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 - 630-668-5953 Palm Sunday March 20, 2016 Hosanna!
Welcome to St. Paul Visiting today? We are glad you are here! Stop by the Welcome Center and receive a sweet gift. Interim Pastor Bill hopes you can help him learn names more easily by wearing your name tags for worship. He likes to use people s names at the communion rail when serving the bread, and the name tags make that so much easier. Thank you! Rainbow bags for toddlers are on the wooden rack up front on the right. A staffed nursery for infants to three-year-olds is on the lower level during worship services. Assisted listening headphones are available for those having difficulty hearing. Large-print bulletins are available. See an usher for assistance. Please write your name and other information on the welcome pad as it gets passed along. About our 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 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 Assisting Minister Tim Kelly Lectors 8:30 Ellen Noth, John Whitnell, Cherie Schumm 11:00 Cindy Trennert-Lukens, Demetrios Pappageorge, Terry Kohn Communion Deacons 8:30 Rita Hansen 11:00 Kevin Hengst Bread Hosts 8:30 Chuck & Lorraine Taylor 11:00 Jan Stewart Crucifer/Acolytes 8:30 Diane, Grace & Anne Campbell 11:00 Griffin Bell, Bethany & Erika Huber Greeters 8:30 Carol Ketterhagen, Grant Eckhoff 11:00 Carolyn Lukens, Mary Cox Ushers 8:30 Brian Hollahan, Al LaMar, Steve Larson, Carol Vollum 11:00 Bruce Beck, Mary Cox, Pete Pohl Fellowship Marilyn Sodergren, Deana Sons Altar Care Susan Mullinger, Beth Baumgardner, Linda Kelly Welcome Center 8:30 Nancy Carlson 11:00 Marilyn Dashiell Counters Bruce & Pat Beck, Susan Mullinger
Preparing to Worship Prelude Jubilation Ringers Diademata Festal arr. Bill Ingram Gathering Together in Worship *Entrance Rite (Choral Reading) Mark 11:1-11 When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and said to them, Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, Why are you doing this? just say this, The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately. They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, some of the bystanders said to them, What are you doing, untying the colt? They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven! Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
*Entrance Hymn: ELW, #264 (vv. 1-2) Prepare the Royal Highway
*The 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. *Hymn of Praise: Glory to God Continued on next page
Continued from previous page
*Prayer of the Day P: Everlasting God, in your endless love for the human race you sent our Lord Jesus Christ to take on our nature and to suffer death on the cross. In your mercy enable us to share in his obedience to your will and in the glorious victory of his resurrection, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen. Responding to the Word of God P: The Holy Gospel according to Mark. C: Glory to you, O Lord. The Gospel Mark 14:3-9 While he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on his head. But some were there who said to one another in anger, Why was the ointment wasted in this way? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor. And they scolded her. But Jesus said, Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me. For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her. P: The Gospel of the Lord. C: Praise to you, O Christ. Children s Message Vanessa Young Sermon Acknowledging the Holy in our Midst Pr. Bill Hutchison
*Hymn of the Day: ELW, #343 My Song Is Love Unknown
*Affirmation of Faith (From St. Paul Theological Discussion Group) We believe in God, who is the Source of all life and the earnest desire of our lives. God s love was given a human face in Jesus of Nazareth, and that love was shown through Jesus suffering and death and proven to be completely selfless. Through God s unbounded love, Jesus continues to live and we are given glorious freedom freedom to seek God and to trust God and to love others. In the name of Jesus Christ, so that all may know God s love, we commit ourselves to be concerned for others and to affirm them. We seek the health and wholeness of God s creation. And we strive for justice and peace. In all our activities, we live in the freedom of forgiveness. Through the power of the Spirit of Love, we are in company with the faithful, and thereby become the Church for the glory of God. We live our daily lives knowing that we are never alone in this life, nor in death, nor in the life beyond death. New Members Being Received at St. Paul Susan & Paul Brinkman *Prayers of the People After each petition of the prayers: A: Lord, in your mercy, 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. Offering Jubilation Ringers Power of the Cross arr. Peggy Bettcher
*Offertory Response: Create In Me Cre -ate in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spir-it with - in me. Cast me not a-way from your pre - sence, and take not your Spir - it from me. Re - store to me the *Offertory Prayer joy of your sal - va tion and up - hold me with your free Spir - it. A: God our provider, you have not fed us with bread alone, but with words of grace and life. Bless us and these your gifts, which we receive from your bounty, through Jesus Christ our Lord. C: Amen. Sharing the Eucharistic Meal *Great Thanksgiving
*Sanctus *Eucharistic Prayer Words of Institution *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 bread is 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, you take a - way the sin of the world. Lamb of God you car-ry our dy - ing the pain of a bro - ken world. Lamb of God you pour out your life for the heal-ing of this world. Have mer-cy on your peo - ple, grant us your peace. Music During Communion Hymn: ELW, #814 Take, Oh, Take Me As I Am Organ solo Adagio (from Toccata & Fugue in C Major) J.S. Bach
*Post-Communion Blessing P: May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the gifts of Christ s body and blood strengthen, keep, and unite us, now and forever. C: Amen. *Post-Communion Prayer A: Merciful God, accompany our journey through these forty days. Renew us in the gift of baptism, that we may provide for those who are poor, pray for those in need, fast from selfindulgence, and above all that we may find our treasure in the life of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. C: Amen. *Benediction Going Out into the World Sent by God P: The blessing of God Almighty, the wisdom and power of Christ Jesus, and the light of the Holy Spirit be among you and remain with you always. C: Amen. Sending hymn on next page
*Sending Hymn: ELW, #525 You Are Holy
*Dismissal A: Go in peace. Remember the poor. C: Thanks be to God. Postlude Prelude in D Major J.S. Bach
Theme for the Day Acknowledging the Holy in our Midst Mark 11:1-11 Mark 14:3-9 One moment Jesus is heard giving instructions to his disciples about his upcoming entry into Jerusalem on the back of an unridden donkey yet and the next moment we hear of Jesus having his feet anointed in the middle of a dinner by a woman of uncertain reputation no less! Palm Sunday launches Holy Week with a mixed message of Jesus the King being honored on his way into town amidst Hosanna s! that are interspersed with side-long glances from others conniving to undo his very kingship. Later the story evolves to a Last Supper, a secret meeting in a garden at night, Jesus arrest, mock trial before a Roman official, and carrying of an instrument of death to Calvary just outside of Jerusalem. How could things go so wrong? Yet in this turn of events, we are given glimpses of everyday folks much like you and me who perceive the holiness of Jesus shining through the gathering clouds of darkness. Hosannas shouted aloud remind us to acknowledge the holy in our midst with a sense of purpose and possibility. Anointing of feet with costly perfumed oil (nard) point us to God s extravagant grace and love poured out with Jesus death on the cross. We can relish worship as a moment within time, and yet outside of time, in and through which we acknowledge the holy in our midst. Here s a holy parade in which our Lord and Savior passes through to the other side so that all can be redeemed with the rest of the story. How could things go more right?