INTRODUCTION
We worship on the first day of the week because Jesus was raised on that day. Every Sunday is a little Easter. This Sunday feels more like Easter than many as the appointed texts celebrate the reality of the resurrection. Live it up this Lord’s day. Our God is the God of the living.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRELUDE Sing with All the Saints in Glory (Irons/Roberts)
* CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God, who redeems us in Christ Jesus,
whose steadfast love endures forever. Amen.
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you and our neighbors.
We have ignored voices that call for your justice. We have neglected actions that witness to your righteousness. We have spoken and acted
in ways that disrupt your beloved community. We truly repent of things we have done and left undone. For the sake of Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Restore our troubled spirits, so that we may live in newness, follow the way of the Spirit, and build up the body of Christ.
Amen.
Rejoice and be glad! God hears the prayers of all who cry out, and restores us to life through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Therefore, I declare to you the forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
* indicates please stand as you are able
* PRAYER OF THE DAY
O God, our eternal redeemer, by the presence of your Spirit you renew and direct our hearts. Keep always in our mind the end of all things and the day of judgment. Inspire us for a holy life here, and bring us to the joy of the resurrection, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
* GATHERING SONG By All Your Saints (ELW 421) VS 1, 2 & last
FIRST READING: Job 19:23-27a
23“O that my words were written down!
O that they were inscribed in a book!
24O that with an iron pen and with lead
they were engraved on a rock forever!
25For I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that at the last he will stand upon the earth;
26and after my skin has been thus destroyed,
then in my flesh I shall see God,
27awhom I shall see on my side,
and my eyes shall behold, and not another.”
PSALM: Psalm 17:1-9
1Hear a just cause, O LORD; give heed | to my cry;
listen to my prayer, which does not come from | lying lips.
2Let my vindication come forth | from your presence;
let your eyes be | fixed on justice.
3Examine my heart, visit | me by night,
melt me down; you will find no impuri- | ty in me.
4I have not regarded what | others do;
at the word of your lips I have avoided the ways | of the violent.
5My footsteps hold fast to your | well-worn path;
and my feet | do not slip.
6I call upon you, O God, for you will | answer me;
incline your ear to me and | hear my words.
7Show me your marvelous | lovingkindness,
O Savior of those who take refuge at your right hand from those who | rise against them.
8Keep me as the apple | of your eye;
hide me under the shadow | of your wings,
9from the wicked | who assault me,
from my deadly enemies | who surround me.
SECOND READING: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
1As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, 2not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. 3Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. 4He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God. 5Do you not remember that I told you these things when I was still with you
13But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14For this purpose he called you through our proclamation of the good news, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter.16Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, 17comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.
Gospel: Luke 20:27-38
The holy gospel according to Luke. Glory to you, O Lord.
27Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to [Jesus] 28and asked him a question, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. 29Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; 30then the second 31and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. 32Finally the woman also died. 33In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be For the seven had married her.”
34Jesus said to them, “Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; 35but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. 37And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.”
The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
MEDITATION Pastor Wende Bleam
*HYMN OF THE DAY For All the Saints (ELW 422) VS 1-4
* 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.
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
Blessed are you, Maker of all things. As you have entrusted us with all that you have created, now gather our gifts, nourish us with this sacrament,
and send us to those who hunger and thirst, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
United with your saints across time and place, we pray for our shared world.
God of time and space, our faith has been passed down through the generations. Bless new believers, catechumens, and any affirming their faith in you, that they share what they have first received. Lord, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
God of tempest and tide, our world is full of dazzling beauty and brutal destruction. Protect us and all your creatures from hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and fires. Restore what has been lost. Lord, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
God of truth, raise up leaders with integrity, honesty, and compassion. Unite our elected officials in shared goals that benefit and serve all people. Instill in them hearts of justice, mercy, and peace. Lord, in your mercy, receive our prayer.
Lord, we 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. Lord, in your mercy, receive our prayer.
God of tumult, you sustain and guide your people when the way forward is uncertain. Abide with all going through transitions at work, school, or in their personal lives. Bring healing to those who are sick. Reassure us of your constancy in the midst of change. We pray especially for the family and friends of Lillian, Carole, Connor, Ana, Helen, Arlene, Jose, Hoon, Connie, Pat, Hazel, Deb, Joe, Ruth, Lisa, Bill, Rick, Dick, 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. Lord, in your mercy, receive our prayer.
God of togetherness, deepen the relationships that are built in this place. Form us as a community where tears of sorrow and shouts of joy can both be shared. Lord, in your mercy, receive our prayer.
God of tenderness, we give thanks for all who have died in the faith. Console our mourning spirits with the promise of eternal life in your presence. Lord, in your mercy, receive our prayer.
Accept these prayers, gracious God, and those known only to you; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
REMEMBRANCE OF DEPARTED LOVED ONES:
As the name is read, a tone is sounded and a candle lit reminding us their light and life is in the Lord.
Lord God of every time, countless are the multitudes you have called by name and gathered to yourself.
Comfort us as we grieve those who have died in the past year : Lillian, Robert Brooks, Sarah Dougherty, Paul Manginelli, Robert McFate, Calvin Strand, Marie Walsh, those who died from Covid and fires and those who died seeking asylum and were incarcerated.
Lord we pray you comfort all who mourn the loss of loved ones. Amen.
* LORD'S PRAYER
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.
* 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. With all the choirs of angels, with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your holy name.
* 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
Christ spreads a table before you. Gather here with all the saints.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
We give you thanks, most gracious God, that you have fed us with the bread of heaven and given us a foretaste of Paradise. Enliven us to be your body in the world and to serve those who are in need; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
*BLESSING
The God of peace, who creates all things and calls them good, who makes us alive in Jesus, and who breathes on us the Spirit of hope, bless you now and forever. Amen.
* SENDING SONG For All Your Saints, O Lord (ELW 427)
DISMISSAL - Go in peace. Be a blessing in the world.Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE: Give Thanks for Saints (Parry.
You are welcome to watch the live service at 10:15 am at https://www.facebook.com/stjohnslutheranfolcroft
Or you can watch live streaming on the St. John's website: https://stjohnslutheranfolcroft.org
If you are having trouble accessing, please let us know.
The ETERNAL CANDLE is sponsored for the month of November by the Modge and Snell families in loving memory of William J. Reese Sr.
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 Ruth Weaver 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.
The following items are suggestions for our NOVEMBER FOOD DRIVE:
November 6 - Breakfast cereals
November 13 - Canned vegetables
November 20 - Tuna and Spam
November 27 - Noodle, rice or potato packets
We are registered as Saint Johns Evangelical Lutheran Church for Amazon Smile. Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of eligible smile.amazon.com purchases to the charities selected by customers. To register your charity designation, you will need to go to Smile.amazon.com. Then you select our name as your charity. Again, the name is registered as Saint Johns Evangelical Lutheran Church. You will only have to register once. Next time you plan to shop online, go first to smile.amazon.com and you will be redirected to your own Amazon account. Your charity designation will be listed on the top left. So far, we have received over $156, just by doing your shopping through Smile.amazon.
Our Financial Response (October)
CURRENT
Budgeted costs per month $ 9,048.05
Offering last month $ 6,117.74
Budget required to date (10 months) $ 90,480.50
Total received to date $ 54,359.10
MISSION SUPPORT
Budget required to date (10 months) $ 5,000.00
Total received to date $ 4,886.11
Please continue to support St. John's. Our expenses continue each month even if we are not all worshipping together inside our building.
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.
