Welcome to Immanuel Lutheran Church March 31, 2018 6:00 p.m. Resurrection of Our Lord: Vigil of Easter Gathering P: The Holy Spirit calls us together as the people of God. The service begins in darkness, after nightfall. The lighting of a new fire takes place outside the church building, if possible. All gather in silence. A small unlighted candle may be given to each worshiper. Greeting P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And also with you. P: Sisters and brothers in Christ, on this most holy night when our Savior Jesus Christ passed from death to life, we gather with the church throughout the world in vigil and prayer. This is the passover of Jesus Christ. Through light and the word, through water and oil, bread and wine, we proclaim Christ’s death and resurrection, share Christ’s triumph over sin and death, and await Christ’s coming again in glory. The new fire is lighted. The following prayer may be used. The presiding minister waits until the fire is burning before praying. P: Let us pray. Eternal God, in Jesus Christ you have given the light of life to all the world. Bless this new fire, and increase in us a desire to shine forth with the brightness of Christ’s rising, until we feast at the banquet of eternal light; through the Sun of righteousness, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. P: Christ, yesterday and today, the beginning and the ending. To Christ belongs all time and all the ages; to Christ belongs glory and dominion now and forever. Amen. The presiding minister lights the paschal candle, using a stick or taper from the fire, and sings or says: P: The light of Christ, rising in glory, dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds. The assisting minister lifts the candle so that all may see it. 1 Procession The procession begins, led by the assisting minister bearing the paschal candle. During or after the procession, light from the paschal candle may be passed until the people’s candles are all lighted. As the procession begins, the assisting minister reads: A.M: The light of Christ. C: Thanks be to God. The procession continues, stopping at midpoint. The assisting minister lifts the paschal candle and reads loud: A.M: The light of Christ. C: Thanks be to God. The procession continues. The assisting minister takes the paschal candle to its stand, lifts it high and read louder: A.M: The light of Christ. C: Thanks be to God. The paschal candle is placed in its stand. Easter Proclamation A.M: Rejoice, now, all heavenly powers! Sing, choirs of angels! Exult, all creation around God’s throne! Jesus Christ is risen! Celebrate the divine mysteries with exultation; and for so great a victory, sound the trumpet of salvation. Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendor, radiant in the brightness of your king! Christ has conquered! Glory fills you! Darkness vanishes forever. Rejoice, O holy church! Exult in glory! The risen Savior shines upon you! Let this place resound with joy, echoing the mighty song of all God’s people. P: The Lord be with you. C: And also with you. P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. C: It is right to give our thanks and praise. P: It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that with full devotion of heart and mind and voice we should praise the invisible God, and the only Son, Jesus Christ our Lord; who, by his precious blood, redeemed us from bondage to the ancient sin. For this indeed is the Paschal Feast in which the true Lamb is slain, by whose blood the doorposts of the faithful are made holy. 2 This is the night C: This is the night AM: in which, in ancient times, you delivered our forebears, the children of Israel, and led them, dry-shod, through the sea. This is the night C: This is the night P: in which heaven and earth are joined—things human and things divine. We, therefore, pray to you, O God, that this candle, burning to the honor of your name, will continue to vanquish the darkness of night and be mingled with the lights of heaven. May Christ the Morning Star find it burning, that Morning Star who never sets, that Morning Star who, rising from the grave, faithfully sheds light on the whole human race. And we pray, O God, rule, govern, and preserve with your continual protection your whole church, giving us peace in this time of our paschal rejoicing; through the same Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Prayer of the Day The presiding minister leads the prayer of the day. P: Let us pray. O God, you are the creator of the world, the liberator of your people, and the wisdom of the earth. By the resurrection of your Son free us from our fears, restore us in your image, and ignite us with your light, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen The assembly is seated. Hand-held candles may be extinguished. Hymn “Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us with Your Love” #708, vs. 1 Service of the Word A.M.: Psalm 136:1-9, 23-26 A.M.: Let us read the Psalm responsively. 3 1 Give thanks to the LORD, for the LORD is good, for God’s mercy endures forever. 2Give thanks to the God of gods, for God’s mercy endures forever. 3Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for God’s mercy endures forever; 4who alone does great wonders, for God’s mercy endures forever; 5who by wisdom made the heavens, for God’s mercy endures forever; 6who spread out the earth upon the waters, for God’s mercy endures forever; 7who made the great lights— for God’s mercy endures forever; 8the sun to govern the day, for God’s mercy endures forever; 9the moon and the stars to govern the night, for God’s mercy endures forever; 23who remembered us in our low estate, for God’s mercy endures forever; 24and rescued us from our enemies, for God’s mercy endures forever; 25who gives food to all creatures, for God’s mercy endures forever. 26Give thanks to the God of heaven, for God’s mercy endures forever. A.M: Let us pray Almighty God, you wonderfully created the dignity of human nature and yet more wonderfully restored it. In your mercy, let us share the divine life of the one who came to share our humanity, Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen. Hymn “Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us with Your Love” #708, vs. 3 Reading: Exodus 14:10-31; 15:20-21 10As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked back, and there were the Egyptians 11 advancing on them. In great fear the Israelites cried out to the LORD. They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, bringing us out of Egypt? 12Is this not the very thing we told you in Egypt, ‘Let us alone and let us serve the 4 Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” 13But Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the LORD will accomplish for you today; for the 14 Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.” 15 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. 16But you lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the Israelites may go into the sea on dry ground. 17Then I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and so I will gain glory for myself over Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots, and his chariot 18 drivers. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gained glory for myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his chariot drivers.” 19The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and took its place behind them. 20It came between the army of Egypt and the army of Israel. And so the cloud was there with the darkness, and it lit up the night; one did not come near the other all night. 21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land; and the waters were divided. 22The Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. 23The Egyptians pursued, and went into the sea after them, all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and chariot drivers. 24At the morning watch the LORD in the pillar of fire and cloud looked down upon the Egyptian army, and threw the Egyptian army into panic. 25He clogged their chariot wheels so that they turned with difficulty.