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 Seventh Sunday of Easter May 8, 2016 Death Swallowed in Life
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 Tom Toftey Lectors 8:30 Grant Eckhoff 11:00 Anne Krick Communion Deacons 8:30 Meg Cook 11:00 Vanda Marsh Bread Hosts 8:30 Chuck & Lorraine Taylor 11:00 Jan Stewart Crucifer/Acolytes 8:30 Will Richards, Allie & Ben Mullinger 11:00 Richard, Mary Beth & Faith Burgis Greeters 8:30 Betty Bradshaw, Richard & Nancy Wilen 11:00 Fred & Dawn Amundsen, Dan & Vanda Marsh Ushers 8:30 Betty Bradshaw, Ed, Sam & Joe Mullinger 11:00 Jesse King, Terrie & Diana Troxel Fellowship Pat Heine, Lydia Trevino Altar Care Emily Breckman, Beth Baumgardner, Dan & Vanda Marsh Welcome Center 8:30 Nancy Wilen 11:00 Anne Krick Counters Terrie & Diana Troxel, Dan Marsh
Prelude: (11:00) Piano Duet Sonata in F (Rondo) Preparing to Worship J. C. Bach Gathering Together in Worship Confession and Forgiveness 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, #807 Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
*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: O God, form the minds of your faithful people into your one will. Make us love what you command and desire what you promise, that, amid all the changes of this world, our hearts may be fixed where true joy is found, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen. *Lesson 1 Corinthians 15:1-26, 51-57 Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you unless you have come to believe in vain. For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe. Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have died in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead
has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled: Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. L: Word of God, Word of Life. C: Thanks be to God. *Gospel Acclamation:
*Gospel: Mark 12:26-27a [Jesus said], And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the story about the bush, how God said to him, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is God not of the dead, but of the living. P: The Gospel of the Lord. C: Praise to you, O Christ. Children s Sermon Vanessa Young Sermon Resurrection: Life Unleashed Pr. Fred Reklau *Hymn of the Day: ELW, #636 How Small Our Span of Life
*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. 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 Offering P: C: The peace of the Lord be with you always. And also with you. P: Let us share the peace.
*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 *The Great Thanksgiving Sharing the Eucharistic Meal 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, #838 Beautiful Savior
*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, #660 Lift High the Cross *Dismissal A: Go in peace. Christ is with you. C: Thanks be to God. Postlude Lift High the Cross J. Linker