H O P E Hope Lutheran Church Sunday, November 11, 2018 Widows are visible everywhere in today s readings. Jesus denounces those scribes who pray impressive prayers but devour widows houses. He commends the poor widow who in his view gave far more than the major donors. Jesus doesn t see her simply as an object of compassion or charity. She, like the widow of Zarephath who shares her last bit of food with Elijah, does something of great importance. 1
PRELUDE My Lord, What a Morning arr. Rebecca Bonam WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS GATHERING Please stand GATHERING HYMN Children of the Heavenly Father ELW 781 2
CALL TO CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS P: Surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, we are gathered in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen P: Lord, we want to be instruments of your peace, C: But too often we grumble instead of love; We injure rather than care; We doubt instead of believe. P: Lord, we know your plan for us, but we are seduced by the world around us, C: We doubt when we should have faith; We let despair overshadow the hope found in you; Sadness overcomes the joy we find in you. P: God of all consolation, grant that we might see your kingdom and live in the way you have intended for us C: that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. P: Hear the Good News. God hears our confession and offers us forgiveness. Not because of what we have done, but because of God s grace shown through Jesus Christ. Know that your sins are forgiven and you are set free. 3
KYRIE Pg. 147 4
HYMN OF PRAISE Pg 148 5
PRAYER OF THE DAY A: Let us pray... C: O God, you show forth your almighty power chiefly by reaching out to us in mercy. Grant us the fullness of your grace, strengthen our trust in your promises, and bring all the world to share in the treasures that come through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. Be Seated FIRST READING: 1 Kings 17:8-16 This chapter begins the story of Elijah. God sends a drought on Israel because of the sins of King Ahab. This passage depicts God s saving acts not only on behalf of Elijah, but also on behalf of those who are associated with the prophet, even a foreigner, the widow of Zarephath. 8 The word of the Lord came to [Elijah,] saying, 9 Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you. 10 So he set out and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink. 11 As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand. 12 But she said, As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die. 13 Elijah said to her, Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the Lord the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth. 15 She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days. 16 The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah. R: This is the word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God. WORD 6
PSALM 146 Leader sings the refrain: The congregation repeats the refrain. Psalm sung responsively. Refrain Tone 1 Hal- lelujah! Praise the Lord, O my soul! 2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. 3 Put not your trust in rulers, in mortals in whom there is no help. 4 When they breathe their last, they re- turn to earth, and in that day their thoughts perish. R 5 Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help, whose hope is in the Lord their God; 6 who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them; who keeps promis- es forever; 7 who gives justice to those who are oppressed, and food to those who hunger. The Lord sets the captive free. 8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. R 9 The Lord cares for the stranger; the Lord sustains the orphan and widow, but frustrates the way of the wicked. 10 The Lord shall reign forever, your God, O Zion, throughout all generations. Hallelujah! R 7
SECOND READING: Hebrews 9:24-28 The letter to the Hebrews describes Christ as a high priest who offers himself as a sacrifice for our sin. Christ does not die again and again each year. He died once, is alive with God, and will reveal himself on the last day. 24 Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own; 26 for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. R: This is the word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God. Please Stand GOSPEL ACCLAMATION Pg 151 8
GOSPEL: Mark 12:38-44 P: The Holy Gospel according to Mark, the 12th chapter. C: Glory to you, O Lord. After engaging in a series of public arguments with religious leaders in the temple, Jesus contrasts the proud and oppressive ways of those leaders with the sacrificial humility and poverty of the widow. 38 As [Jesus] taught, he said, Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39 and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! 40 They devour widows houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation. 41 He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. 43 Then he called his disciples and said to them, Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. 44 For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on. P: The Gospel of the Lord. C: Praise to you, O Christ. CHOIR ANTHEM O God, Beyond All Praising arr. Mark Hayes Be seated SERMON Doug Morton 9
Please stand HYMN OF THE DAY My Lord, What a Morning ELW 438 APOSTLE S CREED C: I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God s only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again 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. 10
THE PRAYERS After each petition, the congregation responds with: C: Hear our prayer. LORD S PRAYER 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, for ever and ever. Amen. SHARING OF THE PEACE P: The peace of the Lord be with you all. C: And also with you. The ministers and congregation greet one another in the name of the Lord. Be seated THANK OFFERING AND CHILDREN S MISSION COLLECTION The coin collection in November will go to Feed My Starving Children. 11
Please stand OFFERTORY HYMN We Are an Offering ELW 692 OFFERING PRAYER A: Lord, with the action of this offering we tell your story: how you have dealt generously with us, how you have met our needs, how you have heard our prayers, how your goodness is from everlasting to everlasting. Bless these offerings which are given in the name of Jesus the Christ, C: Amen. 12
SENDING BLESSING P: May all your expectations be frustrated; may all your plans be thwarted; may all your desires be withered into nothingness, that you may experience the powerlessness of a child who dares to sing, dance, dream, and trust in the love of God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. C: Amen. SENDING HYMN On Jordan s Stormy Bank I Stand ELW 437 13
SENDING A: Go in Peace, C: Making Christ Known Through the Spirit of Hope. A: Thanks be to God. C: Amen! POSTLUDE On Jordan s Stormy Bank I Stand arr. Mark Hayes 14
HOPE LUTHERAN CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS Visitors - Welcome! We are very happy to have you here with us today! Please take a moment to fill out a Visitor Connection card found in the pew, place it in the offering plate or hand to an usher. ADULT FORUM ~ Everyone, 5th grade thru adult, are invited to join us at 9:00am each Sunday in the fellowship hall as Pastor Doug Morton shares the scripture lessons for the day and gives us a bit of insight on the people and the events of Biblical times in preparation for the sermon. SUNDAY SCHOOL ~ combines Hope and Rehoboth congregations from 11:30 12:30. We meet in the Sunday School room in the Fellowship Hall. Different types of lessons and activities are planned, all centered around the messages and scriptures used in our 10am service. For more information, please talk to our Sunday School Team: Pat Killian, Angela Kjer-Lackey, Carol Farnham. Sponsor a Family Watch for the little Christmas Tree in the Gathering Area and pick an ornament. Return the gifts, unwrapped, to church by Sunday, December 2. The children and families we will be shopping for primarily come from an inner city school. Risen Christ School in the Powderhorn neighborhood, where 96% of the population is living in poverty, and over half of these students will be the first member of their family to complete a High School education. Join the annual ecumenical THANKSGIVING EVE SERVICE Wednesday, November 21 at 7:00pm at Minnehaha Methodist Church, 3701 E 50th St. Join the mass choir practice at 6:00pm. Stay for pie after the service. 15
This Week at Hope The coin collection in November will go to support Feed My Starving Children. TOTAL RECEIVED FOR NOVEMBER $46.93 THE CHURCH CALENDAR is online. Check it out at www.hopempls.org. To have something added to the calendar, contact the office at admin@hopempls.org. 16
Prayer Corner Prayers of Comfort and Healing for: Opal Warner, Bonnie Gibbons, Helen Applequist, June Anderson, Marlene Moor PRAYER REQUESTS Make known your prayer request on the backside of the Visitors card in the pew and they will be lifted up. CELEBRATE AN IMPORTANT EVENT or remember someone special with an arrangement of flowers on the altar. $30 suggested donation. Contact the office to arrange the order. If you haven t yet returned your 2019 Stewardship Commitment Cards, please do so. These cards serve two purposes, one is to help us plan to meet our budget for the coming year the other is a prayer-filled commitment between you and God about how you will live out your faith. You can place commitment cards in the offering plate on Sunday or stop by the church office and drop them off. Thanks! Attendance: Sunday, November 4, 2018: 64 Financial Report: Our Mission, Sunday 11/4/2018 Received... $7,784.00 Needed... $4,350.00 Difference... $3,434.00 Our Mission (Operating Fund YTD) Received... $180,848.00 Needed... $191,393.00 Difference... $(10,545.00) Our Outreach (Outside Hope YTD) Received... $5,283.00 Needed... $5,199.00 Difference... $84.00 17
NOKOMIS HEALTHY SENIORS Nokomis Healthy Seniors is a neighborhood based organization specifically designed to help seniors. They offer home health aides, support groups, education, nurse consultation, transportation and more. For more info, contact the NHS office at 612-729-5499. E.B. White's beloved children's novel, Charlotte s Web, adapted by Joseph Robinette, comes to life on the CA stage on November 16 and 17 at 7:00 pm and November 18 at 2:00 pm. Bring the whole family to this delightful production! Tickets are $10 for "best in house" seats, $8 for general admission adults, and $6 for students and senior citizens. Online ticketing is available until midnight the night before the performance. http://www.concordiaacademy.com/about-us/news-and-events.cfm for ticketing links. TAIZE SERVICE It s easy to get caught up in the daily demands of life. In our busyness, we can lose track of ourselves, and of what God is calling us to be and to do. Take an opportunity to slow down, to rest in silence and music. On the second Friday of each month at 7:00 p.m. from October through May, Minnehaha United Methodist Church (3701 E. 50 th St., Minneapolis) offers a Taize service; a time of sanctuary, a time for prayer, a time for community, and a time for silence. As we sing and pray, our hearts are opened so that we may hear God speaking to us. Equal Exchange Coffee Project Hope serves and has available: Coffee: $7.50; Tea: $3.50 Located downstairs in the cabinet by the donuts. HOPE S WEEKLY E-NEWS is sent out each Friday, highlighting the upcoming week s activities. If you aren t receiving this, go to hopempls.org/newsletter to sign up. 18
Although many of our members pitch in to help the congregation function on Sunday morning, many members also serve God by working at Hope throughout the week. But I hope to write a series of articles about members of Hope who serve God outside of what could be called church work. One member of Hope who has served and is continuing to serve God outside of church work is Eileen DePoe. About 12-13 years ago she attended a forum where a speaker from Kinship of Minnesota was the speaker. The speaker talked about the need that some young people have for someone to mentor them. Eileen was interested in this and felt it was something she could do, so she volunteered to be a mentor. Eileen was paired with a young Native American girl who had been referred to this program by her aunt. She was 12 years old at that time and lived in South Minneapolis. Because Eileen got involved in the life of this girls Eileen s husband Dave got involved as well, but to a lesser extent. Since then, and it continues even today, Eileen and this person have met together many times to do things together. She has had the opportunity to encourage her to get involved in helping others, like working at a food shelf and delivering food to those in need. They have visited museums together. They have on occasion worshipped together. Eileen has been there to encourage this now young lady in getting an education. They have established some Christmas traditions with her. This kind of commitment to helping someone is the kind of commitment that does not involve Eileen every day, every week, or not even every month. But it is the kind of commitment that never ends as long as the person is open to this relationship. 19
WELCOME TO HOPE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH 5728 Cedar Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55417 Phone: 612-827-2655 Fax: 612-827-3719 Website: www.hopempls.org E-mail: admin@hopempls.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/hopempls SUNDAY SCHEDULE: 9:00am Adult Forum 10:00am Worship Service 11:00am Fellowship 11:30am Sunday School HOLY COMMUNION is celebrated the 1 st and 3 rd Sundays of each month. All are welcome. Note: Both wine and non-alcoholic grape juice are offered. Gluten-free wafers are available upon request. HANDICAP ACCESS is provided by an elevator at the parking lot entrance, which links all levels of the building. A HEARING ASSISTANCE system, with individual receivers, is available. Please ask an usher. MINNEHAHA AREA CHILD CARE (FORMERLY HOPE PRESCHOOL) Director: Erin Blanck 5712 Cedar Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55417 612-827-4369 director@maccschool.com www.maccschool.com PARTICIPATING IN WORSHIP TODAY Preaching Minister: Pastor Doug Morton Assisting Minister: Cherie DeJarlais Reader: Bunny Anderson Music Director: Mark Hedman Greeter: Charlie & Ginny Olson Overhead: Barb Nelson Ushers: Earl Anderson, Wade Gibbons, Barb Nelson, Bob Shoberg, Paul Ward SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18 TH PARTICIPANTS Presiding Minister: Pastor Eric Luedtke Assisting Minister: Marlan Karbo Reader: Deb Bayer Music Director: Mark Hedman Greeter: Open Overhead: Krista Johnson Communion Assistant: Charlie Olson Ushers: Earl Anderson, Wade Gibbons, Barb Nelson, Bob Shoberg, Paul Ward HOPE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH STAFF Pastor: Eric Luedtke ~ (510) 853-1386 or pastor@hopempls.org Pastoral Associate: Doug Morton ~ (612) 729-6637 or dsmorton@juno.com Music Director: Mark Hedman Administrative Assistant: Tina Raasch Custodian: Russ Utoft An affiliate of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) The enclosed Liturgy, Hymns, Psalms, Readings, Prayers and other information reprinted from the Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006; Renewing Worship 2005; With One Voice 1995; and Lutheran Book of Worship 1978 using Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2008 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #35318 and #9795-S. Additional music is reprinted by permission: CCLI License #1308839. All rights reserved. 20