Holy Trinity Lutheran Church 92 Burton Avenue, Hasbrouck Heights, NJ 07604 www.holytrinityhasbrouckheights.com www.facebook.com/holytrinityhasbrouckheights/ The Rev. Susan Nelson-Colaneri, Pastor Dwight Weaver, Director of Music ministries (201) 288-6889 WELCOME! If you are visiting Holy Trinity today, our congregation extends you a most heartfelt welcome. We hope you will join in our worshipful response to God s grace through song, prayer, and fellowship. If you wish, fill out the visitor s card found in the pew racks and place it in the offering plate at the time of the gathering of gifts. May we have the eyes to see that no visitor arrives without a gift and no guest leaves without a blessing. --John O Donohue from To Bless the Space Between Us Faith5 Family Communion Rally Sunday, 10 September 2017 Noah s Ark: 100% Chance of Rain But a New Beginning 1
GATHERING: Share Prelude Welcome to the service and announcements SHARING OUR HIGHS AND LOWS OF THE SUMMER Please stand if you are able. CALL TO WORSHIP P We gather together in this space, to sing praises to our God! C We are old and young, men and women, all children of God We gather together to pray for each other and to pray to our God. We come from all walks of life, but we are all children of God. We gather to listen, to be in fellowship, and to celebrate our God. We are poor and rich, sick and healthy, strong and weak. Together we are the people of God! Together, let us worship. GATHERING SONG Glory to God 2
3 Continued on next page.
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. 4
PRAYER OF THE DAY P Let us pray. A brief silence. Holy God, heavenly Father, your promise includes all of creation in your blessing. C Immerse us today in the knowledge of your faithfulness, so that we may carry the refreshmentof your presence even into the desert places of our lives. In Jesus name, AMEN. The assembly is seated. Word: READ a bible story READING: Noah s Ark: A New Beginning, Genesis 6-9 a reading from the Jesus Story Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name [After Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden,] time passed and many people filled the earth. Everyone everywhere had forgotten about God and were only doing bad things all the time. God s heart was filled with pain when he saw what had happened to the world he loved. Everywhere was disease and death and destruction all the things God hates most. Song And We Messed Things Up* Walter Horsely First verse sung by cantor, everyone joins in singing verses 2 and 3. Verse 1: Verse 2: Verse 3: We had all we needed to be happy on the earth. Things to do and things to be and blessings from our birth. We had wealth, we had health, God had filled our cup. But our hearts grew cold, our sin grew bold, And we messed things up. We were cruel, and oh such fools, to mess up every day. God was sad when we turned bad, He hadn t planned that way. God loved us, oh so much, God had filled our cup. But our hearts grew cold, our sin grew bold, And we messed things up. Repeat verse 1 above. *From 100% Chance of Rain: A Jazz Cantata for Young Singers 5
Now, Noah was God s friend (which was odd in those days because no one else was). Noah listened to God. He talked to God. He just loved being with God, like you do with your best friend. Noah, God said, Things have gone wrong. People have filled my world with hate instead of love. They are destroying themselves... and each other... and my world. I must stop them. First we ll build an ark. (Do you know how to build an ark? Neither did Noah. Luckily, God knew and he would show him.) A storm is coming, God told Noah. but I will rescue you. I promise. I ll send the animals to you ones that creep and crawl and slither and slime and gallop and hop and bound and climb. And don t forget to pack everyone s food. The storm was going to wash away all the hate and sadness and everything that had gone wrong, and make the world clean again. God had thought up a way to keep Noah safe, but Noah would have to trust God and do exactly what God told him to do. So Noah built an ark (that is a short word for a very large boat). Noah s neighbors came out to watch... and point... and laugh, because they didn t believe Noah about the boat... or the storm... or needing to be rescued. And Noah must have looked rather silly. His boat was in the desert, the desert was nowhere near the sea, and there wasn t even a cloud in the sky. Why would anyone need an umbrella, let alone a boat? Rap Song Now the Lord Was Unhappy* Walter Horsely Cantor: Chorus: Now the Lord was unhappy with the people on the earth. They were not what they ought to be and not what they re worth. They were bad and ugly and mean as they could be, And the Lord turned the water on and just let it run. So the Lord turned the water on and just let it run, And for forty whole days they didn t even see the sun. And the water poured down and made everything clean, And a longer washday has never been seen! It s gonna rain, rain, rain. It s gonna rain, rain, rain. It s gonna rain, rain, rain. *A hundred percent chance of rain! (spoken) Repeat 2xs *From 100% Chance of Rain: A Jazz Cantata for Young Singers 6
But Noah didn t mind so much what other people thought, he minded what God thought. So he just did what God told him to do. When the ark was ready, God said, All aboard! and Noah s family and all the animals climbed inside. Then God shut the door. And it started raining for minutes that joined up into hours, that joined up into days, that joined up into weeks and weeks. And the rain joined up into puddles, that joined up into rivers, that joined up into lakes, that joined up into a flood that covered the whole world. Their boat that had once seemed so big, suddenly seemed very small. But in the middle of the huge storm, in the crashing waves, in all the thunder and lightning through it all God was with them. And God kept them safe for 40 long days and 40 long nights. THE SOUND OF THE RAIN AND STORM Finally, the rain stopped. The sun came out and Noah threw open all the windows. Hooray! everyone shouted. Noah sent his dove out to explore and it wasn t long before she brought him back a fresh olive leaf. Everyone knew exactly what that meant: she had found a tree and land! The water was going down. At last, the boat landed quite suddenly on top of a great mountain. As soon as it was safe, God said, Out you come! and so they did everyone skipping and dancing onto dry land. The first thing Noah did was to thank God for rescuing them, just as he had promised. And the first thing God did was make another promise. I won t ever destroy the world again. And like a warrior who puts away his bow and arrow at the end of a great battle, God said, See I have hung up my bow in the clouds. 7
And, there, in the clouds just where the storm meets the sun was a beautiful bow made of light. It was a new beginning in God s world. It wasn t long before everything went wrong again but God wasn t surprised, he knew this would happen. That s why, before the beginning of time he had another plan a better plan. A plan not to destroy the world, but to rescue it a plan to one day send his own Son, the Rescuer. That s why God s war bow was pointed up, into the heart of heaven. SENDING OF THE RAINBOW TALK about the bible story Faith5 FAMILY BIBLE GIVE-AWAY The assembly stands. SONG OF THE DAY Child of the Water See next page. 8
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PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE: We pray for one another and all the world. A C Open to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we pray for the church, the world, and all of God s creation. A brief silence. We pray for the church universal. Reconcile our differences. Forgive our divisions. Unite us at your table. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great. For your creation. Increase our stewardship of all that you have given to us. Let the earth flourish for those who come after us. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great. For peace in the world. End conflicts among nations. Help leaders and citizens truly to listen to one another and to act for the good of all. Teach us by your example. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great. For all those in need. Bind up our hurts. Heal divisions in our families, friendships, and neighborhoods. Comfort those who need your special care in body, mind or spirit, especially. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great. For this congregation. Make us signs of your love and forgiveness in this community and in the world. Help us to grow in our love for one another. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great. Keep watch over those who serve in the armed forces both here and abroad. Encourage them as they encourage one another. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great. In thanksgiving for all the faithful witnesses who put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Keep us faithful until the day we rejoice in your majesty with them. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great. P C Into your hands, gracious God, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting the power of Christ and the gifts of the Spirit. Amen. 10
THE MEAL AND PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING GATHERING THE GIFTS An offering is gathered for the mission of the church, including the care of those in need. During this time, the table is set. The assembly stands as gifts of bread, wine and money are brought forward. PRESENTATION OF GIFTS Eat this Bread Offering Prayer A Let us pray. God of all creation, all you have made is good, and your love endures forever. C You bring forth bread from the earth and fruit from the vine. Nourish us with these gifts, that we might be for the world signs of your gracious presence, in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. 11
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING P The Lord be with you. C And also with you. P C P C 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. P It is indeed right, our duty and our joy... we praise your name and join their unending hymn: EUCHARISTIC PRAYER Thanksgiving at the Table P Holy God, our Bread of life, our Table, and our Food, you created a world in which all might be satisfied by your abundance. You dined with Abraham and Sarah, promising them life, and fed your people Israel with manna from heaven. You sent your Son to eat with sinners and to become food for the world. 12
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, therefore, his life given for us and his rising from the grave, we await his coming again to share with us the everlasting feast. By your Spirit nurture and sustain us with this meal: strengthen us to serve all in hunger and want, and by this bread and cup make of us the body of your Son. Through him all glory and honor is yours, Almighty Father, with the Holy Spirit, in your holy Church, both now and forever. 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. Invitation to Communion Breaking of the Bread P The gifts of God, for the people of God. 13
The assembly sings the canticle in the pew before coming forward to receive communion. Communion Canticle Lamb of God COMMUNION We believe in the presence of Christ in, with, and under the bread and wine. All who hunger for the bread of life and thirst for the cup of salvation are welcome at the Lord s table. Those who are not receiving may come forward for a blessing. Please approach the chancel from the center aisle, as directed by the ushers. The communion bread is distributed by the presiding minister; the wine and grape juice are distributed by the assisting ministers and be received either by common cup or intinction (dipping the bread in the wine or grape juice). The grape juice is available from the silver chalice. Please return to your seats by the side aisles. When all have communed, the assembly stands. Post-Communion Blessing: P The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace. C Amen. 14
POST-COMMUNION CANTICLE Now, Lord 15
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION A We thank you, O God, that you have fed us at your banqueting table with bread and wine beyond compare, the very life of Christ for us. C Send your Spirit with us now, that we may set the captive free, use your gifts to build one another up, and in everything reflect your glory revealed in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. SENDING: Blessing God blesses us and sends us into the world. SENDING OF COMMUNION P Compassionate God, as Jesus called disciples to follow him, bless those who go forth to share your word and sacrament with those who are sick and homebound. C May these gifts be signs of our love and prayers, that through the sharing of the body and blood of Christ, all may know your grace and healing revealed in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. The assembly is seated. Blessing of Teachers and Students and Backpacks BLESSING P The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord s face shine on you with grace and mercy; The Lord look upon with favor + and give you peace. C Amen. PEACE P The peace of the Lord be with you always. C And also with you. The people may greet one another with a sign of Christ's peace, and may say, "Peace be with you," or similar words. 16
SENDING SONG Praise to You, O God of Mercy DISMISSAL P Go in peace. Be instruments of God s grace and peace. C Thanks be to God, we will! Postlude 17
Serving Today Readers: Worship Assistant: Ushers: Altar Guild: Caring Minister: Lisa Janeiro; Larry Sandmeyer; Sunday school students and parents Larry Sandmeyer Karen and Ray Bulin; Richard Fanslau; Jim Smith Sharon Ramsaier Gail Gugliotti 18
Bible Study and Discussion of Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer Thursday Evenings @ 7:00 Class Begins September 21 st, Concludes November 2 nd Viewing of film: Bonhoeffer, Agent of Grace on Sunday, September 17 th @ 4 PM A Movie and a Meal Event Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran pastor whose theology and thoughts were deeply influenced by his involvement and experience of key events in the resistance movement against Hitler and the Nazis. He paid the ultimate price for living his beliefs; he was executed in April 1945 where he was prisoner at Buchenwald concentration camp. Though a brilliant scholar, when faced with a choice between ministry and an academic career, Bonhoeffer found that he preferred preaching to lecturing. Despite his preference, he is renowned as much for his lectures and books as for his sermons. Above all, Bonhoeffer was a devoted student of the writings and teachings of Martin Luther. Bonhoeffer, in turn, sought to reform the church in his own time and has posthumously become nearly as well-read and known as Luther himself. Above all, like Luther before him, Bonhoeffer was immersed in scripture. In 1935, Bonhoeffer and the Confessing Church initiated a bold move and established a seminary to train their own candidates for ministry at Finkenwalde. During those years, he wrote the book Life Together, as a kind of rule of life with practical advice for how life together in Christ can be sustained in families and groups. The role of personal prayer, worship in common, everyday work, and Christian service is treated in simple, almost biblical words. Life Together is bread for all who are hungry for the real life of Christian fellowship. It is grace, nothing but grace, that we are allowed to live in community with Christian brethren. --Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together 19
Faith5 Sunday Church School returns Sunday, September 17 TH @ 9:15 AM 9:15 AM *Gathering Time in Sanctuary with Pastor Susan Songs, introduction to story of the day, prayers. 9:30 AM Classroom Time with SCS teachers Interactive learning with the story of the day, games, crafts, and snack 10:10 AM Sending Time Each class concludes with the offering, Lord s Prayer and sharing the peace of Christ *Sunday School schedule follows the pattern of our Faith5 worship service: Share, Read, Talk, Pray, Bless 92 Burton Avenue, Hasbrouck Heights, NJ 07604 Living faithfully. Renewing hope. Sharing God s love. (201) 288-6889 htlchhnj@gmail.com www.holytrinityhasbrouckheights.com www.facebook.com/holytrinityhasbrouckheights/ The Ministers..................................The People of Holy Trinity Pastor................................... The Rev. Susan Nelson-Colaneri pastorsusanholytrinitynj@gmail.com Director of Music Ministries............................... Dwight Weaver dwighteweaver@gmail.com 20