Please keep these people in your thoughts and prayers: Ruth Bath Betty Andress Beatrice Harmon Linda Hurley Edna Burger Pearl Shaw Nancy Pursel Michael Bath Larry Keller Lori Lowery Shelby Triantis Shawn Timbrell Gerald Kershner Carol Chambers Penny Slusser Veronica Simeone Rich Payne Linda Chapin Kelly Bulla Peggy Morgan Lori Kusail Mildred McCarr Sandi Remphrey Dale Slusser John & Pat Kachurka Paul Torsella Dolores Kovatch John Reed Lou Guarino George & Anna Lee Patti Pavetti Joyce Joline Ron Taylor Bonnie Walk Steve Slusser Susan Forsythe Milly Schell Scott Farley Bonnie Durkin Trisha Baker Cynthia Austin Jean Brown Mervin Kreischer Friends & Family of Beth Bodwalk, Ruth Force, and Duncan Heidler Our leaders & Military Personnel And All Others. Fifth Sunday in Lent Nescopeck, Pennsylvania Faith United Evangelical Lutheran Church Week of March 6, 2016: Thank you for your generosity! Worship Attendance... 53 Weekly Tithe (Envelopes & Simply Giving)...$1,495.00 Loose Offerings (Plate & Sunday school offering)...$43.00 2016 Weekly Operating Budget.... ($2,128) 2016 Capital Improvement Campaign YTD.... $11,377.00 Improvement Envelopes...$50.00 Our 2016 Benevolence (Mission Support) goal is $6,500 and World Hunger goal is $800. Mission Support donations for2016 YTD: $1,099.00 World Hunger YTD: $115.00 16 FAITH UNITED EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH 801 E. Third St., Box 335 Nescopeck, PA 18635 (570)759-2469, office (570)752-7401, parsonage fuelchurch@verizon.net Website: www.faithunitednescopeck.org The People of Faith United........Ministers Pastor Jessica Kingsborough....... Pastor Penny Slusser... Organist & Director of Music John Durkin............. Board President Mary Skwierz.......Treasurer Mary Drew...... Congregational Secretary Jackie Galutia.........Financial Secretary Heather Boston (Helping Hands)........Custodian v v v Sunday, March 13th, 2016 10:30am WELCOME ONE AND ALL! The mission of Faith United ELC is creating a Christcentered, Spirit driven gathering of excited Christians by: Providing meaningful w orship Reaching out and serving all people Communicating new opportunities for ministry 1
2 ORDER OF SERVICE P = Presiding Minister A = Assisting Minister C = Congregation ELW = red hymnal OSB = other song book (Best of the Best) Prelude: Londenderry Air arr. Bober Confession and Forgiveness P: Blessed be the holy Trinity, + one God, who brings us safely through the sea, who gives us water from the rock, who leads us into the land of milk and honey. P: Let us come home to God, confessing our sin. Please kneel or remain standing. P: Merciful Father, C: we have sinned against heaven and before you. We do not fully live as your sons and daughters. We use your gifts to our own ends. Forgive us and restore us, that we may resist all that draws us away from you, and be at peace with one another. Amen. P: We are reconciled to God through Christ; for his sake, God does not count our trespasses against us. Once dead in sin, we are now alive to God. Once lost, we now are found. God clothes you in the finest robe of all, the righteousness of + Jesus Christ, forgiving you all your sins and making of you a new creation. C: Amen Gathering Hymn: ELW #803 When I Survey the Wondrous Cross Greeting P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. C: And also with you. Kyrie ing with this endeavor. We need baskets with a minimum value of $20 not to exceed $25 each (only new items please). Please take a card from the board in the back and attach it to your basket with all the items in the basket listed on the back of the card. All baskets due no later than April 3! Pre-sale tickets are available for $15 ea./20 games or $20 ea. at the door the day of bingo. Please see Carla Farley, 570-204-3972 or Jane Keller, 570-204-5435 for tickets. Also, Bonnie Durkin or Vicky Whitmire. MIDWEEK LENTEN SERVICES: This year we are joining up with the Berwick Area Methodist Cluster. All services are held at Wesley UMC in Nescopeck on Wednesdays at 7pm. The theme and preacher for the last service is as follows: March 16th, Pain (Rev. Tom Jones, First UMC). The Good Friday service will be March 25th at First UCC at 7pm. TALENT SHOW: Saturday, March 12th, 6pm in the social room of Faith United. Sign up sheet in back of church! Sign up today, we are all ready for a good laugh! Be creative! We will be collecting jars of peanut butter as a donation for the Nescopeck Food Cupboard. Contact Doug Farley at 570-594-2621 or Carla Farley 570-204- 3972. MISSION INTERPRETER VISIT: Today we will be having Georgia Suranofsky, a Mission Interpreter for the synod, worshipping with us. She will be speaking about the importance of our mission support and where exactly our money goes. Come with your questions and learn about how our contribution impacts others around our community, synod, and world. MAUNDY THURSDAY DINNER CHURCH: If you are interested in donating or helping with this year s Maundy Thursday Dinner Church on Thurs. March 24th at 6pm, please contact Tina Superko at 570-752-3544. 15
This Week at F.U.E.L: Week of March 13, 2016 March 19, 2016 Today: Assembling Care Packets Tuesday: Guitars 6:00pm, Choir 7:00pm Wednesday: Lenten Svc. @ Wesley 7:00pm Thursday: Emmaus Bible Study @ Parsonage 7:00pm Saturday: Youth Outing @ P-nut Bowl All Bulletin announcements will be due the Tuesday before Sunday Worship. Fuel Announcements PALM SUNDAY SKIT: A Most Unusual Parade ; The Triumphant Entry: A Palm Sunday Parody. We are looking for children 5 years of age and older to take part in a Palm Sunday skit. Please contact Tina Baucher at 570441-5245. Practice is Sunday, March 20, at 9am, with the skit being Sunday, March 20, at 10:30am during worship. COMMUNITY OUTREACH: Basket Bingo! That s right, it s that time again! Mark your calendars, April 9, 2016. Doors open at 12 noon. First game called at 1pm. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 the day of the bingo. Food will be available for the day by FUEL members with proceeds to General Fund. There is a sign-up sheet for food donations in the back of the church. Please contact Tina Baucher for any questions regarding the food at 570-441-5245. The Bingo itself will benefit Community Outreach and General Fund. Please consider help14 Prayer of the Day P: Let us pray...creator God, you prepare a new way in the wilderness, and your grace waters our desert. Open our hearts to be transformed by the new thing you are doing, that our lives may proclaim the extravagance of your love given to all through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 3
First Reading: Isaiah 43:16-21 L: A reading from Isaiah. 16 Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, 17 who brings out chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick: 18 Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. 19 I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. 20 The wild animals will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, 21 the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise. Psalm 126 (chanted) L: The Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God. Helping with Worship Today Greeter: Rose & John Hanley Lector: Doug Farley Ushers: Doug & Carla Farley, John Durkin, Betty Mowery Acolyte: Maiah Farley Communion Helper: Jared Watts Communion Assistant: Tammy Frey Assisting Minister: Tina Baucher Counters: John Durkin, Cindy Lombard When the Lord restored the for- * tunes of Zion, then were we like * those who dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with * shouts of joy. Then they said among the nations, The Lord has done great * things for them. The Lord has done great * things for us, and we are * glad indeed. Restore our for- * tunes, O Lord, like the watercourses * of the Negeb. Those who * sowed with tears will reap with * songs of joy, Those who go out weeping, carry- * ing the seed, will come again with joy, shoulder- * ing their sheaves. Helping with Worship 3/20/16 Greeter: Freda Pague Lector: Bobby Frey Ushers: Todd & Rose Thomas, Willie Turnack, Carl Whitmire Acolyte: Leah Watts Communion Helper: Jake Seely Communion Assistant: Tina Baucher Assisting Minister: Tammy Frey Counters: Robin Seely, Lori Bankes 4 13
you always. Announcements (Please see pages 14-15 in your bulletin) Sending Hymn ELW #722 O Christ, Your Heart, Compassionate Dismissal A: Go in peace. Remember the poor. C: Thanks be to God. Reprinted from Evangelical Lutheran Worship, copyright 2006 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Augsburg Fortress license #14513-LIT WELCOME VISITORS! We are glad to have you with us this morning! If you do not have a church home, we invite you to join our fellowship. The flowers on the altar are presented to the Glory of God in loving memory of son John by Rose and John Hanley. This month s Eternal Light has been sponsored by Willie & Bea Turnack in memory of loved ones. This week s Bulletin has not been sponsored. If you are interested in sponsoring, please see the sign up sheet in the back of the sanctuary. Anthem Jesus Paid It All arr. Schrader Second Reading: Philippians 3:4b-14 L: A reading from Philippians. 4 If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, 11 if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. L: The Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God. Lenten Acclamation 12 5
P: The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the 12th chapter. C: Glory to you, O Lord. Gospel Reading: John 12:1-8 Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2 There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3 Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5 Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor? 6 (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) 7 Jesus said, Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me. grape juice. When you have received the bread and wine (or juice), return to your pew via the side aisle. Children and others who do not wish to receive communion are welcome to come forward for a blessing. If you have not yet filled out a communion card this year please take the time to do that today. Music During Distribution: Lamb of God, quiet music P: The Gospel of the Lord. C: Praise to you, O Christ. Message: Georgia Suranofsky, Mission Interpreter Hymn of the Day: ELW #337 Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed Apostles Creed A: As we journey together with Christ, we confess our faith in the words of the Apostles 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, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, 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, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and 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. 6 Post-Communion Blessing P: The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace. Prayer after Communion A: O God, we thank you for gathering and feeding us as a mother hen embraces her young. Release us now to go on our way in these forty days, ready to see our work as prayer, ready to fast from complacency, and ready to share with those in need; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Blessing 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 11
heal the sick and suffering, who preached good news to the poor, and who, on the cross, opened his arms to all. 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. Remembering, therefore, his death, resurrection, and ascension, we await his coming in glory. Pour out upon us the Spirit of your love, O Lord, and unite the wills of all who share this heavenly food, the body and blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord; to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be all honor and glory, now and forever. Lord s Prayer P: Lord, remember us in your kingdom, and teach us to pray: 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, forever and ever. Amen. P: All who thirst, all who hunger, come and be filled with the goodness of God. Holy Communion As a member of the ELCA, Faith United celebrates open communion. All those who wish to receive the grace found in Christ are welcome to come forward to the table to share in communion. Following the usher s guidance, please come forward down the center aisle, and receive an individual cup. There are two chalices (pouring cups); the first contains wine and the second 10 Joys and Concerns Prayers of the Church A: Hearing the call to return to the Lord, let us join the whole people of God in prayer for all who cry out in pain and in hope. (A brief silence) Holy God, in times of both joy and sorrow you call us to worship you. Bless the work of musicians, altar guilds, readers, presiding and assisting ministers, and all who serve in worship. Sustain them with your Spirit as we journey toward Holy Week. Lord, in your mercy, A: Creative God, you made every living creature and saw that it was good. Teach us to care for the homelands of animals in the wild. Lord, in your mercy, A: Living God, you require mercy and justice. Bless the work of all organizations that work to restore cities and countries, especially Lutheran Volunteer Corps and Lutheran Disaster Response. Lord, in your mercy, A: Compassionate God, you make a way out of no way. Give your peace and vision to all who struggle with addiction, depression, grief, or illness, especially (names). Make a plain that in the midst of suffering, you are suffering, and that your desire is wholeness and life. Lord, in your mercy, A: Shepherding God, you tend your flock with mercy and love. Guide the outreach ministries of this congregation. Strengthen our relationships in this community as we serve our neighbors in love. Lord, in your mercy, A: Triune God, in you there is abundant life. Deepen our union with you, that in living we may die and in dying we may live with all your saints. Lord, in your mercy, P: To you, gracious God, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your boundless mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Savior. 7
Great Thanksgiving Peace P: The peace of the Lord be with you always. C: And also with you. (The congregation shares a sign of peace by simply saying Peace be with you.) Offering Offertory Response Let the Vineyards P: It is indeed right, our duty and join their unending hymn: Offering Prayer A: Let us pray...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. 8 Eucharistic Prayer P: Holy, mighty, and merciful Lord, heaven and earth are full of your glory. In great love you sent to us Jesus, your Son, who reached out to 9