April 28, 2024 – Fifth Sunday in Easter Email/At Home Missal
You will find the video for the service from this past Sunday at the following YouTube link: https://youtu.be/gNpd25B1utQ
……………………………………….
Presiding Pastor: Rev. Laura Sauder
Organist & Director of Music: Bradley Moggach
Assisting Minister: Kim Strassburger
Reader: John Leonard
Welcome remarks
Call to Worship:
P: Morning has broken!
C: We gather to greet the new day by praising God.
P: God created us for relationship with God, one another, and the earth.
C: Let us honour those relationships today and every day.
P: We seek to live in right relationship with our siblings around the world, including the original and ongoing stewards of this land on which we gather: the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and Attawandaron peoples.
C: Let us honour those relationships today and every day.
P: We seek to care for God’s good creation and all that dwells within and upon the land.
C: Let us honour those relationships today and every day.
P: May we commit to new ways of honoring your Creation as a means of sharing Jesus’ transforming love,
C: And let us seek God’s grace, justice and mercy for all. Amen.
Source: Adapted from Sunday Morning Sustainability: A service for Earth Sunday or Season of Creation by The National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Program www.nccecojustice.org.
Gathering Hymn: Evening Hymn from “Bless This Night” (verses 2-4) info here:
2
Circled with creation’s beauty:
raven call and river song;
Life abundant on our journey
stirring wonder: we belong.
We embrace deep mystery,
loved by God and full of worth.
Who are we to be entrusted
with the care of our whole earth?
We gather together to stand in awe!
3
Voices joining with each other,
striving for a purpose clear,
make our daily life together
hard or easy: ever dear.
Practice in community
opens room for God to start
building justice for all people,
healing wrongs of hardened hearts.
We gather together to work for peace!
4
Praise to God, the one who sees me;
Jesus Christ, beloved one;
Holy Spirit, truth revealed;
all our blessings come from you.
Maker of the day and night,
called them good and rested too;
You who are the breath of life,
Praise and thanks we give to you.
We gather together to praise our God!
(Title: Evening Hymn from “Bless This Night’ (verses 2-4); Text: © 2023 G. Mark Griffith, Rachel J. Joy, Heather L. Griffith; Music: © Steve Wolbrecht; Used with permission. All rights reserved. https://fireweedliturgies.com/resources
Greeting:
P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you always.
C: And also with you.
Theme Time
Prayer of the Day:
P: As we gather, we are thankful for your Creation:
for light and darkness;
for air, wind, and sky;
for earth and sea;
for seeds, harvests, and plant life;
for sunlight, moonlight, and starlight;
for every living creature, swarming, flying, creeping, and grazing;
for our lives.
In our actions, meditations, and prayers,
may we honour and celebrate your very good Creation,
as we seek wisdom on how to share our gratitude and love in good and healing ways.
Amen.
—Written by Alydia Smith. From Alydia Smith, ed., Act/Fast: Spiritual Practices for a Climate in Crisis (Toronto: United Church Publishing House, 2023), p. 127. Free to use with attribution.
Scripture Song: ELW # 510 ‘Word of God, Come Down on Earth’ (Verse 2)
2 Word eternal, throned on high,
Word that brought to life creation,
Word that came from heav'n to die,
crucified for our salvation,
saving Word, the world restoring,
speak to us, your love outpouring.
(Title: Word of God, Come Down on Earth; Text: James Quinn, SJ, b. 1919; © James Quinn, SJ, Selah Publishing Co., Inc., North American agent. www.selahpub.com. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Music: Johann R. Ahle, 1625-1673; Public Domain. Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Reader: 1 Corinthians 1:10-18
May we be equipped by these words to walk in love for God, ourselves, our neighbours, all people, and all God’s creation.
Now I encourage you, siblings, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Agree with each other and don’t be divided into rival groups. Instead, be restored with the same mind and the same purpose. My siblings, Chloe’s people gave me some information about you, that you’re fighting with each other. What I mean is this: that each one of you says, “I belong to Paul,” “I belong to Apollos,” “I belong to Cephas,” “I belong to Christ.” Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you, or were you baptized in Paul’s name? Thank God that I didn’t baptize any of you, except Crispus and Gaius, so that nobody can say that you were baptized in my name! Oh, I baptized the house of Stephanas too. Otherwise, I don’t know if I baptized anyone else. Christ didn’t send me to baptize but to preach the good news. And Christ didn’t send me to preach the good news with clever words so that Christ’s cross won’t be emptied of its meaning.
The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are being destroyed. But it is the power of God for those of us who are being saved. (CEB)
God’s story, our story. C: Thanks be to God.
Engaging with the Story
(The text of Pastor Laura’s message will be sent out early this coming week and the YouTube video of today’s service will be uploaded sometime mid-week.)
Hymn of the Day: ACS # 973 ‘The Word Who Sang the Light into Creation’
1 The Word who sang the light into creation,
who spoke to all through prophet voices bold
the warning cry, the promise of salvation,
shines ever as of old.
2 The Word is like the bush forever burning;
the Word pours down like showers on the land;
the Word is like the sun, our faces warming:
God's power till the end.
3 The Word came down to earth when all was ready,
made our time, made our space a dwelling place.
The Word who sheltered near the heart of Mary
brings us to birth in grace.
4 The Word of God is not an empty shadow,
but flesh and blood, like us, in us to live,
to laugh and weep with us in joy and sorrow,
to know us, yet forgive.
5 O Word, you are the "Yes" of all God's promise:
"Amen!" we shout; in you our faith is sure.
Oh, lead us to the light of God's own presence,
to life forevermore.
(Title: The Word Who Sang the Light into Creation; Text: Alberto Taulé, 1932–2007; tr. Martin A. Seltz, b. 1951; © 1982, 2000 Alberto Taulé. Published by OCP, 5536 N. Hassalo, Portland, OR 97213. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Music: Alberto Taulé, 1932–2007; © 1982, 2000 Alberto Taulé. Published by OCP, 5536 N. Hassalo, Portland, OR 97213. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Prayers of Intercession:
(Each petition will end with May your resurrection life be real to us all…’, and the
Congregation will sing – Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer O God. Hear our prayer.*
Let us come before God in prayer, for the love of creation.
It is so hard to see your power in the midst of this world today, O God. What can love do when there is so much trauma, so much hate, so much violence, so much despair? Yet we also believe that only love can overcome. So we pray for the power of your love to heal in those bodies and minds and hearts that suffer, in those communities torn apart, in those leaders who rely on force, in those peoples oppressed, in your creation crying out for relief. May your resurrection life be real to us all… Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer O God. Hear our prayer.*
We pray for the power of your love to heal divisions caused by the dehumanizing worldviews of racism, bigotry, and discrimination; inequity caused by greed; displacement caused by war and by climate change; grief caused by callous disregard for dignity and life. Especially we pray for the people of Gaza and Haiti, Sudan and Ukraine. May your peace reign in our hearts and in our world, and May your resurrection life be real to us all… Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer O God. Hear our prayer.*
We pray for the power of your love to heal your beloved children facing illness or injury, hardship or despair. We pray especially for Linda, Luis, each beloved child on our prayer list, and each person we lift before you now out loud and silently and in our hearts… May your resurrection life be real to us all… Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer O God. Hear our prayer.*
We pray for the power of your love to heal your church, this city, our nation, your world. Wherever there is hardship or distress; wherever there is greed or injustice; for your whole creation crying out for relief, may your resurrection life be real to us all… Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer O God. Hear our prayer.*
And we pray that by the power of your love, we might be found always on the side of life, working for the flourishing of your kingdom, even in our days.
Amen.
Adapted from: © 2024 Teri Peterson. Usage rights granted to BibleWorm subscribers at the LiturgyWorm Level and higher (https://patreon.com/biblewormpodcast)
Share the peace of Christ:
P: Christ gives us the gift of peace that it might take root and grow in our homes, our communities, and all of creation. The peace of Christ be with you always.
C: And also with you.
P: Let us share a sign of this peace with one another, a sign of our commitment to spread Christ’s peace far and wide.
Offering
Offering Hymn: ELW # 583 ‘Take My Life, That I May Be’ (verses 1-2, 4)
Refrain
Take my life, that I may be
consecrated, Lord, to thee;
take my moments and my days;
let them flow in ceaseless praise.
1 Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of thy love;
take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee. Refrain
2 Take my silver and my gold,
not a mite would I withhold;
take my intellect and use
ev'ry pow'r as thou shalt choose. Refrain
4 Take my will and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine;
take my heart, it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne. Refrain
(Title: Take My Life, That I May Be; Text: Frances R. Havergal, 1836-1879, adap.; Spanish text: Vicente Mendoza, 1875-1955; Public Domain; Music: William Dexhheimer Parris, b. 1956; arr. Mark Sedio, b. 1954; Music © 1999 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Offering Prayer:
A: Risen One,
you call us to believe and bear fruit.
May the gifts that we offer here
be signs of your abiding love.
Form us to be your witnesses in the world,
through Jesus Christ, our true vine. Amen.*
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress.
You are invited to prepare your table with bread and wine, or crackers and juice, whatever is available to you, so that you may participate in the meal.
Meal: Click here for the communion liturgy from worship on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ViXmTzRsfU4
Great Thanksgiving: ACS Setting 12: ‘Dialogue…’ (page 36) (spoken)
The Lord be with you. C: And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. C: We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. C: It is right to give our thanks and praise
ELW Setting 12: ‘Preface…’ (Easter)
It is indeed right, our duty and our joy,
that we should at all times and in all places
give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God,
for the glorious resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ,
the true Paschal Lamb who gave himself to take away our sin;
who in dying has destroyed death,
and in rising has brought us to eternal life.
And so, with Mary Magdalene and Peter and all the witnesses of the resurrection,
with earth and sea and all their creatures,
and with angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim,
we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
ELW Setting 12: ‘Holy, Holy, Holy…’ (page 36 )
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of pow’r and God of might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
Hosanna, hosanna in the highest.*
Thanksgiving at the Table:
On the night before he showed us the full extent of his love,
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.
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us:
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.
Invitation to Communion:
This is Christ’s table where all are nourished and none go away empty. Come, taste, and see that the Lord is good.
I invite those at home, and those in the building communing by fellowship cup, to take your bread or cracker as we say together, “The body of Christ, given for us.”
And, as we take our cup we say, “The blood of Christ, shed for us.”
Communion Music: ACS # 1056 ‘God Bless to Us Our Bread’ &
ELW # 879 ‘For the Beauty of the Earth’
ACS # 1056 ‘God Bless to Us Our Bread’
God bless to us our bread,
and give bread to all those who are hungry,
and hunger for justice to those who are fed.
God bless to us our bread.
(Title: God Bless to Us Our Bread; Text: Argentine traditional, collected by Federico Pagura, 1923–2016; tr. John L. Bell, b. 1949; Spanish text © 2002 World Council of Churches. All rights reserved.; English text © WGRG, Iona Community, admin. GIA Publications, Inc., giamusic.com. All rights reserved. Music: Argentine melody, collected by Frederico Paguara; arr. John L. Bell; arr. © WGRG, Iona Community, admin. GIA Publications, Inc., giamusic.com. All rights reserved. Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
ELW # 879 ‘For the Beauty of the Earth’
1 For the beauty of the earth,
for the beauty of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies:
Refrain
Christ, our God, to thee we raise
this our sacrifice of praise.
2 For the wonder of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale and tree and flow'r,
sun and moon and stars of light: Refrain
3 For the joy of ear and eye,
for the heart and mind's delight,
for the mystic harmony
linking sense to sound and sight: Refrain
4 For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth and friends above;
for all gentle thoughts and mild: Refrain
5 For each perfect gift of thine,
peace on earth and joy in heav'n;
for thyself, best gift divine,
to our world so freely giv'n: Refrain
(Title: For the Beauty of the Earth; Text: Folliott S. Pierpoint, 1835-1917, alt.; Public Domain; Music: Conrad Kocher, 1786-1872; Public Domain; Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
P: May the body and blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ strengthen you, and keep you, in his grace.
C: Amen.
Prayer after Communion:
A: Shepherding God,
you have prepared a table before us
and nourished us with your love.
Send us forth from this banquet
to proclaim your goodness
and share the abundant mercy of Jesus,
our redeemer and friend.
Amen.*
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress.
Blessing:
P: Go and act, for the care of creation.
Go and learn, for the sake of creation.
Go and pray, for the love of creation.
And may
the care of God enfold you,
the passion of the Risen Christ embolden you,
and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit empower you,
now and forever,
Amen.
—Written by Alydia Smith. From Alydia Smith, ed., Act/Fast: Spiritual Practices for a Climate in Crisis (Toronto: United Church Publishing House, 2023), p. 125. Free to use with attribution.
Sending Hymn: ACS # 1042 ‘May This Church Be like a Tree’
1 May this church be like a tree,
behind your house, there in your garden,
meeting-place for joy, and feast,
and simple prayer beneath its branches.
With its roots in earth so fertile,
and its arms raised high to heaven,
may this church bear fruits of justice,
acts of loving and compassion.
Refrain
Tree ever growing by living water,
running eternal, flowing from God.
Tree ever growing by living water,
running eternal, flowing from God.
2 May this church be like a tree
there in the street or in the plaza,
for the birds a nesting-branch,
for passersby a welcome shelter.
May it stand as if it's watching,
near my house, just round the corner,
waiting for this weary pilgrim
with its arms wide to embrace me. Refrain
3 May this church be like a tree,
O God, that thrives where you have planted;
may it stand to show the way,
your way of loving and self-giving,
off'ring shade, and fruit for sharing,
giving up its wood for burning.
May this living church that names you
be a tree of life eternal. Refrain
(Title: May This Church Be like a Tree; Text: Pablo D. Sosa, 1933–2020; tr. Andrew Donaldson, b. 1951; English text © 2013 GIA Publications, Inc., giamusic.com. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Music: Pablo D. Sosa; Music © 2011 GIA Publications, Inc., giamusic.com. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Dismissal:
A: Alleluia! Go in peace for the love of creation.
C: Thanks be to God. Alleluia! *
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License # 42368. New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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April 21, 2024 – Fourth Sunday in Easter Email/At Home Missal
You will find the video for the service from this past Sunday at the following YouTube link: https://youtu.be/mIL_wowkUXc
…………………………………….
Presiding Pastor: Rev. Laura Sauder
Organist & Director of Music: Bradley Moggach
Assisting Minister: Barb Burden
Reader: Helga Morrison
Welcome remarks
Call to Worship:
P: Whether we live near mountains or prairies or forests—
C: We are one in Christ.
P: Whether our winters are balmy or our summers are cool
C: We are one in Christ.
P: Whether we live near the Atlantic, Pacific, or Arctic Ocean or somewhere in the middle—
C: We are one in Christ.
P: Whether we live in urban dwellings, nestled in the suburbs, or surrounded by a rural landscape—
C: We are one in Christ.
P: In a spirit of unity, caring for each other and the whole of creation
C: We are one in Christ.
—Adapted from the Rev. Michelle L. Torigian, “Be the Church: Protect the Environment” worship service. © 2016 Rev. Michelle L. Torigian. Free to use with attribution.
Gathering Hymn: ACS # 1064 ‘Earth Is Full of Wit and Wisdom’
1 Earth is full of wit and wisdom,
sounding God's delighted laugh,
from the tiny roly-poly
to the treetop-tall giraffe.
All creation sings in wonder;
even rocks and trees rejoice
as they join the ringing chorus:
echoes of our Maker's voice.
2 Earth is full of wit and wisdom,
woven into harmony.
Ev'ry creature has a purpose,
ev'ry flow'r and bumblebee.
Spider, human, redwood, gecko,
monkey, chicken, mouse, and snake
live within a single fabric:
cloth that only God could make.
3 Earth is full of wit and wisdom:
penguin, platypus, and snail,
cactus, sea slug, oak, and algae,
from the microbe to the whale.
In this great and strange creation,
with a breath God gives us birth:
born of soil to live as stewards,
called to love and serve the earth.
(Title: Earth Is Full of Wit and Wisdom; Text: Adam M. L. Tice, b. 1979 ; Text © 2009 GIA Publications, Inc., giamusic.com. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Music: W. Moore, Columbian Harmony, 1825: arr. Hymnal version; Arr. © 2003 Augsburg Fortress; All rights reserved. Used by permission. Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Land Acknowledgement:
A: As we gather this morning in praise of you, we pause to give thanks for the land over which your Spirit broods and breathes new life. We give thanks for our forbears and neighbours, the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Neutral peoples who have inhabited the land for generations. In this season of resurrection, raise us up to live in renewed relationship with the land and our indigenous neighbours. Help us to walk with humility and care.
Greeting:
P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you always.
C: And also with you.
Theme Time
Prayer of the Day:
P: As we gather, we are thankful for your Creation:
for light and darkness;
for air, wind, and sky;
for earth and sea;
for seeds, harvests, and plant life;
for sunlight, moonlight, and starlight;
for every living creature, swarming, flying, creeping, and grazing;
for our lives.
In our actions, meditations, and prayers,
may we honour and celebrate your very good Creation,
as we seek wisdom on how to share our gratitude and love in good and healing ways.
Amen.
—Written by Alydia Smith. From Alydia Smith, ed., Act/Fast: Spiritual Practices for a Climate in Crisis (Toronto: United Church Publishing House, 2023), p. 127. Free to use with attribution.
Scripture Song: ELW # 510 ‘Word of God, Come Down on Earth’ (verse 1)
1 Word of God, come down on earth,
living rain from heav'n descending;
touch our hearts and bring to birth
faith and hope and love unending.
Word almighty, we revere you;
Word made flesh, we long to hear you.
(Title: Word of God, Come Down on Earth; Text: James Quinn, SJ, b. 1919; © James Quinn, SJ, Selah Publishing Co., Inc., North American agent. www.selahpub.com. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Music: Johann R. Ahle, 1625-1673; Public Domain; Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Reader: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
May we be equipped by these words to walk in love for God, ourselves, our neighbours, all people, and all God’s creation.
From Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy.
To the Thessalonians’ church that is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace and peace to all of you.
We always thank God for all of you when we mention you constantly in our prayers. This is because we remember your work that comes from faith, your effort that comes from love, and your perseverance that comes from hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father. Brothers and sisters, you are loved by God, and we know that he has chosen you. We know this because our good news didn’t come to you just in speech but also with power and the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know as well as we do what kind of people we were when we were with you, which was for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord when you accepted the message that came from the Holy Spirit with joy in spite of great suffering. As a result you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The message about the Lord rang out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia but in every place. The news about your faithfulness to God has spread so that we don’t even need to mention it. People tell us about what sort of welcome we had from you and how you turned to God from idols. As a result, you are serving the living and true God, and you are waiting for his Son from heaven. His Son is Jesus, who is the one he raised from the dead and who is the one who will rescue us from the coming wrath. (CEB)
God’s story, our story. C: Thanks be to God.
Engaging with the Story
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
After Jesus’ death, his message of liberation and grace continued to spread thanks to the followers he left behind. Through the power of the Spirit, they continued to teach and preach and heal. And through the power of the Spirit, new apostles were called and commissioned – including some surprising and unexpected folks – people like Paul. Once a persecutor of Christians, after a spiritual experience on the road to Damascus, Paul becomes one of the most important missionaries and evangelists for the gospel.
In his lifetime, Paul travelled throughout the Roman Empire with other missionaries to share the good news of Jesus Christ. In many of the places they, travelled they also founded churches. The letter we read in worship today was sent to one of these Christian communities – the church in the Greek city of Thessalonica where Paul founded a church with the help of his co-worker Silas.
Paul’s trip to Thessalonica is also recorded in the book of Acts, chapter 17. There it tells us that while some people of the city – both Jews and Greeks – received their message, others did not. And those who joined Paul in professing that Jesus was the Messiah encountered resistance from the wider community. In fact, several of the new church members were hunted down by an angry mob and dragged before the city authorities. The accusation? That these Christians “were turning the world upside down.” (Acts 17:6)
What an accusation. “Turning the world upside down.” And what were the early Christians doing that was so dangerous and disruptive but loving one another – and loving their enemies. Treating slaves as equal with free citizens, and women equal with men. Upholding values that challenged the hierarchy and militarism of Roman culture – values like collaboration and non-violence and humility.1
Collaboration, non-violence, humility, unity, mutual care, care for those who are different than us/who perhaps don’t agree with us. These are all things we could use a whole lot more of in our world today. In this world that is already turned upside down by the human made climate crisis. Unseasonal temperatures, extreme weather events, rising sea levels, declining biodiversity – these are all nature’s way of telling us just how much human activity is turning the natural world upside down. It’s a daunting challenge to say the least. And a reality that quickly feels like too much and a problem that is too big to solve on our own.
We know that to address the climate crisis, we – as a global community – need to radically change how we live on this planet. Human action has turned the natural world upside down, and so only a turning upside down of current human patterns of behaviour and consumption will make a difference. But we can’t fix this on our own in isolation from one another. And yet, don’t we feel so alone when we face daunting challenges.
I’m certain this is one of the reasons Paul and these churches sent letters to each other. Certainly they wanted to stay in touch and catch up, but as we see in Paul’s words to the Thessalonians, it was also about encouragement. It was about holding each other in prayer. It was about reminding each other that they are in this together; and that they are stronger together as they seek to be a positive disruptive force in their time and place.
Buddhist monk and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh teaches us that ‘when we come together as a group, with a common purpose and commitment to mindful action, we produce an energy of collective concentration far superior to our own individual concentration...Together, we can bring about real transformation for ourselves and for the world.’”2
Cartoon by Brenna Quinlan, an Australian illustrator and educator specialising in climate justice, sustainability and permaculture.3
We cannot wait to act. And we are stronger when we act together, which is why we are joining with other faith groups across Canada this week to act, learn & pray for the love of creation. As a community here at St Peter’s, we are committing to pray for creation today and next Sunday. We’re also asking you as individuals and families to participate at home this week in acting, learning, and praying for the love of creation. To help get you started, we’ve created a handout with some ideas for acting, learning, and praying. (included at end of sermon)
Also, there will be a test – sort of. I’m challenging all of us to come next week prepared to share one thing that we did to act, learn or pray for creation. And the purpose of this isn’t to put you on the spot, but for us to teach one another something we’ve learned, to encourage one another, and to feel just a little less alone – to see how our individual actions when we add them all together, can begin to amount to enough.
For in all that we do together, we remember that our work comes from faith, our effort comes from love, and our perseverance comes from hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God, our Father and our Mother. For we – and this whole creation – are loved by God, and God has chosen us to be witnesses of this same love.
Which is why this Earth week, along with countless others around the globe, we join our efforts for the love of creation, living out our hope that with God’s strength, another way is possible. AMEN.
Earth Week 2024 – April 21-28
St Peter’s Ev. Lutheran Church, Cambridge/www.stpeterscambridge.com
ACT
Spend time outdoors or in nature; Go for a walk!
Pick up trash/recycling in your neighbourhood
Take public transit or bike/run/walk somewhere you would normally drive
Stop drinking bottled water. Buy a reusable water bottle if you don’t already have one.
Plant a tree
Repurpose an item or donate unneeded items to a second-hand store.
Buy something second hand rather than brand new
Calculate your plastic consumption. Are there ways to reduce this?
Join or volunteer with an organization that cares/advocates for creation/climate/environment
Other: __________________________________________
LEARN
Attend “Watershed Re-Orientation” (Zoom event) on Tuesday, April 23rd at 12PM (https://www.wellingtonwaterwatchers.ca/watershed_re-orientation)
Attend Earth Week Event on Plastics at Trillium United Church (450 King St E.) on Tues, April 23 at 7PM
Attend Webinar on “Climate Change, Eco-Anxiety, and Habits of Hope” on Thursday, April 25 at 1PM (https://presbyterian.ca/2024/03/12/upcoming-webinar-climate-change-eco-anxiety-and-habits-of-hope/)
Borrow a book from the library about climate change, nature, or the environment
Watch a documentary about climate, nature, or the environment
Do some self-directed research on an environmental topic or question that’s of interest to you
Visit https://fortheloveofcreation.ca/ to learn more about his initiative and available resources
Other: __________________________________________
PRAY
Take a sacred pause outdoors or near a window. Find a spot to sit for 10 minutes and be still: what do you hear? What do you see? What do you smell? What do you feel?
Get your hands dirty by starting to prep your garden or flower beds. Remember how God created humans from the soil.
Create something – art, music, poetry, food, crafts, etc. Consider how we are made in God’s image to be creative.
Other: __________________________________________
God, creator of all living things, you fashioned a world in which lands and waterways, planets and animals, together meet the needs of all that you made. We pray that such vitality may flourish around the globe. Bless those who work the soil and who manage animals. Uphold their towns and villages. Nurture bees and other pollinators. Protect farmlands and ranches from drought and flood. Free children from forced labour in the fields. Grant an economy that can sustain those families who treasure a rural life. Teach us how to share with everyone the benefits of each harvest, and accept our gratitude for all sustenance you provide, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. Amen (All Creation Sings, 47)
…for the love of creation
1 Dennis Edwards. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1iQCcnTiPY
2 FLC Earth Week 2024 email. Sent April 17, 2024.
3 https://www.brennaquinlan.com/
Hymn of the Day: ACS # 1065 ‘Can You Feel the Seasons Turning’
1 Can you feel the seasons turning,
winds and waves grown wild and strange?
Can you feel creation groaning,
fearful of the coming change:
icecaps melting, oceans rising,
homes and habitations lost?
Can you feel the seasons turning?
Can you count the bitter cost?
2 Can you hear the creatures crying—
lynx and otter, wolf and whale?
Can you hear the Spirit sighing
as her children grieve and fail?
Nature's poor, the first to suffer
pay the price of human greed.
Can you hear the creatures crying,
begging us to stop and heed?
3 Can you feel the seasons turning?
Storm clouds gather in the skies.
All around us signs of warning
bid us open frightened eyes.
Called by God to serve as stewards
till earth's garden greens and thrives,
can we learn in time to listen?
Can we turn and change our lives?
(Title: Can You Feel the Seasons Turning; Text: Text: Mary Louise Bringle, b. 1953; Text © 2008 GIA Publications, Inc., giamusic.com. All rights reserved. Music: Welsh melody; Public Domain. Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Prayers of Intercession:
(Each petition will end with By the power of the Spirit…’, and the
Congregation will sing – Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer O God. Hear our prayer.*
God of Creation, we are thankful for your awesome work in creation. You have woven all of life together, and it is very good. We are grateful for all that protects and cares for your good works: the sunlight and water that sustains life, the earth that grounds and nourishes life, and the earth-beings that care for and protect life.
We ask your blessings on the actions we offer here and on the actions of those across the church and beyond during this Earth Week. By the power of the Spirit…’, C: Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer O God. Hear our prayer.*
As we care for your creation, provide us with the humility and curiosity needed to continually learn about the marvels of your works, and to deepen our understanding of how our actions, good and bad, affect all of creation. Although the journey is hard, and our hearts might be afraid and filled with doubts, may we continue to act and learn towards climate justice, with the confidence and strength of your presence guiding us. By the power of the Spirit…’, C: Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer O God. Hear our prayer.*
For the care we can give and receive as your creatures, we give you thanks. This day we ask your care and protection for communities that are threatened by war and violence, extreme weather events and economic injustice. By the power of the Spirit…’, C: Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer O God. Hear our prayer.
We also ask your care and protection for our siblings and neighbours who are struggling or hurting. Especially we pray for Ruth, Linda, and each beloved child on our prayer list, and those we name before you now aloud or silently in our hearts… Embrace each one with your love. By the power of the Spirit…’, C: Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer O God. Hear our prayer.*
Creating God, may we continue to follow in the way that you are leading with hopeful and daring hearts, until we have reached your commonwealth of justice and peace for all. This we pray in the name of the Risen Christ, whose gift of abundant life is for the wellbeing of all creation.
Amen.
—Adapted from Brenda Riley of Knox United Church’s adaptation from For the Love of Creation, “Earth Sunday Service,” 2023. Free to use with attribution..
Share the peace of Christ:
P: Christ gives us the gift of peace that it might take root and grow in our homes, our communities, and all of creation. The peace of Christ be with you always
C: And also with you.
P: Let us share a sign of this peace with one another, a sign of our commitment to spread Christ’s peace far and wide.
Offering
Offering Hymn: ELW # 481 ‘Come to the Table’
Come to the table of mercy,
prepared with the wine and the bread.
All who are hungry and thirsty,
come, and your souls will be fed.
Come at the Lord's invitation;
receive from his nail-scarred hand.
Eat of the bread of salvation;
drink of the blood of the Lamb.
(Title: Come to the Table; Text: Claire Cloninger, b. 1942; Text © 1991 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (ASCAP) c/o Integrity Media, Inc., 1000 Cody Road, Mobile, AL 36695; Juniper Landing Music (admin. Word Music); and Word Music (ASCAP). All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Music: Martin J. Nystrom, b. 1956; © 1991 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (ASCAP) c/o Integrity Media, Inc., 1000 Cody Road, Mobile, AL 36695; Juniper Landing Music (admin. Word Music); and Word Music (ASCAP). All rights reserved. Used by permission. Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Offering Prayer
A: Risen One,
you call us to believe and bear fruit.
May the gifts that we offer here
be signs of your abiding love.
Form us to be your witnesses in the world,
through Jesus Christ, our true vine.
Amen.*
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress.
You are invited to prepare your table with bread and wine, or crackers and juice, whatever is available to you, so that you may participate in the meal.
Meal: Click here for the communion liturgy from worship on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ViXmTzRsfU4
Great Thanksgiving: ACS Setting 12: ‘Dialogue…’ (page 36) (spoken)
The Lord be with you. C: And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. C: We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. C: It is right to give our thanks and praise
ELW Setting 12: ‘Preface…’ (Easter)
It is indeed right, our duty and our joy,
that we should at all times and in all places
give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God,
for the glorious resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ,
the true Paschal Lamb who gave himself to take away our sin;
who in dying has destroyed death,
and in rising has brought us to eternal life.
And so, with Mary Magdalene and Peter and all the witnesses of the resurrection,
with earth and sea and all their creatures,
and with angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim,
we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
ELW Setting 12: ‘Holy, Holy, Holy…’ (page 36 )
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of pow’r and God of might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
Hosanna, hosanna in the highest.*
Thanksgiving at the Table:
On the night before he showed us the full extent of his love,
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.
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us:
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.
Invitation to Communion:
This is Christ’s table where all are nourished, and none go away empty. Come, taste, and see that the Lord is good.
I invite those at home, and those in the building communing by fellowship cup, to take your bread or cracker as we say together, “The body of Christ, given for us.”
And, as we take our cup we say, “The blood of Christ, shed for us.”
Communion Music: ACS # 1056 ‘God Bless to Us Our Bread’ &
ELW # 824 ‘This Is My Father’s World’
ACS # 1056 ‘God Bless to Us Our Bread’
God bless to us our bread,
and give bread to all those who are hungry,
and hunger for justice to those who are fed.
God bless to us our bread.
(Title: God Bless to Us Our Bread; Text: Argentine traditional, collected by Federico Pagura, 1923–2016; tr. John L. Bell, b. 1949; Spanish text © 2002 World Council of Churches. All rights reserved.; English text © WGRG, Iona Community, admin. GIA Publications, Inc., giamusic.com. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Music: Argentine melody, collected by Frederico Paguara; arr. John L. Bell; arr. © WGRG, Iona Community, admin. GIA Publications, Inc., giamusic.com. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
ELW # 824 ‘This Is My Father’s World’
1 This is my Father's world,
and to my list'ning ears
all nature sings, and round me rings
the music of the spheres.
This is my Father's world;
I rest me in the thought
of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
his hand the wonders wrought.
2 This is my Father's world;
the birds their carols raise;
the morning light, the lily white,
declare their maker's praise.
This is my Father's world;
he shines in all that's fair.
In the rustling grass I hear him pass;
he speaks to me ev'rywhere.
3 This is my Father's world;
oh, let me not forget
that, though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father's world;
why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is king, let heaven ring;
God reigns, let earth be glad!
(Title: This Is My Father’s World; Text: Maltbie D. Babcock, 1858-1901; Public Domain; Music: Franklin L. Sheppard, 1852 – 1930, adapt. Public Domain; Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
P: May the body and blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ strengthen you, and keep you, in his grace.
C: Amen.
Prayer after Communion:
A: Shepherding God,
you have prepared a table before us
and nourished us with your love.
Send us forth from this banquet
to proclaim your goodness
and share the abundant mercy of Jesus,
our redeemer and friend.
Amen.*
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress.
Blessing:
P: Go and act, for the care of creation.
Go and learn, for the sake of creation.
Go and pray, for the love of creation.
And may
the care of God enfold you,
the passion of the Risen Christ embolden you,
and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit empower you,
now and forever,
Amen.
—Written by Alydia Smith. From Alydia Smith, ed., Act/Fast: Spiritual Practices for a Climate in Crisis (Toronto: United Church Publishing House, 2023), p. 125. Free to use with attribution.
Sending Hymn: ACS # 1067 ‘For the Wholeness of the Earth’
1 We lift this prayer for the wholeness of the earth.
We lift this prayer for the wholeness of the earth.
We lift this prayer for the wholeness of the earth.
Can you feel it rising in you?
2 We turn our lives to the wholeness of the earth.
We turn our lives to the wholeness of the earth.
We turn our lives to the wholeness of the earth.
Can you feel it spinning in you?
3 Give thanks to God for the wholeness of the earth.
Give thanks to God for the wholeness of the earth.
Give thanks to God for the wholeness of the earth.
Can you feel it rising in you?
(Title: For the Wholeness of the Earth; Text & Music: Bret Hesla, b. 1957; © 2017 Bret Hesla, admin. Augsburg Fortress; All rights reserved. Used by permission. Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Dismissal:
A: Alleluia! Go in peace. Share the good news
C: Thanks be to God. Alleluia! *
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License # 42368. New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
********************
April 14, 2024 – Third Sunday in Easter Email/At Home Missal
You will find the video for last week’s worship service at the following link:
PLEASE NOTE: Our guest speaker from last Sunday, Deborah McCracken from The Olive Branch for Children didn’t speak from a prepared text, but you can watch her message at the following YouTube link, https://youtu.be/WFi01l1wUIQ and you are invited to check out their website for more information about the mission and ministry of The Olive Branch for Children. https://www.theolivebranchforchildren.org/
……………………………………….
Presiding Pastor: Rev. Laura Sauder
Organist & Director of Music: Bradley Moggach
Assisting Minister: Helga Morrison
Reader: Kim Strassburger
Welcome remarks
Call to Worship:
P: Come, it is the time for worship —
C: the time we come together in praise and prayer.
P: Celebrating resurrection, still singing our Hallelujahs,
C: we come together in praise and prayer.
P: With joy and with sadness,
carrying all the experiences of life,
C: we come together in praise and prayer.
P: In the middle of everything going on in our lives and in the world,
this is the time we pause to look intently toward the living God,
C: coming together in praise and prayer.
*© 2024 Teri Peterson. Usage rights granted to BibleWorm subscribers at the LiturgyWorm Level and higher (https://patreon.com/biblewormpodcast)
Gathering Hymn: ACS # 985 ‘Let Us Enter In’
1 Let us enter in to the song of thanksgiving and freedom.
Let us enter in to the long line of people in need.
Let us enter in to the strong mind that God is still living.
Healing, forgiving—Let us enter in.
2 Let us enter in to the place where our God has preceded.
Let us enter in to the face of the fear and the pain.
Let us enter in to the grace of the love when it's needed.
Death is defeated! Let us enter in.
3 Let us enter in to the heart of a world that is broken.
Let us enter in to the start of a hope we can share.
Let us enter in to the part where we call one another
sister and brother. Let us enter in.
(Title: Let Us Enter In; Text & Music: Ray Makeever, b. 1943; Text & Music © 1983 Ray Makeever, admin. Augsburg Fortress; All rights reserved. Used by permission. # 11030; Music: John B. Dykes, 1823-1846; Public Domain; Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Land Acknowledgement:
A: As we gather this morning in praise of you, we pause to give thanks for the land over which your Spirit broods and breathes new life. We give thanks for our forbears and neighbours, the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Neutral peoples who have inhabited the land for generations. In this season of resurrection, raise us up to live in renewed relationship with the land and our indigenous neighbours. Help us to walk with humility and care.
Greeting:
P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you always.
C: And also with you.
Prayer of the Day:
P: All our power to do good comes from you,
Source of all being, breath of life.
All our power to praise and to pray comes from you,
in your grace and mercy.
The very gift of life, and of resurrection life, comes from you,
Holy One.
Take us by the hand today,
raise us up to stand in your presence
and fill us with wonder and amazement,
in the name of Jesus Christ whom you raised from the dead.
Amen.
© 2024 Teri Peterson. Usage rights granted to BibleWorm subscribers at the LiturgyWorm Level and higher (https://patreon.com/biblewormpodcast)
Installation of Church Council
P: [Dave, Jennie, Heide, Alex, Lorre, Donna, Lynda, Barb, and Helga], you have been elected by the congregation to positions of leadership. We give thanks for your willingness to serve. In baptism we are welcomed into the body of Christ and sent to share in the mission of God; we rejoice now that you will lead us in our common life and our mutual mission as a congregation.
A reading from First Corinthians: There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:4-7)
As ones who have been elected to positions of leadership and trust in this congregation:
You are to see that the words and deeds of this household of faith bear witness to God, who gathers us into one together with the whole church.
You are to seek to involve all members of this congregation in worship, learning, witness, service, and support, so that the mission of Christ is carried out in this congregation, in the wider church, in this community, and in the whole world.
You are to be faithful in your specific area of serving, that the Spirit who empowers you may be glorified.
You are to be examples of faith active in love, fostering peace, harmony, and mutual understanding in this congregation.
On behalf of your siblings in Christ, I ask you:
Will you accept and faithfully carry out the duties of the offices
to which you have been elected? If so, please respond saying, “I will, and I ask God to help me.”
Response:
I will, and I ask God to help me.
People of God, I ask you:
Will you support these, your elected leaders,
and will you share in the mutual ministry
that Christ has given to all who are baptized? If so, please respond saying, “We will, and we ask God to help us.”
C: We will, and we ask God to help us.
I now declare you installed as council members of this congregation.
Receive this prayer of blessing:
Gracious God, as you have called workers to varied tasks in the world and in your church, so you have called these servants to serve on congregational council. Grant them joy and a spirit of bold trust, that their work may stir up each of us to a life of faithful service.
Amen
Almighty God bless you, and direct your days and your deeds in peace,
that you may be faithful servants of Christ.
Amen.
Scripture Song: ELW # 510 ‘Word of God, Come Down on Earth’ (verse 3)
3 Word that speaks God's tender love,
one with God beyond all telling,
Word that sends us from above
God the Spirit, with us dwelling,
Word of truth, to all truth lead us;
Word of life, with one bread feed us.
(Title: Word of God, Come Down on Earth; Text: James Quinn, SJ, b. 1919; © James Quinn, SJ, Selah Publishing Co., Inc., North American agent. www.selahpub.com. All rights reserved. Used by permission. # 30137085; Music: Johann R. Ahle, 1625-1673; Public Domain; Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Reader: Acts 3:1-10
May we be equipped by these words to walk in love for God, ourselves, our neighbours, all people, and all God’s creation.
Peter and John were going up to the temple at three o’clock in the afternoon, the established prayer time. Meanwhile, a man crippled since birth was being carried in. Every day, people would place him at the temple gate known as the Beautiful Gate so he could ask for money from those entering the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he began to ask them for a gift. Peter and John stared at him. Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gazed at them, expecting to receive something from them. Peter said, “I don’t have any money, but I will give you what I do have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, rise up and walk!” Then he grasped the man’s right hand and raised him up. At once his feet and ankles became strong. Jumping up, he began to walk around. He entered the temple with them, walking, leaping, and praising God. All the people saw him walking and praising God. They recognized him as the same one who used to sit at the temple’s Beautiful Gate asking for money. They were filled with amazement and surprise at what had happened to him. (CEB)
God’s story, our story. C: Thanks be to God.
Engaging with the Story
Acts 3:1-10
As we follow the story of the early church as it’s recorded in Scripture, once again the Narrative Lectionary has skipped us over a very important story in order to keep things matched up with the church year. Acts 2 tells the story of Pentecost – of the coming of the Holy Spirit among the apostles – which we’ll jump back to hear in a few weeks’ time on Pentecost Sunday.
What’s important to know for today’s story (and in the coming weeks) is that the Holy Spirit has already come – as Jesus said she would – and is already moving among the apostles, enlivening the ministry of the early church, which – as today’s story shows – includes carrying on Jesus’ ministry of healing.
Peter and John meet a crippled man panhandling at the temple gate. They don’t have any money to give him. Instead, Peter offers a different gift. He raises the man up to walk. And to be clear that this healing comes not by his own power but by the power of Jesus, as he raises the man up, Peter invokes the name of Jesus Christ.
It’s hard sometimes to know what to do with these stories of miraculous healing. Especially when our own prayers for healing – for ourselves and for our loved ones – have not been answered in the way we hoped for. And yet, if healing is supposed to be a part of the church’s ministry, it’s important to think about what this means for us and our ministry.
One helpful starting place is to talk about the difference between curing and healing. Curing is when an illness or injury or impairment is eliminated. Healing, on the other hand, is about coming to a place of integrity or wholeness in response to an injury or disease. What this means is that it’s possible to be healed, even without a cure. And it’s possible to be cured of a condition without ever experiencing healing.
The way it helps me to think about it, is a cure is just about the body. Healing is about what happens in the heart, mind, and soul, and sometimes also the body. A cure is a one-time event; healing is a process.
In his ministry, Jesus’ healing often involved curing, but it was also always about restoring people to wholeness. And this is a really important distinction to make because it helps us remember that disabled people are already whole people. There are disabled folks who do long to be cured, and there are those who are content just as they are. Who know that they are not the ones in need of healing, but ableist attitudes and structures that need to be healed.
When we expand healing to be about more than physical conditions, we soon realize that we are all in need of healing. Each one of us need the gift of wholeness that only Jesus can offer because it’s impossible to go through this life without experiencing hurt or harm; without experiencing pain or suffering. Which is why our service today will include the order for healing. In just a moment you will be invited to come forward and receive a blessing and anointing.
As the intro in our hymnal states, the order for healing is not a replacement of the gifts of God that come through the scientific community, nor does it promise a cure. Rather, it’s a remembrance and celebration of “God’s presence with strength and comfort in time of suffering, God’s promise of wholeness and peace, and God’s love embodied in the community of faith.”1
I want to offer this for our community today because as we live into our vision statement of “realizing a healthier world through Jesus,” we too must recognize our own need for Jesus’ healing power.
Wholeness is a gift that is offered to us, so that in turn we can offer this gift to others. So like Peter, we can join in that ministry of raising people up. By using the resources we’ve been entrusted with to help our neighbours. By using our voices to advocate for equality and justice. By using our bodies to be present with people in pain – listening, encouraging, accompanying. And as we have received, to offer others the assurance of God’s presence in time of suffering, God’s promise of wholeness and peace, and God’s love embodied in the community of faith.
Whether you have a particular desire/request, or simply recognise a need within yourself for the healing power of the Spirit, you are invited to come.
Service continues with the order for healing (Evangelical Lutheran Worship, page 276).
1 Evangelical Lutheran Worship, 276.
Order for Healing:
P: Our Lord Jesus healed many as a sign of the reign of God come near and sent the disciples to continue this work of healing—with prayer, the laying on of hands, and anointing. In the name of Christ, the great healer and reconciler of the world, we now entrust to God all who are in need of healing.
Siblings in Christ, I invite you to come and receive a sign of healing and wholeness in the name of the triune God.
Those who wish to receive prayer and anointing are invited to come forward
Name , in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ,
be strengthened and filled with God’s grace,
that you may know the healing power of the Spirit.
Amen.
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress.
Hymn of the Day: ELW # 614 ‘There Is A Balm in Gilead’
Refrain
There is a balm in Gilead
to make the wounded whole;
there is a balm in Gilead
to heal the sin-sick soul.
1 Sometimes I feel discouraged
and think my work's in vain,
but then the Holy Spirit
revives my soul again. Refrain
2 If you cannot preach like Peter,
if you cannot pray like Paul,
you can tell the love of Jesus
and say, "He died for all." Refrain
3 Don't ever be discouraged,
for Jesus is your friend;
and if you lack for knowledge
he'll ne'er refuse to lend. Refrain
(Title: There Is a Balm in Gilead; Text: African American spiritual; Public Domain; Music: African American spiritual; Public Domain; Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Blessing
P: Almighty God, who is a strong tower to all, to whom all things in heaven and on earth bow and obey, be now and evermore your sure defense, and help you to know that the name given to us for health and salvation is the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
C: Amen.
Prayers of Intercession:
(Each petition will end with By the power of the Spirit…’, and the
Congregation will sing – Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer O God. Hear our prayer.*
Living God, we bring before you now our prayers for the church, the world, and the whole of creation. (brief silence)
You have created us most wonderful, O God, with bodies and minds that are knit together so beautifully, each different and yet each belonging together. You have created your Body most wonderful, too, Lord Jesus, bringing together your diverse peoples into one community. We bring our joyous praise for all the ways you work within us, through us, among us, creating and re-creating life, even now. By the power of the Spirit … Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer O God. Hear our prayer.*
We bring our prayers for those who have been excluded from community: those whose bodies do not fit what we have decided is normal; those whose minds see something different than what we see; those who have been left out, overlooked, pushed to the side. May they be seen in all their humanity, and loved by others as they are already loved by you. We also bring our prayers for those places that intentionally or unintentionally exclude, asking for your imagination and your courage that we might make changes that make room for all. By the power of the Spirit … Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer O God. Hear our prayer.*
We lift prayer today for those living with illness or disability, those longing for healing, and those simply longing to be accepted as whole as they are. We pray especially for Ruth, each beloved child on our prayer list, and those we name before you out loud or silently in our hearts… We also lift prayer for those who are struggling with the healthcare system, that they may be treated with dignity and compassion. For those who have given up hope of help, that they may discover new possibilities. For those who work in healthcare, that they might have the support and resources they need to serve others with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love. By the power of the Spirit … Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer O God. Hear our prayer.*
We lift prayer today for restoration, O God — restoration to community, restoration to hope, restoration to life abundant. Give us the confidence to share what we have. To lift others up and give what is most needed. To dig deep and risk taking our neighbor by the hand; that together we might find your healing grace already at work. By the power of the Spirit … Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer O God. Hear our prayer.*
We lift all of these prayers to you, trusting in your power, far greater than our own and yet promised to us, bringing joy beyond what we have known, to ourselves and to others in your name. Amen.
Source: © 2024 Teri Peterson. Usage rights granted to BibleWorm subscribers at the LiturgyWorm Level and higher (https://patreon.com/biblewormpodcast)
Share the peace of Christ:
P: Christ gives us the gift of peace that it might take root and grow in our homes, our communities, and all of creation. The peace of Christ be with you always.
C: And also with you.
P: Let us share a sign of this peace with one another, a sign of our commitment to spread Christ’s peace far and wide.
Offering
Offering Hymn: ELW # 583 ‘Take My Life, That I May Be’ (verses 2-4)
Refrain
Take my life, that I may be
consecrated, Lord, to thee;
take my moments and my days;
let them flow in ceaseless praise.
2 Take my silver and my gold,
not a mite would I withhold;
take my intellect and use
ev'ry pow'r as thou shalt choose. Refrain
3 Take my voice and let me sing
always, only for my King;
take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from thee. Refrain
4 Take my will and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine;
take my heart, it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne. Refrain
(Title: Take My Life, That I May Be; Text: Frances R. Havergal, 1836-1879, adap.; Spanish text: Vicente Mendoza, 1875-1955; Public Domain; Music: William Dexhheimer Parris, b. 1956; arr. Mark Sedio, b. 1954; Music © 1999 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Used by permission. # 11552; Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Offering Prayer:
Risen One,
you call us to believe and bear fruit.
May the gifts that we offer here
be signs of your abiding love.
Form us to be your witnesses in the world,
through Jesus Christ, our true vine.
Amen.*
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress.
You are invited to prepare your table with bread and wine, or crackers and juice, whatever is available to you, so that you may participate in the meal.
Meal: Click here for the communion liturgy from worship on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ViXmTzRsfU4
Great Thanksgiving: ACS Setting 12: ‘Dialogue…’ (page 36) (spoken)
The Lord be with you. C: And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. C: We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. C: It is right to give our thanks and praise
ELW Setting 12: ‘Preface…’ (Easter)
It is indeed right, our duty and our joy,
that we should at all times and in all places
give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God,
for the glorious resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ,
the true Paschal Lamb who gave himself to take away our sin;
who in dying has destroyed death,
and in rising has brought us to eternal life.
And so, with Mary Magdalene and Peter and all the witnesses of the resurrection,
with earth and sea and all their creatures,
and with angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim,
we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
ELW Setting 12: ‘Holy, Holy, Holy…’ (page 36 )
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of pow’r and God of might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
Hosanna, hosanna in the highest.*
Thanksgiving at the Table:
On the night before he showed us the full extent of his love,
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.
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us:
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.
Invitation to Communion:
This is Christ’s table where all are nourished, and none go away empty. Come, taste, and see that the Lord is good.
I invite those at home, and those in the building communing by fellowship cup, to take your bread or cracker as we say together, “The body of Christ, given for us.”
And, as we take our cup we say, “The blood of Christ, shed for us.”
Communion Music: ELW # 674 ‘Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ’
1 Let us talents and tongues employ,
reaching out with a shout of joy:
bread is broken, the wine is poured,
Christ is spoken and seen and heard.
Refrain
Jesus lives again, earth can breathe again,
pass the Word around: loaves abound!
Jesus lives again, earth can breathe again,
pass the Word around: loaves abound!
2 Christ is able to make us one,
at the table he sets the tone,
teaching people to live to bless,
love in word and in deed express. Refrain
3 Jesus calls us in, sends us out
bearing fruit in a world of doubt,
gives us love to tell, bread to share:
God (Immanuel) ev'rywhere! Refrain
(Title: Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ; Text: Fred Kaan, b. 1929; Text © 1975 Hope Publishing Company, Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved. Used by permission. # 95156; Music: Jamaican folk tune,; adapt. Doreen Potter, 1925-1980. Text © 1975 Hope Publishing Company, Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved. Used by permission. #95156; Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
P: May the body and blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ strengthen you, and keep you, in his grace.
C: Amen.
Prayer after Communion:
A: Shepherding God,
you have prepared a table before us
and nourished us with your love.
Send us forth from this banquet
to proclaim your goodness
and share the abundant mercy of Jesus,
|our redeemer and friend.
Amen.*
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress.
Blessing:
P: Take a deep breath…
feel the Spirit filling not only your lungs
but your whole Self…
Go forth in the power given to you by God,
with open and courageous hearts,
to look intently at the world around,
and to risk calling forth the possibility of new life in Jesus’ + name.
Amen.
© 2024 Teri Peterson. Usage rights granted to BibleWorm subscribers at the LiturgyWorm Level and higher (https://patreon.com/biblewormpodcast)
Sending Hymn: ACS # 991 ‘Go to the World’
1 Go to the world! Go into all the earth.
Go preach the cross where Christ renews life's worth,
baptizing as the sign of our rebirth.
Alleluia. Alleluia.
2 Go to the world! Go into ev'ry place.
Go live the word of God's redeeming grace.
Go seek God's presence in each time and space.
Alleluia. Alleluia.
3 Go to the world! Go struggle, bless, and pray;
the nights of tears give way to joyous day.
As servant church, you follow Christ's own way.
Alleluia. Alleluia.
4 "Go to the world! Go as the ones I send,
for I am with you till the age shall end,
when all the hosts of glory cry, Amen!"
Alleluia. Alleluia.
(Title: Go to the World; Text: Sylvia G. Dunstan, 1955–1993; Text © 1991 GIA Publications, Inc., giamusic.com. All rights reserved. Used by permission # 01065; Music: Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1872-7958; Music ©Oxford University Press; All rights reserved. Used by permission # 83754E19; Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Dismissal:
A: Alleluia! Go in peace. Share the good news.
C: Thanks be to God. Alleluia! *
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License # 42368. New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
*******************
April 7, 2024 – Second Sunday in Easter Email/At Home Missal
You will find the videos for the Holy Week & Easter Services at the following links:
Maundy Thursday: https://youtu.be/kzEW1qyfe9s
Good Friday: https://youtu.be/zVEBjVubv64
Easter Sunday: https://youtu.be/wxiYFPAV-yY
……………………………………….
A special welcome to Deborah McCracken who is our guest speaker today from The Olive Branch for Children.
……………………………………….
Presiding Pastor: Rev. Laura Sauder
Organist & Director of Music: Bradley Moggach
Guest Speaker: Deborah McCracken
Assisting Minister: Kim Strassburger
Reader: Barb Jones
Welcome Remarks
Call to Worship:
P: Alleluia! Christ is risen —
C: Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia!
P: So what now?
C: Remember what he told us.
Remember what he did.
Remember that he died…
And remember, that wasn’t the end of the story!
P: He has appeared to Simon!
He has appeared at the table!
He has appeared alongside us!
C: And he has both gifts and work still to give.
P: Alleluia! Christ is risen —
C: Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia!
*© 2024 Teri Peterson. Usage rights granted to BibleWorm subscribers at the LiturgyWorm Level and higher (https://patreon.com/biblewormpodcast)
Gathering Hymn: ELW # 377 ‘Alleluia! Jesus Is Risen!’
1 Alleluia! Jesus is risen!
Trumpets resounding in glorious light!
Splendor, the Lamb, heaven forever!
Oh, what a miracle God has in sight!
Refrain
Jesus is risen and we shall arise.
Give God the glory! Alleluia!
2 Walking the way, Christ in the center
telling the story to open our eyes;
breaking our bread, giving us glory:
Jesus our blessing, our constant surprise. Refrain
3 Jesus the vine, we are the branches;
life in the Spirit the fruit of the tree;
heaven to earth, Christ to the people,
gift of the future now flowing to me. Refrain
4 Weeping, be gone; sorrow, be silent:
death put asunder, and Easter is bright.
Cherubim sing: O grave, be open!
Clothe us in wonder, adorn us in light. Refrain
5 City of God, Easter forever,
golden Jerusalem, Jesus the Lamb,
river of life, saints and archangels,
sing with creation to God the I AM! Refrain
(Title: Alleluia! Jesus Is Risen! Text: Herbert F. Brokering, b. 1926; Text © 1995 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved, Used by permission. # 01600; Music: David N. Johnson, 1922-1987; Tune © 1968 Augsburg Fortress, Music © 1969 Contemporary Worship 1, admin. Augsburg Fortress; All rights reserved. Used by permission. # 01600; Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Land Acknowledgement:
A: As we gather this morning in praise of you, we pause to give thanks for the land over which your Spirit broods and breathes new life. We give thanks for our forbears and neighbours, the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Neutral peoples who have inhabited the land for generations. In this season of resurrection, raise us up to live in renewed relationship with the land and our indigenous neighbours. Help us to walk with humility and care.
Greeting:
P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you always.
C: And also with you.
Glory to God: ACS Setting 12: (page 31) (verses 1 &2)
1
Glory to you, God, for yours is the earth;
yours is the promise, the blessing, the birth.
Ours the rejoicing for Word given frame;
ours the thanksgiving to your holy name.
Ours be the telling of deeds greatly done;
yours be the glory, O God, yours alone.
2
Glory to you, God, for yours is the earth;
yours the hosannas, the dying, rebirth.
Ours the rejoicing for nature reclaimed;
ours the thanksgiving to your holy name.
Ours be the telling of deeds greatly done;
yours be the glory, O God, yours alone.
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress.
Theme Time
Prayer of the Day:
Together as your people, O God,
we watch and pray,
bringing our full attention to you in this time together.
What else can we do,
but look to you?
It’s so tempting to rush ahead, or to give in to the distractions,
but here, side by side with your people,
we devote ourselves, body, mind, and spirit,
to your will.
We seek your presence,
we listen for your word through the silence and the noise,
we wait for your Spirit to create in us a conduit of your compassion, grace and love.
Focus us, O God,
that as we watch and pray together now,
we may be expanded to hold your vision and empowered to witness to your kingdom.
Amen.
© 2024 Teri Peterson. Usage rights granted to BibleWorm subscribers at the LiturgyWorm Level and higher (https://patreon.com/biblewormpodcast)
Scripture Song: ELW # 510 ‘Word of God, Come Down on Earth’ (verse 1)
1 Word of God, come down on earth,
living rain from heav'n descending;
touch our hearts and bring to birth
faith and hope and love unending.
Word almighty, we revere you;
Word made flesh, we long to hear you.
(Title: Word of God, Come Down on Earth; Text: James Quinn, SJ, b. 1919; © James Quinn, SJ, Selah Publishing Co., Inc., North American agent. www.selahpub.com. All rights reserved. Used by permission. # 30137085 Music: Johann R. Ahle, 1625-1673; Public Domain; Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Reader: Acts 1: 1-14
May we be equipped by these words to walk in love for God, ourselves, our neighbours, all people, and all God’s creation. (Brief pause)
Theophilus, the first scroll I wrote concerned everything Jesus did and taught from the beginning, right up to the day when he was taken up into heaven. Before he was taken up, working in the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus instructed the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he showed them that he was alive with many convincing proofs. He appeared to them over a period of forty days, speaking to them about God’s kingdom. While they were eating together, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father had promised. He said, “This is what you heard from me: John baptized with water, but in only a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
As a result, those who had gathered together asked Jesus, “Lord, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now?”
Jesus replied, “It isn’t for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has set by his own authority. Rather, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
After Jesus said these things, as they were watching, he was lifted up and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going away and as they were staring toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood next to them. They said, “Galileans, why are you standing here, looking toward heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you saw him go into heaven.”
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem—a sabbath day’s journey away. When they entered the city, they went to the upstairs room where they were staying. Peter, John, James, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James, Alphaeus’ son; Simon the zealot; and Judas, James’ son— all were united in their devotion to prayer, along with some women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. (CEB)
God’s story, our story. C: Thanks be to God.
Guest Speaker: Deborah McCracken – The Olive Branch for Children
(Deborah doesn’t speak from a prepared text, so there is no sermon to share this week. You can watch her message at the following YouTube link, https://youtu.be/WFi01l1wUIQ , and you are invited to check out their website for more information about the mission and ministry of The Olive Branch for Children. https://www.theolivebranchforchildren.org/ )
Hymn of the Day: ELW # 364 ‘Christ Has Arisen, Alleluia’
1 Christ has arisen, alleluia.
Rejoice and praise him, alleluia.
For our redeemer burst from the tomb,
even from death, dispelling its gloom.
Refrain
Let us sing praise to him with endless joy.
Death's fearful sting he has come to destroy.
Our sin forgiving, alleluia!
Jesus is living, alleluia!
2 For three long days the grave did its worst
until its strength by God was dispersed.
He who gives life did death undergo,
and in its conquest his might did show. Refrain
3 The angel said to them, "Do not fear.
You look for Jesus who is not here.
See for yourselves the tomb is all bare.
Only the graveclothes are lying there." Refrain
4 "Go spread the news: he's not in the grave.
He has arisen this world to save.
Jesus' redeeming labors are done.
Even the battle with sin is won." Refrain
5 Christ has arisen to set us free.
Alleluia, to him praises be.
Jesus is living! Let us all sing;
he reigns triumphant, heavenly king. Refrain
(Title: Christ Has Arisen, Alleluia; Text: Bernard Kyamanywa, b. 1938; tr. Howard S. Olson, b. 1922; Swahili text © 1968 Lutheran Theological College, Makumira, Tanzania, admin. Augsburg Fortress. English text © 1977 Howard S. Olson, admin. Augsburg Fortress; All rights reserved; Used by permission. Music: Tanzanian traditional; Public Domain; Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Prayers of Intercession:
(Each petition will end with By the power of the Spirit…’, and the
Congregation will sing – Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer O God. Hear our prayer.*
Your vision is for the whole world, O God —for love and justice, for community coming together; for peace that passes all understanding. And so we join our hearts to yours, longing for your vision to come to fullness.
We lift our prayers this day for people and situations close to us — for family and friends, for this neighborhood where we live and work and play, for the place where you have planted us. We ask your blessing on the everyday life lived here, in the office and the store, the school and the park, wherever your people find themselves on a Tuesday morning or a Friday night, as well as on your church gathered today. By the power of the Spirit … Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer O God. Hear our prayer.*
We ask your comfort for those who are grieving, your healing for those who are ill, your strength for those who are struggling, and your joy for all. We pray especially for Ruth, each beloved child on our prayer list, and those we lift before you now aloud or silently in our hearts… We ask you to make us witnesses to your goodness right here in our own place, in our own town, our own work, our own community. By the power of the Spirit … Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer O God. Hear our prayer.*
We lift our prayers this day for people and places and situations across our nation. We ask your blessing of courage for those in leadership, that they may stand up for what is right and seek the good of all. We ask your guidance for those who seek positions of leadership and influence, that they may do so for the right reasons. We ask your hope for our neighbors across the land, that together we may build a society that cares for all. By the power of the Spirit … Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer O God. Hear our prayer.*
We lift our prayers this day for the world beyond our borders, for the global community, and the creation you have placed in our care. We ask your blessing of peace founded on justice to become a tangible reality everywhere. May those who hunger and thirst be filled, may those who live amidst violence be granted peace, may those who are exploited be liberated, may those who wonder at the silence of their global neighbors be supported. We lift before you now, out loud and silently in our hearts, those communities and countries in need of your peace and justice… When we are overwhelmed by the needs of the world, remind us to start small and work outward, that small seeds can grow to great trees. By the power of the Spirit … Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer O God. Hear our prayer.*
Breathe your power in us once again, O God,
and set us as your witnesses,
sharing your vision
and sharing the labor as your Body,
loving, serving, and caring for your world.
We ask these and all things in the name of the One who rose from the grave
to bring abundant life to all,
Jesus the Christ.
Amen.
© 2024 Teri Peterson. Usage rights granted to BibleWorm subscribers at the LiturgyWorm Level and higher (https://patreon.com/biblewormpodcast)
Share the peace of Christ:
P: Christ gives us the gift of peace that it might take root and grow in our homes, our communities, and all of creation. The peace of Christ be with you always.
C: And also with you.
P: Let us share a sign of this peace with one another, a sign of our commitment to spread Christ’s peace far and wide.
Offering
Offering Hymn: ELW # 481 ‘Come to the Table’
Come to the table of mercy,
prepared with the wine and the bread.
All who are hungry and thirsty,
come, and your souls will be fed.
Come at the Lord's invitation;
receive from his nail-scarred hand.
Eat of the bread of salvation;
drink of the blood of the Lamb.
(Title: Come to the Table; Text: Claire Cloninger, b. 1942; Text © 1991 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (ASCAP) c/o Integrity Media, Inc., 1000 Cody Road, Mobile, AL 36695; Juniper Landing Music (admin. Word Music); and Word Music (ASCAP). All rights reserved. Used by permission. Music: Martin J. Nystrom, b. 1956; © 1991 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (ASCAP) c/o Integrity Media, Inc., 1000 Cody Road, Mobile, AL 36695; Juniper Landing Music (admin. Word Music); and Word Music (ASCAP). All rights reserved. Used by permission. Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Offering Prayer:
Risen One,
you call us to believe and bear fruit.
May the gifts that we offer here
be signs of your abiding love.
Form us to be your witnesses in the world,
through Jesus Christ, our true vine.
Amen.*
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress.
You are invited to prepare your table with bread and wine, or crackers and juice, whatever is available to you, so that you may participate in the meal.
Meal: Click here for the communion liturgy from worship on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/ViXmTzRsfU4
Great Thanksgiving: ACS Setting 12: ‘Dialogue…’ (page 36) (spoken)
The Lord be with you. C: And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. C: We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. C: It is right to give our thanks and praise
ELW Setting 12: ‘Preface…’ (Easter)
It is indeed right, our duty and our joy,
that we should at all times and in all places
give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God,
for the glorious resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ,
the true Paschal Lamb who gave himself to take away our sin;
who in dying has destroyed death,
and in rising has brought us to eternal life.
And so, with Mary Magdalene and Peter and all the witnesses of the resurrection,
with earth and sea and all their creatures,
and with angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim,
we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
ELW Setting 12: ‘Holy, Holy, Holy…’ (page 36 )
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of pow’r and God of might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
Hosanna, hosanna in the highest.*
Thanksgiving at the Table:
On the night before he showed us the full extent of his love,
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.
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us:
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.
Invitation to Communion:
This is Christ’s table where all are fed and none go hungry. Come, taste, and see that the Lord is good.
I invite those at home, and those in the building communing by fellowship cup, to take your bread or cracker as we say together, “The body of Christ, given for us.”
And, as we take our cup we say, “The blood of Christ, shed for us.”
Communion Music: ELW Setting 12: ‘Be Known to Us’ (page 40) &
ACS # 1047 ‘What Is the World Like’
ELW Setting 12: ‘Be Known to Us’ (page 40)
Be known to us, Lord Jesus, in the breaking of the bread.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Be known to us, Lord Jesus, in the breaking of the bread.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress.
ACS # 1047 ‘What Is the World Like’
1 What is the world like when God's will is done?
Mustard seeds grow more than we can conceive:
roots thread the soil; branches reach for the sun.
This is how God moves us each to believe.
2 What is the world like when God's will is done?
Witness the wandering child coming home;
watch as the parent breaks into a run.
This is how God longs for us when we roam.
3 What is the world like when God's will is done?
No more is neighbor just ally or friend;
peace thrives in places where once there was none.
This is how God works when rivalries end.
4 What is the world like when God's will is done?
Ready for feasting, we watch through the night,
tending our lamps till the new day's begun.
This is how God readies us for the light.
5 These are the stories that Jesus imparts,
filled with the Spirit who joins us as one.
Born through our voices, our hands, and our hearts,
this is a new world where God's will is done.
(Title: What Is the World Like; Text: Adam M. L. Tice, b. 1979; Text © 2009 GIA Publications, Inc., giamusic.com. All rights reserved. Music: Sally Ann Morris, b. 1952; Music © 2009 GIA Publications, Inc., giamusic.com. All rights reserved. Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
P: May the body and blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ strengthen you, and keep you, in his grace.
C: Amen.
Prayer after Communion:
A: Shepherding God,
you have prepared a table before us
and nourished us with your love.
Send us forth from this banquet
to proclaim your goodness
and share the abundant mercy of Jesus,
our redeemer and friend.
Amen.*
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress.
Blessing:
P: Take a deep breath…
feel the Spirit filling not only your lungs
but your whole Self…
Go from this time of worship
with the blessing of God,
devoting yourself to the work the risen Christ has given us to do:
to be witnesses in this community,
and in every place, even to the ends of the earth.
Amen.
© 2024 Teri Peterson. Usage rights granted to BibleWorm subscribers at the LiturgyWorm Level and higher (https://patreon.com/biblewormpodcast)
Sending Hymn: ELW # 388 ‘Be Not Afraid’
Be not afraid, sing out for joy!
Christ is risen, alleluia!
Be not afraid, sing out for joy!
Christ is risen, alleluia!
(Title: Be Not Afraid; Text & Music: Matthew 28:5; Taizé Community Text © 1998 Les Presses de Taizé, GIA Publications, Inc., agent. 7404 S. Mason Ave., Chicago, IL 60638. www.giamusic.com. 800.442.3358. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Dismissal:
A: Alleluia! Go in peace. Share the good news.
C: Thanks be to God. Alleluia! *
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License # 42368. New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church
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March 31, 2024 – Resurrection of Our Lord: Easter Day – Email/At Home Missal
You will find the video for March 24th, 2024, at the following YouTube link: https://youtu.be/T-O7usoGp4g
…………………………….
Presiding Pastor: Rev. Laura Sauder
Organist & Director of Music: Bradley Moggach
Assisting Minister: Barb Burden
Reader: Austin Dykstra
Welcome remarks
Call to Worship:
P: Come — a new day has dawned,
C: the first day of a new creation!
P: Look up and see what God has done —
C: the stone is rolled away, once and for all!
P: Christ is going ahead of you
C: and we must share the good news!*
P: Alleluia! Christ is risen!
C: Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!
*© 2024 Teri Peterson. Usage rights granted to BibleWorm subscribers at the LiturgyWorm Level and higher (https://patreon.com/biblewormpodcast)
Gathering Hymn: ELW # 367 ‘Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds’
1 Now all the vault of heav'n resounds
in praise of love that still abounds:
"Christ has triumphed! He is living!"
Sing, choirs of angels, loud and clear!
Repeat their song of glory here:
"Christ has triumphed! He is living!"
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 Eternal is the gift he brings,
therefore our heart with rapture sings:
"Christ has triumphed! He is living!"
Now still he comes to give us life
and by his presence stills all strife.
"Christ has triumphed! He is living!"
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3 Oh, fill us, Lord, with dauntless love;
set heart and will on things above
that we conquer through your triumph;
grant grace sufficient for life's day
that by our lives we truly say:
"Christ has triumphed! He is living!"
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
4 Adoring praises now we bring
and with the heav'nly blessed sing:
"Christ has triumphed! Alleluia!"
Be to the Father, and our Lord,
to Spirit blest, most holy God,
all the glory, never ending!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
(Title: Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds; Text: Paul Z. Strodach, 1876-1947, alt.; Text © 1958 Service Book and Hymnal, admin. Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved, Used by permission. Music: David N. Johnson, 1922-1987; © 1968 Augsburg Publishing House, admin. Augsburg Fortress; All rights reserved. Used by permission. Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
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.
Glory to God: ACS Setting 12: (page 31) (sung)
1
Glory to you, God, for yours is the earth;
yours is the promise, the blessing, the birth.
Ours the rejoicing for Word given frame;
ours the thanksgiving to your holy name.
Ours be the telling of deeds greatly done;
yours be the glory, O God, yours alone.
2
Glory to you, God, for yours is the earth;
yours the hosannas, the dying, rebirth.
Ours the rejoicing for nature reclaimed;
ours the thanksgiving to your holy name.
Ours be the telling of deeds greatly done;
yours be the glory, O God, yours alone.
3
Glory to you, God, for yours is the earth;
yours the anointing, the radiant worth.
Ours the rejoicing for spirits aflame;
ours the thanksgiving to your holy name.
Ours be the telling of deeds greatly done;
yours be the glory, O God, yours alone.
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress.
Prayer of the Day:
P: We wake this day to a new world, O God,
for you have changed everything:
Christ is alive!
We thank you for new light that shines,
and for messengers that explain when we can barely believe our eyes.
We take a deep breath, a pause to take it all in. …
We hardly know how to be grateful
for the impossible thing you have done.
We praise you for your power that rolled back the stone,
and for your grace that invites us all,
even when we have failed to live up to your vision.
You are already a step ahead, going before us into the world
and calling us to join you there.
We pray you would give us eager hearts and open eyes,
to look past our fear of the unknown
that in Christ’s resurrection we too may be raised
into the light of new life in your kingdom.
With mourning turning to dancing and joy overcoming despair,
we offer our praise,
for Christ is risen, he is risen indeed!
Alleluia! Amen.
© 2024 Teri Peterson. Usage rights granted to BibleWorm subscribers at the LiturgyWorm Level and higher (https://patreon.com/biblewormpodcast)
Gospel Acclamation: ACS Setting 12: (page 33) (sung)
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress.
Reader:
The Holy Gospel according to Mark, the 16th chapter.
C: Glory to you, O Lord.
May we be equipped by these words to walk in love for God, ourselves, our neighbours, all people, and all God’s creation.
When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they could go and anoint Jesus’ dead body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they came to the tomb. They were saying to each other, “Who’s going to roll the stone away from the entrance for us?” When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away. And it was a very large stone! Going into the tomb, they saw a young man in a white robe seated on the right side; and they were startled. But he said to them, “Don’t be alarmed! You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised. He isn’t here. Look, here’s the place where they laid him. Go, tell his disciples, especially Peter, that he is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you.” Overcome with terror and dread, they fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. (CEB)
The Gospel of the Lord. C: Praise to you, O Christ.*
Engaging with the Story
Mark 16:1-8 – “Sharing Good News”
Endings matter. How a story ends makes a huge difference in how we feel about the whole thing. A good ending usually makes for a good story. And a good story with a bad ending can leave us feeling frustrated and unsatisfied.
One of the things that make for a good ending is whether acceptable answers have been provided to all the questions raised in the story. In other words, a good ending is one that ties up all the loose ends and doesn’t leave us hanging.
Now when it comes to Mark’s gospel, I think many of us would agree that his ending leaves us hanging.
“Overcome with terror and dread, the women fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.” THE END.
It leaves so many questions unanswered. How do we know Jesus really was raised from the dead? Can we just take the young man’s word for it? How did the story get out if the women didn’t tell anyone what happened?
If the ending of Mark’s gospel feels a little unfinished to you, know that you’re in good company. At some point, new endings were actually written Mark’s gospel (and if you go home and pull out your Bible you’ll probably see either one or both of these endings in your version).
In an attempt to “fix” Mark’s “bad ending” a short ending and a long ending were added at some point; both versions attempt to tie up some of those loose ends by describing how Jesus did in fact appear to the disciples and sent them out to continue his ministry and mission in the world.
These endings may make the story seem more complete, but Biblical scholars are confident that the original version of Mark’s gospel didn’t include these verses. So if Mark ended his story with verse 8 on purpose, the big question of course is why? Why leave us hanging? Why end the greatest story ever told with fear and silence?
Mark’s ending may not be as satisfying as Luke’s story about Jesus appearing to two disciples on the road to Emmaus; or John’s story about Jesus having a fish fry on the beach with the disciples. But the truth is, but Mark’s ending fits perfectly with his gospel.
And to see why it fits perfectly with his gospel we need to go back to the very beginning. When we go all the way back to the start of Mark’s gospel we see that Mark introduces his gospel in this way: “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” (Mark 1:1)
Taken on its own it sounds like a pretty basic introduction – but when we put it side by side with what seems like the unfinished ending, I think we can see something else happening.
You see, for Mark, his entire gospel is just the beginning of the good news – and it doesn’t have an ending because the story is not over yet. Mark writes this open-ended gospel that threatens to end in failure precisely to place the burden of responsibility for telling the good news squarely on our shoulders. Mark shows us the empty tomb, tells us that Jesus is risen, and then leaves the rest up to us. It turns out, Mark isn't terrible at endings; he's actually kind of brilliant.
By ending his account the way he does, he invites us into the story. He invites us to pick up where these women left off. He invites us to be the ones who go and tell that Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified, has been raised, and is going ahead to meet us, just as he promised. Mark’s loose ends draw us into the greatest story ever told, inviting us to be the ones who share the good news of how God transformed death into life.
We are the ones called to share how the risen Christ has breathed hope and life and love into our hearts; to share how the gift of faith has made a difference in our lives; to share how Christ gives us strength when we’re feeling weary and worn and afraid; to speak a word of hope and life into dark and hurting places – to those who desperately need to hear it. To be Christ’s hands and feet, bringing compassion and understanding and generosity and kindness and equality to our communities and the world.
Like the women, this will at times make us feel frightened and overwhelmed. At times we won’t feel we have the words or the courage to do justice to this powerful truth. And yet, we are the ones; it’s been left to us. And the hard truth is, if we don’t do it, who will?
It’s an awesome and wondrous and holy calling we’ve been invited into. And we don’t do it alone. For one, we are all in this together. And more importantly, we go with the Risen Christ before us, behind us, within us, giving us the courage, the strength, the words, the love, the compassion to share this good news.
In this way, the story carries on.
Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Hymn of the Day: ELW # 369 ‘Christ the Lord Is Risen Today; Alleluia!
1 Christ the Lord is ris'n today; Alleluia!
Christians, hasten on your way; Alleluia!
offer praise with love replete, Alleluia!
at the paschal victim's feet. Alleluia!
2 For the sheep the Lamb has bled, Alleluia!
sinless in the sinner's stead. Alleluia!
Christ the Lord is ris'n on high; Alleluia!
now he lives, no more to die. Alleluia!
3 Christ, the victim undefiled, Alleluia!
God and sinners reconciled, Alleluia!
when contending death and life, Alleluia!
met in strange and awesome strife. Alleluia!
4 Christians, on this holy day, Alleluia!
all your grateful homage pay; Alleluia!
Christ the Lord is ris'n on high; Alleluia!
now he lives, no more to die. Alleluia!
(Title: Christ the Lord Is Risen Today; Alleluia! Text: attr. Wipo of Burgundy, d. c. 1050; tr. Jane E. Leeson, 1807-1882, alt. Public Domain Music: Robert Williams, 1781-1821; Public Domain; Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Prayers of Intercession:
Early in the morning the tomb is open and you are already on the way, risen Christ. We come looking for you, only to find you have gone ahead and called us to follow. We praise you for good news that cannot be contained, even by our fears or failures.
On this day of resurrection, we pray for a world desperate for a glimpse of your new life:
for those surrounded by violence, death, and destruction;
for those grieving and who cannot be consoled;
for those whose world has been turned upside down by the greed, power-mongering, or vengeance of others; In your mercy… C: Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer O God. Hear our prayer.*
On this day of resurrection,
we pray for those who suffer as seas rise and deserts expand and weather patterns become unpredictable;
for those who have been overlooked and ignored, yet expected to perform essential work;
for those who are bound by fear of not being good enough.
In your mercy… C: Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer O God. Hear our prayer.*
On this day of resurrection, we pray for all who long for your gifts of healing and wholeness. We pray especially for Avery, Ruth and each beloved child on our prayer list, and those people and places we name before you now aloud or silently in our hearts… In your mercy… C: Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer O God. Hear our prayer.*
Roll back the stone, O God, once and for all, for you are the One who can overcome all barriers. Set your resurrection power loose in the world, in our lives, in our community, bringing justice and peace, comfort and joy, love stronger than death. Surprise us with your impossible grace, breaking down what we thought we knew and building up a new community of hope, always on the move toward your kingdom. In your mercy… C: Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer O God. Hear our prayer.*
We ask in the name of the One who has been raised and who raises us to new life with him, Jesus the Christ. Amen.
Share the peace of Christ:
The peace of Christ be with you always.
C: And also with you.
Offering
Offering Hymn: ELW # 481 ‘Come to the Table’
Come to the table of mercy,
prepared with the wine and the bread.
All who are hungry and thirsty,
come, and your souls will be fed.
Come at the Lord's invitation;
receive from his nail-scarred hand.
Eat of the bread of salvation;
drink of the blood of the Lamb.
(Title: Come to the Table; Text: Claire Cloninger, b. 1942; Text © 1991 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (ASCAP) c/o Integrity Media, Inc., 1000 Cody Road, Mobile, AL 36695; Juniper Landing Music (admin. Word Music); and Word Music (ASCAP). All rights reserved. Used by permission. Music: Martin J. Nystrom, b. 1956; © 1991 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (ASCAP) c/o Integrity Media, Inc., 1000 Cody Road, Mobile, AL 36695; Juniper Landing Music (admin. Word Music); and Word Music (ASCAP). All rights reserved. Used by permission. Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Offering Prayer:
Risen One,
you call us to believe and bear fruit.
May the gifts that we offer here
be signs of your abiding love.
Form us to be your witnesses in the world,
through Jesus Christ, our true vine.
Amen.*
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress.
You are invited to prepare your table with bread and wine, or crackers and juice, whatever is available to you, so that you may participate in the meal.
Meal: Click here for the communion liturgy from worship on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ViXmTzRsfU4
Great Thanksgiving: ACS Setting 12: ‘Dialogue…’ (page 36) (spoken)
The Lord be with you. C: And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. C: We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. C: It is right to give our thanks and praise
ELW Setting 12: ‘Preface…’ (Easter)
It is indeed right, our duty and our joy,
that we should at all times and in all places
give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God,
for the glorious resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ,
the true Paschal Lamb who gave himself to take away our sin;
who in dying has destroyed death,
and in rising has brought us to eternal life.
And so, with Mary Magdalene and Peter and all the witnesses of the resurrection,
with earth and sea and all their creatures,
and with angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim,
we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
ELW Setting 12: ‘Holy, Holy, Holy…’ (page 36 )
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of pow’r and God of might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
Hosanna, hosanna in the highest.*
Thanksgiving at the Table:
On the night before he showed us the full extent of his love,
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.
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us:
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.
Invitation to Communion:
This is Christ’s table where all are fed and none go hungry. Come, taste, and see that the Lord is good.
I invite those at home, and those in the building communing by fellowship cup, to take your bread or cracker as we say together, “The body of Christ, given for us.”
And, as we take our cup we say, “The blood of Christ, shed for us.”
Communion Music: ELW Setting 12: ‘Be Known to Us’ (page 40) &
ELW # 379 ‘Now the Green Blade Rises’
ELW Setting 12: ‘Be Known to Us’ (page 40 )
Be known to us, Lord Jesus, in the breaking of the bread.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Be known to us, Lord Jesus, in the breaking of the bread.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress.
ELW # 379 ‘Now the Green Blade Rises’
1 Now the green blade rises from the buried grain,
wheat that in dark earth many days has lain;
love lives again, that with the dead has been;
love is come again like wheat arising green.
2 In the grave they laid him, love by hatred slain,
thinking that he would never wake again;
laid in the earth like grain that sleeps unseen;
love is come again like wheat arising green.
3 Forth he came at Easter, like the risen grain,
he that for three days in the grave had lain;
raised from the dead, my living Lord is seen;
love is come again like wheat arising green.
4 When our hearts are wintry, grieving, or in pain,
your touch can call us back to life again,
fields of our hearts that dead and bare have been;
love is come again like wheat arising green.
(Title: Now the Green Blade Rises; Text: John MacLeod Campbell Crum, 1872-1958; Text from Oxford Book of Carols © Oxford University Press 1928. All rights reserved; Used by permission. Music: French carol ; tune Public Domain; arr. © Oxford University Press ; All rights reserved. Used by permission. Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
P: May the body and blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ strengthen you, and keep you, in his grace.
C: Amen.
Prayer after Communion:
A: Shepherding God,
you have prepared a table before us
and nourished us with your love.
Send us forth from this banquet
to proclaim your goodness
and share the abundant mercy of Jesus,
our redeemer and friend.
Amen.*
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress.
Blessing:
P: Jesus is going ahead of you —
and when you go out into God’s world with good news,
you will see him there, just as he told you.
So go with the love of the Creator,
in the power of the Spirit,
trusting Christ’s word, +
to live a resurrection life.
Amen.
© 2024 Teri Peterson. Usage rights granted to BibleWorm subscribers at the LiturgyWorm Level and higher (https://patreon.com/biblewormpodcast )
Sending Hymn: ELW # 382 ‘Christ Is Risen! Alleluia!
1 Christ is risen! Alleluia!
Risen our victorious head!
Sing his praises! Alleluia!
Christ is risen from the dead!
Gratefully our hearts adore him
as his light once more appears;
bowing down in joy before him,
rising up from griefs and tears.
Refrain
Christ is risen! Alleluia!
Risen our victorious head!
Sing his praises! Alleluia!
Christ is risen from the dead!
2 Christ is risen! All the sadness
of our Lenten fast is o'er;
through the open gates of gladness
he returns to life once more;
death and hell before him bending
see him rise, the victor now,
angels on his steps attending,
glory round his wounded brow. Refrain
3 Christ is risen! All the sorrow
that last evening round him lay
now has found a glorious morrow
in the rising of today.
See the grave its firstfruits giving,
springing up from holy ground;
Christ was dead, but now is living;
he was lost, but he is found. Refrain
4 Christ is risen! Henceforth never
death or hell shall us enthrall.
We are Christ's, in him forever
we have triumphed over all.
All the doubting and dejection
of our trembling hearts have ceased;
hail the day of resurrection!
Let us rise and keep the feast. Refrain
(Title: Christ Is Risen! Alleluia! Text: John S. B. Monsell, 1811-1875, alt.; Public Domain; Music: Frederick C. Maker, 1844-1927; Public Domain Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Dismissal:
A: Alleluia! Go in peace. Share the good news.
C: Thanks be to God. Alleluia! *
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License # 42368. New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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March 29, 2024 – Good Friday – Email/At Home Missal
Presiding Pastor: Laura Sauder
Organist & Director of Music: Bradley Moggach
Assisting Minister: Helga Morrison
Reader: Bonnie Berg
Welcome & Announcements
Gathering Words:
P: All you who pass this way
C: Look and see, the shadow of sin
P: All you who pass this way
C: Look and see the weight of the world
P: All you who pass this way
C: Look and see, the suffering of our Savior.
P: All you who pass this way
C: Look and see, the sorrow of Jesus Christ
P: Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.
Written by Erica L. Schemper, https://youngclergywomen.org/good-friday-a-s/
Gathering Hymn: ELW # 347 ‘Go to Dark Gethsemane’
1 Go to dark Gethsemane,
all who feel the tempter's pow'r;
your Redeemer's conflict see.
Watch with him one bitter hour;
turn not from his griefs away;
learn from Jesus Christ to pray.
2 Follow to the judgment hall,
view the Lord of life arraigned;
oh, the wormwood and the gall!
Oh, the pangs his soul sustained!
Shun not suff'ring, shame, or loss;
learn from him to bear the cross.
3 Calv'ry's mournful mountain climb;
there, adoring at his feet,
mark that miracle of time,
God's own sacrifice complete.
"It is finished!" hear him cry;
learn from Jesus Christ to die.
4 Early hasten to the tomb,
where they laid his breathless clay;
all is solitude and gloom.
Who has taken him away?
Christ is ris'n! He meets our eyes.
Savior, teach us so to rise.
(Title: Go to Dark Gethsemane; Text: James Montgomery, 1771-1854; Public Domain; Music: Richard Redhead, 1820 – 1901; Public Domain; Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Shadow of Condemnation
Reading: Mark 15:16-20
The soldiers led Jesus away into the courtyard of the palace known as the governor’s headquarters, and they called together the whole company of soldiers. They dressed him up in a purple robe and twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on him. They saluted him, “Hey! King of the Jews!” Again and again, they struck his head with a stick. They spit on him and knelt before him to honor him. When they finished mocking him, they stripped him of the purple robe and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him out to crucify him. (CEB)
(Silence)
P: Let us pray,
C: Forgiving Christ, when the world condemns us, when wrong is done to us, when we carry the weight of things that are too much to forgive, come along side us in the darkness, and give us the grace to be forgiven and forgiving.
Music: Gregory Stroh – flute solo
Shadow of Separation
Reading: Mark 15:21-24
Simon, a man from Cyrene, Alexander and Rufus’ father, was coming in from the countryside. They forced him to carry his cross.
They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha, which means Skull Place. They tried to give him wine mixed with myrrh, but he didn’t take it. They crucified him. They divided up his clothes, drawing lots for them to determine who would take what. (CEB)
(Silence)
P: Let us pray,
C: Reconciling Christ, we are weighed down by sin and separation, a world that is not at peace, people who are not whole. Come alongside us in the darkness, and bring grace and peace to everything that is broken.
Hymn: ELW # 325 ‘I Want Jesus to Walk with Me’
1 I want Jesus to walk with me;
I want Jesus to walk with me;
all along my pilgrim journey,
Lord, I want Jesus to walk with me.
2 In my trials, Lord, walk with me;
in my trials, Lord, walk with me;
when my heart is almost breaking,
Lord, I want Jesus to walk with me.
3 When I'm in trouble, Lord, walk with me;
when I'm in trouble, Lord, walk with me;
when my head is bowed in sorrow,
Lord, I want Jesus to walk with me.
(Title: I Want Jesus to Walk with Me; Text: African American spiritual; Public Domain; Music: Arr. © 2006 Augsburg Fortress; All rights reserved. Used by permission. Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Shadow of Suffering
Reading: Mark 15:25-32
It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. The notice of the formal charge against him was written, “The king of the Jews.” They crucified two outlaws with him, one on his right and one on his left.
People walking by insulted him, shaking their heads and saying, “Ha! So you were going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, were you? Save yourself and come down from that cross!”
In the same way, the chief priests were making fun of him among themselves, together with the legal experts. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself. Let the Christ, the king of Israel, come down from the cross. Then we’ll see and believe.” Even those who had been crucified with Jesus insulted him. (CEB)
(Silence)
P: Let us pray,
C: Suffering Savior, in all our thirst, in all our sickness, in all our longing, in all our pain, you are there. Come alongside us in the darkness, and walk with us through all our suffering.
Hymn: ELW # 600 ‘Out of the Depths I Cry to You’ (verse 1)
1 Out of the depths I cry to you;
O Lord God, hear me calling.
Incline your ear to my distress
in spite of my rebelling.
Do not regard my sinful deeds.
Send me the grace my spirit needs;
without it I am nothing.
(Title: Out of the Depths I Cry to You; Text: Martin Luther, 1483-1546; tr. composite; Text © 1978, 2006 Lutheran Book of Worship, admin. Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved, Used by permission. Music: attr. Martin Luther; arr. All rights reserved, Used by permission. Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Shadow of Despair
Reading: Mark 15:33-34
From noon until three in the afternoon the whole earth was dark. At three, Jesus cried out with a loud shout, “Eloi, eloi, lama sabachthani,”which means, “My God, my God, why have you left me?” (CEB)
(Silence)
P: Let us pray,
C: Lord Jesus Christ, you know what it is to feel that God is far away. You know what it is to call out for God’s presence. Come alongside us in the darkness, and help us call out for God.
Hymn: ELW # 703 ‘O God, Why Are You Silent’ (verses 1 - 2)
1. O God, why are you silent?
I cannot hear your voice;
the proud and strong and violent
all claim you and rejoice;
you promised you would hold me
with tenderness and care.
Draw near, O Love, enfold me,
and ease the pain I bear.
2. My hope lies bruised and battered,
my wounded heart is torn;
my spirit spent and shattered
by life's relentless storm;
will you not bend to hear me,
my cries from deep within?
Have you no word to cheer me
when night is closing in?
(Title: O God, Why Are You Silent; Text: Marty Haugen, b. 1950; Text © 2003 GIA Publications, Inc., 7404 S. Mason Ave., Chicago, IL 60638. www.giamusic.com. 800.442.3358. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Music: Hans Leo Hassler, 1564 – 1612’ arr/ Kpjamm Sebastoam Bacj. 1685 – 1750; Public Domain; Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Shadow of Death
Reading: Mark 15:35-39
After hearing him, some standing there said, “Look! He’s calling Elijah!” Someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, and put it on a pole. He offered it to Jesus to drink, saying, “Let’s see if Elijah will come to take him down.” But Jesus let out a loud cry and died.
The curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. When the centurion, who stood facing Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “This man was certainly God’s Son.”
(Silence)
P: Let us pray,
C: Dearest Jesus, even in death, you are there. When we mourn, when we are afraid, when we come to our own end, you have been there, too. Come alongside us in the darkness, and carry us through death to life.
Hymn: ELW # 353 ‘Were You There’ (verses 1 - 4)
1 Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
2 Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
3 Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
4 Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
(Title: Were You There; Text: African American spiritual; Public Domain; Music: African American spiritual; arr. © 1999 Augsburg Fortress; All rights reserved. Used by permission. Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Shadow of Sorrow
Reading: Mark 15:40-41
Some women were watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James (the younger one) and Joses, and Salome. When Jesus was in Galilee, these women had followed and supported him, along with many other women who had come to Jerusalem with him.
(Silence)
P: Let us pray,
C: Loving Jesus, we carry the weight of the people we love, concern for their sorrows and suffering. Our care for them is deep, and sometimes there is not much we can do. Come alongside us in the darkness, and cradle the ones we love in your strong hands.
Sermon
Mark 15:16-41
Don’t numb to this, don’t numb it out.
Let it all flow in and out.
You’re strong enough to feel it all,
and keep your heart alive.
Stay soft to this, don’t numb it out.
Let yourself breathe in and out.
You’re strong enough to feel it all,
and keep your heart alive.
Don’t numb to this, don’t block it out,
Let it all flow in and out,
You’re strong enough to feel it all,
and it’ll keep your heart alive.1
The story of Good Friday – the story of Jesus’ crucifixion – is a story of cruelty; of humiliation; of dehumanization; of violence. It’s a painful and difficult story to sit with, and yet, it’s important that we do. That we pause here today, in this moment, and allow ourselves to be present to all of it.
It’s important that we do this, because the hard truth about Good Friday is that it isn’t just a story about some terrible thing that happened 2000 years ago. The story that we remember today is a story that has replayed again and again down through the ages to this very day.
I’ve preached at nearly a dozen Good Friday services now, and every year there is a new list of terrible happenings in our world to reflect on. This past year our hearts have been broken open by the violence and terror in the Holy Land, and the humanitarian crisis that is now unfolding. The ongoing war in Ukraine. The violence in Haiti. Communities and nations devastated by extreme weather events and earthquakes. The inequality and housing crisis here in Canada.
Good Friday asks us to be present to Jesus’ suffering, which is also a cry to be present to the suffering and pain that is all around us. To be present to the suffering and pain in our own lives.
It’s so tempting to skip to the happy ending. To try and look for the silver lining. To stuff down or avoid altogether the suffering and pain of the world and in our own lives. To just numb it all out.
And to be fair, it’s a fine line. The pain of the whole world is too much for us to hold all at once, or for too long. The scale of the suffering is overwhelming and too often leaves us feeling helpless. Feeling guilty because we are safe while others are not. So it makes sense that we put on blinders or reduce our news consumption because it really is too much for one human being to hold.
But today, Good Friday, doesn’t let us skip past this part of the story. Because this is where Jesus himself leads us. To this place of loneliness, of grief, of deep suffering and agony.
Each one of the gospel writers has a slightly different take on this story, and Mark, whose version we hear today, asks us to be present to Jesus’ sense of abandonment in his time of need.
“My God, my God, why have you left me?” Jesus speaks from the cross.
Jesus has been abandoned by his friends. And poignantly, in this moment, he feels abandoned even by God. This part of the story is raw and it’s uncomfortable. It’s also an incredible promise that there is nothing we can go through that Jesus isn’t with us in. There is nothing so painful we can go through that Jesus doesn’t also know what that feels like.
And incredibly, even Jesus wasn’t as alone as he thought he was. Jesus wasn’t as alone as he felt in that final moment. Even when his other friends had fled, some of the women disciples were still there, watching at a distance. It maybe wasn’t enough for Jesus in that moment, but it was what they could do. And powerfully, God is there too. From noon until three, when Jesus took his last breath, God takes away the light from the world. And after Jesus died, God tore the curtain in the temple in two. Even though Jesus couldn’t feel God’s presence, God was there.
In this story is a promise that we are not alone in our suffering, even when it appears to us that it is so.
In this story is an invitation for us to be present to the pain and suffering around us – as we can. To witness, to love, to bring our humanity into spaces of cruelty and suffering.
In this story is a promise of Christ’s limitless love for all of creation. A promise that there is no place so bleak and hurting in our world, where Jesus is not already present.
Christ is with us in the pain of the world and the pain of our lives. And it’s because of Christ’s presence with us that we can find the strength to be present to the pain. And being present to the pain is the way to move through the pain to life and healing and wholeness and hope – for ourselves, for one another, and for the world.So may we never grow numb to the pain.
Christ, may your witness, your experience of violence, dehumanization, abandonment, and death give us what we need to be present to the pain of these things in our lives and in our world. Often what we can do may never be enough but keep our hearts soft to the pain around us, so that compassion is always here too. Amen.
1 https://www.abreathofsong.com/episodes--show-notes/106-dont-numb-to-this
Prayers:
A: If the cross tells us anything, O Lord,
it is that You know and share our suffering:
You are with us, and all those who are victims of disease,
of the violence or abuse of others,
of our own ignorance, foolishness or sin.
Help us and restore us, O Lord, we pray.
Sung response: C: Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer.
You are with us, and all those who inflict pain on others and on our world,
through our selfishness or greed,
through our brokenness or anger,
through our rigidity or need to be right.
Help us and restore us, O Lord, we pray.
Sung response: C: Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer.
You are with us, and all those who are fearful of threats
to this world we call home,
to our safety and survival,
to our sense of community and togetherness as people.
Help us and restore us, O Lord, we pray.
Sung response: C: Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer.
In silence, we now offer our prayers to you – the longings of our hearts and our prayers for the pain of the world around us…(leave a long space of silence)
Christ of the Cross,
See our need of Your grace,
Hear our prayer for Your mercy,
And come to us again, to help and restore,
because we cannot heal ourselves.
Amen.
Source: John van de Laar, in A Communion Liturgy for Good Friday, posted on the Sacredise.com website. http://www.sacredise.com/
Lord’s Prayer
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray using the words that Jesus taught us:
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.
Hymn: ELW # 666 ‘What Wondrous Love Is This’
1 What wondrous love is this,
O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this
that caused the Lord of bliss
to bear the dreadful curse
for my soul, for my soul,
to bear the dreadful curse for my soul?
2 When I was sinking down,
sinking down, sinking down,
when I was sinking down, sinking down,
when I was sinking down
beneath God's righteous frown,
Christ laid aside his crown
for my soul, for my soul,
Christ laid aside his crown for my soul.
3 To God and to the Lamb
I will sing, I will sing;
to God and to the Lamb I will sing;
to God and to the Lamb,
who is the great I AM,
while millions join the theme,
I will sing, I will sing,
while millions join the theme, I will sing.
4 And when from death I'm free,
I'll sing on, I'll sing on;
and when from death I'm free, I'll sing on;
and when from death I'm free,
I'll sing God's love for me,
and through eternity
I'll sing on, I'll sing on;
and through eternity I'll sing on.
(Title: What Wondrous Love Is This; Text: North American folk hymn, 19th cent., alt.; Public Domain; Music: W. Walker, Southern Harmony, 1835 arr. Paul J. Christiansen, 1914 – 1997, alt. Arr. © 1955 Augsburg Publishing House, admin. Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved; Used by permission.Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
All depart in silence. You may wish to pause for a while in prayer and silence. As you leave you are invited to place your stone at the foot of the cross, entrusting your prayers to God.
Offerings in plate at entrance…
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License # 42368. New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
****************************
March 28, 2024 – Maundy Thursday – Email/At Home Missal
Presiding Pastor: Laura Sauder
Organist & Director of Music: Bradley Moggach
Assisting Minister: Kim Strassburger
Reader: Barbara Berg
Announcements & Instructions for the Service
Gathering Hymn: ACS # 930 ‘Three Holy Days Enfold Us Now’
1 Three holy days enfold us now
in washing feet and breaking bread,
in cross and font and life renewed:
in Christ, God's firstborn from the dead.
2 The myst'ry hid from ages past
is here revealed in word and sign,
for Jesus' story is our own:
new life through death is God's design.
3 Christ, lifted high upon the tree,
before you ev'ry knee shall bend
and ev'ry tongue in praise proclaim:
"You are the Lord of all. Amen."
(Title: Three Holy Days Enfold Us Now; Text: Delores Dufner, OSB, b. 1939; Text © 1995 GIA Publications, Inc., giamusic.com. All rights reserved.Used by permission. # 14652; Music: Edward Miller, 1731 – 1807, adapt. Public Domain; Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Greeting:
P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you a all.
C: And also with you.
“The Meal” – Mark 14:12-25
As we gather this night to share a meal together, we remember the final meal Jesus shared with his closest friends.
On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was sacrificed, the disciples said to Jesus, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover meal?”
He sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city. A man carrying a water jar will meet you. Follow him. Wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, ‘The teacher asks, “Where is my guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?”’ He will show you a large room upstairs already furnished. Prepare for us there.” The disciples left, came into the city, found everything just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover meal.
That evening, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. During the meal, Jesus said, “I assure you that one of you will betray me—someone eating with me.”
Deeply saddened, they asked him, one by one, “It’s not me, is it?”
Jesus answered, “It’s one of the Twelve, one who is dipping bread with me into this bowl. The Human One goes to his death just as it is written about him. But how terrible it is for that person who betrays the Human One! It would have been better for him if he had never been born.”
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” He took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. I assure you that I won’t drink wine again until that day when I drink it in a new way in God’s kingdom.” (CEB)
The Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to you, O Christ.
Prayer of the Day:
P: Let us pray,
Jesus, you invite us to come, for all is ready; but we are not prepared, not really. We don’t understand what’s coming, and we don’t like the hard parts. We don’t feel worthy, we’ve made big mistakes. We want to get it right, but we know we don’t. And so, we place our trust in you, for you are trustworthy and true, and it is your goodness that brings us here. Amen.
Adapted from © 2024 Teri Peterson. Usage rights granted to BibleWorm subscribers at the LiturgyWorm Level and higher (https://patreon.com/biblewormpodcast)
The PEOPLE’S SUPPER
Table Grace
Everyone is invited to partake of the meal.
Please take your time eating; there is no need to rush.
Lenten Acclamation: ACS Setting 12 (sung)
Nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God.
Nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God.*
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress.
“The Garden” Mark 14: 26-42
Jesus said to them, “You will all falter in your faithfulness to me. It is written, I will hit the shepherd, and the sheep will go off in all directions. But after I’m raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”
Peter said to him, “Even if everyone else stumbles, I won’t.”
But Jesus said to him, “I assure you that on this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”
But Peter insisted, “If I must die alongside you, I won’t deny you.” And they all said the same thing.
Jesus and his disciples came to a place called Gethsemane. Jesus said to them, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James, and John along with him. He began to feel despair and was anxious. He said to them, “I’m very sad. It’s as if I’m dying. Stay here and keep alert.” Then he went a short distance farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if possible, he might be spared the time of suffering. He said, “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible. Take this cup of suffering away from me. However—not what I want but what you want.”
He came and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Couldn’t you stay alert for one hour? Stay alert and pray so that you won’t give in to temptation. The spirit is eager, but the flesh is weak.”
Again, he left them and prayed, repeating the same words. And, again, when he came back, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open, and they didn’t know how to respond to him. He came a third time and said to them, “Will you sleep and rest all night? That’s enough! The time has come for the Human One to be betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up! Let’s go! Look, here comes my betrayer.” (CEB)
The Gospel of the Lord. C: Praise to you, O Christ.*
Engaging with the Story
Mark 14:12-42 – “Sharing Life”
Our theme for this Maundy Thursday is “Sharing Life” together. The stories we’ve heard tonight capture the fullness of what it is when we share life with other humans. The potential that exists for deep connection and shared joy. The also very real potential for deep hurt and loneliness.
In his ministry, Jesus was always reaching out and across those boundaries. Jesus connected with people in pain. Jesus sought to create community where people relied on each other. For him, this is what it meant to be a part of God’s kingdom.
We see the fruits of this ministry in our first story tonight: in this meal shared with his close group of friends. People Jesus had gathered from various walks of life and made a family. We can imagine the intimacy and familiarity these folks shared with each other after all this time together.
The quality of their connection I think is revealed in how they react to Jesus’ announcement that one of them around the table is about to betray him. Deeply saddened, they each ask him, one by one, “It’s not me, is it?” It seems inconceivable that any one of them would be capable of breaking the trust, the bond, that they share.
And yet, one of them will perpetrate the ultimate betrayal. And as the evening unfolds, we find that each one of the disciples will betray Jesus in their own way.
When we shift our gaze to the garden, we see Jesus surrounded by his friends and yet Jesus feels completely alone because his friends keep falling asleep. In spite of Jesus’ repeated requests, they just cannot keep awake with him.
It’s an incredibly painful moment. When Jesus needs his friends the most, they aren’t there for him in the way he needs them to be. They don’t seem to have understood the poignancy and urgency of this moment.
Sharing life with others fulfills our deep need for connection. And opening ourselves to connect with others is a really vulnerable thing. It also opens our hearts to being hurt.
These days there are headlines everywhere warning of the danger of AI – artificial intelligence. Just recently I was listening to an interview with psychotherapist Esther Perel who also spoke of the dangers of AI. But the AI she warned about was a different kind of AI. She spoke of the dangers of ‘artificial intimacy.’
In the interview she talked about how we are so much more connected to one another and to what’s going on in the world, but the quality of those connections isn’t real – it doesn’t go very deep. These days, she says, “people can have a thousand friends on social media, but no one to feed their cat.” 1
This is especially true as we move down the generations, as more and more people don’t know a time before the internet. The thing about online connections and relationships is that they require very little vulnerability. We can choose what parts of our life we want to share with others. In-person relationships, on the other hand, to quote the interviewer Brene Brown, “are massive pains in the butt.” Real life relationships are often messy and conflicted. They take a lot of work. They require us to give as much as – and even more than – we take.
On Maundy Thursday, it is tradition in the church to remember Jesus’ command to disciples to ‘love one another as I have loved you.’
This moment in the garden is a reminder to us, just how difficult it can be to live this out. Even when we want to love as Jesus loves, we don’t always have the energy or stamina to do it. To keep awake – to share life – to be present and connected in the ways someone needs us to be.
The garden of Gethsemane is a painful moment in our Holy Week story. We experience Jesus’ pain that his friends couldn’t be what he needed. We’re reminded of the times when other haven’t been able to be for us what we needed. We’re reminded of those times when we’ve failed to be for others what they need.
Sharing life together can hurt. That’s the risk of real-life intimacy. And it’s important to acknowledge that we as the church are not immune to this. This is a place where we are blessed to experience deep and real connections with one another, AND because of this, it’s also a place where we can hurt – and be hurt – in deep ways.
Jesus is abandoned by his friends in his time of need, but the promise in the story is that God never abandons Jesus. Not in the garden. Not before Pilate. Not on the cross. Throughout all that comes tonight and tomorrow, God holds Jesus in love.
And for those of us who wait and watch these events unfold, my hope is that we will remember again our call as disciples to do what we can to be the kind of community that is there for one another through all of life’s ups and downs.
To seek to be a community that shares life together – that takes the risk to go deep in our connections with one another. That practices giving and seeking forgiveness when we fail to love each other as Jesus has taught.
And to know in the deepest part of ourselves, that in those moments when our people have let us down or we have let them down, God is still here, holding us (and them) in love. AMEN.
1 Podcast: Unlocking Us with Brene Brown. “Esther Perel on New AI – Artificial Intimacy.” 20 March, 2024. https://brenebrown.com/podcast/new-ai-artificial-intimacy/
Hymn of the Day: Music: ELW # 348 ‘Stay With Me’
Stay with me,
remain here with me,
watch and pray.
Watch and pray.
(Title: Stay with Me; Text: Taizé Community; Text © 1984 Les Presses de Taizé, GIA Publications, Inc., agent. 7404 S. Mason Ave., Chicago, IL 60638. www.giamusic.com. 800.442.3358. All rights reserved. Used by permission. # 03065; Music: Jacques Berthier, 1923 – 1994; Tune © 1984 Les Presses de Taizé, GIA Publications, Inc., All rights reserved. Used by permission. # 03065; Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Prayers of Intercession:
A: Trusting in Jesus who gave his life for the world, let us pray for the church, the world, and all in need.
A brief silence.
God who waits in the garden, gather your church around the world during this holy week and empower us to keep vigil with you. Humble the powerful and lift up any who are marginalized. Renew our faith and make us bold in service and love to our neighbors. Merciful God, C: receive our prayer.
God who blesses the grain of the soil and the fruit of the vine, inspire in us a reverent care for the earth. Sustain fields, gardens, and wild places, that all people are fed and every living thing flourishes. Merciful God, C: receive our prayer.
God whose greatest commandment is love, guide all who govern by the principle of love. Transform unjust human systems that oppress some for the gain of others. Restore communities as places of justice and concern for those who are vulnerable. Merciful God, C: receive our prayer.
God who was betrayed, comfort people everywhere who have suffered abuse at the hands of someone they knew and trusted. Heal the bodies, minds, and hearts of victims of exploitation. Help all in pain to know that you are near (especially we pray for Avery, Ruth and those on our prayer list and those we name before you now aloud or silently in our hearts…). Merciful God, C: receive our prayer.
God who sits at the table with us, grant the joy of your presence to all who share the meal. Strengthen communities of faith in grace and courage. Merciful God, C: receive our prayer.
Receive these prayers, loving God, for the sake of the One who loved us to the end, Jesus Christ, our redeemer.
Amen.
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress.
Sharing of the Peace:
The peace of Christ be with you.
C: And also with you.
Offerings of the People
Offering Hymn: ACS # 966 ‘Loaves Were Broken, Words Were Spoken’ (verse 2 – 4 with refrain)
2 Loaves were broken, words were spoken
in a quiet room one night.
In the bread and wine you gave them,
Christ, you came as Light from Light.
Refrain
By your body broken for us,
by your wine of life outpoured,
Jesus, feed again your people.
Be our Host, our Life, our Lord.
3 Loaves are broken, words are spoken,
as in faith we gather here.
Jesus speaks across the ages:
"I am with you; do not fear!" Refrain
4 By the loaves you break and give us,
send us in your name to share
bread for which the millions hunger,
words that tell your love and care. Refrain
(Title: Loaves Were Broken, Words Were Spoken’ Text: Text: Herman G. Stuempfle Jr., 1923–2007; Text © 2006 GIA Publications, Inc., giamusic.com. All rights reserved. Used by permission. # ACS966; Music: Marty Haugen, b. 1950; Music © 1987; GIA Publications, Inc., giamusic.com. All rights reserved. Used by permission. #ACS966; Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Offertory Prayer:
A: Jesus, you are the bread of life
and the host of this meal.
Bless these gifts that we have gathered
that all people may know your goodness.
Feed us not only with this holy food
but with hunger for justice and peace.
We pray this in your name. Amen.*
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress.
You are invited to prepare your table with bread and wine, or crackers and juice, whatever is available to you, so that you may participate in the meal.
The Lord’s Supper: Click here for the communion liturgy from worship on YouTube: https://youtu.be/kmZJQiBM8QY
Great Thanksgiving: ACS Setting 12: ‘Dialogue…’ (page 36) (spoken)
The Lord be with you. C: And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. C: We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. C: It is right to give our thanks and praise
ACS Setting 12: ‘Preface…’ (Maundy Thursday) (spoken)
Gathered round a table
is where Jesus so often met people…
Where he could see people face to face,
listen to their stories, share their laughter.
And here,
we are gathered round a table
because this is where Jesus has promised to be
for those who want to meet him.
So accept his invitation
And feel welcome at this table.
Jesus Christ,
who here offers us a foretaste of eternal life,
invites you to be his guests.
Source: OneLicense: A Wee Worship Book - Fifth Incarnation - A Liturgy for Holy Communion # 101778
ELW Setting 12: ‘Holy, Holy, Holy…’ (page 36 )
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of pow’r and God of might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
Hosanna, hosanna in the highest.*
Thanksgiving at the Table:
What we do here, we do because it is Jesus’ will.
For it was he who once, in an upstairs room,
Sat as a meal with his disciples.
During the meal, he took bread.
And when he had blessed it,
he broke it,
and said to his disciples,
‘This is my body. It is given for you.
Do this to remember me.’
Later in the meal, he took a cup of wine
and after he had given thanks he said,
‘In this cup is the new relationship with God
made possible because of my death.
Drink it, all of you…to remember me.’
So we will do as Jesus did.
We take this bread and this wine
the produce of the earth
and the work of human hands
through which Jesus has promised
to make himself known.
And as he said a prayer before sharing,
let us follow his example…
Source: OneLicense: A Wee Worship Book - Fifth Incarnation - A Liturgy for Holy Communion # 101778
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.
Invitation to Communion:
This is Christ’s table where all are fed and none go hungry. Come, taste, and see that the Lord is good.
I invite those at home, and those in the building communing by fellowship cup, to take your bread or cracker as we say together, “The body of Christ, given for us.”
And, as we take our cup we say, “The blood of Christ, shed for us.”
Communion Music: ELW # 642 ‘Ubi caritas et amor’ (Latin words) (Where True Charity and Love Abide)
Ubi caritas et amor,
ubi caritas, Deus ibi est.
(Title: Ubi caritas et amor (Where True Charity and Love Abide) Text: Latin antiphon, 9th cent.; Taizé Community; tr. With One Voice; Text © 1979 Les Presses de Taizé, GIA Publications, Inc., agent. 7404 S. Mason Ave., Chicago, IL 60638. www.giamusic.com. 800.442.3358. All rights reserved. Used by permission. (English text © 1995 Augsburg Fortress.) All rights reserved. Used by permission. # 00798; Music: Jacques Berthier, 1923-1994; © 1979 Les Presses de Taizé, GIA Publications, Inc., agent. 7404 S. Mason Ave., Chicago, IL 60638. www.giamusic.com. 800.442.3358. All rights reserved. Used by permission. # 00798; Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
P: May the body and blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ strengthen you, and keep you, in his grace.
C: Amen.
Prayer after Communion:
A: Lord Jesus, in this meal you strengthen us with the saving power of your death, and resurrection. May this sacrament so work in us that the fruits of your salvation will show forth in the way we live. Amen.*
Adapted *From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress.
Blessing:
P: Jesus, you call us to follow you,
but we are not ready.
We are not ready for what comes next.
We are not ready for the heartache and the pain.
We are not ready for the loss and the loneliness.
And still, we want to follow you; to be with you.
Bless us with vulnerability to open our lives and our hearts to one another.
Bless us with courage to share life’s ups and downs.
Bless us with strength to help each other bear the load.
Bless us with faith to take the next step; and each one after that.
For we need your blessing.
We need you. Amen
Psalm 116: 12-19 (Sung together)
How shall I re- | pay the Lord
for all the good things God has | done for me?
I will lift the cup | of salvation
and call on the name | of the Lord.
I will fulfill my vows | to the Lord
in the presence of | all God’s people.
Precious in your | sight, O Lord,
is the death | of your servants.
O Lord, truly I | am your servant;
I am your servant, the child of your handmaid; you have freed me | from my bonds.
I will offer you the sacrifice | of thanksgiving
and call upon the name | of the Lord.
I will fulfill my vows | to the Lord
in the presence of | all God’s people,
in the courts of | the Lord’s house,
in the midst of you, | O Jerusalem.*
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress.
In silence we strip the altar in preparation for Good Friday
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License # 42368. New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved
***********************
March 24, 2024 – Sunday of the Passion/Palm Sunday Email/At Home Missal
You will find the video for March 17th, 2024, at the following YouTube link:
https://youtu.be/ZDL-4-Y8ovM
……………………………………….
Presiding Pastor: Laura Sauder
Organist & Director of Music: Bradley Moggach
Assisting Minister: Barb Burden
Reader: John Leonard
Welcome remarks
Call to Worship
P: This is no ordinary day…and it is the most ordinary of days —
C: the Messiah is in our midst!
P: Bring your whole self to welcome him!
C: We offer all we have and lay it at his feet,
shouting Hosanna to the One who can save us.
P: Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
C: Hosanna in the highest!
© 2024 Teri Peterson. Usage rights granted to BibleWorm subscribers at the LiturgyWorm Level and higher (https://patreon.com/biblewormpodcast)
Processional Reading: Mark 11: 1-11
The Holy Gospel according to Mark, the 11th chapter.
C: Glory to you, O Lord.
When Jesus and his followers approached Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives. Jesus gave two disciples a task, saying to them, “Go into the village over there. As soon as you enter it, you will find tied up there a colt that no one has ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘Its master needs it, and he will send it back right away.’”
They went and found a colt tied to a gate outside on the street, and they untied it. Some people standing around said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” They told them just what Jesus said, and they left them alone. They brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes upon it, and he sat on it. Many people spread out their clothes on the road while others spread branches cut from the fields. Those in front of him and those following were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessings on the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest!” Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. After he looked around at everything, because it was already late in the evening, he returned to Bethany with the Twelve. (CEB)
The Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to you, O Christ.
Greeting:
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
Blessing of Garments:
P: Let us pray,
Holy God, we thank you for sending Jesus to teach us about your love. Today we celebrate Jesus’ entry into the holy city of Jerusalem, where he was welcomed as a king by people who spread cloaks and branches along his way. We ask your blessing on these items: socks, underwear, clothing for The Bridges; and we ask your blessing upon those who will use them. May these offerings be a sign of your love as we seek to follow Jesus in his way of peace and love.
Amen.
Gathering Hymn: ACS # 928 ‘Pave the Way with Branches’
Jesus is coming.
Pave the way with branches.
Jesus is coming. Hosanna. Repeat
Hosanna, Jesus is coming.
Hosanna to the Prince of peace. Repeat
Release for the captives.
Pave the way with branches.
Release for the captives. Hosanna. Repeat
Hosanna, Jesus is coming.
Hosanna to the Prince of peace. Repeat
Hope for the downtrod.
Pave the way with branches.
Hope for the downtrod. Hosanna. Repeat
Hosanna, Jesus is coming.
Hosanna to the Prince of peace. Repeat
Land for the landless.
Pave the way with branches.
Land for the landless Hosanna. Repeat
Hosanna, Jesus is coming.
Hosanna to the Prince of peace. Repeat
Debts are forgiven.
Pave the way with branches.
Debts are forgiven. Hosanna. Repeat
Hosanna, Jesus is coming.
Hosanna to the Prince of peace. Repeat
(Title: Pave the Way with Branches; Text & Music: Bret Hesla, b. 1957; Text & Music © 1999 Bret Hesla, admin. Augsburg Fortress; All rights reserved. Used by permission. Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Prayer of the Day:
P: We cry out in hope, O God,
welcoming your presence among us.
Your glory shines even in the humblest moment,
your grace brings all creation into your care,
your power tames the most stubborn resistance.
We pour out our longings and our love,
making way for your truth to enter
by road or by heart.
Amen.
© 2024 Teri Peterson. Usage rights granted to BibleWorm subscribers at the LiturgyWorm Level and higher (https://patreon.com/biblewormpodcast)
Gospel Acclamation: Lenten Acclamation Setting 12
Nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God.
Nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God.*
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress.
Reader:
The Holy Gospel according to Mark, the 14th chapter.
C: Glory to you, O Lord.
May we be equipped by these words to walk in love for God, ourselves, our neighbours, all people, and all God’s creation.
Jesus was at Bethany visiting the house of Simon, who had a skin disease. During dinner, a woman came in with a vase made of alabaster and containing very expensive perfume of pure nard. She broke open the vase and poured the perfume on his head. Some grew angry. They said to each other, “Why waste the perfume? This perfume could have been sold for almost a year’s pay and the money given to the poor.” And they scolded her.
Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you make trouble for her? She has done a good thing for me. You always have the poor with you; and whenever you want, you can do something good for them. But you won’t always have me. She has done what she could. She has anointed my body ahead of time for burial. 9 I tell you the truth that, wherever in the whole world the good news is announced, what she’s done will also be told in memory of her.” (CEB)
The Gospel of the Lord. C: Praise to you, O Christ.*
Engaging with the Story
Mark 11:1-11; 14:3-9
Today, Palm Sunday, marks the beginning of Holy Week. This is the week when we remember the final days of Jesus’ life; when we journey with Jesus to the cross. But this year, here at St Peter’s, we’ve actually been in Holy Week already for several Sundays now, hearing and reflecting upon stories from Jesus’ final days in Jerusalem, before his arrest and crucifixion.
But today, as we arrive at the liturgical beginning of Holy Week – Palm Sunday – it’s good to go back in the timeline just a bit, and to begin our worship by remembering Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. To begin again from that place of celebration and anticipation. To put ourselves again in the shoes of the disciples and those who witnessed Jesus’ arrival to the holy city. To sing along with their ‘hosannas,’ (a word that means ‘save us’) and to remember the hope they held – that we also hold – that Jesus is the one who will bring salvation for the people.
We already know that he will be the one to save them. Just not in the way any of those folks on the road into Jerusalem likely imagine in this moment. But the reality that Jesus wasn’t going to be the king or saviour they expected is a reality that would start to sink in, in the days to come as Jesus teaches and engages with the religious leaders in Jerusalem. As conflicts erupt and Jesus predicts the destruction of the Temple.
And perhaps for some, the reality that Jesus was not going to be the kind of king or saviour they were hoping for even began sinking in that same day. Did you notice that the triumphal entry into Jerusalem ends on kind of a low note?
When Jesus and his disciples finally make it to the temple it’s already late in the day. So after a quick look around, they turn right back and head out of the city, back to Bethany where they started the day (about a 2 mile journey).
Bethany seems to act as Jesus’ home base for this week. During the days he travels into Jerusalem, and each evening, he retreats back to Bethany. Which is where we find him in today’s second story: in Bethany at the home of Simon the Leper.
We don’t know if this is where he’s been staying the whole time but obviously this is where people know to find him this night. Without any explanation, an unnamed woman shows up at Simon’s house with a jar of expensive perfume. Without a word, she breaks it open on the spot, and pours it over Jesus’ head. The way Mark tells it, it all unfolds rather quickly. So let’s pause here for just a moment to consider what’s going on.
We don’t know anything about this woman – who she is, where she came from, how she can afford such a costly item. The perfume, we’re told, was worth a whole year’s wages. In today’s terms, that’s like tens of thousands of dollars worth of perfume. And yes, a quick google search will show that it is entirely possible today to spend that kind of money on perfume!
And then there’s the question of why, because Mark doesn’t tell us why the woman chooses to do this. Traditionally there were two reasons in Biblical times to anoint someone’s body with ointment or perfume: if you were royalty (like the anointing of a new ruler) or if you were dead (anointing was part of preparing a body for burial).
We don’t get to hear from the woman herself why she chooses to anoint Jesus with this costly perfume, but maybe that’s on purpose. Because I actually think it’s possible to read the story either way. Given Jesus’ arrival to Jerusalem – hailed as a king – it’s possible the woman wanted to honour him as a king. Or, as Jesus chooses to interpret her actions, perhaps she did have some inkling or sense that something darker was indeed coming. As it turns out, this will be the only anointing Jesus’ body receives before he’s buried in a few days time.
Regardless of her reasons why, whether an anointing for royalty or for burial (and honestly, it ends up being both), this is an act of extravagant love. Extravagant in its material value. Extravagant in the amount that is poured over Jesus’ head. Extravagant in the love and care and tenderness she shows to Jesus in this moment.
It’s an act that both foreshadows and models the extravagant love Jesus will embody in the coming days as he is arrested and crucified. As he freely and willingly pours out his life for the sake of the world.
As we remember today this unnamed woman’s gift of extravagant love, and look ahead to the extravagant love Jesus will pour out in just a few days time, how do we as disciples honour this gift of extravagant love? How can we be a part of sharing God’s extravagant love with those who desperately need it in our world?
Certainly, the woman’s witness of sacrificial giving is something to challenge us. This was a gift that cost her a lot. Where might we be able to give more of ourselves than we think (whether financial or of our time or of our talents).
And this story does give us a clue as to where we might focus our gifts of love. Even though Jesus admonishes the disciples for their outcry at what they see as wasteful (and it’s hard not to hear his claim that the poor will always be with us as anything but harsh). It’s important to remember he also says, “whenever you want, you can do something good for them.”
Jesus isn’t saying that the needs of the poor and vulnerable don’t matter. In this moment he’s just angry at the disciples for trying to shame and correct this woman who was doing what she could. Caring for and advocating for the most vulnerable in our communities – as Jesus did throughout his ministry – is still how we share in God’s extravagant love for this whole world.
The other thing this story helps us to see is that we won’t always get it right. We won’t always agree on the best use of resources, but hopefully we can approach one another with curiosity instead of judgement; realizing that none of us have the whole picture and that we are each asked to do what we can – which is also often more than we might first realise.
We won’t always get it right. But loving extravagantly means trusting that “in the hands of Jesus, things we are doing our best with can become even more than we ever knew that they were.”1 May that always be so. AMEN.
1 BibleWorm Podcast Episode 531 “The Triumphal Entry and the Anointing at Bethany.” March 17, 2024.
Prayer of Confession
P: Your love is extravagant
and invites us to love without limit, and yet…
C: We confess that we do have limits,
and they are much smaller and narrower than your vision.
We have expectations, too,
that you will change things only in the way we want them to be changed.
We come out to see you,
with wonder, and hope, and anxiety too,
calling out our prayers for help
and our praise in anticipation of your answer.
P: Forgive us, O God,
when we have decided the correct way for others to worship you.
Forgive us, too,
when we have decided the correct way for you to act in accordance with our desires,
and so narrowed your love, your power, and your presence
to fit you more neatly in our boxes.
Have mercy on us, Lord.
We ask in the name of Jesus,
who disappoints our expectations in order to save us from them,
setting us free to recognize your presence right in front of us.
Amen.
© 2024 Teri Peterson. Usage rights granted to BibleWorm subscribers at the LiturgyWorm Level and higher (https://patreon.com/biblewormpodcast)
Hymn of the Day: ACS # 1001 ‘Holy Woman, Graceful Giver’ (Mark 14)
1 Holy woman, graceful giver,
prophet, servant, and believer,
woman with the ointment jar,
rose up near the time appointed,
broke the seal, Christ's head anointed
for the coming fatal hour,
for the coming fatal hour.
2 Like the vessel, we are broken;
like the ointment, we are token
of God's loving unto death;
like the woman, we are serving;
like the scolders, ill-deserving
such a rich, forgiving faith,
such a rich, forgiving faith.
3 In these jars is hidden treasure,
costly fragrance, Christly pleasure,
like the Christ, first from the dead,
broken for creation's wholeness,
poured out for its coming fullness,
Prophet, Servant, Hope, and Head,
Prophet, Servant, Hope, and Head.
4 Holy woman, costly treasure,
with the jar of alabaster,
shows the hidden gift we are;
therefore let us as Christ's servants
hold our sister in remembrance,
woman with the ointment jar,
woman with the ointment jar.
(Title: Holy Woman, Graceful Giver (Mark 14) Text: Susan Palo Cherwien, b. 1953; Text © 1994 Susan Palo Cherwien, admin. Augsburg Fortress; All rights reserved. Used by permission. Music: Anne Krentz Organ, b. 1960; Music © 2020 Augsburg Fortress; All rights reserved. Used by permission. Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Prayers of Intercession:
A: What prayer can we offer, O God? In troubled times, in joyous celebration, in quiet hopeful moments, in unimaginable grief, all we can really say is: Hosanna…save us…have mercy on us. And so we come with prayers for mercy for those who have no words available, no tears left to cry, no obvious path forward.
We come with prayers for mercy for those who have been scolded for being themselves, for doing what they thought was right, for generosity that others couldn’t imagine. Together we call out… C: Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer O God. Hear our prayer.*
We come with prayers for mercy for those who live in fear, and those who choose violence as a way to deal with fear, and those who use fear to control others. Together we call out… C: Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer O God. Hear our prayer.*
We come with prayers for mercy for those who are surrounded by enemies, and for those whose friends don’t understand, and for those who feel alone. Together we call out… C: Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer O God. Hear our prayer.*
We come with prayers for mercy for those who live in poverty, hidden in plain sight. And for those whose poverty has been used as a prop for political points. And for those who struggle to live up to your calling to care for the poor. Together we call out… C: Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer O God. Hear our prayer.*
We come with prayers for mercy for those who live with pain or illness or suffering. Especially we pray for Avery, each beloved child on our prayer list, and those we name before you now aloud or silently in our hearts… Together we call out… C: Hear our prayer, O God. Hear our prayer O God. Hear our prayer.*
Hosanna…save us, O God.
Have mercy upon this world you so love.
We trust that in your hands,
our prayers become more than we could have meant,
our giving becomes more of a blessing than we could have imagined,
our faith becomes more fruitful than we could have created on our own.
Enter our lives this day
humbly yet powerfully,
and call forth your kingdom, even here,
even in and through this, your Body.
We ask in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
Adapted from: © 2024 Teri Peterson. Usage rights granted to BibleWorm subscribers at the LiturgyWorm Level and higher (https://patreon.com/biblewormpodcast)
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress.
Share the peace of Christ:
P: Angels said it to startled shepherds,
Jesus said it to frightened followers,
And now these words which come from heaven
are shared to make us whole and make us one.
Peace be with you.
C: And also with you. ****
(A Wee Worship Book – Liturgy for Holy Communion A #30810; Type: Words; First Line: Call to worship – Gather us in; Language: English (pages 80-92); Contributors: Iona community; Text: © 1999, WGRG, Iona community, GIA Publications, Inc; exclusive North American agent. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Offering
Offering Hymn: ACS # 966 ‘Loaves Were Broken, Words Were Spoken’ (verse 3 – 4 with refrain)
3 Loaves are broken, words are spoken,
as in faith we gather here.
Jesus speaks across the ages:
"I am with you; do not fear!"
Refrain
By your body broken for us,
by your wine of life outpoured,
Jesus, feed again your people.
Be our Host, our Life, our Lord.
4 By the loaves you break and give us,
send us in your name to share
bread for which the millions hunger,
words that tell your love and care. Refrain
(Title: Loaves Were Broken, Words Were Spoken’ Text: Text: Herman G. Stuempfle Jr., 1923–2007; Text © 2006 GIA Publications, Inc., giamusic.com. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Music: Marty Haugen, b. 1950; Music © 1987; GIA Publications, Inc., giamusic.com. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Offering Prayer:
A: Jesus, you are the bread of life
and the host of this meal.
Bless these gifts that we have gathered
that all people may know your goodness.
Feed us not only with this holy food
but with hunger for justice and peace.
We pray this in your name. Amen.*
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress.
You are invited to prepare your table with bread and wine, or crackers and juice, whatever is available to you, so that you may participate in the meal.
Meal: Click here for the communion liturgy from worship on YouTube: https://youtu.be/kmZJQiBM8QY
Great Thanksgiving: ACS Setting 12: ‘Dialogue…’ (page 36) (spoken)
The Lord be with you. C: And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. C: We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. C: It is right to give our thanks and praise
ACS Setting 12: ‘Preface…’ (Sunday of the Passion) (spoken)
It is indeed right, our duty and our joy,
that we should at all times and in all places
give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God,
through our Savior Jesus Christ,
whose suffering and death gave salvation to all.
You gather your people around the tree of the cross,
transforming death into life.
And so, with all the choirs of angels,
with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven,
we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
ELW Setting 12: ‘Holy, Holy, Holy…’ (page 36 )
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of pow’r and God of might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
Hosanna, hosanna in the highest.*
Thanksgiving at the Table:
On the night before he showed us the full extent of his love,
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.
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us:
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.
Invitation to Communion:
This is Christ’s table where all are fed and none go hungry. Come, taste, and see that the Lord is good.
I invite those at home, and those in the building communing by fellowship cup, to take your bread or cracker as we say together, “The body of Christ, given for us.”
And, as we take our cup we say, “The blood of Christ, shed for us.”
Communion Music: ELW Setting 12 - Lamb of God (page 40) &
ELW # 741 ‘Your Will be Done’
ELW Setting 12 - Lamb of God (page 40)
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
grant us peace, grant us peace.*
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress.
ELW # 741 ‘Your Will be Done’
Your will be done on earth, O Lord.
Your will be done on earth, O Lord.
Your will be done on earth, O Lord.
Your will be done on earth, O Lord.
Your will be done on earth, O Lord.
(Title: Your Will Be Done (Mayenziwe) Text: South African, based on the Lord's Prayer (Public Domain) Music: Arr. © 1990 Iona Community, admin. GIA Publications, Inc., 7404 S. Mason Ave., Chicago, IL 60638. www.giamusic.com. 800.442.3358. All rights reserved. Used by permission; Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
P: May the body and blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ strengthen you, and keep you, in his grace.
C: Amen.
Prayer after Communion:
A: Generous God,
at this table we have tasted your immeasurable grace.*
As we enter this holy week,
make way for Christ and his extravagant love
to be poured out in your life, and in our community.
Amen
© 2024 Teri Peterson. Usage rights granted to BibleWorm subscribers at the LiturgyWorm Level and higher (https://patreon.com/biblewormpodcast)
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress.
Blessing:
A: Beloved,
we are God’s own people,
holy, washed, renewed.
God bless you and keep you,
shower you with mercy,
fill you with courage,
and ☩ give you peace.
Amen.
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress.
Sending Hymn: ‘In the Lord I’ll be Ever Thankful’ (Taizé – from the book Singing Our Prayer, page 18)
In the Lord I’ll be ever thankful
In the Lord I will rejoice
Look to God, do not be afraid
Lift up your voices
the Lord is near
Lift up your voices
the Lord is near
(Title: In the Lord I’ll be Ever Thankful; Text: Taizé Community, based on Isaiah 12. ©1986, 1991 Les Presses de Taizé, admin.GIA Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Music: Jacques Berthier; ©1986, 1991 Les Presses de Taizé, admin.GIA Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Reprinted and Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-727610. All rights reserved.)
Dismissal:
A: Go in peace, loving extravagantly as Christ has loved you.
C: Thanks be to God.*
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress.
*From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License # 42368. New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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