HOLY COMMUNION Christ revealed as merciful redeemer Prayer and anointing for healing Exploring the promise of God for all Love your enemies; do not judge Sunday, February 24, 2019 10:30 am Choral Eucharist The Holy Spirit gathers us in unity on the first day of the week. Christ, the second Adam, leads us into the garden of Paradise Mercy. Mercy. Mercy. Joseph lives it in Egypt. Jesus preaches it in the gospel. The Spirit guides us into merciful lives with the power of forgiveness to reconcile what is fractured and divided. Such merciful living is the baptismal blessing of having put on Christ. It is the gift of the life-giving Spirit. It is a reflection of the glory of God revealed in the Christ. PRELUDE Variations on the tune Hyfrydol GATHERING The carillon calls the assembly to worship. At the sound of the bell the assembly stands to face the worship leaders at the back of the church. PROCESSIONAL HYMN (hymn) 615 In All Our Grief stanza 1 all; 2 higher voices (all on refrain); 3 lower voices (all on refrain); 4 all GREETING AND PRAYER OF THE DAY P The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. a And also with you. P Let us pray. O Lord Jesus, make us instruments of your peace, that where there is hatred, we may sow love, where there is injury, pardon, and where there is despair, hope. Grant, O divine master, that we may seek to console, to understand, and to love in your name, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. a Amen. The presider continues with words of welcome. God speaks to us in scripture reading, preaching, and song. WORD CHILDREN S WORD Children are invited to come forward; parents are welcome to come with their children. - 1 -
Many years after being sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, Joseph reveals himself to them. Now the second-incommand in Egypt, Joseph reassures his brothers that God has used their evil intentions for good, to preserve life during a devastating famine, and Joseph forgives them. READING Joseph forgives his brothers Genesis 45:3-11, 15 a Joseph said to his brothers, I am Joseph. Is my father still alive? But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence. 4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, Come closer to me. And they came closer. He said, I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7 God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9 Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. 10 You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children s children, as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. 11 I will provide for you there since there are five more years of famine to come so that you and your household, and all that you have, will not come to poverty. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him. Praise to Christ the Word. Thanks be to God. PSALM Psalm 37 c Refrain a Refrain c a c a Do not fret yourself because of evildoers, do not be jealous of those who do wrong. For they shall soon wither like the grass, and like the grass fade away. Put your trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and feed on its riches. Take delight in the Lord who shall give you your heart s desire. Refrain Commit your way to the Lord, put your trust in the Lord who will bring it to pass. The Lord will make your righteousness as clear as the light and your just dealing as the noonday. Be still before the Lord; wait patiently for the Lord. Do not fret yourself over the one who prospers, the one who succeeds in evil schemes. Refrain In the Apostles Creed, we speak of the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Using the metaphor of a planted seed and the story of Adam, Paul preaches passionately about the mystery of following Christ s perfect life into eternity. SECOND READING 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50 The mystery of the resurrection of the body Paul writes to the church at Corinth: Someone will ask, How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come? 36 Fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And as for what you sow, you do not sow the body that is to be, but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 42 So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, The first man, - 2 -
Adam, became a living being ; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven. 50 What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Praise to Christ the Word. a Thanks be to God. GOSPEL ACCLAMATION Luke 6:25, 27 The assembly stands and welcomes the gospel, singing: c Love your enemies, and you will be children of the Most High; forgive, and you will be forgiven The assembly repeats the ALLELUIA. GOSPEL Love your enemies; do not judge Luke 6:27-38 The holy gospel according to Luke. a Glory to you, O Lord. [Jesus says:] I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you. Jesus continues to address a crowd of his disciples. He invites his followers to shower radical love, blessing, forgiveness, generosity, and trust even to enemies and outsiders. Living in harmony with God s intent brings the reward of overflowing blessing. 32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 37 Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back. The gospel of the Lord. a Praise to you, O Christ. SERMON silence for reflection follows the sermon HYMN OF THE DAY (hymn) 631 Love Divine, All Loves Excelling stanzas 2 & 3 in harmony - 3 -
APOSTLES CREED A Let us proclaim the faith that we share: a 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 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. 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. Prayer requests may be recorded in the book of prayer concerns in the great room prayer niche. PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION Each petition concludes: Hear us O God, a Your mercy is great. MEAL PEACE P The peace of Christ be with you always. a And also with you. The assembly is invited to share God s peace with one another. God feeds us with the presence of Jesus Christ. GATHERING OF GIFTS The offering is gathered for the mission of the church, including the care of those in need. During this time, the table is set. After the offering is gathered, bread, wine, money, and other gifts are brought forward. The assembly stands as the procession reaches the chancel. Salvation Is Created Offertory Prayer A Let us pray together. a Merciful God, receive the gifts we bring, ourselves, our time, and our possessions. Through this meal unite us as your body, shining with the light of your justice and mercy; for the sake of him who gave himself for us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. The assisting minister pours out the wine. Pavel Tschesnokoff - 4 -
GREAT THANKSGIVING P The Lord be with you. a And also with you. P Lift up your hearts. a We lift them to the Lord. P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. a It is right to give our thanks and praise. P we praise your name and join their unending hymn: The presider continues with the Great Thanksgiving, concluding: All who come seeking Jesus are invited to receive these gifts of God. Communion at this service is served standing. Please follow the directions of the ushers to a communion station. Grape juice and gluten-free bread are available upon request. The benefits of the sacrament are fully present in either the bread or the wine, should health reasons prevent you from receiving one of them. Children are welcome to receive communion or a blessing. Prayer at the chancel kneelers during communion is always welcomed. Lord s Prayer (1975) a 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. Breaking of the Bread and Invitation to Communion Communion Lamb of God - 5 -
Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us with Your Love (hymn) 708 The choir sings the verses, all sing the refrain. silence for reflection concludes the Communion Prayer after Communion A Let us pray. God of abundance, you have fed us with the presence of Christ. Use us as beacons of light and bearers of Christ s love for the sake of the whole world. In Jesus name we pray. a Amen. God blesses us and sends us in mission to the world. SENDING BLESSING P May the love of Jesus Christ, the light of the world, fill your hearts and illumine your path., Almighty God, Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever a Amen. RECESSIONAL HYMN (hymn) 537 On Our Way Rejoicing Following worship coffee or lunch is served in the great room. Brief sanctuary tours will be offered after this service. Meet a docent at the pulpit. DISMISSAL Please face the processional cross for the dismissal. A Go in peace. Christ is your light. a Thanks be to God. The carillon sends the assembly into mission. POSTLUDE Marche Triomphale ( Now Thank We All Our God ) Sigfried Karg-Elert Portions of the liturgy are from Sundays and Seasons.com 2019 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress liturgies license #26515. Prayer and anointing for healing are offered this weekend following the each service. Meet a prayer minister in the prayer space at the back of the sanctuary following the postlude. - 6 -
SERVING TODAY Pastor Marissa Sotos, Tree of Life Pastor D. Foy Christopherson Ann Oyen Deacon Mark Sedio Jane Lien Central Choir Sara Masters, Steven Langmo Shirley Dahl Pastor Stephanie Friesen Ann Olerud Mark Kieffer, Marc Wilson Sue & Tom Jorgensen Judith Hedman Jim Snustad, Audrey Grote presiding preaching assisting minister cantor/organist associate cantor choir readers crucifer communion minister healing prayers sound operators lead ushers for February docent hosts & greeters Chancel flowers this weekend are given by Carol and Lowell Christensen in loving memory of their son Thomas. If you wish to donate flowers, contact Judy Korogi 10 days in advance at 612-788-1288. This service is being streamed live on the internet at www.centralmpls.org. Large print service folders, assisted listening devices, and access seating are available to aid your participation in worship. Please inquire with an usher. - 7 -
WELCOME TO CENTRAL You are welcome. No exceptions. Central Lutheran Church experiences God s expansive love and strives to share it abundantly. We affirm all people without regard to age, race, biological sex, housing status, ethnicity, sexual orientation, immigration, refugee or migration status, gender identity or expression, socioeconomic status, and physical or mental health or ability. All are a part of God s family, created in God s image. We strive to practice radical hospitality with all people. Everyone is invited to immerse themselves in the life of this community of faith as we explore the promise of God for all. Central Lutheran is a Reconciling in Christ congregation. Guests are welcome. We are pleased you are worshiping with us today. We invite guests to complete the Welcome to Central card found in the pew racks and leave it with an usher or place it in the offering plate. If you would like more information about Central, please contact us at 612-870-4416, or email info@centralmpls.org. Children are welcome at all services. Worship bulletins for children and activity bags are available at Sanctuary entrances. If you would prefer to use Central s nursery (available for children ages four and younger), you will find it up the steps from the information desk at the South Entrance (across from the fellowship hall). An usher or greeter will be glad to assist you. Welcome to the Lord s Table. All who come seeking Jesus are welcome at the Lord s Table. Please follow the guidance of the ushers and instructions in the order of service. During communion, ministers will bring bread and wine to persons in designated access seating areas. If you are not in a designated access seating area and desire to commune where you are seated, please notify an usher who will direct communion ministers to come and serve you. Communion may be received in one kind (only bread or only wine) from any station if wheat bread or alcohol presents a health concern. Gluten-free breads and alcohol-free wine are available by request at most liturgies from most communion stations. Friends of Central Stay connected Across the country and beyond there are many people who have a soft spot in their heart for Central Lutheran Church people who feel a connection both to the history and the ongoing mission of this congregation. If you re one of them, we invite you to join our network of Friends of Central. Pick up a brochure or visit our website for more information or to join. Electronic Giving Opportunities: Online at www.centralmpls.org click on Give Today; or text 73256, enter code word centralmpls (lower case), and a numerical amount. Press send and fill in the details. All contributions from members and guests will appear in a contribution statement. WIFI is available as Central Lutheran (password guestclc). If you give electronically, use the green pew card to drop in the offering plate instead of an envelope. The ministries and mission of Central Lutheran are supported by givers like you. Questions? Contact the church office at 612-870-4416. - 8 -