Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit 3461 Cedar Crest Blvd. EMAIL Info@holyspirit-emmaus.org Emmaus, PA 18049-1599 www.lchsemmaus.org PHONE 610.967.2220 www.facebook.com/lchsemmaus FAX 610.966.3021 Spirit Alive! upbeat Christ-Centered Fifth Sunday after Epiphany Sunday, February 10, 2019 8:45 am The Holy Spirit Empowers Us for Ministry in Daily Life Gathered by God s grace and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we invite and welcome all people to join us on our journey to become more faithful ministers of Jesus Christ in our homes, our communities, and the world.
ELW refers to the Evangelical Lutheran Worship, the red worship book. Page numbers are in the front of the book with hymn numbers following in the middle & end. During worship, please silence all communication devices. *As you are able, please stand. Gathering Gathering and Fellowship Welcome and Theme of the Day The fifth Sunday after Epiphany continues to highlight unlikely instruments and circumstances appointed to reveal the glory of the Lord. Who will go for us? queries the voice of the Lord. A man of unclean lips, a former persecutor of the church of God, and three fishermen who couldn t catch a thing. More surprising still, perhaps, is the fact that we are also called. *Gathering Psalm 138 The assembly reads responsively. With all my heart I praise you, LORD. In the presence of angels I sing your praises. I worship at your holy temple and praise you for your love and your faithfulness. You were true to your word and made yourself more famous than ever before. When I asked for your help, you answered my prayer and gave me courage. All kings on this earth have heard your promises, LORD, and they will praise you. You are so famous that they will sing about the things you have done. You, LORD, will always treat me with kindness. Your love never fails. You have made us what we are. Don t give up on us now! *Gathering Song Lord, I Lift Your Name on High ELW Hymn 857 2
*Prayer of the Day Let us pray together. Most holy God, the earth is filled with your glory, and before you angels and saints stand in awe. Enlarge our vision to see your power at work in the world, and by your grace make us heralds of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. Word First Reading A Reading from 1 Corinthians 15:1-11. CEV Bible Paul delivers in a nutshell the story of the gospel that was given to him. In the lineage of the Christian faith, we have received the good news of God s love from generations of believers before us, and we continue to tell this story to the world. My friends, I want you to remember the message that I preached and that you believed and trusted. You will be saved by this message, if you hold firmly to it. But if you don t, your faith was all for nothing. I told you the most important part of the message exactly as it was told to me. That part is: Christ died for our sins, as the Scriptures say. He was buried, and three days later he was raised to life, as the Scriptures say. Christ appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After this, he appeared to more than five hundred other followers. Most of them are still alive, but some have died. He also appeared to James, and then to all of the apostles. Finally, he appeared to me, even though I am like someone who was born at the wrong time. I am the least important of all the apostles. In fact, I caused so much trouble for God s church that I don t even deserve to be called an apostle. But God was kind! He made me what I am, and his wonderful kindness wasn t wasted. I worked much harder than any of the other apostles, although it was really God s kindness at work and not me. But it doesn t matter if I preached or if they preached. All of you believed the message just the same. Word of God, Word of Light. Thanks be to God! 3
Word for God s Children Children ages 3 7 are invited to the All Saints Room. They will return after the Sermon. We encourage at least one parent to be present. *Gospel The Holy Gospel according to Luke 5:1 11. The Message Bible Open our hearts, Lord Jesus teaching of God s word has begun to draw great crowds. For Simon, James, and John, Jesus teaching inspires hospitality, then obedience, and then risk. After Jesus creative power is revealed, fear and amazement lead these three fishermen to leave everything behind in order to become apostles. Once when he was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, the crowd was pushing in on him to better hear the Word of God. He noticed two boats tied up. The fishermen had just left them and were out scrubbing their nets. He climbed into the boat that was Simon s and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Sitting there, using the boat for a pulpit, he taught the crowd. When he finished teaching, he said to Simon, Push out into deep water and let your nets out for a catch. Simon said, Lord, we ve been fishing hard all night and haven t caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I ll let out the nets. It was no sooner said than done a huge haul of fish, straining the nets past capacity. They waved to their partners in the other boat to come help them. They filled both boats, nearly swamping them with the catch. Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell to his knees before Jesus. Lord, leave. I m a sinner and can t handle this holiness. Leave me to myself. When they pulled in that catch of fish, awe overwhelmed Simon and everyone with him. It was the same with James and John, Zebedee s sons, coworkers with Simon. Jesus said to Simon, There is nothing to fear. From now on you ll be fishing for men and women. They pulled their boats up on the beach, left them, nets and all, and followed him. This is the good news! Thanks be to God! Hallelujah! Sermon Pr. Spencer Steele 4
*Word in Song You Have Come Down to the Lakeshore ELW Hymn 817 *Epiphany Affirmation Let us affirm our faith. We believe in God, the creator and giver of life, who brought all creation to birth, who mothers us and fathers us, protecting, nurturing, and cherishing us. We believe in Jesus Christ: God born among us as a fragile baby, embodying both love and the need for love, and calling us to rest in God as trustingly as a tiny child. We believe in the Holy Spirit, breathed into us at our birth, always drawing us to be born again, encouraging, comforting, nourishing our growth and inspiring our living. We believe in the reconciliation of the world to God, through Christ. Hunted at birth and humiliated at death, Christ entered our fearful darkness so that we may enter his glorious light and share the life of his resurrection. And we believe that each new child is a glimpse of the face of God, a sign of the life to come, and a call to live in peace and celebrate living together. Glory to God in the highest, and God's peace to all people on earth. Amen. *Prayers of the People United as one body in Christ, let us pray for the church, the world, and all those in need. After each petition: Call us, O God, to be your light. Receive our prayers and fill us with the radiance of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 5
*Share the Peace The peace of Christ be with you always. And also with you. The people greet one another with the peace of Christ. Offering My Lighthouse Rend Collective Lisa and Linc Walton, soloists and Larry Killingsworth, banjo The assembly responds to the Word of God by gathering an offering for the mission of the church, including the care of those in need. The music is offered as a gift to the glory of God. You may give your offering in the offering plate, or by using a credit or debit card at the Giving Kiosk, or Give by Text (610-981-1312), or through Simply Giving, or by sending it to the church office. The table is set. Installation of Congregation Council *Word in Meal Meal We have come looking for the child wondering where that love is born, Seeking that joy that satisfies our thirst. We have come to this place where wise people and shepherds and young women met. We have come to this place called Bethlehem. To this place where our hearts rise like yeast. To this place where we meet our newborn hope. To this place where we taste our deepest joy. In Bethlehem, where we assumed the worst, imagining that no good can come, we somehow missed its name - Bethlehem. Bethel means house. Lehem means bread. There is something here that will satisfy our hunger. No matter how long we have wandered, here our hearts arise. Our light has come. In this bread and in this cup, we celebrate something we can t quite understand. Because God has made a house at this table. Because God satisfies our hunger in the most unlikely places. Because God comes to be with us in and through the bread. 6
It is with this expectation that we come to the table to taste and see that God is here. Holy Spirit, be present in, with and under this bread and this cup. Words of Institution Transform these ordinary objects as you change our hearts to shape and form your world with the joys you promise. Pour your grace on us, so we overflow with your love. Help us to remember how a newborn baby grows into a little child that would one day turn to his hope-filled friends in an upper room Come, Lord Jesus, come and transform our lives for the sake of the world. *Lord s Prayer Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us: 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. *Invitation to Communion Come to the table. Feast on God s abundant life for you. Amen. Sacrament of Holy Communion All who are baptized and believe in the presence of Jesus Christ in Holy Communion are welcome to receive the Sacrament. To facilitate flow, the ushers invite the side sections, the front few rows and then the back rows. The people come forward, using the center aisle in two lines, to receive the bread from the ministers, then go to the side to dip their bread into the wine. Grape juice is used in our celebration so that all may freely receive. In addition, gluten free wafers are available. After receiving the elements, people may kneel at the altar rail for prayer, and return to their seats using the side aisles. Children may receive the sacrament if they have completed instruction with a pastor. Children who do not commune may come forward for a blessing. 7
Communion Songs The assembly sings of the light of the world. I Come with Joy ELW Hymn 482 You Satisfy the Hungry Heart ELW Hymn 484 Will You Come and Follow Me ELW Hymn 798 *Prayer Let us pray. We thank you, O God, that you have fed us at your banqueting table with bread and wine beyond compare, the very life of Christ for us. Send your Spirit with us now, that we may set the captive free, use your gifts to build one another up, and in everything reflect your glory revealed in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. Sending *Blessing The God of glory dwell in you richly, name you beloved, and shine brightly on your path. The blessing of almighty God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be on you and remain with you always. Amen. *Sending Song Go Make Disciples ELW Hymn 540 *Dismissal The assisting minister sends the assembly into mission. Go in peace. Christ is your light. Thanks be to God. CCLI #678084 One License A-701076 The Toolkit all content Changing Church Forum, Inc. Reproducible for church use only. Liturgy from Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2019 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #20593. New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 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. HymnPrint.net License #11804. The Message (MSG) Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission. Some liturgy reprinted by permission of Westminster John Knox Press from Feasting on the Word Worship Companion. 2014. Used by permission. Epiphany Affirmation of Faith written by Nathan Nettleton, 1999, incorporating some lines from "Midwife of our lives" by Kathy Galloway published in Kathy Galloway (ed.) The Pattern of Our Days, Glasgow: Wild Goose Publications, 1996, p.138. from laughingbird.net/seasonalpages/christmas.html. Word in meal Eucharistic prayer submitted to Liturgylink.net by Rev. Elsa Peters, the United Churches of Olympia, WA. Blessing from Sundays and Seasons. 8