INTRODUCTION
When we say God is the triune God, we are saying something about who God is beyond, before, and after the universe: that there is community within God. Our experience of this is reflected in Paul’s words today. When we pray to God as Jesus prayed to his Abba (an everyday, intimate parental address), the Spirit prays within us, creating between us and God the same relationship Jesus has with the one who sent him.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRELUDE O Blessed Holy Trinity (Bender)
* CONFESSION AND FORGIVNESS
Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God, the God of manna, the God of miracles, the God of mercy.
Amen.
Drawn to Christ and seeking God’s abundance,
let us confess our sin.
God, our provider,
help us. It is hard to believe there is enough to share. We question your ways when they differ from the ways of the world in which we live.
We turn to our own understanding rather than trusting in you. We take offense at your teachings and your ways. Turn us again to you. Where else can we turn? Share with us the words of eternal life and feed us for life in the world. Amen.
Beloved people of God: in Jesus, the manna from heaven, you are fed and nourished. By Jesus, the worker of miracles, there is always more than enough. Through Jesus, ? the bread of life, you are shown God’s mercy:
you are forgiven and loved into abundant life.
Amen.
* PRAYER OF THE DAY
Let us pray.
Almighty Creator and ever-living God: we worship your glory, eternal Three-in-One, and we praise your power, majestic One-in-Three. Keep us steadfast in this faith, defend us in all adversity, and bring us at last into your presence, where you live in endless joy and love, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
GATHERING SONG Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty! (ELW 413)
FIRST READING: Isaiah 6:1-8
1In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. 2Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3And one called to another and said:
?“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
?the whole earth is full of his glory.”
4The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. 5And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
?6Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” 8Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”
PSALM: Psalm 29
?1Ascribe to the | LORD, you gods, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
?2Ascribe to the LORD the glory | due God’s name;
??worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
?3The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; the God of | glory thunders;
??the LORD is upon the | mighty waters.
?4The voice of the LORD is a powerful voice;
??the voice of the LORD is a | voice of splendor.
?5The voice of the LORD breaks the | cedar trees;
??the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon;
?6the LORD makes Lebanon skip | like a calf,
??and Mount Hermon like a | young wild ox.
?7The voice | of the LORD bursts forth in | lightning flashes.
?8The voice of the LORD | shakes the wilderness;
??the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
?9The voice of the LORD makes the oak trees writhe and strips the | forests bare.
??And in the temple of the LORD all are | crying, “Glory!”
?10The LORD sits enthroned above the flood;
??the LORD sits enthroned asking forevermore.
?11O LORD, give strength | to your people;
??give them, O LORD, the blessings of peace.
SECOND READING: Romans 8:12-17
12Brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—13for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
*GOSPEL: John 3:1-17
The holy gospel according to John. Glory to you, O Lord.
1Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” 3Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” 4Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” 5Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. 6What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ 8The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?
?11“Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. 12If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
?16“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
?17“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
MEDITATION Pastor Wende Bleam
HYMN OF THE DAY Come, Join the Dance of Trinity (ELW 412)
*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.
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
We come before the triune God to pray for our communities, ourselves, and our world.
Abba God, you have brought us into your family, claiming us as beloved children. Bless your family of faith with gifts of cooperation and graciousness. Increase our hospitality toward all expressions of faith and teach us to honor our shared humanity. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
Your love and power burst forth in the flashes of lightning, the dance of the wind, and the deeply rooted trees of the forest. Sustain fragile and interconnected ecosystems, that they flourish for generations to come. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
Give your blessing of peace to the nations. Shelter all who risk life and livelihood to protect others from violence, conflict, and injustice. On this Memorial Day weekend, we remember those who have lost their lives in war and conflict . Merciful God, receive our prayer.
Lord, we pray for the people of Israel and Palestine, for those the Gaza Strip who are suffering the ravages of war We also pray for the Ukrainian people that they be surrounded by your love and protection against the attacks on their country. Lift them up, and protect, them, end this war against them and let your peace reign. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
You are a God of love and not of condemnation. Quiet the hearts of all who struggle with shame, regret, or questions of self-worth. Teach us to forgive ourselves and one another. Restore wholeness to all who seek hope and healing. We pray especially for Bill, Curt, Barb, Calvin, Krystal, Alexandra, Jim, Robin, Dan, Sue, Jennifer, Ray, Ashton, Justin, Kathy and Rich McLaughlin, Carol, Connor, Ana, Helen, Jose, Hoon, Pat, Deb, Joe, Ruth, Lisa, Rick, Alisia, Jacklyn, Lillian, Alexis, Jim and those we now raise before you in our hearts. We pray for those affected by the Covid virus in mind, body or spirit. Grant them healing and wholeness. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
Strengthen bonds between parents, children, and families of all varieties. We pray especially for adoptive and foster families, multi-generational households, and blended families. Grant gifts of nurture and patience to all caregivers. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
The Spirit bears grateful witness to all children of God who have now come into their inheritance among the saints. As they lived with hope in your gift of eternal life, so strengthen us in faith, that we recognize your eternal presence even in this mortal life. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
Receive our prayers, O God, and come quickly to our aid, through the power of the Spirit and the love of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
* LORD'S PRAYER
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.
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.
PEACE
The peace of Christ be with you always. And also with you.
CHOIR ANTHEM The Play of the Godhead (Rowan
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
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.
* 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. You reveal your glory as the glory of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit: equal in majesty, undivided in splendor, one Lord, one God, ever to be adored in your eternal glory. 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:
* HOLY, HOLY, HOLY
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
Come and be nourished by the gift of our Lord and know the God of life and love.
COMMUNION SONG
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Jesus, Bread of life,
we have received from your table
more than we could ever ask.
As you have nourished us in this meal,
now strengthen us to love the world with your own life.
In your name we pray. Amen.
*BLESSING
The blessing of God, who provides for us, feeds us, and journeys with us,
? be upon you now and forever.
Amen.
* SENDING SONG Holy God, We Praise Your Name (ELW 414)
DISMISSAL - Go in peace. You are the body of Christ.Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE: All Glory Be to God on High (Zachau)
The ETERNAL CANDLE is sponsored for the month of May by John Bindi and in is in honor of Francis Ndanemah Bindi.
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 MaryAnne Rossi if you wish to purchase and gift cards. Thank you for helping us raise that 5% for helping to continue our ministry.
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. If you are in need of food, please notify Pastor Wende and she will let you know what we have available.
The Social Ministry Committee would love to hear from you if you have any ideas for small fundraising and/or social ministry events that we could pull off with minimal effort. Challenge us with your ideas!!
With our church building getting older, we need everyone’s eyes and ears to help keep her in good repair. If you see any problems like a burnt out light bulb, please let Barb or Bud know or drop a note in the offering plate on Sunday. We need to get a jump on current or upcoming problems.
Our Financial Response (April)
CURRENT
Budgeted costs per month $ 8,443.07
Offering last month $ 5,159.14
Budget required to date (4 months) $ 33,772.28
Total received to date $ 22,070.72
MISSION SUPPORT
Budget required to date (4 months) $ 1,600.00
Total received to date $ 1,304.94
Please continue to support St. John's. Our expenses continue each month.
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.
