INTRODUCTION
Blessings and curses abound on the sixth Sunday after Epiphany. We would do well to listen closely to whom the “blessed ares” and the “woe tos” are directed and to find our place in the crowd among those who desire to touch Jesus. The risen Christ stands among us in the mystery of the holy supper with an invitation to live in him, and offers power to heal us all.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRELUDE
* CONFESSION AND FORGIVNESS
Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God, whose steadfast love is everlasting.
Amen.
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God
and of one another.
God-with-us,
we confess that we have turned away those seeking shelter, claiming there is no room when we have plenty. We have made power and wealth our idols, while you show us true glory: a baby in a manger.
We have overlooked the shepherds, expecting good news in prettier packaging. Too often, we have valued violence instead of your peace.
Turn us from our ways to your ways. Grant us the grace to begin again.
Free us from all that keeps us bound, and forgive our sin, through Jesus Christ, who gives himself for us. Amen.
Hear the good news and rejoice! You are God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, forgiven in Christ, and freed to respond in joy. Amen.
* PRAYER OF THE DAY
Let us pray.
Living God, in Christ you make all things new. Transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace, and in the renewal of our lives make known your glory, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
GATHERING SONG Jesus, the Very Thought of You (ELW 754)
FIRST READING: Jeremiah 17:5-10
5 Thus says the LORD:
Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals
and make mere flesh their strength,
whose hearts turn away from the LORD.
6 They shall be like a shrub in the desert,
and shall not see when relief comes.
They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness,
in an uninhabited salt land.
7 Blessed are those who trust in the LORD,
whose trust is the LORD.
8 They shall be like a tree planted by water,
sending out its roots by the stream.
It shall not fear when heat comes,
and its leaves shall stay green;
in the year of drought it is not anxious,
and it does not cease to bear fruit.
9 The heart is devious above all else;
it is perverse—
who can understand it
10 I the LORD test the mind
and search the heart,
to give to all according to their ways,
according to the fruit of their doings.
PSALM: Psalm 1
1 Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel | of the wicked,
nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seats | of the scornful!
2 Their delight is in the law | of the LORD,
and they meditate on God’s teaching | day and night.
3 They are like trees planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that | do not wither;
everything they | do shall prosper.
4 It is not so | with the wicked;
they are like chaff which the wind | blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when | judgment comes,
nor the sinner in the council | of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knows the way | of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked shall | be destroyed.
SECOND READING: 1 Corinthians 15:12-20
12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ—whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. 17 If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have died in Christ have perished. 19 If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died.
GOSPEL: Luke 6:17-26
The holy gospel according to Luke. Glory to you, O Lord.
17 [Jesus] came down with [the twelve] and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon.18 They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19 And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.
20 Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 “Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
“Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22 “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
24 “But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
25 “Woe to you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
“Woe to you who are laughing now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26 “Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.”
The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
MEDITATION Pastor Wende Bleam
*HYMN OF THE DAY O God, My Faithful God (ELW 806)
* 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
With the Spirit of Christ shining upon us, let us boldly pray for the church, the world, and all of creation.
Blessed is your church transformed by your Spirit. Give us courage to proclaim to all people the promises made true in the death and resurrection of Christ. God of grace, hear our prayer.
Blessed is creation. As earth experiences destruction from harmful practices and climate change, give us courage to help bring about its restoration. Encourage those who work in forestry to be a voice for the hidden places of creation and provide skills for its conservation. God of grace, hear our prayer.
Blessed are the nations. We pray for presidents, prime ministers, and leaders of nations. Grant that their courage will not run dry in the face of challenge, but that they will delight in the fountain of your righteousness. God of grace, hear our prayer.
Blessed are those in need. Give to all facing illness wise and caring doctors, nurses, and therapists. Draw close to those who feel far from you or who are suffering in any way. Provide an extra measure of your grace and love. We pray especially for the family of Shawn Bell, Trena, Keyasi, Sorie, Bill, Carol, Vince, Danielle, Barbara, 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, receive our prayer.
Blessed is this congregation. Like a tree planted by streams of water, we are nourished by faith in you. Provide courage in times that feel dry, trusting that you sustain us in many ways. God of grace, hear our prayer.
Blessed are those saints who now rest in your peace. Through lives of both sorrow and joy, challenge and triumph, they provide witness of faith in all times. May their lives be a witness to the living. 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.
PEACE
The peace of Christ be with you always. And also with you.
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
* 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.
By the leading of a star he was shown forth to all nations;
in the waters of the Jordan you proclaimed him your beloved Son;
and in the miracle of water turned to wine he revealed your 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
May the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in His grace. Amen.
CONGREGATION HYMN Canticle of the Turning (ELW 723)
*PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
*BLESSING
The God of love, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, lavish you with grace,
illumine your path, and increase your joy, today and always. Amen.
* SENDING SONG Let Streams of Living Justice (ELW 710)
DISMISSAL - Go in peace. Live in hope. Thanks be to God.
The Eternal Candle is sponsored for the month of February by John Bindi 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.
