The Bulletin is at: 05-26-2019 – Bulletin
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Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 26, 2019
AS WE GATHER… The troubles of the world confront us every day—troubles in the news, troubles in our families, troubles within ourselves, troubles at work or at school. Jesus knows the world. So He said to His disciples, “In the world you will tribulation” (John 16:33). Yet the final word of this Easter season is not trouble. It is hope through the resurrection of Jesus in defeat of all of this world’s troubles. “I have overcome the world,” Jesus said. Being a follower of Jesus never protects us from experiencing the world’s troubles. It does give us hope. It does fill us with courage. It does strengthen our hearts. Take heart today! Jesus has overcome the world!
P: In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
OPENING UP TO GOD AND ONE ANOTHER
P: God of love, hear us as we confess our sin to You
A time of silence is observed.
P: We confess:
C: Captive to sin, we have sinned against You, mighty God, in thought, word, and deed.
P: We have been anxious and impatient.
C: We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed.
P: We have lived in ways that do not give witness to Your mercy in Jesus.
C: Bring us to turn from our ways, Lord. Forgive our sins, those of which we are aware and those we do without thought. Have mercy on us. Seek us, for You alone can find us and restore us.
P: Jesus said, “Take heart; I have overcome the world.” Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen!
SONG OF PRAISE “Lord I Lift Your Name on High”
Lord, I lift Your name on high,
Lord, I love to sing Your praises.
I’m so glad You’re in my life,
I’m so glad You came to save us.
You came from heaven to earth to show the way,
From the earth to the cross, my debt to pay;
From the cross to the grave, from the grave to the sky;
Lord, I lift Your Name on high.
Lord, I lift Your name on high,
Lord, I love to sing Your praises.
I’m so glad You’re in my life,
I’m so glad You came to save us.
You came from heaven to earth to show the way,
From the earth to the cross, my debt to pay;
From the cross to the grave, from the grave to the sky;
Lord, I lift Your Name on high.
P: Let us pray. You, O Lord, are present with us always.
C: Empower us to take heart in Jesus, who has overcome the world, so that we now experience that peace that Jesus promised;
P: through Jesus, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
SCRIPTURE LESSONS
Lydia is baptized.
And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Epistle: Revelation 21:9-14, 21-27
A transformed city of God, with the Lamb at the center.
Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed– on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass. And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day–and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Peace in times of trouble
In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
“I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.” His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
P: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to You, O Christ.
CHOIR ANTHEM: “Hear Our Prayer with America, the Beautiful”
By Marty Parks
Hear our prayer. O Father, hear our prayer,
In mercy please forgive us,
As Your blessing we share.
And heal our land, O Father, heal our land;
And grant to us Your vision
And the courage to stand.
Your precepts are holy and right;
And Your word gives radiant light.
So, hear our prayer, Lord, hear our prayer.
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
Hear our prayer. O Father, hear our prayer,
In mercy please forgive us,
As Your blessing we share.
And heal our land, O Father, heal our land;
And grant to us Your vision
And the courage to stand.
Your precepts are holy and right;
And Your Word gives radiant light.
So, hear our prayer; hear our prayer!
In mercy please forgive us,
Lord, hear our prayer.
HYMN OF THE DAY: “God of Grace and God of Glory” LBW 415
God of grace and God of glory,
On your people pour your pow’r;
Crown your ancient Church’s story,
Bring its bud to glorious flow’r.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
For the facing of this hour
For the facing of this hour
Lo! The hosts of evil round us
Scorn the Christ, assail his ways!
From the fears that long have bound us
Free our hearts to faith and praise.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
For the living of these days,
For the living of these days.
Cure your children’s warring madness;
Bend our pride to your control;
Shame our wanton, selfish gladness,
Rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
Lest we miss your kingdom’s goal,
Lest we miss your kingdom’s goal.
Save us from weak resignation
To the evils we deplore;
Let the gift of your salvation
Be our glory evermore.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
Serving you whom we adore,
Serving you whom we adore.
APOSTLES CREED
OFFERING
We offer our thanksgiving for what God has first given us—our selves, our time, our possessions.
OFFERTORY
P: Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs. As we grow in the Christian faith, we pray for an increase of the Word, that it be freely shared and bring the good news of sins forgiven through Christ to every place. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: We pray for the world in which we live, asking that there would be times of peace and security in our days and that we know days of blessings and joy. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: We pray for the Church and for this household of faith, that we be the radiant Bride of Christ, daily growing in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: We lift our petitions now for the sick, the homebound, and all who this day are in need of our intercession, (especially…….), that their prayers soon be answered and that they be supported by God’s people as they honor Christ. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: As we pray this Memorial Day weekend, we remember with gratitude those valiant people of the armed forces of our nation who have fought and died to protect the liberties that are central to our way of life. (Moment of silence) Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C: Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER
BENEDICTION
P: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and + give you peace.
C: Amen.
CLOSING HYMN “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” LBW 566
My country, ‘tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrims’ pride,
From every mountain side
Let freedom ring.
My native country, thee,
Land of the noble free,
Thy name I love;
I love they rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills;
My hear with rapture thrills
Like that above.
Let music swell the breeze,
And ring from all the trees,
Sweet freedom’s song;
Let mortal tongues awake,
Let all that breathe partake;
Let rocks their silence break,
The sound prolong.
Our father’s God, to thee,
Author of liberty,
To thee we sing;
Long may our land be bright
With freedom’s holy light,
Protect us by thy might,
Great God, our king.
P: Go in Peace. Serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.