May 22, 2016
4515 Dobie Road
Okemos MI 48864-2203
517-349-0620
Pastor Ellen Schoepf
prellen@faithlutheranokemos.org
The Trinity’s Dance
What is in your heart this week? When we come to worship,
we often bring with us a jumble of feelings: fear, anger, doubt, jealousy. God promises to help us in our weakness by filling us with gifts of the Spirit. As you pray today, can you close your eyes and visualize Christ holding a pitcher filled with the love of God? Can you imagine this love and the Spirit’s gifts being poured into your heart? This love gives us strength and joy for daily living.
The apostle Paul mentions nine fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
These are all gifts that the Holy Spirit, the third person
of the Trinity, pours into us. We are infused with the
Spirit’s gifts!
In the beginning, God speaks the Word. The preexistent Word present at the beginning of time is Christ. Christ sends the Spirit, the very same Spirit who hovered over the face of the deep when the earth was a formless void. This Spirit bears witness to God who was in the beginning. This is the dance of the Trinity. This dance shines life and light into the hard places of our hearts.
Meister Eckhart wrote, “When the Father laughs at the Son
and the Son laughs back at the Father, that laughter gives
pleasure, that pleasure gives joy, that joy gives love, and
that is the Holy Spirit.”
When we hear the word and celebrate the sacraments, the life
of the Trinity becomes our life. The love of the Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit becomes the love we share with one another.
As a community, the love of God is poured into our hearts.
This is the gift of the Trinity.
Sunday, May 22, 2016
The Holy Trinity
Holy Communion
INTRODUCTION
TO THE DAY
“O Lord our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” Today we celebrate the name of God: holy blessed Trinity.
There is no other day quite like this one in the church’s year.
There is no other god like ours. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!
If hearing assistance is needed,
please ask an usher for a personal PA receiver.
The ushers also have large print copies of today’s
worship folder available.
If it will be difficult for you to stand along with
the congregation during
any part of the worship service, please
feel free to remain seated.
There is a nursery available during the worship
service for those who wish
to use it. It is located at the end of the
hall beyond the coat racks.
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
We cordially greet all who
have come to worship today.
Please register your
attendance and join us in fellowship after the service.
Prayer Requests
PRELUDE
The pre-service music signals
the beginning of the worship service.
Silence during the
pre-service music enables worshipers to prepare for worship through quiet
meditation.
Flutes of Faith “Trio #1” James Hook
GATHERING
The Holy Spirit calls us together as the
people of God
The assembly stands
GATHERING SONG #413
GREETING
A The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C And also with you.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
A Let us pray.
Almighty Creator and ever-living God: we worship your glory, eternal Three-in-One, and we praise your power, majestic One-in-Three. Keep us steadfast in this faith, defend us in all adversity, and bring us at last into your presence, where you live in endless joy and love, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen
The assembly is seated
WORD
God speaks to us in scripture reading,
preaching, and song
FIRST READING: Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
In the Bible, wisdom has
many faces. It is portrayed in terms sometimes human
and sometimes divine. Often, it is personified as
feminine. In this passage, Woman Wisdom is depicted
not only as the first creation of God but also as God’s helper, rejoicing in
God’s creation, especially in human beings.
A A reading from Proverbs.
1Does
not wisdom call,
and does not understanding raise her voice?
2On the heights,
beside the way,
at the crossroads she takes her stand;
3beside the gates
in front of the town,
at the entrance of the portals she cries out:
4“To you,
O people, I call,
and my cry is to all that live.
22The Lord created me at the beginning of his
work,
the first of his acts of long ago.
23Ages ago I was
set up,
at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
24When there were
no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water.
25Before the
mountains had been shaped,
before the hills, I was brought forth—
26when he had not
yet made earth and fields,
or the world’s first bits of soil.
27When
he established the heavens, I was there,
when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28when he made
firm the skies above,
when he established the fountains of the deep,
29when he assigned
to the sea its limit,
so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
30then I was
beside him, like a master worker;
and I was daily his delight,
rejoicing before him always,
31rejoicing in his
inhabited world
and delighting in the human race.
A The word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
SECOND READING: Romans 5:1-5
Paul
describes the life of faith with reference to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Even now, we have peace with God through Jesus, and
our hope for the future is grounded in the love of God
that we experience through Christ’s Holy Spirit.
A A reading from Romans.
1Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of
sharing the glory of God. 3And not only that, but we also boast in
our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
A The
word of the Lord. C Thanks
be to God.
The
assembly stands to welcome the gospel
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
GOSPEl: John 16:12-15
Jesus’
ongoing presence with the disciples will be borne by the coming Spirit, who
will guide them and communicate to them Jesus’ will and glory.
P The holy gospel according to John.
C Glory to you, O Lord.
[Jesus said,] 12“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”
P The
gospel of the Lord. C Praise to you, O Christ.
The
assembly is seated
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
Youth Fund Noisy Offering
MESSAGE Scott Weaver
The assembly stands to proclaim the word of God in song
HYMN OF THE DAY #412
Text printed under OneLicense.net license A-708005
APOSTLES’ CREED
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 Rejoicing in the triune God, let us pray for the
church, those in need, and all of God’s creation.
Prayers
of intercession are prayed.
To
each petition, the assembly responds:
A Lord, in your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
The
presiding minister concludes the
prayers, and the assembly responds:
P We lift our prayers to you, O God, trusting your
promise to hear us; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C Amen
PEACE
P The peace of Christ be with you always.
C And also
with you.
The people may greet one another
with a sign of Christ’s peace,
and may say, “Peace be with you,” or similar words.
The assembly is seated
MEAL
God feeds us with the presence of Jesus
Christ
OFFERING
Chancel Choir “A Jubilant Song” Pote
The assembly stands
OFFERING PRAYER
A Let us pray.
God of mercy and grace, the eyes of all wait upon you,
and you open your hand in blessing. Fill us with good
things at your table, that we may come to the help of all
in need, through Jesus Christ, our redeemer and Lord.
C Amen
GREAT THANKSGIVING
DIALOGUE
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give our thanks and praise.
PREFACE
P 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. You reveal your glory as the glory of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: equal in majesty, undivided in splendor, one Lord, one God, ever to be adored in your eternal glory. And so, with all the choirs of angels, with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
HOLY, HOLY, HOLY
THANKSGIVING AT THE TABLE
P 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.
LORD’S PRAYER
P Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit,
let us pray as Jesus taught us.
C Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen
INVITATION TO COMMUNION
P Christ invites you to a place of honor
at this banquet. Welcome to the feast.
COMMUNION
When giving the bread and
cup, the communion ministers say
The body of Christ, given for you.
The blood of Christ, shed for you.
and each person may respond
Amen
COMMUNION SONG
CONGREGATIONAL SONG #408
CONGREGATIONAL SONG #415
The assembly stands
P The body and blood of
our Lord Jesus Christ
strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
C Amen
SENDING
God blesses us and sends us in mission to
the world
BLESSING
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord’s face shine on you with grace and mercy.
The Lord look upon you with favor and ☩ give you peace.
C Amen
SENDING SONG #414
DISMISSAL
A Go in peace. Proclaim the good news.
C Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE
“All Glory Be to God on High”
Copyright © 2016 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by
permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #SAS000803.
New Revised
Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of
the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights
reserved.
Clipart copyright © 2016 by Communication Resources. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
In the name of our creating, redeeming and
empowering God, welcome to worship.
Pastor Ellen Schoepf
Secretary Rita Barry
Director
of Christian Education
Director
of Music Debra
Borton-McDonough
Organist/Pianist Bruce
Williams
May
15 worship attendance: 134
Serving
Faith Today May 29
Acolyte Lauren Schultz
Altar care Becky Bills and
Gretchen Bills
Communion assistants Rich Weingartner Bob Nelson
Karen Whitmyer Diane Wilke
Lauren Schultz
Greeters Brendan
Guenther Bill and Pam
Williams
Lay assistants Rich Weingartner Bob Nelson
Readers Karen Whitmyer Diane Wilke
Ushers Bowers & Whitmyer Kopf
Nursery Kim O’Brien Lori Webb