INTRODUCTION
Rooted in the past and growing into the future, the church must always be reformed in order to live out the love of Christ in an ever-changing world. We celebrate the good news of God’s grace, that Jesus Christ sets us free every day to do this life-transforming work. Trusting in the freedom given to us in baptism, we pray for the church, that Christians will unite more fully in worship and mission.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRELUDE A Mighty Fortress Weber
* CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
Blessed be the holy Trinity, ? one God, whose teaching is life,
whose presence is sure, and whose love is endless. Amen.
Let us confess our sins to the one who welcomes us with an open heart.
God our comforter: like lost sheep, we have gone astray. We gaze upon abundance and see scarcity. We turn our faces away from injustice and oppression. We exploit the earth with our apathy and greed.
Free us from our sin, gracious God. Listen when we call out to you for help. Lead us by your love to love our neighbors as ourselves. Amen.
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
By the gift of grace in ? Christ Jesus, God makes you righteous.
Receive with glad hearts the forgiveness of all your sins.
Amen.
* indicates please stand as you are able
* PRAYER OF THE DAY
Let us pray.
Almighty God, gracious Lord, we thank you that your Holy Spirit renews the church in every age. Pour out your Holy Spirit on your faithful people. Keep them steadfast in your word, protect and comfort them in times of trial, defend them against all enemies of the gospel, and bestow on the church your saving peace, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
* GATHERING SONG Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word (ELW 517)
FIRST READING: Jeremiah 31:31-34
31The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD. 33But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the LORD,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.
PSALM: Psalm 46
1God is our refuge and strength,
a very present | help in trouble.
2Therefore we will not fear, though the | earth be moved,
and though the mountains shake in the depths | of the sea;
3though its waters | rage and foam,
and though the mountains tremble | with its tumult.
4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of | the Most High.
5God is in the midst of the city; it shall | not be shaken;
God shall help it at the | break of day.
6The nations rage, and the | kingdoms shake;
God speaks, and the earth | melts away.
7The LORD of | hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob | is our stronghold.
8Come now, regard the works | of the LORD,
what desolations God has brought up- | on the earth;
9behold the one who makes war to cease in | all the world;
who breaks the bow, and shatters the spear,
and burns the | shields with fire.
10"Be still, then, and know that | I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations;
I will be exalted | in the earth."
11The LORD of | hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob | is our stronghold.
SECOND READING: Romans 3:19–28
19Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20For "no human being will be justified in his sight" by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. 21But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, 22the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, 23since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; 24they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; 26it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus. 27Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.
* GOSPEL John 8:31-36
The holy gospel according to John. Glory to you, O Lord.
31Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 33They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?”
? 34Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. 36So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”
The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
MEDITATION Pastor Wende Bleam
*HYMN OF THE DAY A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (ELW 504)
* NICENE CREED
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,*
who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
OFFERING OF TITHES AND GIFTS TO GOD
Please place your offering in the plate near the Sanctuary door any time during or following worship. Your offering and tithes may be made on line through our website: stjohnslutheranfolcroft.org or sent by mail to
St. John’s Lutheran church, 1500 Glen Avenue, Folcroft, PA 19032.
* OFFERING PRAYER
God of abundance,
you cause streams to break forth in the desert and manna to rain from the heavens. Accept the gifts you have first given us. Unite them with the offering of our lives to nourish the world you love so dearly; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
Set free from sin and death and nourished by the word of truth, we join in prayer for all of God’s creation.
We pray for all who long for a word of truth and for the radical grace that flows from the cross. Inspire congregations to freely and boldly proclaim your love for all people with persistence and hope. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
We pray for your creation, for mountains, rivers, streams, cities, homesteads, and neighborhoods. Write in our hearts a new love and care for creation. Give us the will to curb wasteful habits and to hold accountable those who neglect the vulnerable. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
We pray for all who aspire to public office and for all who will vote on Tuesday at local polling places. Pour wisdom and understanding upon all who govern so that communities of justice and peace may thrive. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
We pray for all who long for healing in mind, body, or spirit. Strengthen hospitals, clinics, counseling centers, nursing homes, and recovery centers to be holy spaces of renewal that all might live the abundant life you intend. We pray especially for those affected by the covid virus in mind, body or spirit, for Connie, Pat, Hazel, Deb, Joe, Ruth, Lisa, Juan, Jacklyn, Alisia, the Folcroft Police, Derek, Morgan, Ash, Sue, Gavin, Donna, Robert, Alannah, Lillian, Alexis, Sharon, Bill, Addison, Tim, Shane, Tom, Carl, Monica, Marc, Helen, Lucas, Laura, Michael, Kelly, Rick, Dick, Lori, Ted, Lynda, Marcos, Jessica, Stephanie and those we now raise before you in our hearts, let us pray. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
We pray for all who seek to grow in faith and love of you. Guide teaching and learning in confirmation, small groups, Sunday school, youth groups, schools, seminaries, and universities. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
We give thanks for all the saints and reformers who have gone before us who dwell in your holy habitation. Give us courage through their example to challenge unjust systems and work toward life-giving reformation. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
Confident that you hear us, O God, we boldly place our prayers into your hands; through Jesus Christ, our truth and life.
Amen.
* LORD'S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen.
* THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift the to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
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. With all the choirs of angels, with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your holy name.
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
In the night in which he was betrayed,
our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks;
broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take and eat; this is my body, given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks,
and gave it for all to drink, saying:
This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
* INVITATION TO COMMUNION
All who hunger and thirst, come.
The table is ready.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Lord of life,
in the gift of your body and blood you turn the crumbs of our faith into a feast of salvation. Send us forth into the world with shouts of joy, bearing witness to the abundance of your love in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
*BLESSING
People of God, you are Christ’s body, bringing new life to a suffering world.
The holy Trinity, ? one God, bless you now and forever. Amen.
* SENDING SONG The Church's One Foundation (ELW 654) vs 1,2 & 5
DISMISSAL - Go in peace. The living Word dwells in you.
Thanks be to God.
We hope that this service was meaningful for you and brought God’s peace and comfort into your homes. Continue to wear a mask and wash your hands frequently and to love others as yourself. Pray, trust, believe and wait. See you next week.
POSTLUDE: Built on a Rock (Nelson)
You are welcome to watch the live service at 10:15 am at https://www.facebook.com/stjohnslutheranfolcroft
Or you can watch live streaming on the St. John's website: https://stjohnslutheranfolcroft.org
If you are having trouble accessing, please let us know.
COMING UP AT ST. JOHN'S.
NOVEMBER 2 - 7 pm on Zoom - Finance Committee Meeting
Sunday, November 7th is All Saints' Sunday - If you wish us to remember someone who passed in the last year, please either call the church office and leave a message with the full name of the person, or email to the office before October 31st.
In a few weeks we will be updating our PRAYER LIST. If you or a family member is currently on the list, please let us know, either by email, or by putting instructions in the offering, directing us to keep you or your family member on the list; or to delete (at least for the time being) from our current list.
The ALTAR FLOWERS are sponsored by the Current Fund.
The ETERNAL CANDLE is sponsored for the month of October by the Shortt family in memory of Warren Lewis and Edwin and Beatrice Shortt.
New sign-up sheets are available on the hallway bulletin board. A sign up for the Eternal Candle is available for the remainder of the year. The cost is now $20.
A sign-up sheet is provided to sponsor the Altar Flowers: (cost $14 per vase. Please note the new prices for the candles as well as the flowers. If there are no sponsors for a vase, the flowers will be paid by the current fund.
Also, there is a sign-up sheet for Coffee Talk. Please note: If you sign up for Coffee Talk, as well as providing the drink and snack, you are also responsible for putting everything in the trash and cleaning the kitchen.
Each week, we collect food for our hungry neighbors in need in our SHARING GOD'S BOUNTY WAGON. Hunger doesn’t take a vacation. Please consider making a donation of a food item each week.
Are you on FACEBOOK? Do you ever like or share the church's posts? We hope you do. Every little activity on our page is a good thing. More eyes to see what we're about and what we have going on is helpful. And if you leave a comment, even better. Others that may check our Facebook page out see that we're a busy, happening church. If you need our social media addresses on Facebook or Instagram, see Elaine Fisher or check out the hashtag on the bulletin board in the hallway for information.
We are registered as Saint Johns Evangelical Lutheran Church for Amazon Smile. Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of eligible smile.amazon.com purchases to the charities selected by customers. You will need to go to Smile.amazon.com. Then you select our name as your charity. Again, the name is registered as Saint Johns Evangelical Lutheran Church. So far, we have received almost $75, just by doing your shopping through Smile.amazon.
YOU CAN HELP! You can be a good steward AND get your grocery shopping done. Did you know that if you purchase a grocery food gift card from St. John’s, our congregation will receive 5% of all sales of gift cards. Please see Ruth Weaver if you wish to purchase and gift cards. Thank you for helping us raise that 5% for
Continuing this month, we will be taking a collection to add to the Education Fund for Eleanor Holbrook Davenport. As many are aware, Eleanor is the daughter of Jennifer Holbrook who passed in 2015. At that time, it was decided to open a fund to help pay for her education. At this time, we have contributed approximately $4,000. If you are making a donation, either send by mail to the church, or place in the offering in an envelope marked ELEANOR. If sending though Tithely, please send to the SPECIAL FUND with the note ELEANOR. Thank you so much for your continuing donations for this worthy project.
The Finance Committee is looking for a member or two to join us i managing the finances of the church. This committee really should have at least five members to be able to function correctly. Right now, the committee consists of Chairperson, Barb Lynn, Financial Secretary, MaryAnne Rossi and Treasurer, Sherrie Modge. Pastor Wende is also a member of this committee. Ideally during the formation of the budget, we would be able to rely on the voices of a few other members. You do not need any degree or accounting classes to join. As Barb says, if you can balance your checkbook, you can be a member! Please consider joining!
Our Financial Response (September)
CURRENT
Budgeted costs per month $ 9,041.09
Offering last month $ 5,364.38
Budget required to date (9 months) $ 81,369.81
Total received to date $ 52,263.03
MISSION SUPPORT
Budget required to date (9 months) $ 4,500.00
Total received to date $ 5,016.00
Please continue to support St. John's. Our expenses continue each month
even if we are not all worshipping together inside our building.
Your offering and tithes may be made on line through our website: stjohnslutheranfolcroft.org or sent by mail to
St. John’s Lutheran church, 1500 Glen Avenue, Folcroft, PA 19032.
From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2013 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #44714. 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.
