The Great Fifty Days—Eastertide 4 Holiness & New Creation

Published October 3, 2026

Updated October 3, 2026

Great Fifty Days Color Enhanced Cropped
By Vicki Verhulst Cok

This is part of the worship series, 
"The Great Fifty Days”

Series Introduction 
Easter Morning  | Eastertide 2 | Eastertide 3 | Eastertide 4  
Eastertide 5 | Eastertide 6 | Ascension Sunday

Fourth Sunday of Eastertide

Theme: Holiness/New Creation

Opening hymn

“Jesus Lives, and So Do We” Gellert

Psalm: Psalm 118:17–29

Read responsively as follows:

Leader:

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

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

 
Leader:

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

 
Congregation:

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

 
Leader:

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

The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the chief cornerstone.
 
Leader:

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

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

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

 
Congregation:

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

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

 
Congregation:

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

 
All: O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.
—Psalm 118:17–29 NRSVUE
Hymn

“The Day of Resurrection” Damascus

Pre-resurrection gospel reading

Mark 8:14–21: Beware the yeast of the Pharisees.

Post-resurrection reading

1 Corinthians 5:6–8: You are now bread without yeast.

Sermon 

New Bread; No Yeast

Sermon Outline
  1. A little yeast ruins a whole loaf.
  2. Our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed—get rid of the old yeast.
  3. We really are now a new batch—without yeast.
Hymn

“Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” Wesley

We Celebrate the Lord's Supper

Prayer of Thanksgiving

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise. 

It is our joy and our peace, 
at all times and in all places, 
to give thanks to you, 
holy Father, Almighty, everlasting God, 
through Christ our Lord.

When we were unfaithful to you, you kept faith with us; 
your love remained steadfast. 
We thank you that you did not abandon us in our sin, 
 but sent prophets and teachers to lead us into the way of salvation.

Above all, we thank you for sending Jesus, your Son, 
to deliver us from the way of sin and death 
by the obedience of his life, 
by his suffering upon the cross, 
and by his resurrection from the dead. 

We praise you that he now reigns with you in glory
and ever lives to pray for us.

We thank you for the Holy Spirit, 
who leads us into truth,
defends us in adversity, 
and out of every people unites us into one holy church. 

Therefore with the whole company of saints in heaven and on earth 
we worship and glorify you, God most holy, and we sing with joy.

Hymn

“Holy, Holy, Holy Lord” Sanctus

Institution

According to Luke, when our risen Lord was at table with two of his followers, he took the bread, and blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him.

This is the Lord’s table. Our Savior invites those who trust him to share the feast, which he has prepared.

In thanks for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, in the joy of his resurrection, in the assurance of our union with him, we offer our very selves to you to be a living and holy sacrifice dedicated to your service.

Great is the mystery of our faith.
Dying you destroyed our death, rising you restored our life. Lord Jesus, come in glory.

Prayer of Consecration 

Gracious God, pour out your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these your gifts of bread and wine, that the bread we break and the cup we bless may be the communion of the body and blood of Christ.

By your Spirit make us one with Christ, that we may be one with all who share this feast, united in ministry in every place. As this bread is Christ’s body for us, send us out to be the body of Christ in the world.

Communion

Our breaking of the bread is our sharing in the body of Christ. Take, eat, remember, and believe that the body of our Lord was offered for the complete forgiveness of all our sins.

Our giving thanks for the cup of blessing is our sharing in the blood of Christ. Take, drink, remember, and believe that the precious blood of our Lord was shed for the complete forgiveness of all our sins.

[For Easter Sunday, or throughout Eastertide, consider placing the baptismal font at the front of your center aisle and inviting people to come forward for communion: “As you pass by the baptismal font on your way to partake, you are invited to place the sign of the water on your forehead as a reminder that through your baptism, you have been united with Christ in his death and resurrection.”]

Communion songs

“Breathe on Me, Breath of God” Hatch
“Praise the Savior, Now and Ever” Fortunatus
“A Shout Rings Out, a Joyful Voice” Gerdes
“This Joyful Eastertide” Woodward

Revised Common Lectionary

Years A, B, C: Easter—Easter Evening