About Worship
Worship at All Saints might look and feel a little different. We carefully and prayerfully select a worship theme each season, and we choose songs and liturgical elements that help communicate that theme and bring us closer to God and to one another.
All Saints Lutheran Church is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and participates in the Synod Authorized Ministry (SAM) program offered by the Southeastern Iowa Synod. Bishop Amy Current has authorized Wanda Barber, Matthew Reece, and Julie Schoville to be Synod Authorized Ministers able to preside over all worship services and offer pastoral care. The Synod provides training and instruction throughout the year and fully supports this program.
Easter Season (04.05.2026 – 05.17.2026)
Theme & Write-up
Written by the Director of Music Ministries
Jesus is the Way: Opening the Gate to New Life
In the radiant season of Easter, we gather as a community anchored in the resurrection hope that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. As the risen gate-opener, Jesus does not merely point us toward new life — he is the passage through which we walk from death into abundant living. This truth sustains us especially in seasons of adversity, when the path forward feels uncertain or the weight of the world presses heavily upon us. It is precisely in those moments of struggle and doubt that our faith is refined and deepened, and we discover anew that the risen Christ has already gone before us, holding the gate open with nail-scarred hands. Easter does not promise a life free from hardship; it promises a Savior who walks through every hardship with us.
As we journey through this Easter season together, we are invited to experience the renewal that only Christ can offer — a renewal that is not a single moment but a continual, daily unfolding. The love of Jesus is not seasonal or conditional; it is the same yesterday, today, and forever, a constant and unwavering presence that calls us by name and refuses to let us go. The Holy Spirit, our Advocate and guide, moves among us and within us, illuminating the way when we cannot see it clearly, breathing courage into weary hearts, and drawing us ever more deeply into the community of the resurrection. Together, as an Easter people, we are called to walk through the open gate — not alone, but carried by grace, guided by the Spirit, and bound to one another in the unending love of the risen Christ.
Color for the season of Easter
White – the symbol of light, typifies innocence and purity, joy of the resurrection, and glory.
Sunday, May 3rd – Fifth Sunday of Easter
Ardor (Worship Musicians)
The musicians rehearse from 9:00 to 9:45 am every Sunday morning. You are invited to join us in leading music during the worship service. The musicians for worship can find the service orders and music in the crate on the back pew in the sanctuary for each week. Contact the Director of Music Ministries or the church office if you plan to help lead worship.
Worship Information
The Sunday morning Worship Service will be at 10 am in the sanctuary.
This link will open the congregational text for the Sunday worship service (04.12.2026 – 04.26.2026).
https://drive.google.com/file/d/111uNtsfl7Hc6KKyvj4g_YQX4WJEaevsY/view?usp=sharing
Introduction
As we continue to celebrate the fifty days of Easter, today’s gospel includes Jesus’ promise that he goes to prepare a place for his followers in his Father’s house. Our baptism commissions us to share Jesus’ mission in the world. As 1 Peter reminds us, we are a holy people, called to proclaim the one who called us out of darkness into light. In words and deeds we bear witness to the risen Christ—our way, our truth, our life.
Prayer of the Day
Almighty God, your Son Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Give us grace to love one another, to follow in the way of his commandments, and to share his risen life with all the world, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Scripture
Acts 7:55-60 The martyrdom of Stephen
Stephen was one of the seven men chosen by the apostles to serve tables so that the apostles could be free to serve the word (Acts 6:1-6). Stephen does more than distribute food, however. For his preaching of God’s word, he becomes the first martyr of the faith.
Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16 Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. (Ps. 31:5)
1 Peter 2:2-10 God’s people chosen to proclaim God’s mighty acts
Christ is the cornerstone of God’s saving work and the foundation of our lives. We are God’s chosen, holy people who continuously celebrate and declare the mercy of God we experience through Jesus Christ.
John 14:1-14 Christ the way, truth, and life
On the night that he is to be arrested, Jesus shares final words with his disciples. As the one through whom God is known, he promises to go before them and act on their behalf.
Fellowship Time
After worship there is time for refreshments and fellowship in the gathering space.