INTRODUCTION
Pentecost derives its name from the Jewish festival celebrating the harvest and the giving of the law on Mount Sinai fifty days after Passover. Fifty days after Easter, we celebrate the Holy Spirit as God’s presence within and among us. In Acts the Spirit arrives in rushing wind and flame, bringing God’s presence to all people. Paul reminds us that though we each have different capacities, we are unified in the Spirit that equips us with these gifts. Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit on his disciples, empowering them to forgive sin. We celebrate that we too are given the breath of the Holy Spirit and sent out to proclaim God’s redeeming love to all the world.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
* THANKSGIVING FOR BAPTISM
In the name of the One who was, who is, and who is to come. Amen.
Baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection, and called to live the baptized life, let us give thanks for the gifts of baptism.
Holy God,
we give you thanks for the waters of baptism, waters that make a people your own, that restore to wholeness, and empower us to be witnesses in your name. Baptized into you, O Living One, make us one as you are one.
We give you thanks for the waters of baptism, waters that strengthen believers and give new life to beloved servants of your church; waters that extend your boundless love and cross barriers of our own making. Baptized into you, O Living One, make us one as you are one.
We give you thanks for the waters of baptism, waters that open the hearts of believers and give a voice in the night to those in captivity; waters that set your people on a new path, rejoicing in the Spirit’s power. Baptized into you, O Living One, make us one as you are one.
Grant us grace, love, and life, O Living One, that our every day is shaped by these waters that give us our very lives in you. We ask this in the name of Jesus, the Crucified and Risen One. Amen.
* PRAYER OF THE DAY
O God, on this day you open the hearts of your faithful people by sending into us your Holy Spirit. Direct us by the light of that Spirit, that we may have a right judgment in all things and rejoice at all times in your peace, through Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
* GATHERING SONG Come, Gracious Spirit, Heavenly Dove (ELW 404)
FIRST READING: Numbers 11:24-30
24So Moses went out and told the people the words of the LORD, and he gathered seventy of the elders of the people and placed them all around the tent. 25Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him and took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders, and when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do so again.
26Two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad and the other named Medad, and the spirit rested on them; they were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, so they prophesied in the camp. 27And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28And Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses, one of his chosen men, said, “My lord Moses, stop them!” 29But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake Would that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put his spirit on them!” 30And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.
PSALM: Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
24How manifold are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
25Yonder is the sea, great and wide, with its swarms too many to number, living things both small and great.
26There go the ships to and fro,
and Leviathan, which you made for the sport of it.
27All of them look to you to give them their food in due season.
28You give it to them; they gather it;
you open your hand, and they are filled with good things.
29When you hide your face, they are terrified;
when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
30You send forth your Spirit, and they are created;
and so you renew the face of the earth.
31May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
O LORD, rejoice in all your works.
32You look at the earth and it trembles;
you touch the mountains and they smoke.
33I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;
I will praise my God while I have my being.
34May these words of mine please God.
I will rejoice in the LORD.
35bBless the LORD, O my soul. Hallelujah!
SECOND READING: 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13
3bNo one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit.
4Now there are varieties of gifts but the same Spirit, 5and there are varieties of services but the same Lord, 6and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. 7To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10to another the working of powerful deeds, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.
12For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
* GOSPEL: John 20:19-23
The holy gospel according to John. Glory to you, O Lord.
19When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors were locked where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
MEDITATION Pastor Wende Bleam
*HYMN OF THE DAY Gracious Spirit, Heed Our Pleading (ELW 401)
*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 online 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
Trusting in the power of Christ’s resurrection to heal and redeem our broken world, let us pray for the needs of all creation.
O God, you send the Holy Spirit to gather your church into one. Inspire all ministers of the gospel to speak prophetic and hope-filled words to all whom they encounter. Bless the work of interreligious dialogue. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
You send the Holy Spirit to renew the face of the earth. Protect all living things, bring forth clean water and abundant food, and grant us wonder as we contemplate all you have made. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
You send the Holy Spirit to break down the barriers of communication among nations. Bestow peace in war-torn areas, guide all in government and society to work for justice, and guard those serving in the armed forces, especially this weekend as we remember those who died in service to their country. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
You send the Holy Spirit to accompany those who feel abandoned. Provide food for those who hunger and drink for those who thirst, soothe those who are anxious or bereaved, comfort those who are sick or suffering, and answer all who call upon your name. We pray for the Folcroft Police and Fire Company members, Ceasar, Bruce, Paul, Ruth, Deb, Richie, Donna, Carol, Barbara, Dawn, Vince, Danielle, Connor, Bryant, Walt, Lisa, Pastor Wende, Ray, Lillian, Alexis, Martie, Derek, Robert, Sandy, Tonie, Frank, Billy, Buckley, Birtey and those we now raise before you in our hearts. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
You send the Holy Spirit through the gift of baptism. Bless both those preparing for or affirming their baptism. May they be encouraged by this community of faith as they live out their baptismal promises. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
You send the Holy Spirit to console us in our grief. We give you thanks for our ancestors in the faith whose witness to your mighty works continues to inspire our lives. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
God of resurrection power, use us and these prayers to proclaim the good news of new life to all the world, through Jesus Christ, our risen Savior.
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.
* THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them 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. Fulfilling the promise of the resurrection, you pour out the fire of your Spirit, uniting in one body people of every nation and tongue. And so, with Mary Magdalene and Peter and all the witnesses of the resurrection, with earth and sea and all their creatures, and with angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
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 to the banquet, for all is now ready.
May the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever.
Amen.
*PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
*BLESSING
Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever.
Amen.
* SENDING SONG God of Tempest, God of Whirlwind (ELW 400)
DISMISSAL - Go in peace. Share the good news. Thanks be to God.
The ETERNAL CANDLE is sponsored for the month of May by John 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 $ 7,305.04
Offering last month $ 4,861.14
Budget required to date (3 months) $ 29,220.16
Total received to date $ 18,582.26
MISSION SUPPORT
Budget required to date (3 months) $ 1,600.00
Total received to date $ 1,414.88
Please continue to support St. John's. Our expenses continue each month.
Your offering and tithes may be made online through our website,
stjohnslutheranfolcroft.org or sent by mail to
St. John’s Lutheran Church, 1500 Glen Avenue, Folcroft, PA 19032.
