INTRODUCTION

Since the seventh century, September 1 has symbolized the day of the creation of the world in the Byzantine tradition and has been the opening feast of its liturgical year (known as the Feast of the Indiction), in a parallel with the feast of Rosh Hashanah marking the Jewish New Year. Creation in Christ celebrates the ongoing creation of the world in and through Christ, who sustains, unites, and holds all created things. We hear today of the triune God who creates all things: sun and moon, shining stars, sea monsters, creeping things and flying birds—and, yes, even human beings. God-in-Christ still takes care of all things and invites us to join in as caretakers of God's good creation.

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

* CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

Blessed be the holy Trinity, + one God, our hope, our heart, our home. Amen.

Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.

Everlasting God, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end,

we confess that we participate in systems

that perpetuate oppression and injustice.

We are often numb to the pain of the world around us,

resistant to change that costs us something,

and reluctant to love our neighbors as ourselves.

We sin against your good creation,

failing to be faithful stewards

of the land, the sea, and all their creatures.

Make your home among us once more, O God,

naming us beloved and opening our hearts

to do your will. Amen.

All you saints and sinners, this good news is for you:

God knows you,

forgives you by the self-giving of + Jesus Christ,

and frees you to love the world as you have been loved.

Creation’s story will not end

until mourning, crying, and pain are no more.

When everything else changes, God’s love is steadfast and sure.

Nothing can ever separate you from the love of God

in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

LITANY OF PRAISE FOR CREATION

Glory to you, O God:

you speak a word of power,

and so you create the world.

We praise you, O God: We praise you, O God.

For the Spirit hovering to bring forth life,

for the earth ordered from chaos,

and for light and dark,

we bless you, O God: We bless you, O God.

For the cosmos beyond our earth,

for the sky above our heads,

and for the cycle of evening and morning,

we exalt you, O God: We exalt you, O God.

For the seas, the lakes, and the rivers,

for the land with its mountains and plains,

and for the trees, the plants, and their fruits,

we magnify you, O God: We magnify you, O God.

For the sun to rule the day,

for the moon to brighten the night,

and for the shining stars,

we extol you, O God: We extol you, O God.

For the fish in the sea,

for the birds of the air,

and for the monsters in the deep,

we glorify you, O God: We glorify you, O God.

 

For wild animals and creatures of all kinds,

for cattle and all livestock,

and for everything that creeps on the earth,

we adore you, O God: We adore you, O God.

For humankind made in your image,

for setting us on your good earth,

and for providing us food to eat,

we worship you, O God: We worship you, O God.

Bless us, your creatures.

Accept our praise,

and make us worthy of your marvelous creation.

We praise you, O God: We praise you, O God.

Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving

and honor and power and might

be to you, our God, forever and ever. Amen.

* PRAYER OF THE DAY

O God, in whom we live and move and have our being,

in Christ you created the worlds, and your Spirit breathes life into the universe.

We praise you for your wondrous creation.

Bless us and all your handiwork with your infinite light,

and direct our lives to the care of this good earth,

through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

*GATHERING SONG For the Beauty of the Earth (ELW 879)

FIRST READING: Genesis 1:1-2:3

  1 When God began to create the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was complete chaos, and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

  6 And God said, “Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. 8 God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

  9 And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

  14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. 17 God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

  20 And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.” 21 So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

  24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.” And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind and the cattle of every kind and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good.

  26 Then God said, “Let us make humans in our image, according to our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over the cattle and over all the wild animals of the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”

 27 So God created humans in his image,

  in the image of God he created them;

  male and female he created them.

28 God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” 29 God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the air and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

  1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished and all their multitude. 2 On the sixth day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation. 

PSALM: Psalm 148:1-14

1 Hallelujah! Praise the LORD from the heavens;

  praise God in the heights.

 2 Praise the LORD, all you angels;

  sing praise, all you hosts of heaven.

 3 Praise the LORD, sun and moon;

  sing praise, all you shining stars.

 4 Praise the LORD, heaven of heavens,

  and you waters above the heavens.

 5 Let them praise the name of the LORD,

  who commanded, and they were created,

 6 who made them stand fast forever and ever,

  giving them a law which shall not pass away.

 7 Praise the LORD from the earth,

  you sea monsters and all deeps;

 8 fire and hail, snow and fog,

  tempestuous wind, doing God's will;

 9 mountains and all hills,

  fruit trees and all cedars;

 10 wild beasts and all cattle,

  creeping things and flying birds;

 11 sovereigns of the earth and all peoples,

  princes and all rulers of the world;

 12 young men and maidens,

  old and young together.

 13 Let them praise the name of the LORD,

  whose name only is exalted, whose splendor is over earth and heaven.

 14 The LORD has raised up strength for the people and praise for all faithful servants,

  the children of Israel, a people who are near the LORD. Hallelujah!

SECOND READING: Acts 17:22a, 24-28

22a Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, 24 “The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. 26 From one ancestor he made all peoples to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, 27 so that they would search for God and perhaps fumble about for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us. 28 For ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, 

 ‘For we, too, are his offspring.’

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Alleluia. How manifold are your | works, O LORD! * In Wisdom you have | made them all. Alleluia. (Psalm 104:24)

GOSPEL: John 1:1-5

The holy gospel according to John. Glory to you, O Lord.

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.

The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.

MEDITATION Pastor Wende Bleam

*HYMN OF THE DAY For the Fruit of All Creation (ELW 679)

*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

O God, maker of heaven and earth,

your steadfast love embraces all creation.

You send rain and sunshine to nourish the earth

and bring forth its bounty.

Through these gifts of bread and wine,

draw us into the death and life of your Son,

who calls us to bear witness to his saving work.

We ask this in Jesus’ name.

Amen.

*PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

We join with Christians far and near to worship God the Creator, praying for the earth and for all in need.

O God of mystery, mercy, and might, for the church we pray:

that churches around the globe collaborate in care for the earth,

and that all the baptized nurture a zeal for the wellbeing of creation.

Hear us, O God, source of life [and ground of our being]: Your mercy is great.

For the earth we pray:

that this bounteous creation receive continued divine blessing,

that the air be wholesome, that the waters be plenteous and clean,

that the land be treasured, and that animals be protected.

Grant that what on earth has been despoiled will be healed.

Hear us, O God, our creator [and fruitful garden]: Your mercy is great.

For the nations we pray:

that farmers, herders, foragers, fishers, and grocers provide the food humans need, that legislators strive in all things for the common good,

and that science and technology lead us toward more responsible ways to live. Hear us, O God, our stronghold [and sun of justice]: Your mercy is great.

For our country we pray:

that national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges be safeguarded,

that all natural resources benefit the whole population,

and that our children learn respect for nature. Hear us, O God, our guardian [and rainbow of promise]: Your mercy is great.

For those in need we pray:

That humankind be sheltered from pandemic and from extreme weather, and that all who are sick or suffering receive medical attention and communal support. Give heed to those whose names we call out to you.

We pray for the family and friends of Bishop Pat Davenport, the family and friends of Hikeen and Charles, the family and friends of Dawn Butler, the family and friends of Danielle Glowacki, Folcroft Police and Fire Company members, Ceasar, Bruce, Paul, Ruth, Deb, Richie, Donna, Carol, Barbara, Vince, Connor, Bryant, Walt, Lisa, Pastor Wende, Ray, Lillian, Alexis, Dadiana, Martie, Derek, Robert, Sandy, Tonie, Frank, Billy, Birtey and those we now raise before you in our hearts. Hear us, O God, our healer [and heart of the universe]: Your mercy is great.

We praise you [for Hildegard of Bingen, Francis of Assisi, and]

for all believers who have lived and died in communion with the earth.

Grant that in your good time we join with all your creatures in your presence forever. Hear us, O God, the beginning and the end: Your mercy is great. 

Into your hands, O God, our maker and keeper, we commend ourselves and your whole creation, trusting in your mercy, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. 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 your eternal Word,

the Wisdom from on high by whom you created all things:

our Savior, Jesus Christ.

You laid the foundations of the world

and enclosed the sea when it burst out of the womb.

You brought forth all creatures of the earth 

and gave breath to humankind.

Wondrous are you, Holy One of Blessing;

all you create is a sign of hope for our journey.

And so as the morning stars sing your praises,

with the heavenly beings and all creation,

we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

HOLY, HOLY, HOLY 

*THANKSGIVING AT THE TABLE

O God triune, how majestic

is your name in all the earth.

Over the eons your merciful might

evolved our home, a fragile tree of life.

Here by your wisdom

are both life and death,

growth and decay,

the nest and the hunt,

sunshine and storm,

darkness and light.

Sustained by these wonders,

we creatures of dust join in the ancient song:

The earth is full of your glory. The earth is full of your glory.

O God triune, you took on our flesh in Jesus our healer.

In Christ you bring life from death;

we remember his cross,

we laud his resurrection,

Broken like bread, he enlivens our body.

Outpoured like wine, he fills the earth with goodness.

Receiving this mystery,

we mortals sing our song:

The earth is full of your glory. The earth is full of your glory.

We praise you for the heart of Jesus,

so filled with your love for this earth.

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.

Gathered around this table,

we your children unite in this song:

The earth is full of your glory. The earth is full of your glory.

O God triune, you create the worlds,

you uphold the living,

you embrace the dead.

Send forth your Spirit

and renew the face of the earth.

Strengthen us for our journey with this meal,

the body and blood of Christ.

Give us a future that trusts in you

and cares for your earth.

Empowered by your promises,

we rise from our deaths

to praise you again:

The earth is full of your glory. The earth is full of your glory.

Amen, and amen. Amen, and amen.

* INVITATION TO COMMUNION

The gifts of creation for God’s beloved creatures. Come and share

COMMUNION SONG

 

The body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace. Amen. 

*PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

God of our salvation,

we give you thanks for this meal that restores our souls,

reconciles us to you, and strengthens us for the journey.

Through the body and blood of your Son,

may we become Christ’s body in the world,

bearing witness to your love for all creation,

through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

*BLESSING

Creator God bless you and keep you.

Creating Christ shine through you with grace and mercy.

Creative Spirit nourish you and give you peace.

Amen.

* SENDING SONG Let All Things Now Living (ELW 881)

DISMISSAL - Go in peace. Flourish with creation. Thanks be to God.

The ETERNAL CANDLE is sponsored for the month of September by Pastor Wende Bleam.

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 Mary Anne Rossi and she will let you know what we have available.

September through December, we will be collecting the following items:

           

     September   October-November        December

More information will be forthcoming shortly. Stay tuned.

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 

MaryAnne 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 (thru August)

CURRENT

Budgeted costs per month $ 7,305.04

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.