ST. PAUL EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH
Fifth Sunday of Easter ▪ May 3, 2026
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12
A PRAYER FOR TODAY: Dear Father, You have redeemed us from the devil and darkness, from sin and death, with the blood and bitter death of Jesus. And now we walk in newness of life in His resurrection. As the called and chosen people of Your Church by Your mercy, give us constant vigilance and faithfulness so that we will boldly confess Jesus the Savior in the Church and in the world, by word and deed. Lead us with Your Word, inspired by Your Holy Spirit, to live sanctified lives ruled by Your holy commandments. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen
IN OUR PRAYERS THIS WEEK: “The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD!” (Psalm 146:10).
• For the gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ, for His abiding peace and presence, and for the gifts and joys of our daily lives, we give thanks to God.
• For the peace of Jesus Christ crucified and risen to be with the family of Jeanie Hoener since the time of her death.
• For us to practice the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) at work in us in love and respect for one another.
• For continued healing from the Lord’s hand for Brian Houtwed; for strength and healing for Francie Krusemark and Jama Hommertzheim; for healing after surgery for Pam Kilgariff.
• That our Father will call more men to prepare for, and be called into, the pastoral ministry.
• For blessing upon our daily work in the home, office, shop, farm, and factory, that needs of daily bread will be supplied for our neighbors, families, and selves.
THE SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR is served today. Jesus said, “This is My body . . . This is My blood” (Matthew 26:26-28). We honor the words of Christ Jesus and believe what they say. His words form the fellowship of our receiving this gift together. Jesus gave and shed His body and blood for you. Martin Luther, in his Small Catechism, wrote: “The words for you require all hearts to believe.” We practice closed communion. If you are a visitor of St. Paul Lutheran Church today, we ask that you please visit with the pastor before the service about receiving this Sacrament.
ORDER OF WORSHIP TODAY: LSB, page 151 HYMNS FOR WORSHIP: 912, 470 (1-5, 6-9), 622, 525, 526
Introit Psalm 30:1–5; antiphon: Psalm 149:1
Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a | new song,* his praise in the assembly of the | godly! I will extol you, O LORD, for you have | drawn me up* and have not let my foes rejoice | over me. O LORD my God, I cried to | you for help,* and you have | healed me. O LORD, you have brought up my soul | from Sheol;* you restored me to life from among those who go down | to the pit. Sing praises to the LORD, O | you his saints,* and give thanks to his | holy name. For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a | lifetime.* Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the | morning. Glory be to the Father and | to the Son* and to the Holy | Spirit; as it was in the be- | ginning,* is now, and will be forever. | Amen. Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a | new song,* his praise in the assembly of the | godly!
Collect of the Day
O God, You make the minds of Your faithful to be of one will. Grant that we may love what You have commanded and desire what You promise, that among the many changes of this world our hearts may be fixed where true joys are found; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
First Reading Acts 6:1–9; 7:2a, 51–60
1Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. 7And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. 8And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. 9Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. . . . 2And Stephen said: “Brothers and fathers, hear me. . . . 51You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, 53you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.” 54Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 55But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. 58Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Gradual
Christ has risen | from the dead.* adapt. from Matthew 28:7; Hebrews 2:7; Psalm 8:6 [God the Father] has crowned him with glory and | honor. He has given him dominion over the works | of his hands;* he has put all things un- | der his feet.
Epistle 1 Peter 2:2–10
2Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation— 3if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” 7So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. 9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Holy
Gospel 1 John 14:1–14 [Jesus said:] “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4And you know the way to where I am going.” 5Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” 8Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. 12“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”