Service of Holy Communion. Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost. August 26, :00 a.m. First Lutheran Church Saint Peter, Minnesota

Transcription

1 Service of Holy Communion Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost August 26, :00 a.m. First Lutheran Church Saint Peter, Minnesota

2 Welcome to worship at First Lutheran! We especially welcome all who are visiting this morning! Held in Christ, our Center, and living in grateful response to God s love and grace, we welcome everyone, without exception. We make known our gratitude and appreciation of all, including people of every race, sex, age, color, creed, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital and familial status, physical and mental ability, health status, socioeconomic situation, education level and political affiliation. Please join with us as we seek to celebrate the image of God in all people, nurture meaningful relationships, and share our collective gifts in response to the world s deep hunger for hope, love, grace, justice, and peace. In the red pew hymnal (Evangelical Lutheran Worship), page numbers are at the bottom of the page in the front of the book, and hymn numbers are typically at the top of the page for the remainder of the book. Large print hymns are available from the ushers. An asterisk (*) invites you to stand in body or in spirit. All who thirst for God s love are welcome to participate during Holy Communion. Please extend your hands to receive Holy Communion or cross your arms to receive a blessing. Children s Bibles, Busy Boxes, and White Boards are available at the sanctuary entrance. A staffed nursery (for ages four and younger) is available down the hall across from the library. An usher will be happy to help you find it! Hearing assistance devices are available outside the sanctuary or from an usher. We also have a wheelchair and a defibrillator available let someone know if assistance is needed. You are invited to join us after worship for a time of fellowship in the Gathering Space right outside the sanctuary. Church Staff Interim Pastor: Ted Kunze Cantor: Emily Bruflat Christian Education: Barb Regner Office Coordinator: Mark Roemhildt Bookkeeper: Karen Smithers Custodian: Dave Pehrson 2

3 Gathering in God s Presence Prelude O Welt, ich muß dich lassen Setting by Johannes Brahms Refer to Hymn no. 480 for the text to O Bread of Life from Heaven. Welcome *Confession and Forgiveness All may make the sign of the cross, the sign marked at baptism, as the assisting minister begins. The congregation reads the bold print. Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God, full of compassion and mercy, abounding in steadfast love. Amen. Trusting God s promise of forgiveness, let us confess our sin against God and one another. Silence for reflection and self-examination. Eternal God our creator, in you we live and move and have our being. Look upon us, your children, the work of your hands. Forgive us all our offenses, and cleanse us from proud thoughts and empty desires. By your grace draw us near to you, our refuge and our strength; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. God s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us. In the mercy of almighty God, Christ died for us while we still were sinners; and for his sake, God forgives you all your sins. Amen. Greeting P C The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And also with you. 3

4 *Gathering see green supplement *Psalmody see green supplement *Prayer of the Day Hearing God s Word Old Testament Reading Joshua 24:1-2a, Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. 2 And Joshua said to all the people, " 14 Now therefore revere the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 Now if you are unwilling to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." 16 Then the people answered, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods; 17 for it is the LORD our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; 18 and the LORD drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God." L The word of the Lord. C Thanks be to God. *Gospel Acclamation 4

5 *Gospel John 6:56-69 P The holy gospel according to John, the sixth chapter. C Glory to you, O Lord. 56 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever." 59 He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum. 60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?" 61 But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, "Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But among you there are some who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. 65 And he said, "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father." 66 Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. 67 So Jesus asked the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?" 68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." P C The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ. Responding to God s Word Children s Sermon & Sermon *Hymn no. 810 Pastor Ted Kunze O Jesus, I Have Promised *Apostles Creed I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. 5

6 *Prayers of Intercession After each petition: L Let us Pray, C Have mercy, O God. *Sharing of the Peace P C The peace of Christ be with you always. And also with you. You are invited to share God s peace with those around you. Offering of Our Gifts & Noisy Offering Music at the Offering Lead On, O King Eternal Henry T. Smart Vocal Quartet (Marion Peterson, Dawn Wenner, Ellis Jones, Harvey Kane); Elaine Aune, piano *Offering Prayer Sharing the Lord s Supper *The Great Thanksgiving L The Lord be with you. C And also with you. L Lift up your hearts. C We lift them to the Lord. L Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. C It is right to give our thanks and praise. * Words of Institution In the night in which he was betrayed *Lord s Prayer front of hymnal, page 208, left column Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen. 6

7 Distribution of Holy Communion This morning, we commune by means of intinction (dipping the wafer into the chalice). An usher will guide you forward. You will be given a wafer and offered a choice of two chalices. The wine is in a silver chalice; the grape juice is in a glass chalice. Gluten-free wafers are available. If you are unable to come forward, let an usher know, and communion will be brought to you. Parents, please assist children when they come forward to extend their hands if they are to receive the bread and wine. Music during Communion Hymn no. 487 Hymn no. 796 What Feast of Love How Firm a Foundation *Post-Communion Prayer Departing to Serve God s World *Sending Hymn no. 638 *Announcements Blessed Assurance Liturgy for Departing Pastor The congregation will respond with the petitions below. Each response will be prompted by the leader separately: *Dismissal C: We receive your thankfulness. We offer you our forgiveness and accept that you now leave to continue your ministry. We express our gratitude for your time among us. We ask forgiveness for the ways we have sinned against you. Your influence on our faith and faithfulness will not leave us at your departure. C: We do, with God s help. C: God, whose everlasting love for us all is trustworthy, help each of us to trust the future which rests in your care. The time we were together here in your name saw our laughter and tears, our hopes and disappointments. Guide us as we hold close these cherished memories, but now move in new directions, until that time to come when we are completely one with you and with each other. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A: We join in proclaiming: C: Renewed by Christ in Word, water, bread and wine, we go in peace to serve our community and the world. Thanks be to God! Postlude When Morning Gilds the Skies Robert Lind 7

8 Acknowledgments From sundaysandseasons.com Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted and broadcast by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #SAS New Revised Standard Version Bible, 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Revised Common Lectionary, 1992 Consultation on Common Texts, admin Augsburg Fortress. Used by permission. Cover art from Icon 1 Augsburg Fortress. Used by permission. Now the Feast and Celebration Gospel Verse text and music by Marty Haugen, 1990 GIA Publications, Inc. Reprinted with permission using OneLicense #A Jesus Christ, Bread of Life text from Taizé Community, music BERTHIER by Jacques Berthier. Text and music 1984 Les Presses de Taizé, GIA Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Text and music reprinted with permission using One License #A More about today s worship Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost In today s gospel many people take offense at Jesus invitation to eat his flesh and drink his blood; even many of Jesus disciples peel off. This is the backdrop in John s gospel for Peter s confession of faith. To whom can we go? asks Peter, in words we sometimes sing just before the gospel is read. You have the words of eternal life. In order to take such a stand, as Peter and Joshua did, Paul tells us to arm ourselves with the word of God. We pray in the Spirit that we might be bold ambassadors of the gospel (from Sundays and Seasons). As we move through Pentecost, or Ordinary Time, green paraments adorn the chancel. The third pair of Pentecost panels features brown seeds or grain that the rosy summer flowers of the second set of panels produce. The rosy background recalls the flowers, while the seeds yield the wheat of the bread of life. Note that the water on the East panels represents both the baptismal water of the adjacent font and the Minnesota river to the east of our church, while the grasses on the west represent the prairie which begins not so far to our west. Fellowship today is in celebration of Pastor Ted and Marcia. This is his last Sunday as the Interim Pastor of First Lutheran Church. We are eternally grateful for his ministry this past year. Flowers are provided by David and Judy Fienen in celebration of their 50 th Wedding Anniversary. Lectionary Readings for Next Week: Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost Deuteronomy 4:1-2,6-9 Psalm 15 James 1:17-27 Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, Prayers of the People We are called to remember one another in prayer. The list below is for recent needs or praise, and a long-term prayer list for chronic or long-term needs will be published monthly in the Heartbeat. Rodney Dietrich Judy Edberg (sister-in-law of Ruth Edberg) Sue Gray John Hall Ruth Hall Mikkel Hustad (son-in-law of Paul and Helen Baumgartner) Grace Jacobs Braxton Raymond All those we continue to include in our personal prayer petitions Family & Friends of those who have died: Alice Carlson (grandmother of Rachel Ribar) Theresa Denn (mother of Janet Netzke) Our sponsored missionary family: Reverend Alex LaChapelle (South Africa) Our Bishops: Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton & SWMN Bishop Jon Anderson Others: All those who are unemployed or under-employed so that they will find a fulfilling vocation and receive just payment for their labor, all caregivers, and our current month s service list. 8

9 Weekly Heartbeat Celebration for Pastor Ted today! We honor Pastor Ted and Marcia today as his last Sunday as our Interim Pastor. We will also hold a special Fellowship in his honor in the Gathering Space following worship. Please join us as we thank him for his ministry this past year. Welcome to Pastor Gwen Hermanson! Upon a recommendation from the Call Committee and Congregational Council, a special meeting of the congregation was held last Sunday, August 19; by a favorable vote of 111-6, the decision was made to extend a Letter of Call to Pastor Gwen Hermanson to be the next pastor of First Lutheran Church. Pastor Gwen s first day in the office is expected to be Tuesday, September 4 with her presiding over worship for the first time as our pastor on Sunday, September 9. Her official installation will be in the coming weeks depending on the availability of the Synod Bishop. Welcome, Pastor Gwen! Big Horn Mountains Meeting Today There will be an informational meeting today at 10:00 a.m. in the conference room for those in grades and parents that are interested in backpacking in the Big Horns in the Summer Lutheran Social Service As our final week of this program, we will have a noisy offering during worship where you can drop the coins you collected as part of the Donation Challenge Calendar. For more information on the Senior Nutrition program, contact Dawn Kienlen at dkienlen@gmail.com or visit lssmn.org. Fall Music Ministries - New Schedule! Thursday evening rehearsals? Why not? Emily will be offering Hand Bell Choir rehearsals at 6:00 p.m. on and Sanctuary Choir rehearsals at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday evenings beginning September 6th. Contact Emily if you would like to see a detailed schedule - we can always use more singers and ringers. Please join us! "Extracurricular" Choir Perhaps you are one of many for whom the regular choir is too much commitment for your busy schedule. Or, maybe you have the time and desire to sing even more. Whatever your situation, maybe there's another option! Emily is looking for people of all ages who would be interested in meeting on a monthly (or so) basis to sing "the good ol' hymns" and simple anthems to share at FLC funerals and with our local assisted living and nursing home communities. Contact Emily if you are interested and would like more details! Tweets and Creeds: High School Youth Group for grades Wednesdays 6:00-7:15 p.m. beginning September 12th. Being a teenager in the 21st Century looks so much different than being a teen during any other time. Modern teens have to navigate the complicated worlds of technology, politics, popular culture, and faith--worlds they inherited from the adults around them. Youth group will focus on creeds--what the Church has to say, and does not say, about its beliefs--as a jumping off point for understanding politics, popular culture, family, friends, and faith. The group will be led by Bruce and Megan Berglund, parents of four t(w)eens All high school students are invited to participate and to bring friends. Outing to Morgan Creek Vineyards FLC is sponsoring an outing to Morgan Creek Vineyards near New Ulm on Saturday, September 29th. FLC members, friends and neighbors are welcome to participate. A bus will depart from FLC at 6:00 p.m. and return at 10:00 p.m. Cost of $24 per person includes: bus ride, Pizzette Buffet and Wine (4 styles of pizzettes offered and one glass of wine or beer - non-alcoholic beverages are also available), and music by the Jim McGuire Jazz Trio. Free childcare is available at FLC during the outing. You can register via this link: God's Work Our Hands Sunday is September 9 Check the bulletin board in the Gathering Space for the list of projects and activities that will be happening on September 9th for God's Work Our Hands Sunday. You are encouraged to dress comfortably for 9:00 a.m. worship and then dive into some of the many projects/activities we have planned following worship. If you would like to register for the 5K Fun Run/Walk or 1- Mile Race: We will be grilling burgers and dogs for lunch. Support Shetek On the bulletin board near the dining hall is a poster from Shetek asking for some additional financial support. Heavy rain earlier this summer caused them to lose a week of camp and two weekends of retreats. Envelopes on the poster range from $5 to $50. All gifts are helpful. Community Interest Items: Shoe Drive St. Peter-Kasota Dollars for Scholars is collecting shoes to raise funding for local scholarships. For every shoe we receive, we will be given a sum of money to put toward scholarships. The shoes themselves will be going around the world to help support micro enterprises in developing areas. Gently used and new shoes can be donated in the grey bin inside the coffee hour doorway at First Lutheran. 9

10 Calendar: August 26 September 3 Sunday, August 26 Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost 9:00 a.m. Worship with Noisy Offering, Thank You to Pastor Ted 10:00 a.m. Fellowship (Council on duty is Katelynn Erickson) 10:00 a.m. Backpack Trip Information Meeting Monday, August 27 9:15 a.m. Morning Prayer 9:30 a.m. Sermon Simmering Wednesday, August 29 7:00 a.m. Men s Conversation 8:30 a.m. Staff Meeting Sunday, September 2 Monday, September 3 Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost 9:00 a.m. Worship presided by Pastor Steve Kidder 10:00 a.m. Fellowship (Council on duty is Mary Gaebler) Labor Day Office Closed First Lutheran Church Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. Mon-Fri Office Phone: (507) Office flcstpoffice@gmail.com St. Peter Public Access Channel 7 - Sun 3 p.m., Mon 6 p.m., Tue 8 a.m., Sun 11:30 a.m. Permission to broadcast the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A Other Dates/Events to Note September 12 5:30 p.m. Wednesday Suppers resume RSVP 6:00 p.m. Confirmation Orientation for students and parents 6:00 p.m. Youth Group Tweets and Creeds Begins (Gr 10-12) 7:15 p.m. Wednesday Worship resumes in the Dining Hall September 16 - Fall Worship schedule changes - Sunday School (3-year-olds-4th Grade) & First Forum resume 8:15 & 10:30 a.m. worship with Fellowship & Education between Sign up to lead/help with Sunday School September 19 - Regular Wednesday Schedule 5:30-6:10 p.m. Wednesday Supper 6:00 p.m. Youth Group Tweets & Creeds 6:15 p.m. 5th/6th Grade Faith Formation 6:15 p.m. Confirmation Class 7:15 p.m. Worship in the Dining Hall September 29 Outing to Morgan Creek Vineyards (6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.) Stay Connected to First Lutheran Please check out our website at for more information about FLC, our staff (including contact information), and our monthly calendar with upcoming events! Follow us on Facebook by liking the page First Lutheran Church of Saint Peter. You can also follow us on or Instagram 1stluthstpeter 10