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.

SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER, APRIL 12, 2026.

St. Ansgar Lutheran Church, Outline for Worship (with sermon)
April 12, 2026 – Second Sunday of Easter
Based on ELW Setting Four

GATHERING

WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS

THANKSGIVING FOR BAPTISM
(The assembly stands. All may make the sign of the cross, the sign marked at
baptism, as the presiding minister begins.)
P: Alleluia! Christ is risen.
C: Christ is risen, indeed. Alleluia!

P: In the name of the ☩ One who was, who is, and who is to come.
C: Amen.

P: Baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection, and called to live the baptized
life, let us give thanks for the gifts of baptism.

(Water may be poured into the font as the presiding minister gives thanks.)

P: Holy God, we give you thanks for the waters of baptism, waters that
make a people your own, that restore to wholeness, and empower us
to be witnesses in your name.
Baptized into you, O Living One,
C: make us one as you are one.

P: We give you thanks for the waters of baptism, waters that strengthen
believers and give new life to beloved servants of your church; waters that
extend your boundless love and cross barriers of our own making.
Baptized into you, O Living One,
C: make us one as you are one.

P: We give you thanks for the waters of baptism, waters that open the hearts
of believers and give a voice in the night to those in captivity; waters that set
your people on a new path, rejoicing in the Spirit’s power.
Baptized into you, O Living One,

C: make us one as you are one.
P: Grant us grace, love, and life, O Living One, that our every day is shaped
by these waters that give us our lives in you. We ask this in the name of Jesus,
the Crucified and Risen One.
C: Amen.

ENTRANCE HYMN - A Hymn of Glory Let Us Sing! (ELW #393)

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: Almighty and eternal God, the strength of those who believe and the hope
of those who doubt, may we, who have not seen, have faith in you and
receive the fullness of Christ's blessing, who lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen

WORD

FIRST READING: Acts 2:14a, 22-32
14a But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them,
22 "You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a
man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God
did through him among you, as you yourselves know - 23 this man, handed over
to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified
and killed by the hands of those outside the law. 24 But God raised him up,
having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its
power. 25 For David says concerning him, 'I saw the Lord always before me, for
he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken; 26 therefore my heart was
glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will live in hope. 27 For you
will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One experience corruption.
28 You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of
gladness with your presence.' 29 "Fellow Israelites, I may say to you confidently
of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us
to this day. 30 Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an
oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne. 31
Foreseeing this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying, 'He was
not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh experience corruption.' 32 This Jesus
God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses.

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

PSALM: Psalm 16
1 Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you;
I have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, my good above all other.”
2 All my delight is in the godly that are in the land,
upon those who are noble among the people.
3 But those who run after other gods
shall have their troubles multiplied.
4 I will not pour out drink offerings to such gods,
never take their names upon my lips.
5 O Lord, you are my portion and my cup;
it is you who uphold my lot.
6 My boundaries enclose a pleasant land;
indeed, I have a rich inheritance.
7 I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
my heart teaches me night after night.
8 I have set the Lord always before me;
because God is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
9 My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices;
my body also shall rest in hope.
10 For you will not abandon me to the grave,
nor let your holy one see the pit.
11 You will show me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy, and in your right hand are
pleasures forevermore.

SECOND READING: 1 Peter 1:3-9
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he
has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and
unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who are being protected by the power of God
through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you
rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, 7 so that
the genuineness of your faith -- being more precious than gold that, though
perishable, is tested by fire -- may be found to result in praise and glory and honour
when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Although you have not seen him, you love him;
and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an
indescribable and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the
salvation of your souls.

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 John 20:19-31
C: Glory to you, O Lord.

John 20:19-31
19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of
the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus
came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." 20 After he said
this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when
they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the
Father has sent me, so I send you." 22 When he had said this, he breathed on
them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of
any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them
when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord."
But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put
my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."
26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was
with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them
and said, "Peace be with you." 27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger
here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not
doubt but believe." 28 Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"
29 Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed
are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples,
which are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may
come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through
believing you may have life in his name.

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

SERMON
John 20:19-31
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
Poor old Thomas, Doubting Thomas, who every year is only remembered for his
lack of faith, his inability to believe in something he has not seen. I feel sorry for
him, especially considering that earlier in the 11th chapter of the Gospel of John
it was Thomas who said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die
with him,” when Jesus wanted to return to Judea following Lazarus’ death. It
wasn’t long before Thomas the Brave became Doubting Thomas.
I think the disciple Thomas has been portrayed by the church in a negative light
for too long. Think about it. Honestly, who among us in this situation would not
have had the same questions? Our church culture has often frowned on
questioning our faith, some even consider it a sin. But is doubt really a sin in
God’s eyes? Is doubt really a criticism of God? I personally believe that a fair
amount of critical thinking can be very healthy to our faith. Aren’t doubts, when
expressed sincerely, a way to reach out to God? Nancy Allen’s Hymn of Praise,
written in 1998, includes the words, “in our doubt there is believing.” These are
words to seriously consider.
Looking at the disciple Thomas this morning, we discover that he did indeed
voice his honest questions and doubts about the resurrection of Jesus.
However, it could be argued that because of his honest questions he gained a
deeper revelation of Jesus than his fellow disciples. I think it is significant that
from Thomas’ mouth we hear for the first time in the New Testament a
statement of the divinity of Jesus Christ: “my Lord, and my God!” Perhaps the
author of the Gospel of John makes a connection here between the function of
sincerely expressed doubt leading to a deeper-rooted faith.
My personal feeling is that God wants us to be honest with ourselves and with
God. God want us to ask those tough questions that we all harbour. God is like
that father who wants to sit us down on his lap and explain some of the things to
us that we doubt. Maybe we will not get answers to all of our questions, but the
account in John’s Gospel gives us hope that by expressing our theological
struggles and our doubts, we will likely gain a deeper understanding of God and
our own faith.
I think it is safe to say with certainty that doubt is not a sin. Thomas doubted
what the other disciples were telling him about Jesus’ resurrection, that the other
disciples had seen Jesus. Jesus did not condemn Thomas for his doubting.
Doubt at its basic meaning is defined as “uncertainty.” God certainly can
understand that we, God’s children, can be uncertain in our faith. What child
doesn’t doubt their parent? To doubt is to be human. We all go through phases
of doubt and uncertainty when we question what we believe about God.
Sometimes we even question if God exists. Why are some people so fearful of
doubt? God is not intimidated by our doubts. God is big enough to deal with our
questions. And we do not have to fear losing our way. Our doubts and questions
actually express a desire to understand God, and that understanding bring us
into a closer relationship with God. If we did not care about God, we wouldn’t
bother to ask any questions.
Doubt may even be a helpful and necessary element in our faith. In our liturgy
we talk about the “mystery of faith.” Mystery leaves room for wonderment,
uncertainty, and doubt about God and our faith. The church often acts so
protective of its doctrine, but there is nothing wrong with wanting to get answers
from God for ourselves. Church doctrine can teach us and guide us, but
ultimately God has all the answers.
When Thomas doubted the other disciples about Jesus’ resurrection, that the
other disciples had seen Jesus, he was not mocking anyone’s faith. Thomas just
had to see it for himself. He was wanting his own God experience.
There comes a time when borrowed faith is not enough. We each must find our
own faith. We must have our own God experience. In fact, the only way to
discover our own faith comes through the process of doubting, by questioning
our uncertainties about what we have been told about God, prayerfully reflecting
on what we have been told, comparing what we have experienced with what we
have been told, and eventually, with God’s guidance, arriving at our own faith,
which is ever evolving and growing.
Indigenous North Americans call this search for our own God experience a
vision quest. And often this vision quest leads through the wilderness, through
sleepless nights, through dark valleys. But hopefully, as we tackle the hardships
of the questioning process, as we leave no rock unturned, as we wrestle with
life’s mysteries and sufferings, as we keep searching for answers until we find
that vision, until we have that God experience, then and only then can we truly
find ourself and our place in the universe.
I grew up in northwest Ohio. In the summertime we had an abundance of
fireflies, or lightening bugs as we called then as kids, flying around at night. We
would often collect lightening bugs and put them in a glass jar with small holes
for air in the lid of the jar. The jar full of lightening bugs gave off a nice even
greenish glow. But if you looked at the jar closely, you would see that the
individual lightening bugs were twinkling on and off. None of the lightening bugs
were on all of the time, but the light from the lightening bugs in the jar remained
constant.
Like the lightening bugs, like Thomas, none of us can be shining all the time. All
of us have times when we cannot shine, when our faith dims for what ever
reason. But that is when we can count on the light of others in our extended
Christian community, and especially our own church, to shine for us and keep
the glow alive and steady lighting our life until we can find our way back and are
able to shine once again.
Thomas’ story has, if not a happy ending, a powerful ending. After his
experience with the risen Christ, Thomas became Thomas the Brave once
again. When the disciples went out to spread the good news about Jesus,
Thomas went to India. Many people there came to believe in Jesus through
Thomas’ work, resulting in a small, thriving group known as the Mar Thoma
Church, that continues today. But Thomas met the same fate as many of his
fellow disciples did. Thomas was put to death around the year 50 CE. Thomas
the Brave remained committed to Jesus to the very end.
We may not be as brave as Thomas. We may not have the chance Jesus
offered him to put our hands in Jesus’ side, to touch the wound in his hands and
feet. But we do have the same strength that Thomas did, the strength that kept
him around until he could feel Jesus’ presence in his life once again. And we
have the support of a community of faith that will shine for us whenever we feel
our own light dimming.
So, embrace your doubts, do not let anybody hold you back on your faith
journey. Do not worry, we all have doubts. AMEN

HYMN OF THE DAY – Alleluia! Jesus Is Risen! (ELW #377)

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 Interim Pastor Paul Sodtke and the
people of Peace Christian Church, a Lutheran Fellowship in Chatham. Merciful
God,
C: receive our prayer.

A: Almighty God, you give life to the dead and call into existence things that do
not exist. Breathe your Spirit upon us, that our faith may be renewed day by day.
Merciful God,
C: receive our prayer.

A: Maker of heaven and earth, your mercies are new every morning. Open us to
the wonders of creation, from the beauty of flowers to the complexity of
subatomic particles. Merciful God,
C: receive our prayer.

A: God of peace, in every place where conflict rages, sow seeds of calm and
openness to reconciliation. Strengthen the resolve of leaders and citizens to
work for peace in their nations. Merciful God,
C: receive our prayer.

A: Healing God, come alongside all who are doubting, fearful, or suffering in any
way, especially Beth, Jean, Mary Margaret, Kristine, Karen, Emma, Cathy,
Lene, Grethe, Lyra, Bud, Pastor Bob, Heather, Margaret, Jo-Anne, Ann, and
those others who are in our hearts. Reveal to them your presence and assure
them of the inheritance you have prepared for them. Merciful God,
C: receive our prayer.

A: Giver of joy, let this assembly be a place of genuine love and mutual
affection. Deepen our care for one another and help us to embody your forgiving
and sacrificial love. 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 saints who were faithful unto death and have
joined the church triumphant. Inspire us by their witness and bring us with them
into your glorious presence. 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 – Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds (ELW #367)

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)