St Ansgar Lutheran Church, London

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Sunday Morning

We invite you to join us for the following worship services:

Sundays
10:30 a.m. Worship service

Hand sanitizer will be available at the entrance and other locations in the church for
your use.

Washrooms will be available for use.

In the service: The service will be shown on the screen. The offering will not be gathered and presented, but there will be an offering plate at the back of the sanctuary where you can put your offering as you enter or leave. Pastor David distributes the communion wafers and an Assisting Minister distributes wine or grape juice in individual glasses.

We have coffee and fellowship time available again in Luther Hall after the service.

We will continue to evaluate our worship service procedures on a monthly basis.

EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 5, 2026

St. Ansgar Lutheran Church, Outline for Worship (with sermon)
April 5, 2026 – Easter Sunday
Based on ELW Setting Four

GATHERING

WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS

BRIEF ORDER FOR CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
P: In the name of the Father, and of the ☩ Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.

P: God of all mercy and consolation, come to the help of your people, turning us
from our sin to live for you alone. Give us the power of your Holy Spirit that we
may confess our sin, receive your forgiveness, and grow into the fullness of
Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.
C: Amen.

P: Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and one another.

Silence is kept for reflection.

P: Most merciful God,
C: we confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. We
have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have
done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our
whole heart; we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. For the sake
of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and
lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the
glory of your holy name.
Amen.

P: In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his
sake God forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the
church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire
forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the ☩ Son, and of
the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.

ENTRANCE HYMN - Jesus Christ Is Risen Today (ELW #365)

GREETING
P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion
of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C: And also with you

KYRIE
A: In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.

A: For the peace from above, and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.

A: For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God,
and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.

A: For this holy house, and for all who offer here their worship and praise,
let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.

A: Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
C: Amen.

HYMN OF PRAISE (ELW p. 149)
P: This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia.
C: Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain,
whose blood set us free to be people of God.
Power and riches and wisdom and strength,
and honour and blessing and glory are his.
This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia.
Sing with all the people of God
and join in the hymn of all creation:
Blessing and honour and glory and might
be to God and the Lamb forever. Amen.
This is the feast of victory for our God,
for the Lamb who was slain has begun his reign.
Alleluia. Alleluia.

PRAYER OF THE DAY
P: Let us pray.
P: O God, you gave your only Son to suffer death on the cross for our
redemption, and by his glorious resurrection you delivered us from the power of
death. Make us die every day to sin, that we may live with him forever in the joy
of the resurrection, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen

WORD

FIRST READING: Acts 10:34-43
34 Then Peter began to speak to them: "I truly understand that God shows no
partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right
is acceptable to him. 36 You know the message he sent to the people of Israel,
preaching peace by Jesus Christ--he is Lord of all. 37 That message spread
throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced:
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power;
how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil,
for God was with him. 39 We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and
in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; 40 but God
raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, 41 not to all the people
but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with
him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people
and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the
dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him
receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

A: The word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.

PSALM: 118: 1-2, 14-24
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for the Lord is good;
God’s mercy endures forever.
2 Let Israel now declare,
“God’s mercy endures forever.”
14 The Lord is my strength and my song,
and has become my salvation.
15 Shouts of rejoicing and salvation echo in the tents of the righteous:
“The right hand of the Lord acts valiantly!
16 The right hand of the Lord is exalted!
The right hand of the Lord acts valiantly!”
17 I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the Lord.
18 The Lord indeed punished me sorely,
but did not hand me over to death.
19 Open for me the gates of righteousness;
I will enter them and give thanks to the Lord.
20 “This is the gate of the Lord;
here the righteous may enter.”
21 I give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and you have become my salvation.
22 The stone that the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
23 By the Lord has this been done;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

SECOND READING: Colossians 3:1-4
1 So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where
Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are
above, not on things that are on earth, 3 for you have died, and your life is hidden
with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will
be revealed with him in glory.

A: The word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
C: Alleluia. Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
P: The Holy Gospel according to Matthew 28:1-10
C: Glory to you, O Lord.

Matthew 28:1-10
1 After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene
and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And suddenly there was a great
earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled
back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his
clothing white as snow. 4 For fear of him the guards shook and became like
dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you
are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for he has been
raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell
his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead
of you to Galilee; there you will see him.' This is my message for you." 8 So they
left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9
Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took
hold of his feet, and worshipped him.10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be
afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

P: The Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to you, O Christ.

SERMON
Matthew 28:1-10
Let us pray: May the words of my mouth, and the prayers of our hearts, always
be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, our Strength, and our Redeemer. AMEN
“Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is
not here; for he has been raised, as he said.” That is what this day, this Easter
Sunday, is all about. The angel’s message to Mary Magdalene and the other
Mary that first Easter morning is God’s message to us this day: Do not be afraid,
for Jesus has been raised from the dead.
Easter means that Jesus is alive, and this means that we do not have to be
afraid. Easter makes it possible for us to live our lives unafraid. Not by erasing
our fears. But by transforming them. I want to share just how Easter does this.
But to do that, I must back up and invite you to put yourselves in the shoes of
those two women who bravely went to Jesus’ tomb as the day was dawning that
first Easter morning.
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary had every reason to be afraid that morning.
A man they admired and loved, and whom they had hoped was their long-
awaited Messiah, was dead. And he died in the most cruel and awful way
imaginable. Jesus was crucified. What did his death mean for them? What
would come next for them? Would the Roman authorities begin executing them,
and all his followers? The apostles were so afraid that they locked themselves in
an upper room. But not these women. They approached the tomb that first
Easter morning, no doubt with fear, but also with courage.
Now, continue to place yourselves in their shoes and imagine what it would
have been like when they arrived at the tomb, only to find themselves in the
midst of a great earthquake, an angel of the Lord descending from heaven, the
angel’s appearance like lightning, and the guards shaking and becoming like
dead men. No wonder the angel began by telling the women not to be afraid.
But do we really think that their fears were suddenly erased, or that their fears
were transformed? No longer afraid of the guards or the Roman authorities, but
now afraid of God’s awesome power, the women were now filled with a holy
fear, the fear of the Lord.
Now, stay with the women a moment longer, and join them as they leave the
tomb with instructions from the angel. They left quickly, we are told, “with fear
and great joy.” Their fears, in other words, were not erased. But they were
transformed. Now, their fear contains great joy. It has become a fearful joy.
And that is what God wants for us today: a fearful joy, or a joyful fear. A
transformed fear, now filled with great joy. Not a Good Friday fear, but an Easter
fear. Not a crucifixion fear, but a resurrection fear. Not a fear rooted in despair,
but a fear rooted in faith. A fear, in other words, that has passed through the
very worst that life can offer us, and so now it is a fear mixed with joy that
nothing in life can take away from us.
The resurrection of our Lord fills us with both a holy fear and a heavenly joy
based on the original Easter fear. That is a true gift of Easter which makes it
possible for us to live life unafraid. This Easter gift of joyful fear rolls away the
stone from whatever tomb we find ourselves in. Whatever our tomb might be,
whatever it is that is keeping us from living the life for which God created us, and
to which God calls us, the fearful joy of Easter can roll away that stone and offer
us a brand-new life. A life where our fears are transformed, and where our joy is
complete.
But how does Easter do that you ask? An empty tomb cannot do that. But the
risen Lord can. When the women left the tomb that first Easter morning, they
were met by Jesus himself. And Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go tell my
brothers and sisters to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
We are beginning to get an answer to how Easter transforms our fear. The
answer is found in Galilee. We might wonder, why Galilee? Why did Jesus tell
them to go there? Why not stay in Jerusalem, where they were? Why not the
temple or the room where the apostles were hiding? Why Galilee, almost 96
kilometers away, so far removed from the miracle of Easter?
The answer is quite simple: Galilee was their home. Jesus is telling them to go
home. Jesus was telling them to go back to their families; back to their jobs,
back to their daily lives, and there they are promised to see the risen Lord. The
fearful joy of Easter, in other words, is not found escaping our lives. It is found
by experiencing Jesus’ presence in the midst of our lives.
Easter means not just that Christ is risen, but that Jesus is with us, now and
always, wherever we find ourselves. Easter means that we can expect to be met
by Jesus in places where we least expect to find him. For Mary Magdalene and
the other Mary, that place was his tomb. But where is it for us? Where do we
least expect to find Jesus? It might be in a hospital room or a funeral home. It
might be at work, or during a walk on the beach or a walk in the woods. It might
even be in our home.
I would like to give that place where we encounter Jesus a name. I would like to
name it “Galilee.” The place where our fear and our dread threaten to overtake
our hope and our faith. Galilee, the place where we least expect to be met by
our risen Lord.
Go there with me for a moment. Go to that place where your fear and your
dread are the greatest. Go in your minds to your Galilee. And then listen again
to the words that the angel spoke to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary at the
tomb on that first Easter morning: “Do not be afraid. I know you are looking for
Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said ...
and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.”
In Galilee, in the very place where you might least expect to find Jesus, there
you will see him. In that very place where your fear and your dread threaten to
overtake your hope and your faith, there you will see Jesus. That is the angel’s
promise today. That is our risen Lord’s promise to all of us.
Easter, in other words, is about much more than an empty tomb. It is about our
risen Lord, who promises to be with us. Easter is about Jesus coming to us in
the midst of our fear and our dread and our despair, to give us renewed courage
and hope and joy.
Jesus is with us. So, what do we need to fear? The greatest of all fears for most
people is the fear of death, and our Saviour has conquered that for us. So, what
do we need to fear? Being alone? Jesus promises that we are never alone. He
is with us always. So, what do we need to fear? A health concern? A situation at
work or at school? Do not be afraid. Christ is risen. We will find him wherever we
are. There we will see him, just as he promised. There is no place we can go
where Jesus has not already gone. Jesus has literally gone to Hell and back for
us. He is with us now. So, what do we need to fear?
Jesus is alive, and he is there in our Galilee bringing new life out of death, new
faith out of fear, new hope out of despair, and new light out of darkness. And
because Jesus is there, we do not have to be afraid. Our worldly fear is
transformed into heavenly joy, the joy of the Lord.
This morning we celebrate much more than an empty tomb. In fact, we
celebrate even more than the resurrection of our Lord. We celebrate and give
thanks for Jesus’ living presence among us, and his promise to be with us
always. Wherever our journey takes us, our risen Lord goes with us, just as he
promised on that first Easter morning: “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers
and sisters to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
For Jesus Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia! AMEN

HYMN OF THE DAY – Christ Is Alive! Let Christians Sing (ELW #389)

NICENE CREED
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,
maker 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,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary
and became truly human.
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 worshipped 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
A: 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: God of our church, send forth your Spirit as we pray for our Bishops Larry and
Carla. Empower them with your wisdom to lead the church. We also pray for the
Thames Ministry area, especially Pastor Chris Krejlgaard and the people of
Trinity Lutheran Church, Windsor. Merciful God,
C: receive our prayer.

A: Risen Saviour, you have conquered death and opened the gates of
everlasting life. Dispel our doubts and fears and renew our faith and hope in
you. Merciful God,
C: receive our prayer.

A: Life-giving God, the created world rejoices in Christ’s victory over death.
May all the earth be renewed by the light of Jesus’ resurrection, and may we
be faithful stewards of all you have made. Merciful God,
C: receive our prayer.
A: Sovereign God, let the nations acknowledge your reign of justice and truth.
Where violence, oppression, and corruption hold sway, pour out your holy and
life-giving Spirit to transform and redeem. Merciful God,
C: receive our prayer.

A: Gentle Shepherd, like the women at the empty tomb, many grieve or feel lost
and afraid. Draw near to those who are ill or in pain, especially Beth, Jean, Mary
Margaret, Kristine, Karen, Emma, Cathy, Lene, Grethe, Lyra, Bud, Pastor Bob,
Heather, Margaret, Jo-Anne, and those others who are in our hearts. Reveal
yourself to them as the Risen One. Merciful God,
C: receive our prayer.

A: Faithful God, we thank you for the living hope you give us through Christ’s
resurrection. Bless this community, that we may boldly proclaim Christ’s victory
over death in word and deed. Merciful God,
C: receive our prayer.

A: Merciful God, we pray for peace as war continues to rage in Ukraine and in
the Middle East. Shelter all living in fear; protect those seeking refuge in
neighbouring countries; sustain families separated by the horrors of war;
tend to those who are injured; comfort all who mourn their dead.
Direct your people into the way of peace. Merciful God,
C: receive our prayer.

A: Eternal One, we give thanks for all who have died and now share in the joy of
your resurrection. Bring us, with them, to the unending feast of your victory.
Merciful God,
C: receive our prayer.

A: God of resurrection power, use us and these prayers to to proclaim the good
news of new life to all the world, through Jesus Christ, our risen Saviour.
C: Amen.

PEACE
P: The peace of Christ be with you always.
C: And also with you.

LORD’S PRAYER
P: Lord, remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray.
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,
forever and ever. Amen.

SENDING

BLESSING
P: God Almighty, who is the beginning and the end, Jesus Christ, the firstborn of
the dead, and the Spirit, our advocate and peace, + bless you now and forever.
C: Amen.

SENDING HYMN – Thine Is the Glory (ELW #376)

DISMISSAL
A: Go in peace. Praise the Lord. Alleluia!
C: Thanks be to God. Alleluia!

DISMISSAL HYMN – The Lord Now Sends Us Forth (ELW #538)
Verse 1
The Lord now sends us forth
with hands to serve and give,
to make of all the earth
a better place to live. Repeat (2X)

Verse 2
The angels are not sent
into our world of pain
to do what we were meant
to do in Jesus' name;
that falls to you and me
and all who are made free.
Help us, O Lord, we pray,
to do your will today. Repeat (2X)