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 Sunday, March 24, 2019 10:45 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 Music How Deep the Father s Love for Us Townend/Bettcher Spirit Ringers Welcome and Theme of the Day These forty days called Lent are like no other. It is our opportune time to return to God who rescues; to receive the gifts of God s grace; to believe with the heart and confess with the mouth the wonder of God s love in Jesus; and to resist temptation at every turn. This is no small pilgrimage on which we have just embarked. It is a struggle Jesus knew. It is a struggle Jesus shares. The nearness of the Lord, in bread and wine, water and word, will uphold and sustain us. *Confession and Forgiveness All may make the sign of the cross, the sign marked at baptism. 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. Amen. Let us come home to God, confessing our sin. Silence for reflection. Holy God, we confess that we have grown complacent in our response to you. You give us a rich feast of blessing, but we are drawn to things that cannot satisfy. You call us to attend to urgent needs in the world, but we indulge our own desires. Our ways are not your ways; our thoughts do not ascend to your thoughts. Forgive us when we fall short of your claim on our lives. Disturb our complacency and quicken our desire for a more fruitful life. Be patient, we pray, as we amend who we are, in the hope of becoming who you intend us to be. We ask this in the name of our Savior, your Son, Jesus + Christ. Amen. 2
God s love is sure and steadfast, always providing a way out, a way through, a way back to God. Through the waters of baptism, we have died with Christ and are raised with him. With gratitude, in faith, we will walk the way of Christ. Amen. *Gathering Song In the Cross of Christ I Glory ELW Hymn 324 *Greeting The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And also with you. *Kyrie WOV, setting 4 3
*Prayer of the Day Let us pray together Eternal God, your kingdom has broken into our troubled world through the life, death, and resurrection of your Son. As your people, we are thirsty for the living water you alone give. Help us to hear your word and obey it, and bring your life-saving love to fruition in our lives, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. 4
Word First Reading A Reading from Isaiah 55:1-9. NRSV, page 598 To those who have experienced long years in exile, the return to their homeland is a celebration of abundant life. God calls them into an everlasting covenant of love. Those who return to the Lord will enjoy new life and forgiveness, because God s ways are not our ways. After the reading, The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God! Psalm 63:1-8 The assembly reads responsively. O God, you are my God; eagerly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Therefore I have gazed upon you in your holy place, that I might behold your power and your glory. For your steadfast love is better than life itself; my lips shall give you praise. So will I bless you as long as I live and lift up my hands in your name. My spirit is content, as with the richest of foods, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the night watches. For you have been my helper, and under the shadow of your wings I will rejoice. My whole being clings to you; your right hand holds me fast. Second Reading A Reading from 1 Corinthians 10:1-13. NRSV, page 931 Paul uses images from Hebrew story and prophecy to speak the truth of Jesus Christ: He is our rock, our water, our food, and our drink. Christ is the living sign of God s faithfulness. After the reading, The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God! 5
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 Acclamation WOV Setting 4 *Gospel The Holy Gospel according to Luke 13:1-9. NRSV, page 848 Glory to you, O Lord. Asked about current tragic events, Jesus turns a lesson about whether suffering is deserved into a hard call to obedience. He then tells a parable that holds out hope that the timeline for ultimate judgment will be tempered by patience. After the reading of the gospel, The Gospel of Our Lord! Praise to You, O Christ. Sermon Pr. Spencer Steele *Hymn of the Day Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound ELW Hymn 779 6
*Small Catechism of Martin Luther: Apostles Creed In ancient and modern times, Lent has been the time for instruction of candidates preparing for their baptism at the Easter Vigil and during the Easter season. At the same time, the whole Church anticipates Easter through acts of repentance and spiritual renewal. We review the basics of our faith during these Sundays in Lent, so that we all will be renewed by our baptismal covenants and ready for the celebration of Easter. The Second Article: On Redemption 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 to the dead. 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 to judge the living and the dead. What does this mean? I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father in eternity, and also a true human being, born of the virgin Mary, is my Lord. He has redeemed me, a lost and condemned human being. He has purchased and freed me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver but with his holy, precious blood and with his innocent suffering and death. He has done all this in order that I may belong to him, live under him in his kingdom, and serve him in eternal righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as he is risen from the dead and lives and rules eternally. This is most certainly true. Luther s Small Catechism, ELW, page 1162 *Prayers of the People Seeking the grace, mercy, and love of almighty God, we offer our prayers for the church, for people in need, and for all of creation. After each petition: Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great. Reveal your will as you receive our prayers, and conform our ways to your ways; through the saving work of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 7
*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 Kyrie from Requiem Rutter Adult Choir 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. *Blessing of Quilts Please lay your hands on one of the quilts to bless them. Let us pray. O Lord our God, maker of all things, you have blessed Stitch and Chat with so many gifts a good eye for color, the ability to make fine stitches, the skills to develop ever-new and exciting patterns. Now we offer the fruits of their labor to you. We dedicate these quilts to your service, trusting that your love will go to Daybreak where each quilt is sent, making it more than just a piece of material, a collection of items making each piece we have created an expression of love and care. There is no way for us to imagine the power and effect an act of love can have on a person s life how you can use something as small as a quilt to radiate your love from us to the world. May these be used in your service and become blessings for all who receive them. Lord, we know that all we possess comes from your loving hand. Give us grace to honor you with all of our being: draw our hearts to you, guide our minds, fill our imaginations, control our wills, so that we may be wholly yours. Use us always to your glory and the welfare of people everywhere. Amen. 8
Meal *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 our thanks and praise. It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God, through our Savior Jesus Christ. You call your people to cleanse their hearts and prepare with joy for the paschal feast, that, renewed in the gift of baptism, we may come to the fullness of your grace. And so, with all the choirs of angels, with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn: Holy, Holy, Holy WOV, setting 4 9
O God, Creator of our wilderness world, O God, Savior of the lost, O God, Comforter of the sick and suffering, we give you thanks for your everlasting might; we glorify you for your covenant of mercy. For forty days you cleansed the earth with the waters of the flood. For forty days you illumined Moses with the words of your law. For forty years you fed your people with manna from heaven. You became truly human in Jesus our brother. For forty days, with fasting and prayer, Jesus renounced the power of the devil. Words of Institution We exalt Jesus life. Amen. We lament our Saviour s death. Amen. We celebrate Christ s resurrection. Amen. Transform us, O God, with your lively Spirit. Make this food into manna for our journey, the body and blood of your Son. Give us with the people of Jonah forty days of repentance. Teach us your words of wisdom and justice. Renew the whole earth with baptismal grace. At the last, lead all your pilgrim people through our deserts into your Easter garden. To you, O God, Creator, Savior, Comforter, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be our worship and praise, adoration and thanksgiving, now and forever. Amen. *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. 10
*Invitation to Communion Return to God with all your heart. Receive bread for the journey, drink for the desert. 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, and may kneel or stand at the altar rail. Gluten free wafers are available. Our wine is grape juice so that all may freely receive and is served by common or individual cup. Please return to your seat 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. Communion Songs The assembly sings of the loving sacrifice of Christ. Lamb of God WOV Setting 4 11
Communion Solo Pie Jesu Rutter Elizabeth Moessner Communion Song There Is a Balm in Gilead ELW Hymn 614 *Prayer Let us pray. Tender and merciful one, at your feast, you fed us who brought nothing, turning our emptiness into joy. Filled with your abundant grace, send us now to be ministers of reconciliation, mending broken hearts, working for justice, and striving for peace among all people, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. *Blessing Sending In this season of Lent, may we practice the way of life to which we have been called the way of Jesus Christ. May God who has called us forth from the dust of the earth, and claimed us as children of the light, strengthen us on our journey into life renewed. God, who fills the creation with abundance, Christ, who spreads his arms in forgiveness, Holy Spirit, who draws ever near to us, bless you and bring you to life everlasting. Amen. *Sending Song Guide Me Ever, Great Redeemer ELW Hymn 618 *Dismissal The assisting minister sends the assembly into mission. Marked with the cross of Christ, go forth to love and serve the Lord. Thanks be to God! Postlude Postlude on Cwm Rhondda setting: Christiansen CCLI #678084 One License A-701076 HymnPrint.net License #11804. The Toolkit all content Changing Church Forum, Inc. Reproducible for church use only. Liturgy from Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2018 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. Some liturgy reprinted by permission of Westminster John Knox Press from Feasting on the Word Worship Companion. 2014. Used by permission. Thanksgiving at the Table from Pray, Praise, and Give Thanks: A Collection of Litanies, Laments, and Thanksgivings at Font and Table by Gail Ramshaw, copyright 2017 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. The liturgical text in this file is intended for corporate worship and may be reproduced by the purchaser of Pray, Praise, and Give Thanks for local use only, but not for sale, provided all copies carry this copyright notice: Copyright 2017 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reproduced by permission. ] 12