Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church 10:00 am Worship Service September 2, 2018 Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost Now the Feast and Celebration In today s gospel many people take offense at Jesus invitation to eat his flesh and drink his blood; even many of Jesus disciples peel off. This is the backdrop in John s gospel for Peter s confession of faith. To whom can we go? asks Peter, in words we sometimes sing just before the gospel is read. You have the words of eternal life. In order to take such a stand, as Peter and Joshua did, Paul tells us to arm ourselves with the word of God. We pray in the Spirit that we might be bold ambassadors of the gospel.
Welcome members and guests to our worship service today. If you are visiting, we encourage you to sign the guest register located in the narthex. Please include your home address, email address and phone number. Each pew contains cards that you may fill out if you wish to consult with the pastor or provide additional information about yourself. A nursery is available for children up to five years of age during the service. The nursery is located off the hallway on the Huntington Avenue side of the church building. There are also activity bags available for older children to enjoy during the service. Please ask an usher about borrowing one. Parents are invited to bring children from the nursery for Holy Communion to receive a blessing. If children become restless or noisy during worship, parents are encouraged to take them in to and out of the sanctuary as necessary. Trinity offers an induction loop for the benefit of hearing impaired worshippers. To use, please switch your hearing aid to T. If you are unsure if your hearing aid is compatible, please contact your audiologist. Enlarged print sermon copies are available for the benefit of sight or hearing impaired worshippers. They can be found in the bulletin rack just outside the sacristy kitchen, closest to the wheelchair ramp exit door. The Reverend Tina Melusky, Pastor Rob Keene, Organist and Director of Music Congregation of Trinity Lutheran, Ministers of the Word 6812 River Road, Newport News, VA 23607 Church office: (757) 245-7861 Pastor's cell: (734) 239-4013 www.trinitylutheran-nn.com Trinity Lutheran is a partner church with Peninsula Pastoral Counseling Center. Cover image by JoAnne Rawls.
Prelude Announcements Confession and Forgiveness Quiet preparation is encouraged at this time. Gathering The assembly stands. All may make the sign of the cross, the sign marked at baptism, as the presiding minister begins. Blessed be the holy Trinity, + one God, full of compassion and mercy, abounding in steadfast love. Amen. Trusting God's promise of forgiveness, let us confess our sin against God and one another. Silence is kept for reflection and self-examination. Eternal God our creator, in you we live and move and have our being. Look upon us, your children, the work of your hands. Forgive us all our offenses, and cleanse us from proud thoughts and empty desires. By your grace draw us near to you, our refuge and our strength; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us. In the mercy of almighty God, Christ died for us while we still were sinners; and for his sake, God + forgives you all your sins. Amen. The assembly turns and faces the processional cross. Gathering Hymn Let Justice Flow like Streams ELW 717 The Greeting The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And also with you. Kyrie Booklet Page 3 Hymn of Praise Booklet Page 4 Prayer of the Day Holy God, your word feeds your people with life that is eternal. Direct our choices and preserve us in your truth, that, renouncing what is false and evil, we may live in you, through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. The assembly is seated. Word First Reading: Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9 Pew Bible Old Testament Page 149 The Israelites believed the law was a divine gift that provided guidelines for living out the covenant. Moses commands the people to obey the law and to neither add to nor subtract from it. The Israelites are also to teach the law to their children and their children s children. Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.
Psalm 34:15-22 (read responsively) Lord, who may dwell in your tabernacle? Who may abide upon your holy hill? Those who lead a blameless life and do what is right, who speak the truth from their heart; they do not slander with the tongue, they do no evil to their friends; they do not cast discredit upon a neighbor. In their sight the wicked are rejected, but they honor those who fear the Lord. They have sworn upon their health and do not take back their word. They do not give their money in hope of gain, nor do they take bribes against the innocent. Those who do these things shall never be overthrown. Second Reading: James 1:17-27 Pew Bible New Testament Page 202 The letter of James was intended to provide first-century Christians with instruction in godly behavior. Here, Christians are encouraged to listen carefully and to act on what they hear, especially by caring for those least able to care for themselves. Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God. The assembly stands. Gospel Acclamation Booklet Page 8 Gospel Lesson: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 Mark s gospel depicts Jesus as challenging traditional ways in which religious people determine what is pure or impure. For Jesus, the observance of religious practices cannot become a substitute for godly words or deeds that spring from a faithful heart. The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the 7th chapter. Glory to you, O Lord. Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands? He said to them, Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines. You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition. Then he called the crowd again and said to them, Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile. For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person. The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ. The assembly is seated.
Time with the Children Sermon Silence is kept for reflection. The assembly stands. Pastor Tina Hymn of the Day Be Thou My Vision ELW793 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. Amen. Prayers of Intercession Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. Sharing of the Peace The peace, which enables people to live in unity and in the spirit of mutual forgiveness, comes from Christ whose word has been proclaimed. Receiving of Tithes and Offerings Offertory The assembly is seated. Offertory Hymn Booklet Page 10 Offertory Prayer Merciful God, you open wide your hand and satisfy the need of every living thing. You have set this feast before us. Open our hands to receive it. Open our hearts to embrace it. Open our lives to live it. We pray this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Meal The Great Thanksgiving Booklet Page 11 Proper Preface It is our duty and delight that we should ever and always offer thanks... and so with the church on earth, all
creation and the host of heaven we praise your name and join their unending hymn... Sanctus Booklet Page 11 Thanksgiving at the Table Holy God, you alone are holy, you alone are God. The universe declares your praise: beyond the stars; beneath the sea; within each cell; with every breath. We praise you, O God. Generations bless your faithfulness: through the water; by night and day; across the wilderness; out of exile; into the future. We bless you, O God. We give you thanks for your dear Son: at the heart of human life; near to those who suffer; beside the sinner; among the poor; with us now. We thank you, O God. 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. Remembering his love for us on the way, at the table, and to the end, we proclaim the mystery of faith: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. We pray for the gift of your Spirit: in our gathering; within this meal; among your people; throughout the world. Blessing, praise, and thanks to you, holy God, through Christ Jesus, by your Spirit, in your church, without end. Amen. 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. The assembly is seated. Agnus Dei Booklet Page 14 Communion As you receive the bread in your hand, you may commune by intinction (dipping your bread in the wine) using the silver chalice, or you may consume the bread and then drink from the pewter chalice. Gluten-free wafers and grape juice are available at your request. Music During the Distribution
For the Bread Which You Have Broken ELW 494 O Bread of Life from Heaven ELW 480 Table Blessing The assembly stands. Sending The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace. Amen. Post Communion Canticle Booklet Page 15 Post Communion Prayer Jesus Christ, host of this meal, you have given us not only this bread and cup, but your very self, that we may feast on your great love. Filled again by these signs of your grace, may we hunger for your reign of justice, may we thirst for your way of peace, for you are Lord forevermore. Amen. Blessing God, creator of all things, speaking reformation into being; Jesus Christ, savior of the world, raising the dead; Holy Spirit, living voice, calling and enlightening the church: Almighty God, Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever. Amen. Sending Hymn This Is My Father's World ELW 824 Dismissal Go in peace. The Spirit sends us forth to serve. Thanks be to God. Postlude
Prelude Today's Music Be Thou My Vision: Partita on SLANE Daniel Pinkham (1923-2006) Offertory From L'Orgue Mystique, Op.57 Charles Tournemire (1870-1939) Dominica XV post Pentecosten: Offertoire Music During the Distribution From L'Orgue Mystique, Op.57 Dominica XV post Pentecosten: Élévation and Communion Postlude From Petitions Charles Tournemire Daniel Pinkham Serving the Assembly Crucifer Mark Madler Communion Assistant John Savage Acolytes Lina Recupero Emma Recupero Lector Laura Davis Ushers/Greeters/Presenters Don Sniady, Captain Sandy Sniady, Harry Savage Diane Roselius Dave Roselius (rail) Nursery Coordinator Charlotte Duff Nursery Supervisor Charlotte Duff Altar Guild Steve and Astrid Quist Karoline Ardis Building Lock Up Don Sniady