Prelude Meditation The Bell Choir
© 2011 American Guild of English Handbell ringers
Announcements
Special Music Beautiful Savior The Bell Choir
Confession and Forgiveness
Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God, who journeys with us these forty days of Lent and sustains us with the gift of grace. People of God: Amen
Let us acknowledge before God and one another our need for repentance and God’s mercy.
Silence is kept for reflection.
Holy God,
People of God: we confess to you our faults and failings. Too often we neglect and do not trust your holy word; we take for ourselves instead of giving to others; we spoil rather than steward your creation; we cause hurt though you call us to heal; we choose fear over compassion. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, as we seek to follow in your way of life. Amen
Hear the good news: God so loved the world that God gave the only Son, so that all may receive life. This promise is for you! God embraces you with divine mercy, ☩ forgives you in Christ’s name, and revives you in the Spirit’s power. People of God: Amen
ELW #138
ELW #139
Prayer of the Day
Assisting Minister: Let us pray. God of justice, you have shown yourself in this world in the poor, the hungry, and the needy. Make us willing participants of your grace and generosity, so that when you come again, we will know your face. We pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. People of God: Amen
Reading Matthew 25:31-46
Assisting Minister: [Jesus continued teaching his disciples,] “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ 41Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ 45Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” The word of the Lord. People of God: Thanks be to God
Sermon Rev. Sarah Wilson
Holy Baptism
In baptism our gracious heavenly Father frees us from sin and death by joining us to the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are born children of a fallen humanity; by water and the Holy Spirit we are reborn children of God and made members of the church, the body of Christ. Living with Christ and in the communion of saints, we grow in faith, love, and obedience to the will of God.
Sponsors: We present Joseph Louis Cubert and Kaelyn Deneen Cubert for baptism.
Joey and Katie, called by the Holy Spirit, trusting in the grace and love of God, do you desire to have Joseph and Kaelyn baptized into Christ? Parents: We do.
Joey and Katie, as you bring Joseph and Kaelyn to receive the gift of baptism, you are entrusted with responsibilities: to live with them among God’s faithful people, bring them to the word of God and the Holy Supper, teach them the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments, place in their hands the holy scriptures, and nurture them in faith and prayer, so that they may learn to trust God, proclaim Christ through word and deed, care for others and the world God made, and work for justice and peace. Do you promise to help them grow in the Christian faith and life? Parents: We do.
Danny and Ashley, as Kaelyn and Joseph’s sponsors, do you promise to nurture them in the Christian faith as you are empowered by God’s Spirit, and to help them live in the covenant of baptism and in communion with the church? Sponsors: We do.
People of God, do you promise to support Joseph and Kaelyn and pray for them in their new life in Christ? People of God: We do.
Profession of Faith
People of God, I ask you to profess your faith in Christ Jesus, reject sin, and confess the faith of the church. Do you renounce evil and all the forces that defy God?
People of God: I renounce them.
Do you renounce the powers of this world that rebel against God?
People of God: I renounce them.
Do you renounce the ways of sin that draw you away from God?
People of God: I renounce them.
Do you believe in God the Father?
People of God: I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?
People of God: 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.
Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?
People of God: I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the dead, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Thanksgiving at the Font
The Lord be with you.
People of God: And also with you.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People of God: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Let us pray. We give you thanks, O God, for in the beginning your Spirit moved over the waters and by your Word you created the world, calling forth life in which you took delight. Through the waters of the flood you delivered Noah and his family, and through the sea you led your people Israel from slavery into freedom. At the river your Son was baptized by John and anointed with the Holy Spirit. By the baptism of Jesus’ death and resurrection you set us free from the power of sin and death and raise us up to live in you. Pour out your Holy Spirit, the power of your living Word, that those who are washed in the waters of baptism may be given new life. To you be given honor and praise through Jesus Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and forever. People of God: Amen.
Baptism
Joseph Louis, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. People of God: Amen.
Kaelyn Deneen, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. People of God: Amen.
Let us pray. We give you thanks, O God, that through water and the Holy Spirit you give your son and your daughter new birth, cleanse them from sin, and raise them to eternal life. Sustain Kaelyn and Joseph with the gift of your Holy Spirit: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, the spirit of joy in your presence, both now and forever.
People of God: Amen. You belong to Christ, in whom you have been baptized.
Joseph Louis, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever. People of God: Amen.
Kaelyn Deneen, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever. People of God: Amen.
Welcome
Assisting Minister: Let your lights so shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Let us welcome the newly baptized.
People of God: We welcome you, Joseph and Kaelyn, into the body of Christ and into the mission we share: join us in giving thanks and praise to God and in bearing God’s creative and redeeming word to all the world.
Hymn ELW #595 Jesus Loves Me! Played by Gloria Peetz Sung by Hannah Brescia
Prayers of the People
Assisting Minister: Beloved friends, in this season of repentance and healing, we accept God’s invitation to be ever-mindful of the needs of others, offering our prayers on behalf of God’s community in the church and the world.
A brief silence.
Assisting Minister: Bless the church with boldness, O God, that we may proclaim your love for all people. Lord, in your mercy, People of God: hear our prayer.
Assisting Minister: Bless creation with your life, O God, that all life may sing for joy. Lord, in your mercy, People of God: hear our prayer.
Assisting Minister: Bless our leaders with compassion, O God, that your justice and peace may rule over all nations. Lord, in your mercy, People of God: hear our prayer.
Assisting Minister: Bless those who suffer want, O God, that those who have much may see you in their neighbors. Lord, in your mercy, People of God: hear our prayer.
Assisting Minister: Bless the sick, O God especially Grace, Alice, Gus, Faith, Denise, Leslie, Norma, Brian, Scott, Jessica, Alicia, Jeanne, Barb, Cecil (See-sil), Stan, Marlene, Ryleigh, Dylan, Sandy, Hopie (Hope-y), the Bredemus (bread-a-mus) family, Allen, Bunny, the Vogt (vote) family, Patricia, Michael, Nicholas and his family, Beth, Betty, Tom, Kara (car-a) and those we name silently or aloud <pause>, that your care may be at work in the world. Lord, in your mercy, People of God: hear our prayer.
Assisting Minister: Bless this assembly, O God, that we might better serve the needs of our neighbors. Lord, in your mercy, People of God: hear our prayer.
Please offer your own prayers of joy or concern, ending with “Lord, in your mercy,”
We respond with “hear our prayer.”
Assisting Minister: Thank you for the gift of baptism and for the gift of marking Joseph and Kaelyn as your own deeply loved children in their baptisms. May they always know your presence in their lives. May they always be open to your guidance and your goodness. Strengthen Ashley and Danny as they live into their roles as godparents. Give patience and wisdom to Katie and Joey as they parent Kaelyn and Joseph. Thank you for godparents and siblings, parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends, and so many others who surround the Cubert family with love and support. Lord, in your mercy, People of God: hear our prayer.
Fill us with your strength to resist the seductions of our foolish desires and the tempter’s vain delights, that we may walk in obedience and righteousness, rejoicing in you with an upright heart. People of God: Amen.
Children’s Sermon Rev. Sarah Wilson
The Peace (Please share peace by waving or showing the peace sign.)
The peace of Christ be with you always. People of God: And also with you.
Offering
Let us pray. God of good gifts, receive these and all our offerings as we present them in faithful service for the sake of your gospel. Prepare our hearts to receive you in this meal as you pour out your very presence through Christ Jesus, the wellspring of eternal life. People of God: Amen.
Communion
The Lord be with you.
People of God: And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
People of God: We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People of God: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread and gave thanks; he 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.
And now let us pray with confidence in the words that Jesus taught us:
People of God: 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.
Invitation to Communion
Assisting Minister: Come and receive Jesus, our strength in the wilderness.
For our at-home worshippers, you may take communion using these words:
The body of Christ, given for you.
The blood of Christ, shed for you.
Communion Songs
ELW #723. Canticle of the Turning
ELW #715. Christ be our Light
ELW #712 Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service
ELW #644 Although I speak with Angel’s Tongue
Table Blessing
And now may the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ, strengthen you and keep you in his grace. People of God: Amen.
Prayer after Communion
Assisting Minister: Let us pray. Embodied God, at your table, we have tasted the goodness of Jesus. With the eyes of our hearts open to your promise, empower us to hear the needs of our neighbors and touch the world with your love. People of God: Amen.
Blessing
God, the giver of love, ☩ Christ, the resurrection and the life, and the Holy Spirit of rebirth bless you in this Lenten journey. People of God: Amen
Sending Hymn ELW #574. Here I Am, Lord Played by Gloria Peetz Sung by Hannah Brescia
Dismissal
Assisting Minister: Go in peace. Serve the least in this world. People of God: Thanks be to God.
Thank you to those serving us today
Pastor: Rev. Sarah Wilson
Worship Assistant: Rachel Brewer
Acolyte: Marissa Mauger
Music: Gloria Peetz ~ Song Leader: Hannah Brescia|
Altar Guild: Sally Skalany
Usher/Greeter: John and Denise Ulaszek
Sound Board: Jason Brescia
Producer: Mark Gates ~ Graphics: Dawna Gates
Counters: Marianne Barstow, Jeanne Soberg, and Nancy Rochford
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