His Word + PSALM OF THE DAY: Psalm 116:1-14

I love the LORD because He hears my voice, my pleas for mercy. I will call on Him as long as I live because He turns His ear toward me. The ropes of death became tangled around me. The horrors of the grave took hold of me. I experienced pain and agony. But I kept calling on the name of the LORD: “Please, LORD, rescue me!” The LORD is merciful and righteous. Our God is compassionate. The LORD protects defenseless people. When I was weak, He saved me. Be at peace again, my soul, because the LORD has been good to you.

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You saved me from death. You saved my eyes from tears and my feet from stumbling. I will walk in the LORD’s presence in this world of the living. I kept my faith even when I said, “I am suffering terribly.” I also said when I was panic-stricken, “Everyone is undependable.” How can I repay the LORD for all the good that He has done for me? I will take the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD. I will keep my vows to the LORD in the presence of all His people. – GW ® THE HOLY GOSPEL: Luke 24:13-35

On the same day, two of Jesus’ disciples were going to a village called Emmaus. It was about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking to each other about everything that had happened. While they were talking, Jesus approached them and began walking with them. Although they saw Him, they didn’t recognize Him. He asked them, “What are you discussing?” They stopped and looked very sad. One of them, Cleopas, replied, “Are you the only one in Jerusalem who doesn’t know what has happened recently?” “What happened?” He asked. They said to Him, “We were discussing what happened to Jesus from Nazareth. He was a powerful prophet in what he did and said in the sight of God and all the people. Our chief priests and rulers had Him condemned to death and crucified. We were hoping that He was the one who would free Israel. What’s more, this is now the third day since everything happened. Some of the women from our group startled us. They went to the

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tomb early this morning and didn’t find His body. They told us that they had seen angels who said that He’s alive. Some of our men went to the tomb and found it empty, as the women had said, but they didn’t see Him.” Then Jesus said to them, “How foolish you are! You’re so slow to believe everything the prophets said! Didn’t the Messiah have to suffer these things and enter into His glory?” Then He began with Moses’ Teachings and the Prophets to explain to them what was said about Him throughout the Scriptures. When they came near the village where they were going, Jesus acted as if He were going farther. They urged Him, “Stay with us! It’s getting late, and the day is almost over.” So He went to stay with them. While He was at the table with them, He took bread and blessed it. He broke the bread and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him. But He vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Weren’t we excited when he talked with us on the road and opened up the meaning of the Scriptures for us?” That same hour they went back to Jerusalem. They found the eleven apostles and those who were with them gathered together. They were saying, “The Lord has really come back to life and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two disciples told what had happened on the road and how they had recognized Jesus when He broke the bread. – GW ® CHILDRENS MESSAGE

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SERMON SONG: “There Will Be Rest”

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PRAYER OF THE CHURCH:

After Each Petition: Leader: Lord, in Your mercy… People: Hear our prayer. People: 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. APOSTLE’S CREED: (* catholic means the universal Christian Church) Leader: We join with Christians around the world and confess our faith. Today we use the words of the Apostles Creed… People: 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.

+ We Give Thanks for God’s Word +

OFFERING:

If you so desire, Text Giving is now available. Text GIVE to 562-210-0463. Thank you!

VOLUNTARY

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“This Is My Father's World”

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MESSAGE: “But Jesus Drew Near” Text: Luke 24:15

+ God Sends Us Forth for Lives of Love and Service +

THE BLESSING: Leader: May God who has brought us from death to life fill you with great joy.

Almighty God, Father + Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever.

People: Amen.

+ + + + + + ARE YOU RECEIVING THE BETHANY BULLET?

If you would like to receive the Bethany Bullet please email Aimee Coleman (acoleman@bethanylutheran.org) with your name and email address. The Bethany Bullet is a weekly capsule of worship highlights and big information that your brain may or may not have 'downloaded' from the prior Sunday. The purpose is to bolster you in faith, build you up in the key Biblical themes shared the previous Sunday in worship, to bring to mind the important issues on Bethany's plate and to broaden your awareness of opportunities of service to your Lord, your church, and your community. Tell a friend about the Bethany Bullet! COPYRIGHTS:

Liturgy (or the appropriate portion thereof) from Lutheran Service Book ©2006 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission. License #000012696 “Holy, Holy, Holy” LSB 507 Text: Reginald Heber, 1783-1826; Spanish tr. Juan Bautista Cabrera, 1837-1916. Tune: John B. Dykes, 1823-76. Text and music: Public Domain. “There Will Be Rest” Blake Flattley and Brian T. Murphy “This Is My Father's World” LBW 554 Text: Maltbie D. Babcock, 1858-1901. Tune: Franklin L. Sheppard, 1852-1930, adpt. Text and music: Public Domain.