Holy Cross Lutheran Church of Wartburg
5765 Maeystown Road – Waterloo, IL 62298
Pastor Dan Ostlund
Office: 618-939-7094 – cell 618-301-6358
Office: hcwartb@htc.net, Pastor: wartburg.pastor@gmail.com
Website: www.holycrosswartburg.com
Second Sunday of Easter
Our Service can be found on your radio at 87.9 FM
April 12, 2026
Guests Welcome! We are delighted that you are with us for worship this morning. Consider us your church home– at least for today. We hope we will see you again soon!
We celebrate Holy Communion: In this Supper of our Lord we receive the true body and blood of Jesus Christ under the earthly forms of bread and wine for the forgiveness of our sins and the strengthening of our faith. Since this Holy Communion is also a sign of how we commonly confess the Christian faith, we welcome to the Lord’s Table those who are confirmed members of congregations of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. If this is your first time communing with us, please speak with the pastor or an usher before the service begins. If you are a guest who has not been instructed concerning the Lord’s Supper and our church’s teaching, and desire to commune with us, we invite you to first attend our instructional classes.
Divine Service Setting 2 – page 167
Ringing of the Bell
Opening Hymn #469 Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
Confession and Absolution
Please stand if you are able
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit – sung responsively Psalm 105:1–5, 8; antiphon: 1 Peter 2:2–3
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to sal- | vation—*
if indeed you have tasted that the | Lord is good.
Oh give thanks to the Lord; call up- | on his name;*
make known his deeds among the | peoples!
Sing to him, sing prais- | es to him;*
tell of all his | wondrous works!
Glory in his | holy name;*
let the hearts of those who seek the | Lord rejoice!
Seek the Lord | and his strength;*
seek his presence con- | tinually!
Remember the wondrous works that | he has done,*
his miracles, and the judgments he | uttered.
He remembers his covenant for- | ever,*
the word that he commanded, for a thousand gener- | ations.
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.
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to sal- | vation—*
if indeed you have tasted that the | Lord is good.
Kyrie LSB 168
A In peace let us pray to the Lord.
A For the peace from above and for our salvation let us pray to the Lord.
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.
A For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise let us pray to the Lord.
A Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
This Is the Feast LSB 171
A This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia.
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Almighty God, grant that we who have celebrated the Lord’s resurrection may by Your grace confess in our life and conversation that Jesus is Lord and God; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
First Reading Acts 5:29–42
29But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
33When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. 34But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. 35And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. 36For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. 38So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; 39but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, 40and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Gradual adapt. from Matthew 28:7; Hebrews 2:7; Psalm 8:6
Christ has risen from the dead.
[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 under his feet.
Epistle 1 Peter 1:3–9
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Please stand if you are able
Alleluia and Verse LSB 173
C Alleluia. Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia.
Holy Gospel John 20:19–31
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the twentieth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
19On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.”
24Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
26Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Sit
Hymn of the Day #470 O Sons and Daughters of the King
Sermon John 20:19-31 “Unfading Easter Blessings”
Please stand if you are able
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life + of the world to come. Amen.
Welcome new member – Darren Reifschneider
Prayer of the Church
Sit
Offering – I know that my Redeemer Lives – Rob Mallon
Please stand if you are able
Service of the Sacrament
If you are visiting and desire to receive Holy Communion, please see our
Communion statement on the front of our bulletin
Preface LSB 177
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God. And most especially are we bound to praise You on this day for the glorious resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the very Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed for us and bore the sins of the world. By His dying He has destroyed death, and by His rising again He has restored to us everlasting life. Therefore with Mary Magdalene, Peter and John, and with all the witnesses of the resurrection, with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus LSB 178
Lord’s Prayer LSB 179
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.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My + body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My + blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini LSB 180
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei LSB 180
Sit
Distribution
Distribution Hymns
#472 These Things Did Thomas Count as Real
#467 Awake, My Heart, with Gladness
Dismissal
Please stand if you are able
Thank the Lord LSB 181
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
O God the Father, the fountain and source of all goodness, who in loving-kindness sent Your only-begotten Son into the flesh, we thank You that for His sake You have given us pardon and peace in this Sacrament, and we ask You not to forsake Your children but always to rule our hearts and minds by Your Holy Spirit that we may be enabled constantly to serve You; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benediction LSB 183
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and + give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn #490 Jesus Lives! The Victory’s Won
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Two from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2026 Concordia Publishing House.
OUR PRAYERS
For the sick and/or injured – Rich Brege (hospitalized), Brandy Burkemper (health complications), Radar Glaenzer – health concerns, Hailey Marlow (recovery from surgery), Barb Schmeding (heart issues), Howard Schmidt (cancer), Jody Woodcock (recovering from surgery).
Will Breiner (recovering from surgery – Kenny & Radar’s grandson), Tripp Dodson (leukemia – Myah Grossheim’s cousin), Bill Keel (hospice – brother-in-law of Arlene Baum and Howard & Mike Schmidt), Cindy Kerr (cancer – Arlene Baum’s niece), David Marler (cancer – Rejona Reichert’s brother-in-law), Susan McFadden (cancer – friend of Pastor & Deb), Dave Moore (cancer- Ron Braun’s niece’s husband), Herb Phillips – (stroke- cousin of Connie Kostecki), Leo David Trost (many health challenges/born with scoliosis – grandson of Kathy Bollinger), Beth Vincent (ALS – friend of Kenny & Radar), Janice Whelan (surgery-friend of Ron & Pearl Braun).
For those in Nursing Homes, the home bound, and those unable to be
with us in worship.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Serving Today
Organist: Barb Boeder
Assist Elder: Kerry May & Darren Johanning
Ushers: Dale Schutt & Kurt Roschnafsky
Acolyte: Elliot Koch
Altar Care: Pearl Braun/Rejona Reichert
Serving Next Sunday April 19, 2026
Organist: Connie Kostecki
Ushers: Phillip Reinhardt & Greg Reinhardt
Acolyte: Tyler Johanning
Altar Care: Pearl Braun/Rejona Reichert
This Week at Holy Cross
Today 9:00 a.m. Worship Service
10:15 a.m. Followship
Voter’s Meeting/Sunday School
Monday Pastor Day Off
Sunday, April 19th 9:00 a.m. Worship Service
10:00 a.m. Fellowship
10:15 a.m. Sunday School/Bible Class
Birthday
Elliot Koch Apr. 12 Wesley Mudd Apr. 13
Michael Trost Apr. 13 Andrea Glessner Apr. 16
Sophia Meyer Apr. 17 Ron Braun Apr. 18
Anniversary
Bob & Joann Lunk April 14, 1962
Ron & Pearl Braun April 15, 1968
Fabric needed for quilts. If you have any unwanted cotton fabric or sheets (laundered) please bring them to the school basement. The church ladies use this to make quilts for Orphan Grain Train, World Relief, homeless shelters, and any disaster areas. The next quilting day will be Thursday, April 23rd at 9 am. Come join in for the making of these quilts. (They are “tied”, not quilted, so not expertise is needed)
The food being collected during April and May will be for the backpack program servicing the students from the Waterloo, Valmeyer, Red Bud, and Prairie du Rocher areas.
The following are suggested items:
Canned meals such as Ravioli, Spaghetti and meat sauce, Peanut butter and jelly; Pancake mix and syrup;
Cereal, Pudding snacks, Pop tarts, Pizza kits, Spaghetti packs and pasta sauce; Cheese and cracker packs;
Peanut butter and cracker packs. Anything that is easy for kids to make. NO glass containers please.
Special Donation in Need – On Friday March 27th there was a drive by shooting on 1-70 that involved a member of our congregation and an innocent family of 4. Thankfully God kept everyone safe from harm and injury. The family of 4 though have been through very hard times and had just gotten back up on their feet and then this incident happened. Their car got front end damage and due to struggling to make ends meet they did not have insurance to fix the car. There will be an offering basket in back of church if anyone would like to give and help this family to get the car repaired, I know they would be beyond thankful!
Missing some items from church?
Please check the narthex for the LOST & FOUND items. There are some items collected that have been left behind in church.
Spring Rally and Prayer Service is on Saturday April 25th from 8:30 -12:30 at Immanuel Lutheran Church – Waterloo. Everyone is invited. Please let Kathy Bollinger know by April 15th if you like to attend.
LWML/Ladies Aid is asking if anyone is interested in joining our Ladies Aid committee. Our Ladies Aid meets on the first Thursday of the month from 9:30-12:00. Please contact Kathy B., Connie K. or
Arlene B. if you are interested.
Holy Cross Lutheran Church – Wartburg 3rd Golf Tournament on
Friday May 29, 2026 at Acorns in downtown Wartburg Illinois. So, get those clubs and gather some friends to create a team and have a great day.
Golf information is on the Bulletin Board in Narthex with extra sheets to create a team.
For Those Interested: Hole Sponsors would be welcomed, $100 will purchase a hole that would have a sign presented a business, friends or in memory of a loved one you desire. 100% of this money will go to the church. If anyone is interested, please contact Alex Wolf – alexwolfe12@gmail.com
Checks should be made out to Holy Cross Wartburg.
Other options to donate to church is to use the QR code to make a
donation to support Holy Cross Lutheran Church of Wartburg.
Thank you!
If you have any questions, contact Kathy Reifschneider 618-444-2188
Or kreifschneider4@gmail.com
Other ways to gift to Holy Cross Lutheran Church of Wartburg
Donate stock How to donate stock to Holy Cross Lutheran Church of Wartburg in 3 simple steps:
1. Holy Cross Lutheran Church of Wartburg has a brokerage account set up with Edward Jones. Our financial advisor is Adam Brewer 618-939-7153.
2. Our brokerage account number is xxx-xx148. Provide this information to your broker to initiate the transfer. Keep in mind that brokerage firms tend to be extremely busy with tax donations and other end-of-year items every December, so it’s wise to get started before then, if possible. It’s also important to remember to report your stock donation, which is considered a non-cash charitable contribution, to the IRS with Form 8283. 3. You should report the donation for the tax year in which it was made.
Read more about charitable giving in this article from Thrivent.
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