Easter Sunday Service Program, 2008

MARCH 23, 2008

Opening Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

We gather here today at this beautiful place, your humble children, family and friends, to Give Thanks, Sing Praise, and Celebrate that JESUS LIVES!!

Through this Easter Service we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection with joyous hearts,
because its symbolism strengthens our Faith in God, and gives us Hope everyday.

We pray that the grace and goodness of Jesus Christ lives in our hearts always,
bringing Faith, Hope, and Love.

We ask that You bless our Church,
and bless us with greater knowledge, courage, strength, and wisdom
to live our lives as Jesus taught us..

Thank you God for all the wonderful things in Life! Especially we are thankful to be present now, to celebrate and sing Your praise.

Amen!

Daniel P. Arakelian

Greeting:

Grace to you and peace, in the name of our LORD Jesus Christ

Hymn:

Because He Lives

New Testament 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

Psalms: 118

1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever!

2 Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”

3 Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”

4 Let those who fear the Lord say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”

5 Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place.

6 With the Lord on my side I do not fear. What can mortals do to me?

7 The Lord is on my side to help me; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in mortals.

9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.

10 All nations surrounded me; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!

11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!

12 They surrounded me like bees; they blazed like a fire of thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!

13 I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me.

14 The Lord is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.

15 There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the Lord does valiantly;

16 the right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.”

17 I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord.

18 The Lord has punished me severely, but he did not give me over to death.

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.

20 This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it.

21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.

22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.

23 This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.

24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

25 Save us, we beseech you, O Lord! O Lord, we beseech you, give us success!

26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord.

27 The Lord is God, and he has given us light. Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar.

28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, I will extol you.

29 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love

The Apostles Creed:

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting.

AMEN.

Gospel Reading:

John 20:1-18

20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.

2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”

3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb.

4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.

5 He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in.

6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there,

7 and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself.

8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;

9 for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

10 Then the disciples returned to their homes.

11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb;

12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet.

13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”

14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.

15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher).

17 Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Sermon:

Because HE Lives!!

Today is a day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad!

Thank you for all your great support! I pray that you are enjoying the hanami season and having a fun spring.

As spring flowers and cherry blossoms begin to bloom I am often reminded that Easter is drawing near. The nice smell of flowers, the vibrant colors of trees and grass, birds singing, and the contagious energy in the air reminds me that life is exciting and wonderful, and that God is always working his glorious magic.

For Christians, Easter is the most important holiday because it celebrates that Jesus, the Son of God, rose from the dead to save us from sin. He is OUR Saviour! Jesus LIVES!

This is Christianity’s fundamental belief. And for persons who understand Jesus and his teachings and the teachings of the Gospel, Easter can be a powerful symbol to help us improve our lives.

When we were children we were told of this miracle and we celebrated at church with special songs and prayers and at home with family and ceremonial food and games.

But like many religious holidays, the meaning of Easter is often lost among the celebration. Children are sometimes more concerned about the Easter bunny and how much candy they will get, and often adults find Easter to be a very difficult holiday to rationalize, understand, and accept.

However, rather than getting caught up in debates, and overly complicated analysis of scripture I suggest that we go back to a basic understanding of Jesus and the goodness that he exemplified. I sincerely believe it is necessary to more deeply learn about Jesus through reading and studying the Holy Bible to understand his message of LOVE.

Through this learning we can understand His teachings and message more clearly, and through this understanding and application we may better ourselves and enrich our lives abundantly. Through this basic learning and understanding of Jesus’ teachings and message we may also come to a greater understanding of the meaning of Easter.

By understanding Easter and believing in Easter we can positively fill our lives with hope and happiness. How is this? Because Jesus’ resurrection gives us HOPE. He is not dead. Although he most certainly should have been dead, He Lives! And just as he lives, so may we live.

Just as Jesus defeats death and rises up on Easter Sunday, so can we rise up and change our lives at any moment we choose. Through Jesus’ message of LOVE we can be saved. We can rise up from depression. We can abolish ill will and bad feelings. We can stop destructive habits. We can choose to love and be more kind, to give and share, to forgive and be humble.

Because Jesus lives, no matter what difficulties we may encounter, we CAN overcome those difficulties. We can find happiness, peace, love, and prosperity through understanding and applying His message to our lives.

This Easter, stop for a moment to thank God for the wonders of life. Thank Jesus for giving us his message of LOVE and resolve yourself to understand his message more deeply and to apply that message to your everyday lives. Reaffirm your belief that Jesus IS resurrected and LIVES. Because HE lives, we may be saved! AMEN.

Please also see: http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?lect_date=3/23/2008

The Lord’s Prayer:

Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed by 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 power and the glory, now and forever. Amen.

Hymn:

On Eagles Wings

Closing Prayer:

Let us pray.
Dear Heavenly Father, we are filled with joy knowing that your Son has risen from the dead and lives eternally. His message of LOVE endures forever.

Please guide us to understand Jesus’ teachings and to apply those teachings to our lives to steer us from evil, so that we may live more happily and peacefully.

Please give us strength to rise up and make changes in our lives for the better. May we always choose the correct path and do that which is right. And when we sin, we pray that we may repent to receive your forgiveness.

We ask these things through your Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.

イースター礼拝の式次第:２００８年３月２３日

開会の祈り：

イースターのお祈り

天にいますわれらの父よ。
今日、この素晴らしい教会にあなたの子供である、
私たち兄弟や家族、知人が集まったのは、
感謝するため、賛美をするため、
あなたの息子イエス様が復活して今生きておられるからです。

このイースター礼拝によって、心からイエスキリストの復活をお祝いしたいと思います。
なぜならその復活によって、私たちが救われ、
信仰と希望と力と愛をより強く感じることができるからです。

イエスキリストの美点、そして親切さが私たちの心の中に常におられますように。

この教会、そして私たちを恵み深く祝福してください。
どうぞ私たちにイエスが教えた生き方ができるように
より知識深く、勇気、力、と知恵をおあたえください。

人生のあらゆる全ての物事に感謝いたします。
特に今日ここに集まり、あなたの復活をお祝いし、
賛美やお祈りができることを心から感謝いたします。

アーメン

挨拶：

わたしたちの主イエスキリストの名によって平和と恵みがありますように

賛美歌:

Because He Lives

新約聖書朗読:

Acts 10:34-43

答唱詩篇：

（118）

信仰宣言（使徒信条）:

天地(てんち)の創造主(そうぞうしゅ)、全能(ぜんのう)の父(ちち)である神(かみ)を信(しん)じます。父(ちち)のひとり子(ご)、私(わたし)たちの主(しゅ)、イエス・キリストを信(しん)じます。主(しゅ)は聖霊(せいれい)によってやどり、おとめマリアから生(う)まれ、ポンティオ・ピラトのもとで苦(くる)しみを受(う)け、
十字架(じゅうじか)につけられて死(し)に、葬(ほうむ)られ、陰府(よみ)に下(くだ)り、三日目(みっかめ)に死者(ししゃ)のうちから復活(ふっかつ)し、天(てん)に昇(のぼ)って、全能(ぜんのう)の父(ちち)である神(かみ)の右(みぎ)の座(ざ)に着(つ)き、
生者(せいしゃ)と死者(ししゃ)を裁(さば)くために来(こ)られます。聖霊(せいれい)を信(しん)じ、聖(せい)なる普遍(ふへん)の教会(きょうかい)、聖徒(せいと)の交(まじ)わり、罪(つみ)のゆるし、からだの復活(ふっかつ)、永遠(えいえん)のいのちを信(しん)じます。　
アーメン

主の祈り：

天(てん)におられるわたしたちの父(ちち)よ、み名(な)が聖(せい)とされますように。み国(くに)が来ますように。みこころが天(てん)に行(おこな)われるとおり地にも行(おこな)われますように。
わたしたちの日(ひ)ごとの糧(かて)を今日(きょう)も お与(あた)えください。わたしたちの罪(つみ)をおゆるしください。わたしたちも人(ひと)をゆるします。わたしたちを誘惑(ゆうわく)におちいらせず、悪(あく)からお救(すく)いください。アーメン

福音朗読：

ヨハネ　20:1-18

説教：　

主は生きておられる！！

賛美歌：

On Eagles Wings

閉会の祈り：

Let us pray.
Dear Heavenly Father, we are filled with joy knowing that your Son has risen from the dead and lives eternally. His message of LOVE endures forever.

Please guide us to understand Jesus’ teachings and to apply those teachings to our lives to steer us from evil, so that we may live more happily and peacefully.

Please give us strength to rise up and make changes in our lives for the better. May we always choose the correct path and do that which is right. And when we sin, we pray that we may repent to receive your forgiveness.

We ask these things through your Son, Jesus Christ,
Amen.