HOLY COMMUNION Affirmation of Baptism Exploring the promise of God for all Christ the vine Fifth Sunday in Easter April 29, 2018 10:30 a.m. Choral Eucharist In baptism we are grafted into the vine of Christ This Sunday s image of how the risen Christ shares his life with us is the image of the vine. Christ the vine and we the branches are alive in each other, in the mystery of mutual abiding that we read of in the gospel and the first letter of John. Baptism makes us a part of Christ s living and life-giving self and makes us alive with Christ s life. As the vine brings food to the branches, Christ feeds us at his table. We are sent out to bear fruit for the life of the world. The Holy Spirit gathers us in unity on the first day of the week. PRELUDE Trumpet Minuet GATHERING Alfred Hollins At the sound of the bell the assembly stands to face the worship leaders at the back of the church. EASTER PROCLAMATION repeated three times: P Alleluia! Christ is risen! a Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia! PROCESSIONAL HYMN (hymn) 385 Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing! stanzas 2 & 3 in harmony GREETING AND PRAYER OF THE DAY P The grace of our risen 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 God, you give us your Son as the vine apart from whom we cannot live. Nourish our life in his resurrection, that we may bear the fruit of love and know the fullness of your joy, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. a Amen. The presider continues with words of welcome. - 1 -
EASTER WORD CHILDREN S WORD Children are invited to come forward; parents are welcome to come with their children. READING FROM THE EARLY CHURCH Philip teaches and baptizes an Ethiopian Acts 8:26-40 Led by the Spirit, Philip encounters an Ethiopian official who is returning to his African home after having been to Jerusalem to worship. Philip uses their encounter to proclaim the gospel to him. Upon coming to faith in Jesus, the Ethiopian is baptized by Philip. God speaks to us in scripture reading, preaching, and song. We love God and others because God first loved us. We cannot say we love God, whom we have not seen, while hating fellow Christians, whom we regularly see. Love toward God is to be matched by love toward others because the essence of God is love. a Luke writes: An angel of the Lord said to Philip, Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. (This is a wilderness road.) 27 So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, Go over to this chariot and join it. 30 So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, Do you understand what you are reading? 31 He replied, How can I, unless someone guides me? And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. 32 Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this: Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth. 34 The eunuch asked Philip, About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else? 35 Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. 36 As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized? 38 He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea. Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God. SECOND READING Loving one another 1 John 4:7-21 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 God s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. 15 God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. 16 So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. 17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Those who say, I love God, and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a - 2 -
brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. 21 The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also. Word of God, word of life. a Thanks be to God. GOSPEL ACCLAMATION John 13:35 The assembly welcomes the gospel singing the ALLELUIA before and after the verse: a c a c a Christ being raised from the dead will die no more; death has no more dominion over him. repeat Alleluia Everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another. repeat Alleluia GOSPEL Christ the vine John 15:1-8 The carillon rings out the Easter gospel. The holy gospel according to John. a Glory to you, O Lord. On the night of his arrest, Jesus taught his disciples about the relationship they would have with him. Those who abide in his word and love would bear fruit, for apart from him, they could do nothing. Jesus says: I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. 2 He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. 3 You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. The gospel of the Lord. a Praise to you, O Christ. SERMON P Alleluia! Christ is risen! a Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia! silence for reflection follows the sermon - 3 -
HYMN OF THE DAY God, You Make All Water Holy stanza 1 choir; 2- all; 3 higher voices; 4 lower voices; 5 - all This new hymn was commissioned this year for the Valparaiso University Institute of Liturgical Studies where the annual conference theme was Washed in Water: How Baptism Forms Us. Text by Ruth Duck; tune by Mark Mummert Affirmation of Baptism may be made at many times in the life of a baptized Christian. It is especially appropriate as a part of a process of formation in faith in youth or adulthood (confirmation), at the time of beginning one s participation in a community of faith (new members), as a sign of renewed participation in the life of the church, or at the time of a significant life passage. The whole assembly may be invited to affirm baptism at meaningful occasions in the church year or in the life of a congregation. AFFIRMATION OF BAPTISM Confirmation PRESENTATION AND PRAYER Evelyn Daley Anderson Elliot Joan Hagen Anna Geneva Hielsberg Kaitlyn Grace Koester Maya Crampton Pribbenow Abel Y. Sulamo PROFESSION OF FAITH P I ask you, members of the assembly, together with the confirmands, to profess your faith in Christ Jesus, reject sin, and confess the faith of the Church, the faith in which we baptize. P Do you renounce the devil and all the forces that defy God? a I renounce them. P Do you renounce the powers of this world that rebel against God? a I renounce them. P Do you renounce all the ways of sin that draw you from God? a I renounce them. P Do you believe in God the Father? a I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. P Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God? a 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 again to judge the living and the dead. - 4 -
P Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit? a 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. AFFIRMATION OF BAPTISM P People of God, do you promise to support these dear Christian friends and pray for them in their life in Christ? a We do, and we ask God to help and guide us. PRAYER FOR THE SPIRIT LAYING ON OF HANDS You Belong to Christ (ELW 211) after each laying on of hands, the assembly responds: God feeds us with the presence of Jesus Christ. WELCOME Let us rejoice with these dear friends in Christ. a We rejoice with you in the life of baptism. Together we will give thanks and praise to God and proclaim the good news to all the world. The assembly may offer acclamation with applause. PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION each petition concludes: hear us, O God a your mercy is great. for the sake of the crucified and risen one, Jesus Christ, our Lord. a Amen. MEAL PEACE P The peace of the risen Christ be with you always. a And also with you. The assembly is invited to share God s peace with one another. 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. Come Down, O Love Divine - 5 - arr. John Leavitt
Offertory Prayer A Let us pray together. a Risen Christ, receive these gifts, with our hopes, dreams, and prayers. Reveal yourself to us in the breaking of the bread, that our eyes may be opened to see your presence among us, and our lives filled with the new life of your resurrection. Amen. GREAT THANKSGIVING P The Lord be with you. a And also with you. The assisting minister pours out the wine. 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 the elements. Children are welcome to receive communion or a blessing. The presider continues with the Great Thanksgiving, concluding 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 (front of ELW) page 112 Fugue in G Major silence for reflection concludes the communion Prayer after Communion A Let us pray. God of abundance, with this bread of life and cup of salvation you have united us with Christ, making us one with all your people. Now send us forth in the power of your Spirit, that we may proclaim your redeeming love to the world and continue forever in the risen life of Jesus Christ, our Lord. a Amen. J. S. Bach SENDING God blesses us and sends us in mission to the world. BLESSING P May the risen Christ bring you all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope. Almighty God, Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever. a Amen. - 6 -
SENDING HYMN (hymn) 385 Christ Is Alive! Let Christians Sing stanzas 1, 2 & 5 Following worship coffee is served. Brief sanctuary tours will be offered after this service. Meet a docent at the pulpit. Your assistance in helping to prepare the sanctuary for our weekday ministries is welcomed. Please meet a staff member near the front of the sanctuary following the postlude to assist in clearing the pew chairs. This service is being streamed live on the internet. www.centralmpls.org DISMISSAL Please face the cross for the dismissal. A Alleluia! Christ is risen! a Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia! A Go in peace. Share the good news. a Thanks be to God. The carillon sends the assembly into mission. POSTLUDE Carillon de Westminster Louis Vierne Portions of the liturgy are from Sundays and Seasons.com 2018 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress liturgies license #26515. God, You Make All Water Holy Text Ruth Duck, 2017. Tune ETHIOPIAN Mark Mummert, 2017. Reprinted by permission Valparaiso University Institute of Liturgical Studies 2018 hymn commission Chancel flowers for this weekend are given in honor of the confirmation class by their parents. If you wish to donate flowers contact Judy Korogi 10 days in advance at 612-788-1288. SERVING TODAY Pastor D. Foy Christopherson presiding Pastor Stephanie Friesen preaching Clarance Smith assisting minister Marlee Baron intercessor Timothy Short guest organist Deacon Mark Sedio cantor Jane Lien associate cantor Central Choir choir Froya Olson clarinet Marit Lyle, Chris Lyle, Janet Winsand readers Sierra Cruz crucifer Anders Anderson butterfly banner bearer Pastor Peter Nycklemoe, Pastor Melissa Pohlman communion ministers Mark Kieffer, Marc Wilson sound operators Varney Kiazolu lead usher for April Pat Forse docent Patti Brestrup, Carney Bergeson-Meekins host & greeter 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 Everyone is welcome. As a community of the people of God, the members of Central Lutheran Church are called to welcome all people regardless of age, economic status, ethnic background, gender, physical or mental ability, race or sexual orientation. We affirm that in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male or female (Galatians 3:28). Christ has made us one. 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. Welcome to the Lord s Table. All who come seeking Jesus are welcome at Holy Communion. 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. 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. Welcome to the Holy Baptism. All who come seeking Jesus are welcome to receive Holy Baptism. Please visit with any worship leader, staff member, hospitality volunteer, contact the church office, or complete an information card, indicating that you wish to be baptized. A pastor will contact you. Text to Give! Members and guests can make one-time contributions by text. Text 73256 Enter the code word centralmpls (all lowercase) Enter a numerical amount Press send and enter your payment details on the next screen Member contributions will appear on your contribution history. 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 is available at Central. You can go online through Central s website at www.centralmpls.org and click on Give Today. If you give electronically, use the green pew card to drop in the offering plate instead of an envelope. Central Lutheran is supported by givers like you. Questions? Contact the church office at 612-870-4416. - 8 -