INTRODUCTION
Of all three years of the lectionary cycle, this year’s All Saints readings have the most tears. Isaiah and Revelation look forward to the day when God will wipe away all tears; in John’s gospel, Jesus weeps along with Mary and all the gathered mourners before he demonstrates his power over death. On All Saints Day we celebrate the victory won for all the faithful dead, but we grieve for our beloved dead as well, knowing that God honors our tears. We bring our grief to the table and find there a foretaste of Isaiah’s feast to come.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRELUDE Behold the Host Arrayed in White (Grieg)
* CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.
Have mercy on us, O God.
We confess that we have sinned against you and against our neighbor.
We have built walls instead of tables and have turned away the stranger. We have sought glory for ourselves and have treasured that which does not satisfy. Help us to love as you love, to welcome those you send, and to treasure mercy and justice. Turn us from our ways to your ways, and free us to serve those in need. Amen.
God, who makes all things new, forgives your sins for Jesus’ sake
and remembers them no more. Lift up your heads and your hearts.
Yours is the kingdom of God.
Amen.
* PRAYER OF THE DAY
Almighty God, you have knit your people together in one communion in the mystical body of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Grant us grace to follow your blessed saints in lives of faith and commitment, and to know the inexpressible joys you have prepared for those who love you, 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 By All Your Saints (ELW 421) VS 1, 2 & last
FIRST READING: Isaiah 25:6-9
6On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,
of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.
7And he will destroy on this mountain
the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
the sheet that is spread over all nations;
8he will swallow up death forever.
Then the Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from all faces,
and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the LORD has spoken.
9It will be said on that day,
Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.
This is the LORD for whom we have waited;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
PSALM: Psalm 24
1The earth is the LORD’s and all | that is in it,
the world and those who | dwell therein.
2For the LORD has founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
3Who may ascend the mountain | of the LORD,
and who may stand in God’s | holy place
4Those of innocent hands and purity of heart,
who do not swear on God’s being, nor do they pledge by what is false.
5They shall receive blessing | from the LORD
and righteousness from the God of | their salvation.
6Such is the generation of those who seek | you, O LORD,
of those who seek your face, O | God of Jacob.
7Lift up your heads, O gates; and be lifted up, O ever- | lasting doors,
that the King of glory | may come in.
8Who is this | King of glory
The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle!
9Lift up your heads, O gates; and be lifted up, O ever- | lasting doors,
that the King of glory | may come in.
10Who is this | King of glory
Truly, the LORD of hosts is the | King of glory.
SECOND READING: Revelation 21:1-6a
1I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
“See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
4he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.”
5And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6aThen he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.”
* GOSPEL John 11:32-44
The holy gospel according to John. Glory to you, O Lord.
32When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34He said, “Where have you laid him” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35Jesus began to weep. 36So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying”
38Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” 40Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God” 41So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” 43When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
MEDITATION Pastor Wende Bleam
*HYMN OF THE DAY For All the Saints (ELW 422) VS 1-4
* 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
Holy God,
the earth is yours and everything in it,
yet you have chosen to dwell among your creatures.
Come among us now in these gifts of bread and wine,
and strengthen us to be your body for the world
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
Eternal God, you hold firm amid the changes of this world. Hear us now as we pray for the church, the world, and everyone in need.
Merciful God, we give thanks for all missionaries who have brought your message of hope to new communities and wiped tears away Continue to raise up courageous missionaries to share your gospel of hope. Hear us, O God.Your mercy is great.
Creating God, we praise you for abundant harvests and the goodness of creation. Create communities of care for your earth so that all land, water, and soil will be celebrated and cherished by future generations of saints. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
God of peace, we give you thanks for nations of peace that serve as a refuge for all whose homelands are afflicted with violence. Strengthen those who continue to work for peace and support all veterans who carry the scars of war. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
God of healing, we give you thanks for health care workers who labor around the clock to answer cries for help. Bring wholeness to all who struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, addiction, and all who long for healing in any way. 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.
God of justice, we praise you for the feeding ministries and for all meals that bring people together for nourishment and fellowship. Bless chefs, bakers, servers, dishwashers, communion assistants, and meal ministry coordinators. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
God of the ages, we give you thanks for the saints of this congregation who have inspired, challenged, loved, and taught us Priscilla Brown, Walter "Skip" Ebling, Ginny Kuczynski. Wipe away our tears and lead us by their example until we feast together on your holy mountain. Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
God our protection and strength, we entrust to you all for whom we pray. Remain with us always, through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.
REMEMBRANCE OF DEPARTED LOVED ONES:
As the name is read, a tone is sounded and a candle lit reminding us their light and life is in the Lord.
Lord God of every time, countless are the multitudes you have called by name and gathered to yourself.
Comfort us as we grieve those who have died in the past year : Priscilla Brown, Walter "Skip" Ebling, Ginny Kuczynski, those who died from Covid and fires and those who died seeking asylum and were incarcerated.
Lord we pray you comfort all who mourn the loss of loved ones. 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
Blessed Jesus,
at this table, you have been for us both host and meal. Now send us forth to extend our tables and to share your gifts until that day when all feast together
at your heavenly banquet.
Amen.
*BLESSING
God, the beginning and the end, who has written your name in the book of life, bless and keep you in grace and peace from this time forth and forevermore. Amen.
* SENDING SONG For All Your Saints, O Lord (ELW 427)
DISMISSAL - Led on by the saints before us, go in peace to serve the Lord.
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: Rise Up, O Saints of God (Folkemer).
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.
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 November by the Modge and Snell families in loving memory of William Reese, Sr.
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
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.
