Ezekiel: Valley of Dry Bones

Transcription

1 St. Paul Lutheran Church In Jesus name, Do justice, Love kindness, Walk humbly with God. St. Paul is an open, affirming, and inclusive church, welcoming all who seek God. 515 South Wheaton Avenue - Wheaton, Illinois Second Sunday of Advent December 10, 2017 Ezekiel: Valley of Dry Bones

2

3 Welcome to St. Paul Visiting today? We are glad you are here! Stop by the Welcome Center and receive a sweet gift. Please write your name and other information on the yellow welcome card. There are multiple areas and resources designed for children to participate in worship according to their needs, including but not limited to: a Children's Message at the start of worship, Rainbow Bags with quiet toys, and an attended Nursery on the lower level of the building for 0 to 3-yearolds. Additional info about resources for parents and kids is on the "Children at St. Paul Wheaton" laminated page posted at the outside aisle-end of your pew. Assisted listening headphones are available for those having difficulty hearing. Members, please wear your name tag. Extras are located in the pew racks. About Worship We follow an ancient pattern through the liturgy (which literally means the work of the people ). Some parts of the service may change each week, but there is a consistent flow: praising God, hearing God s word, offering our prayers and gifts, celebrating communion, and being sent into the world for service. The format remains fairly constant, but the style will vary widely. Sometimes we sing with the pipe organ, and the ministers chant. Sometimes we worship accompanied by piano, guitars, drums, violins, flutes or whatever our folk play. We range from Bach to blues, because we know that different styles connect to different people. So we all worship together, and change the style every few weeks. It s one of the ways we minister to and with each other and build community. Thank you for being part of our worship and community today! *At the asterisk, stand as you are able. P: Presiding Minister A: Assisting Minister L: Lector C: Congregation ELW (Evangelical Lutheran Worship) page numbers are printed in the lower corners in the front portion of the hymnal. Hymn numbers are large numbers printed beside hymn titles in the rest of the book. Serving Today Presiding Minister Pastor Jared Olson Assisting Minister Dawn Harrington Director of Music Carl Heine Lectors 8:30 Stacie Pierce 11:00 John Campbell Communion Deacons 8:30 Heidi Carr 11:00 Terry Kohn Bread Hosts 8:30 John & Diane Campbell 11:00 Richard & Nancy Wilen Crucifer/Acolytes 8:30 Sami Carr, Jack & Will Morrissey 11:00 Cyreno Caruso, John & Victoria Tarpeh Fellowship Nancy Wilen, Deana sons Greeters 8:30 Kim Hollahan, Nancy Carlson 11:00 Bryon & Pat Noeske, Bob & Diane Marsh Ushers 8:30 Grant Eckhoff, Brian Keys, Ann Holmstrom, Ron Mertzlufft 11:00 Anthony Tarpeh, Jesse King, Dean & Lisa Jackson Welcome Center 8:30 Ann Holmstrom 11:00 Marilyn Sodergren Altar Care Pat Beck, Deana Sons, Nancy Wilen Counters Bruce & Pat Beck, Dan Marsh

4 Preparing to Worship Prelude Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying P. Manz Welcome Children s Message Pastor Jared Pastor Jared *Entrance Hymn: As the Dark Awaits the Dawn (v. 2) ELW, #261

5 *Entrance Rite and Blessing of Advent Wreath P: We praise you, O God, for this circle of light that marks our days of preparation for Christ s advent. As we light the candles on this wreath, kindle within us the fire of your Spirit, that we may be light shining in the darkness. Enlighten us with your grace, that we may welcome others as you have welcomed us. Grant this through Christ our Lord, whose coming is certain and whose day draws near. C: Amen Repeat Entrance Hymn, v. 2 Gathering Together in Worship *Confession and Forgiveness Most merciful God, we confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. 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. 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 us and, for his sake, forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the Church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. C. Amen.

6 *Prayer of the Day P: God of promise, you have never abandoned us. Strengthen our resolve and fortify our faith in the face of despair, that we might live to sing your praises another day. In Jesus name. C: Amen. Responding to the Word of God Lesson Ezekiel 37:1-14 The Word of God as written in Ezekiel: 37The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. 3 He said to me, Mortal, can these bones live? I answered, O Lord GOD, you know. 4 Then he said to me, Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5 Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6 I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD. 7 So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. 10 I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. 11 Then he said to me, Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely. 12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. 14 I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and will act, says the LORD. L: Word of God, Word of life. C: Thanks be to God.

7 *Gospel Acclamation Return to the Lord Re turn to the Lord, your God, re - turn to the Lord, your God, who is gra -cious and mer-ci - ful, slow to an-ger and a -bound-ing in stead-fast love. *The Gospel John 11:25-26 P: The Holy Gospel according to John. C: Glory to you, O Lord. 25 Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? L: The Gospel of the Lord. C: Praise to you, O Christ. Sermon Pastor Jared Service continued on next page

8 *Hymn of the Day Awake! Awake, and Greet the New Morn ELW, #242

9 *Christmas Creed I believe in Jesus Christ and in the beauty of the gospel begun in Bethlehem. I believe in the one whose spirit glorified a little town; and whose spirit still brings music to people all over the world, in towns both large and small. I believe in the one for whom the crowded inn could find no room, and I confess that my heart still sometimes wants to exclude Christ from my life today. I believe in the one who the rulers of the earth ignored and the proud could never understand; whose life was among common people, whose welcome came from people of hungry hearts. I believe in the one who proclaimed the love of God to be invincible: I believe in the one whose cradle was a mother's arms, whose modest home in Nazareth had love for its only wealth, who looked at people and made them see what God's love saw in them, who by love brought sinners back to purity, and lifted human weakness up to meet the strength of God. I confess my ever-lasting need of God: The need of forgiveness for our selfishness and greed, the need of new life for empty souls, the need of love for hearts grown cold. I believe in Jesus, the son of the living God, born in Bethlehem this night, for me and for the world. *Prayers of the People After each petition of the prayers: A: Life-giving God. C: Hear our prayer. *Passing the Peace P: The peace of the Lord be with you always. C: And also with you. P: Let us share the peace.

10 Offering (8:30) St. Paul Choir Es kommt ein Schiff geladen arr. C. Heine *Offertory Response *Offertory Prayer A: Out of dried up bones you can make a whole nation alive again. Out of lifelessness you can create vibrant abundance. Take our humble offerings and make of them an overflowing blessing from which the thirsty may drink and the downtrodden may find revival. C: Amen.

11 *The Great Thanksgiving Sharing the Eucharistic Meal 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 our thanks and praise. P: It is indeed right... join their unending hymn. *Sanctus *Eucharistic Prayer

12 P: Lord, here us as we pray *The Lord s Prayer 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. The Distribution of Communion The body and blood of Christ are present in this sacrament, for the forgiveness of sin and the strengthening of faith. All people are welcome to share in this meal with us. Parents, if you have a young child who receives communion, please indicate that when the minister comes to you. Those who do not receive communion are welcome to come forward for a blessing; simply keep your hands folded. Come forward and receive the bread from the minister. Gluten-free wafers are available. The gold chalice contains wine; you may drink directly from the cup or dip your bread into the wine. The pottery chalice contains non-alcoholic grape juice, which you may receive by dipping your bread into the juice. Return to your seat by the side aisles. If you would like communion brought to you, simply let an usher know. Agnus Dei Lamb of God

13 Music During Communion Hymn: Comfort, Comfort Now My People ELW, #256 *Post-Communion Prayer A: God for whom we wait, in this meal you give us a foretaste of that day when the hungry will be fed with good things. Send us forth to make known your deeds and to proclaim the greatness of your name, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. C: Amen.

14 *Post Communion Canticle Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers (v.2) ELW, #244 Going Out into the World Sent by God Announcements *Benediction P: The God of all grace, bless you now and forever C: Amen.

15 *Sending Hymn: Prepare the Royal Highway ELW, #264 *Dismissal A: Go in peace. Christ is with you. C: Thanks be to God. Postlude Once He Came in Blessing P. Manz

16