First Sunday in Lent

First Sunday in Lent

February 21, 2021

Welcome to St. John

St. John Lutheran Church

Nursery School website: www.stjohnsns.com 610-277-1086

Staff:

Pastor Rachel Manke [email protected]

Lawrence Baker, Director of Music [email protected]

Ann Brennan, Visual Arts Program Coordinator [email protected]

Carrie Engel, Nursery School Director [email protected]

Katie Myers, Webmaster [email protected]

Barry Stock, Facilities Coordinator [email protected]

Marcie Godby, Bookkeeper [email protected]

Sue Klosterman, Church Office Assistant [email protected]

Our Council Members are listed on our website.

Order for Worship

Prelude ~ “Call to Remembrance” Quartet Call to remembrance, O Lord,

Thy tender mercy and Thy loving kindness which have been ever of old. O remember not the sins and offences of my youth,

But according to Thy mercy,

Think Thou on me, O Lord, for Thy goodness. Text: Psalm 25:5-7

Music: Richard Farrant (1530-1581)

Confession and Forgiveness

P: Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God,

the keeper of the covenant, the source of steadfast love, our rock and our redeemer.

C: Amen.

P: God hears us when we cry and draws us close in Jesus Christ. Let us return to the one who is

full of compassion.

Silence is kept for reflection.

P: Fountain of living water,

pour out your mercy over us.

Our sin is heavy, and we long to be free. Rebuild what we have ruined

and mend what we have torn. Wash us in your cleansing flood. Make us alive in the Spirit to follow in the way of Jesus,

as healers and restorers of the world you so love. Amen.

P: Beloved, God’s word never fails.

The promise rests on grace: by the saving love of Jesus Christ, the wisdom and power of God,

your sins are ☩ forgiven, and God remembers them no more. Journey in the way of Jesus.

Gathering Hymn ~ “O Lord, Throughout These Forty Days”

Greeting

P: The grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ, be with you all.

Kyrie

Prayer of the Day

P: Holy God, heavenly Father, in the waters of the flood you saved the chosen, and in the

wilderness of temptation you protected your Son from sin. Renew us in the gift of baptism. May your holy angels be with us, that the wicked foe may have no power over us, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: Amen.

Children’s Message

Word

First Reading: Genesis 9:8-17

A: God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “As for me, I am establishing my covenant with

you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and

every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

Word of God, word of life.

C: Thanks be to God.

Psalm 25

Refrain, sung by Cantor, then by ALL

Your ways, O Lord, make known to me; teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior. Refrain

Remember that your compassion, O Lord, and your love are from of old. In your kindness remember me, because of your goodness, O Lord. Refrain

Good and upright is the Lord, thus he shows sinners the way.

Gospel: Mark 1:9-15

P: The Holy Gospel according to Mark.

C: Glory to you, O Lord.

P: In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the

Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God,and

saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

The gospel of the Lord.

C: Praise to you, O Christ.

Apostles’ Creed

P: Together, let us confess our faith:

C: 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.

Prayers of Intercession

A: Relying on the promises of God, we pray boldly for the church, the world, and all in need.

A brief silence.

A: In Jesus your realm has come near to us in every place and time. Give your church

throughout the world a spirit of humility and repentance; teach us to trust always in the good news of your salvation. Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

A: You have made a covenant of mercy with every living creature. Protect all the earth’s

creatures from destruction. Empower the work of biologists, conservationists, and science educators. Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

A: All your paths are steadfast love and faithfulness. Direct the words and actions of leaders in

our community and throughout the world, that they may maintain justice for the lowly. Hear us, O God.

A: Even in the wilderness you are with us. Walk alongside migrants and refugees crossing dangerous lands. Tend to those whose lives feel desolate. Give healing and strength to all who suffer especially Joe, Barry, Jean, Alethia, Martyne, Callen, Kate, Ed, Maria, Cheryl, Susan, John, Jenny, Scott, John, Eric, Tom, Jack, Jon, Sue, Lauren, Bill, Dylan, Randy, Dorothy, Judy, Gerry, Hadley, Robert, Abby, Laura, and Donna. Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

A: In the covenant of baptism, you claim us as beloved children. Nurture us in our baptismal

identity and teach us to live within it for the sake of others. Strengthen this congregation’s ministries of care and concern. Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

Here other intercessions may be offered.

A: In baptism you join us to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We praise you for all

those who have died trusting in your faithfulness. Bring us with them to the fullness of your reign. Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

A: We entrust ourselves and all our prayers to you, O faithful God, through Jesus Christ

our Lord.

C: Amen.

Peace

P: The peace of the Lord be with you always.

Anthem~ “I Want Jesus to Walk with Me” Quartet I want Jesus to walk with me,

I want Jesus to walk with me. All along my pilgrim journey, I want Jesus to walk with me. In my trials, Lord, walk with me. In my trials, Lord, walk with me. When my head is bowed in sorrow,

I want Jesus to walk with me. When I am dying, Lord, walk with me, When I am dying, Lord, walk with me,

When I am on my bed of sorrow, O Lord, I want Jesus to walk with me.

Text: Traditional

Music: Raymond H. Haan

Presentation of Tithes and Offerings

During our time away, we will not be passing the offering plates. We are grateful for all who are able to continue their support of St. John. There are three ways to share tithes and offerings: 1. Simply giving - You can arrange for a regular gift (weekly, monthly, quarterly) to be deducted from a bank account. Please contact Marcie Godby, our bookkeeper, to arrange for this

([email protected]).

2. You may go to St. John's website, https://www.stjohnbluebell.org/, and under "Quick Links" hit the "Online Giving and Donations" button.

3. You may put your offering envelope (checks are preferred) in another stamped envelope and mail it to St. John: 1802 Skippack Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422 (Attn: Marcie).

Take a moment and reflect on the gifts we have received – even in these difficult days.

Offertory Hymn~ “Lord, Keep Us Steadfast”

Offertory Prayer

P: Faithful God,

you walk beside us in desert places, and you meet us in our hunger. Accompany us in this journey,

that we may pass over from death to life with Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

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.

Benediction

P: You are what God made you to be:

created in Christ Jesus for good works, chosen as holy and beloved,

freed to serve your neighbor.

God bless you ☩ that you may be a blessing, in the name of the holy and life-giving Trinity.

Sending Hymn~ “Bless Now, O God, the Journey”

Dismissal

P: Go in peace. Share the good news.

Additional music links:

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Assisting with Worship

Pastor Pastor Rachel Manke

Director of Music Lawrence Baker

Lector

Prayers of Intercession

Quartet Deborah Swider, Maja Lisa Fritzhuspen,

Kurt Klinger-Wilensky, Jonathan Oehler

“Let me hear joy and gladness; that the body you have broken may rejoice.” - Psalm 51:8

One of my favorite Lutheran theologians, Timothy Wengert, gives up whale meat every Lent. The “joke” is of course that he does not, nor has he ever, consumed whale meat. The idea being that denying ourselves of pleasurable things during a penitential period might not be a helpful practice; as God does not need your misery to be satisfied in order to love you or forgive you.

And while I wouldn’t begrudge anyone their piety (as I consider those to be fairly personal things) I would caution that we might follow Dr. Wengert’s thinking. In Lent we are invited into disciplines that bring us in step with how God operates, and that would bring us comfort in the Gospel.

Reorienting ourselves toward God and confessing our failings are good and holy things but we should pair them with trust in God in Christ being the one who has done the work and done the heavy lifting.

“Regret, the little black dog of a belated repentance, does not stop barking and biting the conscience, even though you know that your sins are forgiven.” (Martin Luther)

How many times can we beat ourselves up for the past? Or perhaps, how many times might we consider denial of joy a sufficient sentence for failings behind us?

“...lay hold, before all else, on the memory of (your) Baptism, confidently to recall the promise of God...For wondrously will (your) heart be comforted and (you) will be encouraged to hope...when (you) consider that the divine promise which God made to (you) … is still intact and unchanged, nay, unchangeable by any sin.” (Martin Luther, adapt.)

Enter into your Lenten disciplines not to make payment on your sins...rather to heal from their effect on your daily life. Enter your Lenten disciplines to grow in love, in charity, in patience, in kindness, and in hope. If you give something up may it be to allow room to welcome in such things. If you take something on may it be to heighten your awareness that there is literally nothing you can do that will separate you from the love of your creator in Christ Jesus. For though we are standing at a distance right now, God is right there.