*COMMUNION BLESSING* P: The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in God s grace. C: March 11, 2018 Trinity Lutheran Church 10:30 a.m. *PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION* C: Compassionate God, you have fed us with the bread of heaven. Sustain us in our Lenten pilgrimage: may our fasting be hunger for justice, our alms, a making of peace, and our prayer, the song of grateful hearts; through Christ our Lord. Fourth Sunday in Lent *BLESSING* P: May God who has called us forth from the dust of the earth, and claimed us as children of the light, strengthen you on your journey into life renewed. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord s face shine upon you with grace and mercy. The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace. C: *SENDING SONG* My God, How Wonderful Thou Art ELW #863 *SENDING* P: Marked with the cross of Christ, go forth to love and serve the Lord. C: Thanks be to God. *POSTLUDE* Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee Beethoven Thank you for joining us on this beautiful Sunday morning! Please join us following the service for coffee and conversation. http://www.stmatthews-sf.org Trinity is a welcoming faith community living together in God s love to share the joy of Jesus Christ. Copyright Notes - Current Copyrights all music is reproduced under the following copyright license. CCLI #1432547 & One License.Net#A-705827. - 12 - Trinity Lutheran Church 301 E. Stuart St., Fort Collins, CO 80525 (970) 482-1226 Website: www.trinitylutheranfc.org email: office@trinitylutheranfc.org TLC Preschool - 221-9852 - 1 -
*WORDS OF INSTITUTION* Trinity is a welcoming faith community living together in God s love to share the joy of Jesus Christ. Guests and Visitors: A special welcome to you from Trinity s pastor and congregation members. We pray that this worship will bring you comfort, joy, and renewal. All are invited to receive the bread and wine of Holy Communion. If you have any questions about the worship service or about Trinity, our Hospitality Team members (at the Welcome Desk or identified by name tag) are happy to help. Please join us again! Parents and Caregivers: Please know that God s children of all ages are welcome in worship. Younger kids are invited to bring one of our specially-prepared busy bags into the worship service along with crayons. Both are available in the narthex as you enter the sanctuary. If you wish to step out with your child at any time, there is a special room just outside the worship space where you will be able to view and hear the service. If you prefer, we also offer a staffed Nursery. Children cared for in the Nursery are brought into worship for the Youth Message. Special needs: Hearing-assistance devices, as well as gluten-free wafers and grape juice for Communion, are available during our services. Holy Communion can also be brought to the seats of those with mobility trouble. Our Hospitality Team members can help with any of these special needs. *LORD S PRAYER* Our Father in heaven, holy 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. INVITATION TO COMMUNION We come to the table by Jesus invitation. All are welcome! As you come forward, receive the bread and the rose wine or white juice. Let us know if you need a gluten free wafer. If you are not ready to receive communion, but would like a blessing, please come forward with your hands folded. LAMB OF GOD Hospitality Team Assisting Minister Lector IN MINISTRY TODAY Rocky Knutson Kelli Karst Dawn Theis CONGREGATIONAL MINISTERS: THE MEMBERS OF TRINITY Rick Reiten, Senior Pastor Paul Schairer, Visitation Pastor Paul Falk, Director of Choirs Alice Crawford, Church Musician Kevin Dragseth, Minister for Faith Formation for FOCOLU Kelli Karst, Director of Faith Formation for Children & Families Brenda Harju, TLC Preschool Director Debbie Schwartz, Financial Manager Deana Andrist, Office Administrator Amanda Backsen, Director of Communications Joshua Moore, AV Technician Tiffany Klijewski, Nursery Coordinator *Please stand as you are able* Guest Organist: Jill Rose - 2 - COMMUNION SONG Beneath the Cross of Jesus ELW #338-11 -
*OFFERING PRAYER* C: Merciful God, receive the sacrifice of our praise and thanksgiving and the offering of our lives, that following in the way of the cross, we may know the joy of the resurrection; through Christ our Lord. *GREAT THANKSGIVING* Fourth Sunday in Lent PRELUDE When I Survey the Wondrous Cross Lowell Mason WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS *CONFESSION AND FORGIVNESS* All may make the sign of the cross, the sign marked at baptism, as the presiding minister begins. P: During the season of Lent we are called to return to the Lord with all our heart. Let us confess our sin and seek reconciliation with God and neighbor. Silence for reflection and self-examination. P: It is indeed right, our duty and our joy.. we praise your name and join their unending hymn: *HOLY, HOLY, HOLY* P: Merciful God, C: you sent Jesus Christ to save the lost. We confess that we have strayed from you and turned aside from your way. We fail in love, neglect justice, and ignore your truth. Have mercy on us and wash away our sin. Create in us clean hearts for the sake of Jesus Christ our Savior. P: We hope in God alone; not in our own merit. We hope in Jesus Christ, who redeems us from the darkness. We hope in the Holy Spirit, who pulls us back on course. Praise God for grace and mercy! C: *GATHERING SONG* Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross ELW #335 *INVOCATION* 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. - 10 - - 3 -
*KYRIE* *OFFERING SONG O God Beyond All Praising ELW #880 Verse 1-4 - - 9 -
*SONG OF THE DAY* My Faith Looks Up to Thee ELW #759 *SONG OF PRAISE* *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, 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. *PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE* A: Lord, in your mercy, C: Hear our prayer. *SHARING OF THE PEACE* P: The peace of Christ be with you all. C: And also with you. OFFERING Our Great Savior R. H. Prichard - 8 - - 5 -
*PRAYER OF THE DAY* C: O God, rich in mercy, by the humiliation of your Son you lifted up this fallen world and rescued us from the hopelessness of death. Lead us into your light, that all our deeds may reflect your love, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. *LENTEN ACCLAMATION* CHILDREN S MESSAGE MUSICAL OFFERING Come to the Cross Joseph M Martin Lauren Brissey, Cello & Trinity Chancel Choir READING Numbers 21:4-9 Though God provides food and water for the Israelites in the wilderness, they whine and grumble. They forget about the salvation they experienced in the exodus. God punishes them for their sin, but when they repent God also provides a means of healing: a bronze serpent lifted up on a pole. 4 From Mount Hor [the Israelites] set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. 5 The people spoke against God and against Moses, Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food. 6 Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us. So Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the Lord said to Moses, Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live. 9 So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live. *GOSPEL* John 3:14-21 To explain the salvation of God to the religious leader, Nicodemus, Jesus refers to the scripture passage quoted in today s first reading. Just as those who looked upon the bronze serpent were healed, so people will be saved when they behold Christ lifted up on the cross. [Jesus said:] 14 Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17 Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20 For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21 But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God. P: The Gospel of the Lord. C: Praise to you, O Christ. A: The word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God. MESSAGE Pastor Rick - 6 - - 7 -