Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church April 22 nd, 2018 Earth and All Creation Day The image of the Good Shepherd shows us how the risen Christ brings us to life. It is the relationship between the shepherd and the sheep, one of mutual knowledge and love, that gives the shepherd authority. The shepherd s willingness to lay down his life for the sheep shows his love. First John illustrates what it means to lay down our lives for one another by the example of sharing our wealth with any sister or brother in need.
WELCOME, ANNOUNCEMENTS, MOMENT, PRAYER PETITIONS, PRELUDE, REFLECTION, LIGHTING OF CANDLES THE CONFESSION OF SIN Gathered in God s presence, let us confess our sin. God of grace and glory, You have brought us through the night of sin into the light of Jesus resurrection. Yet our lives are still shadowed by sin. Make us alive in Christ, O God. Make us new as you make all things new. Rescue us from evil and the gloom of sin, renew us in grace, and restore us to living in your holiness, through Jesus Christ, our risen LORD. Rejoice with all creation around God s throne! The light of the risen Christ puts to flight all evil deeds, washes away sin, restores innocence to the fallen, casts out hate, brings peace, and humbles earthly pride. Jesus Christ loves you and frees you from your sins by his blood. To him be glory and dominion forever and ever! ENTRANCE HYMN All Things Bright and Beautiful, WOV 767 THE KYRIE In peace, let us pray to the LORD. LORD, have mercy. For the peace from above, and for our salvation, let us pray to the LORD. LORD, have mercy. 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. LORD, have mercy. For this holy house, and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the LORD. LORD, have mercy. Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious LORD. 2
THE HYMN OF PRAISE: THE PRAYER OF THE DAY O LORD Christ, good shepherd of the sheep, you seek the lost and guide us into your fold. Feed us, and we shall be satisfied; heal us, and we shall be whole. Make us one with you, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 3
Please sit THE FIRST LESSON: Genesis 1:1-2:3 1 In the beginning when God created [a] the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God [b] swept over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, Let there be light ; and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. 6 And God said, Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters. 7 So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. 8 God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. 9 And God said, Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear. And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it. And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day. 14 And God said, Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth. And it was so. 16 God made the two great lights the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night and the stars. 17 God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. 20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky. 21 So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth. 23 And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day. 24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind. And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, Let us make humankind [c] in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, [d] and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. 27 So God created humankind [e] in his image, in the image of God he created them; [f] male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them, and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth. 29 God said, See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food. And it was so. 31 God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. 2 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. 2 And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation. The Word of the LORD. Thanks be to God. 4
PSALM: Psalm 19:1-6 1 The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. 2 Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; 4 yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun, 5 which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy. 6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them; and nothing is hid from its heat. Those able, please stand THE GOSPEL ACCLAMATION THE GOSPEL: John 10:11-18 The Holy Gospel according to John, the tenth chapter. [Jesus said:] 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father. The Gospel of the LORD. Please sit 5
SERMON: PASTOR JAMIE HYMN Touch the Earth Lightly, ELW 739 APOSTLES CREED I believe in God, the Father, almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his 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. THE PRAYERS Rejoicing in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we pray for the witness of the church, the wholeness of creation, and all who are in need. A brief silence. Bless all who shepherd your sheep and guide them in their serving. We pray for church custodians, office managers, Sunday school teachers, confirmation leaders, baptismal sponsors, deacons, pastors, youth workers, and bishops. LORD, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Restore natural environments damaged by our hands. We pray for river valleys and grassy plains, coral reefs and arctic ice, mountains, deserts, and marshlands. LORD, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Protect and guide first responders. Bring mercy and justice with their presence. We pray for military personnel, firefighters, paramedics, and police officers, and for disaster relief and crisis intervention teams. LORD, in your mercy, 6
hear our prayer. Heal and renew all who ache for a better tomorrow. We pray for the unemployed and underemployed, the forgotten, the nameless, and the outcasts; for our enemies; and for our loved ones (especially). LORD, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Give to all who are restless, reckless, or uncertain the peace you promise that is deeper and richer than anything we can imagine. We pray for all who live with chronic pain, who live with anxiety, and who are ill or hospitalized (especially). LORD, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Here other intercessions may be offered. Nourish us with the testimony of all the disciples who have gone before us. We give thanks for the faithful departed and their witness in every age. LORD, in your mercy, hear our prayer. We entrust all our prayers to you, gracious God. Receive them by the power of the Holy Spirit and the love of your Son, Jesus Christ our LORD. THE SHARING OF THE PEACE The peace of the LORD be with you always. And also with you. Please sit PRESENTATION OF THE GIFTS AND OFFERTORY THE OFFERTORY PRAYER Be known to us, O LORD, in the breaking of the bread, as you were made known to the disciples. Receive these gifts, and the offering of our lives, that we may be your risen body in the world. 7
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING The LORD be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the LORD. Let us give thanks to the LORD our God. It is right to give God thanks and praise. THE PREFACE (Pastor) It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. For you are the source of light and life, you made us in your image, and called us to new life in Jesus Christ our LORD. Therefore we praise you, join in our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who forever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name: In the night in which he was betrayed, our LORD Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me. Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me. THE LORD S PRAYER LORD, remember us in your kingdom, and teach us to pray: 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 8
INVITATION TO COMMUNION Please sit THE DISTRIBUTION OF COMMUNION COMMUNION HYMNS Hymn of Promise 9
For the Fruit of all Creation WOV 760 Please stand The body and blood of our LORD Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace. Amen 10
THE PRAYER Life-giving God, In the mystery of Christ s death and resurrection you send light to conquer darkness, water to give new life, and the bread of heaven to nourish your people. Send us forth as witnesses to Jesus resurrection that we may show your glory to all the world; through the same Jesus Christ, our risen LORD. THE BENEDICTION The LORD bless you and keep you. The LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The LORD lift up the light of his countenance upon you and give you peace. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. CLOSING HYMN For the Beauty of the Earth, LBW 561 DISMISSAL Alleluia! Christ is risen. Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia! You are the body of Christ raised up for the world. Go in peace. Share the good news. Thanks be to God. 11