INTRODUCTION
The glory of God is often revealed when and where it is least expected. God uses our lips to declare that glory, inexperienced and hesitant though they may be. God uses our love to demonstrate that glory and so urges us to exercise it. God uses Jesus of Nazareth, water and the word, bread and wine, to reveal God’s glory where and when God chooses. Take heed, lest the glory of God slip through our midst unnoticed.
ANNOUNCEMENTS Annual Meeting February 2, 2025 following worship.
PRELUDE
* CONFESSION AND FORGIVNESS
Blessed be the holy Trinity, ? one God, our creator, our protector,
our wellspring of life. Amen.
Trusting that God receives our words and the meditations of our hearts, let us confess our sin.
Merciful God,
you speak blessing and compassion into the world. Forgive us for the ways we act with judgment, cruelty, or indifference. We ignore the needs of our neighbors; we resist your call to oppose injustice; we give in to scarcity and fear; we assume the worst about one another.
Cleanse us from our faults and release us from their grasp. Show us your lovingkindness. Restore our hearts and repair your world, that we may live in Christ’s ways. Amen.
God proclaims these words of assurance: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine.” In ? Christ, you are forgiven.
In the Spirit, you are made free. Refreshed by the waters of mercy, live anew as beloved children of God. Amen.
* PRAYER OF THE DAY
Let us pray.
Almighty and ever-living God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and love; and that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command, through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
GATHERING SONG God of Grace and God of Glory (ELW 705)
FIRST READING: Jeremiah 1:4-10
4?Now the word of the LORD came to me saying,
?5?“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
?and before you were born I consecrated you;
?I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
6?Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.” 7?But the LORD said to me,
?“Do not say, ‘I am only a boy’;
?for you shall go to all to whom I send you,
?and you shall speak whatever I command you.
?8?Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,
?says the LORD.”
9?Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the LORD said to me,
?“Now I have put my words in your mouth.
?10?See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms,
?to pluck up and to pull down,
?to destroy and to overthrow,
?to build and to plant.”
PSALM: Psalm 71:1-6
?1?In you, O LORD, have I | taken refuge;
??let me never be | put to shame.
?2?In your righteousness, deliver me and | set me free;
??incline your ear to | me and save me.
?3?Be my strong rock, a castle to | keep me safe;
??you are my crag | and my stronghold.
?4?Deliver me, my God, from the hand | of the wicked,
??from the clutches of the evildoer and | the oppressor.
?5?For you are my hope, | O Lord GOD,
??my confidence since | I was young.
?6?I have been sustained by you ever since I was born; from my mother’s womb you have | been my strength;
??my praise shall be al- | ways of you.
SECOND READING: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
1?If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2?And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3?If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
? 4?Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5?or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6?it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7?It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
? 8?Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9?For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; 10?but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. 11?When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. 12?For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13?And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.
GOSPEL: Luke 4:21-30
The holy gospel according to Luke. Glory to you, O Lord.
21?Then [Jesus] began to say to [all in the synagogue in Nazareth,] “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22?All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” 23?He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’?” 24?And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown. 25?But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; 26?yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 27?There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” 28?When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29?They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. 30?But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
MEDITATION
*HYMN OF THE DAY Although I Speak with Angel's Tongue (ELW 644)
*APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. 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
*PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
With the Spirit of Christ shining upon us, let us boldly pray for the church, the world, and all of creation.
God of eternal wisdom, we pray for your church, which is being transformed by your word. Bless the church with your wisdom and guidance. Let us notice and take part in the new thing you are doing. God of grace, hear our prayer.
Your creation sustains us and all living creatures. Grant us humility to acknowledge the ways we bring harm to the earth. Grant us courage to make effective change so that all lands and living things prosper. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Embolden leaders of nations, corporations, and all in authority, that they lovingly tend those in their charge. Help them to respond to all who cry out in need. God of grace, hear our prayer.
Provide for those whose hunger runs deep due to isolation, loneliness, or illness. Send your Spirit so that all are filled with your presence and experience welcome from their communities. We pray especially for Pastor Wende, Bill, Carol, Talayia, Tiana, Vince, Danielle, Barbara. Scarlet, Deb, Connor, Dawn, Elaine, Rich, Robert, Anna, Don, Bryant, Lois, Curt, Calvin, Robin, Ana, Helen, Hoon, Pat, Joe, Ruth, Lisa, Jacklyn, Lillian, Alexis, 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. God of grace, hear our prayer.
We pray for the young people in our congregations. May their voices be celebrated. Give youth a place of honor and value among us. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
We remember those who have gone before us. Let their faithful example continue to bear witness to us all. God of grace, hear our prayer.
We entrust our prayers to you, O God, in the sure and certain hope that your promise is revealed among the people.
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.
*BLESSING
The Spirit of the triune God ? bless you with joy, anoint you with compassion, and send you in love.
Amen.
* SENDING SONG Go, My Children, with My Blessing (ELW 543)
DISMISSAL - Go in peace. Live in hope. Thanks be to God.
The Eternal Candle is sponsored for the month of January by John Binbi in memory of loved ones.
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 (January)
CURRENT
Budgeted costs per month $ 7,263.55
Offering last month $ 4,887.14
Budget required to date (1 month) $.. 87,182.53
Total received to date $ 4,887.14
MISSION SUPPORT
Budget required to date (1 month) $ 4,800.00
Total received to date $ 347.72
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.
