Bulletin – Sunday, April 12, 2026 – Second Sunday of Easter
Sunday, April 12, 2026
Second Sunday of Easter
We Gather as People of Faith
Welcome
Lighting the Christ Candle
Announcements
Call to Worship
One: We gather today to walk with Christ,
All: May we know God’s love and grace.
One: We gather to open ourselves to hear God’s word,
All: May we know God’s love and grace.
One: We gather to open ourselves to God’s blessing on our lives and on our hurting world.
All: May we know God’s love and grace.
Please join in the singing of the hymn – “Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Give Thanks” (Voices United #179)
Hallelujah, hallelujah. Give thanks to the risen Christ.
Hallelujah, hallelujah. Give praise to God’s name.
Jesus is Lord of all the earth,
Firstborn of all creation.
Hallelujah, hallelujah. Give thanks to the risen Christ.
Hallelujah, hallelujah. Give praise to God’s name.
Spread the good news o’er all the earth:
Jesus has died and is risen.
Hallelujah, hallelujah. Give thanks to the risen Christ.
Hallelujah, hallelujah. Give praise to God’s name.
We have been crucified with Christ,
Now we shall live forever.
Hallelujah, hallelujah. Give thanks to the risen Christ.
Hallelujah, hallelujah. Give praise to God’s name.
Come let us praise the living God,
Joyfully sing to our Saviour.
Hallelujah, hallelujah. Give thanks to the risen Christ.
Hallelujah, hallelujah. Give praise to God’s name.
Prayer of Approach and Confession
Holy God, we come before you in prayer. We open ourselves to your grace and your mercy. Be with us, we pray. We know that we have failed to see you in others. We have failed to see your love in ourselves. Forgive us for turning away. Forgive us for running away. Invite us, once again, to live your love and grace, for we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Words of Assurance
Sung Response – “Alleluia” (More Voices #50)
Alleluia, alleluia,
Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia,
Alleluia, alleluia!
A Story for All “A Little Bit More about The Saint. John’s Bible”
Invitation to the Passing of the Peace
Please offer one another the peace of Christ in a way that you feel comfortable and respects others’ space.
We Hear God’s Word
Scripture Readings
The Scripture reading is from the Gospel of Luke 24:13-49
Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see him.” Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.
As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem, and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
May God speak to us through these readings of scripture.
Thanks be to God!
Please join in the singing of the hymn – “Stay With Us” (Voices United #182)
Stay with us through the night.
Stay with us through the pain.
Say with us, blessed stranger
Till the morning breaks again.
Stay with us through the night.
Stay with us through the grief.
Stay with us, blessed stranger
Till the morning brings relief.
Stay with us through the night.
Stay with us through the dread.
Stay with us, blessed stranger
Till the morning breaks new bread.
Sermon – “Walking Together”
Anthem – “Speak, O Lord”
Speak, O Lord, as we come to You,
To receive the food of Your holy Word.
Take Your Truth, plant it deep in us;
Shape and fashion us in Your likeness;
That the light of Christ might be seen today
In our acts of love and our deeds of faith.
Speak, O Lord, and fulfill in us all Your purposes for Your glory.
Teach us, Lord, full obedience, holy reverence, true humility.
Test our thoughts and our attitudes in the radiance of Your purity.
Cause our faith to rise, cause our eyes to see
Your majestic love and authority.
Words of power that can never fail;
Let their truth prevail over unbelief.
Speak, O Lord, and renew our minds,
Help us grasp the heights of Your plans for us.
Truths unchanged from the dawn of time,
That will echo down through eternity;
And by grace we’ll stand on Your promises;
And by faith we’ll walk as You walk with us.
Speak, O Lord, ’til Your church is built,
And the earth is filled with Your glory.
Speak, O Lord, ’til the earth is filled with your glory.
We Respond to God’s Word
Invitation to Share
Offering Sung Response – “He is Lord”
He is Lord! He is Lord!
He is risen from the dead and He is Lord!
Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess
That Jesus Christ is Lord!
Offering Prayer
Prayers of the People
The Prayer that Jesus Taught
One: Please join me in praying the prayer Jesus taught us to pray:
All: Our Creator who is like…Our Mother and 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 the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
We Go Into God’s World
Please join in the singing of the hymn – “Emmaus Bound of Easter Day”
Emmaus-bound on Easter Day,
Two travelers walked along the way.
They’d once had hope, but hope had died
When you, O Lord, were crucified.
When you appeared beside the two,
They could not see that it was you;
But as they talked and shared their pain,
You gave them hope and joy again.
For as you spoke to them God’s word,
Explaining all they’d seen and heard,
They understood what God had done
And that a new day had begun.
They shared their home; you broke the bread.
They saw you, risen from the dead!
That moment’s grace helped them to see
The gift of God’s eternity.
In scripture and at table, too,
O Risen Lord, may we know you.
And may your presence give us grace
To share God’s love in every place.
Commissioning
You walk with Christ into the world, May you walk in love and grace, Go and make a difference.
Benediction
Go in the name of God who creates you, In the name of Christ who redeems you, And in the name of the Holy Spirit who sustains you now and always. Amen.
Sung Response – “Amen! Amen! Hallelujah, Amen” (Voices United #974)
Amen! Amen! Hallelujah, amen!
Amen! Amen! Hallelujah, amen!
