FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST SEPTEMBER 25, 2011 HOLY CROSS LUTHERAN CHURCH 1020 Mocho Street, Livermore, CA 94550 Church Office (925) 447-8840 Sunday Worship Celebration, 9:30 a.m. Please visit our web site at www.holycrosslivermore.org for more information Holy Cross Lutheran Pre-School & Junior Kindergarten - School Office (925) 447-1864 Welcome! We welcome you to this celebration of worship. Newcomers and members are invited to give the requested information on the Worship Registration Pad as it is passed along the pew during the Children's Message. Name Tags are in the pews for everyone to use. The Ark Nursery Parents with children to three years old are invited to use our staffed nursery across the hall from the sanctuary. A paging system is employed for your convenience and your child s safety. Children s Worship Helps There are activity sheets, crayons and books on the library shelves located in the Narthex. Ministry of the Word At the appointed time, a lector/reader will enact the grand narrative of our faith by reading from the Old Testament, the Psalms, the letters of Paul, and the Gospels. We believe the proclamation of these readings not only recalls the mighty acts of God, thereby serving as a reminder of who and whose we are, but also serves to constitute a new and right spirit within us, shaping and molding us to live authentically in light of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through the telling of this story, the liturgy serves to invite us into this sacred drama by simply listening to the proclamation of God s divine narrative that comes to us in poetry, prose, and song, or by following along on the separately printed scriptural readings found on the back of your bulletin cover. We Celebrate Holy Communion All are welcome to the Lord s Table. The wine is offered either by individual or common cup. For those who would prefer grape juice, it is already poured in cups in the center of the communion tray. While the age-appropriateness of when a child should receive the holy meal is not insignificant, a child s age should not preclude full participation in the sacrament. It is God s free gift to all, received in the spirit of faith that God can and does transcend all cognitive and emotive ability to fully understand the profound mystery of this most sacred of meals. At the same time, to more fully appreciate the rich and varied textures of the Holy Meal, one would do well to enroll their child in First Communion Instruction when he/she feels his/her child is of an age where such instruction would be meaningful. In short, the gift of God s grace offered to us in the Holy Meal is free, but it is not cheap. If you have questions about the age-appropriateness of your child s receiving the Holy Meal, please schedule a time to meet with Pastor John to discuss your concerns. 2
PRELUDE Blessed Be Your Name MUSIC TEAM By Matt & Beth Redmon, CCLI #115585 GATHERING SONG Come Now Is the Time to Worship By Brian Doerksen, CCLI #115585 3
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CALL TO WORSHIP Let us pray Eternal God, We return with grateful hearts To You this day. Beginning anew with You the miracle of grace That breaks afresh upon us each day. In this time of prayer with its quiet patience and holy waiting, Remove from our hearts and minds The jangling distractions And the pressing worries That crowd our minds and hearts; So that the light and stillness of Your presence Floods our lives with calmness once more. We bless You for Your unfailing presence in our lives; Turn us, once more, to face Your mercy, Not through fear but with anticipation; Not through overwhelming guilt, but with steady trust. Forgive us our disjointed lives, Forgive us our petulant participation in worship, Forgive us for our unpredictable witness. Recall us to the rhythm of service and hope That enables our obedience to Your call, And brings that steadiness of purpose and intention Without which our living and our faith is hopelessly confused. Lord God, Your love for us is everlasting And the signs of Your grace fill us in this time of prayerful waiting. In the stillness of this moment, we wait, once more, Upon You, our Lord and our God.. (silence) Pastor: We pray all this through Jesus Christ our Lord. All: Amen This material was prepared by the Rev. Dr. Derek Browning, Morningside Parish Church, Edinburgh 5
SONG OF PRAISE ELW 531 CCLI # 115585 6
GREETING The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God from which nothing can separate us, and the life-giving Holy Spirit be with you all. And also with you. 7
PRAYER OF THE DAY God of love, giver of life, you know our frailties and failings. Give us your grace to overcome them, keep us from those things that harm us, and guide us in the way of salvation, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. FIRST READING Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32 Sally Trautwein Word of God. Word of Life. Thanks be to God. SECOND READING Philippians 2:1-13 Dave Olson Word of God. Word of Life. Thanks be to God. GOSPEL ACCLAMATION The congregation stands to welcome the Gospel. The Holy Gospel according to Matthew Glory to you, O Lord. THE GOSPEL Matthew 21:23-32 Pastor John Bost The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ. The congregation is seated. 8
CHILDREN S MESSAGE SERMON The Roller Family Pastor John Bost HYMN OF THE DAY WP 77 APOSTLES CREED 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, 9
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. PRAYERS INTERCESSION With the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, Let us pray for the church, those in need, and all of God s creation. Each petition of the prayers ends with these words: Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. Into your hands, gracious God, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy, through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen. PEACE The minister and the congregation greet each other in the peace of the risen Christ. The Peace of Christ be with you always be with you always. And also with you. The congregation is seated. 10
OFFERTORY ANTHEM Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in CHOIR Your Word Arr by John Ylvisaker OFFERING The congregation stands. OFFERING PRAYER Let us pray. Holy God, gracious and merciful, you bring forth food from the earth and nourish your whole creation. Turn our hearts toward those who hunger in any way, that all may know your care; and prepare us now to feast on the bread of life, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. DIALOGUE 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. THANKSGIVING AT THE TABLE 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. 11
For as often as we eat of this bread and drink from this cup, we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. THE LORD'S PRAYER 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. INVITATION TO COMMUNION These are the fruits of God for the people of God. The disciples knew the Lord Jesus in the breaking of the bread. Come to the table of the risen Christ. Come to the table, all are welcome, for the gifts of God are FREE! The congregation is seated. 12
COMMUNION SONGS ELW 772 Public Domain 13
14 ELW 801 CCLI # 115585
15 ELW 818 Public Domain
16 WP144 CCLI # 115585
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION Let us pray. We give you thanks, almighty God, that you have refreshed us through the healing power of this gift of life. In your mercy, strengthen us through this gift, in faith toward you and in fervent love toward one another; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BLESSING The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, + guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen. 17
SENDING SONG ELW 538 OneLicence.net A706448 18
DISMISSAL Go in peace. The Lord is near. Thanks be to God. POSTLUDE What REAL MONEY TALK FOR WOMEN From balanced spending and family protection to retirement and your legacy, it s important to understand your finances. Join us for this free 60-minute educational workshop. Thursday, September 29 at 1:00 pm at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1225 Hopyard Road, Pleasanton or at 7:00 pm at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 38451 Fremont Blvd., Fremont. Get information and steps to : Reduce your worries by understanding the facts that apply to women; Overcome obstacles that stand in the way of managing your finances; use five keys that can help you reach your financial goals. Sign up today by calling 925-400-4006 or email missionhillsgroup@thrivent.com. Complimentary lunch and supper will be provided. The Prayer Shawl Ministry will meet next on October 8th from 9-11 am in the music room. This is Columbus Day weekend and we hope you will be able to start that weekend in fellowship with us. Shawl makers begin with prayers for the recipients and these intentions are continued as our works progress. When each shawl is finished a final blessing is offered. While individual and corporate prayer is an integral part of what we create with our hands and our hearts, our meetings are not a Bible study and no one is expected to create or lead prayers in from of the group. If you d just like to bring your own handiwork and sit wit us, you are welcome to do so. No pressure! Projects we are anticipating for fall 2011 through 2012 are: providing pocket prayer shawls for the youth as they travel to New Orleans again, celebrating confirmation by giving each confirmand a pocket prayer shawls to help them continue their faith 19
journey, and again giving pocket prayer shawls to students when we bless their backpacks at the beginning of each new school year. Here is a rough schedule for the coming year: We ll skip November and December; meet again January 14, February 11, March 10, April 14 and May 12. Please put us on your calendars. It isn t necessary to come to our meetings to be part of this ministry, but we hope that you will if you can. We enjoy sharing ideas, yarn, patterns and conversation while we engage in this meaningful work. For more information, contact Jan Wolery (jwolery@comcast.net or 455-4581) or Ronnie (vmkiefer@comcast.net or 447-4173. The Second Sunday School Summit will be on Sunday, October 16 at 12:30 in the Parish Hall. Please bring a lunch dish to share. Sunday School starts TODAY. Please meet at 11:00 am in the Sanctuary to fill out forms. A short lesson will follow. Wednesday Mid Week Session, which meets at 10 am in the Music Room is beginning a new video series entitled First Light: Jesus and the Kingdom of God. Presenters are Marcus Borg and Dominic Crossan. This study is filmed on location throughout the Galilee and Jerusalem. Holy Cross Book Club is reading Major Pettigrew s Last Stand by Helen Simonson. You are invited to join us for the discussion on Tuesday, Oct 12 at 10 am in the Music Room 20
Sponsor Forms for the Tri-Valley Haven 5K run/walk are available in the narthex. Domestic abuse is one of the leading causes of violence in the United States. Your participation will help women and children who are victims of abuse. It would be great to have a good Holy Cross turnout. If you can t run/walk on Oct 1, sponsor someone who can. 21
This Week at HCLC Sun 9/25 9:30 am Worship Celebration 12:00 pm Daisy Troop Meeting Mon 9/26 7:30 pm Boy Scouts Tue 9/27 9:30 am 11:00 am Crafty Ladies 7:30 pm 9:00 pm Music Team Wed 9/28 10:00 am 11:00 am Mid-Week Forum 7:00 pm 8:30 pm AA Meeting 7:30 pm 9:00 pm Choir Rehearsal Thurs 9/29 10:30 am 3:30 pm Young at Heart 1:00 pm 3:00 pm Mom s In Touch Fri 9/30 6:00 pm Senior High Ministry Retreat (Mt. Cross Camp) 8:00 pm 9:30 pm AA Meeting Sat 10/1 7:30 am 9:00 am Men s Ministry All Day Senior High Ministry Retreat (Mt. Cross Camp) Next Sunday, October 2 9:30 am Worship Celebration Until 3:00 pm Senior High Ministry Retreat (Mt. Cross Camp) Attendance Last Sunday, September 18 139 22
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