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 Sixth Sunday of Easter May 1, 2016 Faith, Hope, and Love
Welcome to St. Paul Visiting today? We are glad you are here! Stop by the Welcome Center and receive a sweet gift. Members, please wear your nametag. Extras are located in the pew racks. Rainbow bags for toddlers are on the wooden rack up front on the right. A staffed nursery for infants-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 usher for assistance. Please write your name and other information on the welcome pad. 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 Brian Sogge Lectors 8:30 Heidi Carr 11:00 Terry Kohn Communion Deacons 8:30 Heidi Carr 11:00 Vanda Marsh Bread Hosts 8:30 Lydia Trevino 11:00 Mary Cox Crucifer/Acolytes 8:30 Diane, Grace & Anne Campbell 11:00 Lynda, Charlie & Sasha Baumgartner Greeters 8:30 Jo Larsen, Steve & Heidi Carr 11:00 Bud & Anne Krick, Tom Hansen Ushers 8:30 Craig Dickson, Scott Rambo, Tim McGinnis, John Whitnell 11:00 Bryon Noeske, Terry Kohn, Paul Cook, Larry Hill Fellowship Jean Nass, Pat Noeske Altar Care Susan Mullinger, Lydia Trevino, Dan & Vanda Marsh Welcome Center 8:30 Ann Holmstrom 11:00 Marilyn Dashiell Counters Ann Holmstrom, Paul Cook, Ron Diehl
Preparing to Worship Prelude: (8:30 Piano Duet) Ronda from Sonata III J.C. Bach (11:00) Pleading Savior K. Langlois Confession and Forgiveness Gathering Together in Worship P: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen. P: God of all mercy and consolation, come to the help of your people, turning us from our sin to live for you alone. Give us the power of your Holy Spirit that we may confess our sin, receive your forgiveness, and grow into the fullness of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. C: Amen. P: Most merciful God, C: we confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name. Amen. P: In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us; and for his sake God forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father; and of the Son; and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen.
*Entrance Hymn: ELW, #641 (vv. 1-3) All Are Welcome
*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. *Hymn of Praise: ELW, p.167 Now the Feast and Celebration
*Prayer of the Day P: Bountiful God, you gather your people into your realm, and you promise us food from your tree of life. Nourish us with your word, that empowered by your Spirit we may love one another and the world you have made, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen. *Lesson 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13 But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.. Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. L: Word of God, Word of Life. C: Thanks be to God.
*Gospel Acclamation: *Gospel: Mark 12:28-31 One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, Which commandment is the first of all? Jesus answered, The first is, Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. P: The Gospel of the Lord. C: Praise to you, O Christ. Children s Sermon The Greatest Gift Dana King Sermon Love Is As Love Does Pr. Fred Reklau
*Hymn of the Day: ELW, #644 Although I Speak with Angel s Tongue *Nicene Creed: We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became truly human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. Continued on next page
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified; who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen. *Prayers of the People After each petition of the prayers: A: Hear us, O God. C: Your mercy is great. *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 (11:00 St. Paul Choir) Psalm 23 C. Heine *Offertory Response: ELW, #465 As the Grains of Wheat
*Offertory Prayer A: Blessed are you, O God, ruler of heaven and earth. Day by day you shower us with blessings. As you have raised us to new life in Christ, give us glad and generous hearts, ready to praise you and to respond to those in need, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. C: Amen Sharing the Eucharistic Meal *The Great Thanksgiving Great Thanksgiving P: The Lord be with you. C: And also with you. P: Lift up your hearts. C: We lift them to the Lord. P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. C: It is right to give our thanks and praise. P: It is indeed right... and join their unending hymn:
*Sanctus: ELW, #191 Holy, Holy, Holy Eucharistic Prayer *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 GIA Supplement, p. 18
Music During Communion Hymn: ELW, #492 Eat This Bread, Drink This Cup *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: Loving God, by your spirit we are born anew, and you nourish us like newborns with this holy food, by which we grow into salvation. Give us grace to live as your risen daughters and sons, shining in the world with your marvelous light, until you gather all creation to the heavenly table where Christ reigns in glory forever. C: Amen Going Out into the World Sent by God *Benediction P: The blessing of almighty God, the Father of glory, Jesus Christ our peace, and the Spirit of truth, be upon you and remain with you always. C: Amen (Sending hymn is printed on the following page)
*Sending Hymn: ELW, #641 (vv. 4,5) All Are Welcome *Dismissal A: Go in peace. Christ is with you. C: Thanks be to God. Postlude Blest Be the God of Israel M. Burkhardt