The Fourth Sunday

of Easter

April 21, 2024

9:30 am

Jesus said,

"I am the good shepherd.

I know my own and my own know me."

~ John 10:14

________

Welcome to worship!

• Click the link above at 9:30 am on Sunday or anytime afterwards to go directly to YouTube.
• A link is posted on Immanuel's website, www.immanuelwebster.org or by clicking the link to the website at the bottom of this email.
• Go to www.YouTube.com and search ImmanuelWebster. You will find all of our past worship services there as well.
• A link is will be posted on Immanuel's Facebook page.

- Gathering -

Prelude          Faith - Paul McKleevn

ImmanuBells

Thanksgiving for Baptism

Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God, the fountain of living water, the rock who gave us birth, our light and our salvation.

Amen.

Joined to Christ in the waters of baptism, we are clothed with God’s mercy and forgiveness. Let us give thanks for the gift of baptism.

Water is poured into the font.

We give you thanks, O God, for in the beginning you created us in your image and placed us in a well-watered garden. In the desert, you promised pools of water for the parched, and you gave us water from the rock. When we did not know the way, you sent the Good Shepherd to lead us to still waters. At the cross, you washed us from Jesus’ wounded side, and on this day, you shower us again with the water of life.

We praise you for your salvation through water, for the water in this font, and for all water everywhere – for the Great Lakes, the Genesee River, the creeks and ponds that flow around us. 

Bathe us in your forgiveness, grace, and love. Satisfy all who thirst, and give us the life only you can give.

 To you be given honor and praise through Jesus Christ, our living water, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and forever.

Amen.             

Gathering Hymn 369           Christ the Lord Is Risen Today

During the singing of the hymn, the congregation is sprinkled

with water from the font in remembrance of our baptism.

Greeting

The grace of our risen Savior, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

And also with you.

Hymn of Praise



Prayer of the Day

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

O Lord Christ, good shepherd of the sheep, you seek the lost and guide us into your fold. Feed us, and we shall be satisfied; heal us, and we shall be whole. Make us one with you, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

- Word - 

Anthem The Lord’s My Shepherd - Janet Linker & Jane McFadden

ImmanuBells

Welcome

Children's Message

First Reading Acts 4:5-12

⁵The next day [the] rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, ⁶with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. ⁷When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” ⁸Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, ⁹if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, ¹⁰let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. ¹¹This Jesus is

‘the stone that was rejected by you, the builders;

it has become the cornerstone.’

¹²There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.”

Word of God. Word of life.

     Thanks be to God.

Psalm 23               Sung responsively

¹The Lord ^| is my shepherd;

I shall not ^| be in want.

 ²The Lord makes me lie down ^| in green pastures

and leads me be- ^| side still waters.

³You restore my ^| soul, O Lord,

and guide me along right pathways ^| for your name’s sake.

 ⁴Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall ^| fear no evil;

for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they ^| comfort me. 

 ⁵You prepare a table before me in the presence ^| of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil, and my cup is ^| running over.

 ⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days ^| of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the ^| Lord forever. 



Second Reading 1 John 3:16-24

¹⁶We know love by this, that [Jesus Christ] laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. ¹⁷How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?

¹⁸Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. ¹⁹And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him ²⁰whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. ²¹Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; ²²and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.

²³And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. ²⁴All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.

Word of God. Word of life.

Thanks be to God.



Gospel John 10:11-18

The Holy Gospel according to John.

Glory to you, O Lord.

[Jesus said:] ¹¹“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹²The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. ¹³The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. ¹⁴I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, ¹⁵just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. ¹⁷For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. ¹⁸No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon

Hymn of the Day 764

Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried;

he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come 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.

Prayer of the Church

Each petition ends:

God of grace,

hear our prayer.

Peace

The peace of the risen Christ be with you all.

And also with you.

Anthem Psalm 23 - Marion Vree

                                     Senior Choir

- Meal -

Offertory Hymn In the Singing

Offertory Prayer

Risen One,

you call us to believe and bear fruit. May the gifts that we offer here be signs of your abiding love. Form us to be your witnesses in the world, through Jesus Christ, our true vine. Amen.

Great Thanksgiving 

It is indeed right, our duty, and our joy... join their unending hymn:



Eucharistic Prayer

Lord’s Prayer

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.

Communion

All are invited to share in this meal of grace and love, and may come forward at the direction of the usher, then return by way of the side aisles. The bread is gluten-free. Wine is shared by pouring chalice. Pre-filled cups of grape juice are available. If you would like to receive communion at your seat, please inform the usher.

Hymn 502 The King of Love My Shepherd Is

Post Communion Blessing and Prayer

The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.

Amen.

Shepherding God, you have prepared a table before us and nourished us with your love. Send us forth from this banquet to proclaim your goodness and share the abundant mercy of Jesus, our redeemer and friend.

Amen.

- Sending -

Blessing

Sending Hymn 544 Praise the Lord, Raise Up Rejoicing

Dismissal

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Go in peace. Christ is with you!

Thanks be to God!

Postlude

What's Happening at Immanuel...

Come Ring My Bells!

Are you curious about what the bell ringers are actually doing when they play? Have you ever had the urge to ring a handbell or handchime? Well, here’s your chance!

Join in today following worship, to try your hand at ringing and perhaps even playing a simple song. You’ll learn proper technique to hold and ring a bell and chime, experience the difference between ringing a small and large bell, and learn the secret to reading the music even if you’re not a musician. It’s a fun experience to be part of a group making music (ask any choir member).

Absolutely no musical experience is needed! Many bell ringers were not previously musically engaged. Bring your household, your grandkids, and your friends. Ringing is fun for EVERYONE. Please note that this is not a recruitment event, simply an opportunity for you to experience the bells and chimes for yourself. As a bonus, you’ll get to observe up close and personal how a small group of ringers plays “off the table,” sharing bells and dancing up and down the table. 

Ingathering for April



Throughout the month of April, we will collect items for personal hygiene kits for Person Centered Housing Options. The simple contents in these kits provide people the tools for much-needed self-care, critical germ control, and the chance to restore human dignity in times of fear and uncertainty. Kit items will be collected in the lower lobby--- bring in individual new items or entire kits (or more). You can also make a financial contribution toward the project clearly marking it for "hygiene kits". Items included in each kit are: Band-Aids, alcohol wipes, chap stick, Cleaning wipes, hand warmers, foot warmers, deodorant. Thank you for your support!

Sunset Planting at Welch’s Greenhouse - May 13th



It’s just about spring planting season and once again we will be enjoying gardening and fellowship. Welch’s Greenhouses is offering us a private evening of flowers. We will meet at their nursery, choose our favorite plants, and create our personalized container garden to enjoy all season long. Maybe you’d like to plant multiple containers, you can do that too. Join in the fun Monday May 13, 6:30 pm at Welch’s Greenhouses, 1271 Webster Rd, Webster NY 14580. The cost is $48 per container which includes 12” pot, fertilized soil, and 4 plants (more may be purchased a la carte). Let us know by May 3rd that you will be joining in the fun and tell us how many containers you’d like to plant. Please contact the church office at 585-872 -5180 or office@Immanuelwebster.org.

Volunteer at Camp Joy this summer!

Since its foundation in 1982, Camp Joy – a week-long overnight summer camp for developmentally disabled adults - has thrived as an ENTIRELY volunteer based organization. To maintain our Christ-centered, inspirational, fun-filled experience for the 100 individuals who attend camp every year, we need volunteers like you!

Camp is held at the Rotary Sunshine Campus in Rush, NY, and this year will be June 23rd-28th (Sunday-Friday). Both full- and part-time staff are needed, full room and board are provided for full-time staff, and there is absolutely no monetary requirement for volunteers and no previous experience with this population needed! Part-time volunteers are welcomed to meals while there.

Please consider being a part of this outstanding organization and share the experience of a lifetime to continue to make this camp possible for so many individuals who desire this fulfilling experience. As all volunteers need to have background checks, registration, even if unsure of dates available that week, needs to be done as early as possible. For more information or to register as a volunteer, visit our website: www.campjoyny.org. Past and returning volunteers from Immanuel will be happy to answer any questions that you may have. Just ask Barb Stam, Cheryl Davies, Deb Huehn or Carol Galskoy for more information.

Breakfast and Bibles

Wednesdays at 9 am

What could be better than beginning your day with friends over breakfast? Add in conversation, laughter and fun as we look at the upcoming readings for Sunday's worship, and you've got a fantastic way to begin you Wednesdays. Join us to learn more about the bible, one another, and how God stops at nothing to be with us!

We gather at Panera Bread on Holt Road at 9 every Wednesday.

Now the Feast and Celebration; Celtic Alleluia; Have No Fear, Little Flock; In the Singing; The King of Love My Shepherd Is; Praise the Lord, Rise Up Rejoicing: Reprinted by permission under OneLicense #A-714459.

Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024, Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #23581.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.