St. Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Prayer of the Day
Let us pray.
Almighty and eternal God, the strength of those who believe and the hope of those who doubt, may we, who have not seen, have faith in you and receive the fullness of Christ’s blessing, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
Almighty and eternal God, the strength of those who believe and the hope of those who doubt, may we, who have not seen, have faith in you and receive the fullness of Christ’s blessing, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
First Reading Acts 2:14a, 22-32
Psalm Psalm 16
Second Reading 1 Peter 1:3-9
Gospel John 20:19-31
The gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon
Offering
Your continued financial support is inspiring. During this season of pandemic, may we maintain our solid footing for whatever God is preparing for usin our mutual ministry and mission as a congregation.
Prayers of Intercession
Praying in our homes while gathered together in the Spirit of Christ, we ask God to bestow peace upon a needy world, using words from today’s psalm: Protect us, O God, for we take refuge in you.
A brief silence.
Faithful God, we pray for the church around the world. Enter into our countless separate houses with your gift of peace. Guard the health of our bishops, pastors, teachers, and musicians. As Christians around the globe are united in their suffering through the coronavirus, so unite us also in the hope of life in the Risen Christ.
A brief silence.
Protect the church, O God,
for we take refuge in you.
for we take refuge in you.
Creating God, we pray for the earth that you have given into our care. As human society is quieted by sickness, give your plants and animals, lands and seas, a time to renew and replenish themselves. Nurture the fields that will supply our food.
A brief silence.
Protect the earth, O God,
for we take refuge in you.
for we take refuge in you.
Righteous God, we pray for the nations. Give peace to our troubled world. Bless the efforts of the United Nations and the World Health Organization. Strengthen democracies. Bring an end to violence between nations, across borders, within countries, between gangs, and inside homes. Uphold the governors of our land. Bless our country with integrity in government, attention to the needy, persistence in facing the pandemic, and wisdom in proceeding into an unknown future.
A brief silence.
Protect the nations, O God,
for we take refuge in you.
for we take refuge in you.
Compassionate God, we pray for all in any need. Comfort the bereaved. Accompany the sick, especially the multitude who have contracted the coronavirus, and those we remember in our hearts (especially). Visit the homes of all who are isolated, and hold the lonely and fearful in your arms. Grant your peace to the millions of unemployed; give them food for today and hope for tomorrow. Help us find a home for refugees. Support medical care workers in their endless and sometimes fruitless tasks of attending to the pandemic patients. Provide needed medical supplies for hospitals.
A brief silence.
Protect the needy, O God,
for we take refuge in you.
for we take refuge in you.
Gracious God, we pray for children and youth. Shelter them from all sickness. Keep homebound children safe from hunger and abuse. Nurture teenagers with a vision of life beyond this pandemic. Give them assurance as they are separated physically from friends and mentors. Give to all children and youth forbearance beyond their years.
A brief silence.
Protect children and youth, O God,
for we take refuge in you.
for we take refuge in you.
Loving God, we pray for ourselves. Renew our spirits with the living hope of Christ’s resurrection, and hear also the private petitions of our hearts.
A longer period of silence.
Protect us, O God,
for we take refuge in you.
for we take refuge in you.
Eternal God, we praise you for the lives of all who have died in the faith, especially today the Petri brothers of Sweden and those we name here before you (especially). Sustained by the promise of healing and resurrection, free us from the fear of death, and bring us at our end with all the saints into the joy of your presence.
A brief silence.
Protect your people, O God,
for we take refuge in you.
for we take refuge in you.
With bold confidence in your peace which passes human understanding, we offer these prayers in the name of Jesus Christ, our Risen Lord, now and forever.
Amen.
Amen.
Let us pray.
A brief silence is kept before the prayer.
Almighty God, you give us the joy of celebrating our Lord’s resurrection. Give us also the joys of life in your service, and bring us at last to the full joy of life eternal, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
Amen.
The 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
Blessing
Almighty God, Father, ☩ Son, and Holy Spirit, bless us now and forever.
Amen.
Alleluia! Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Devotional Music Links: For your individual or group devotion, you may choose to listen to the following choral recordings made available through Augsburg Fortress, “The Chief Cornerstone”; “Come You Faithful Raise the Strain”; “Good Christian Friends Rejoice and Sing.”
Prayer Requests
Jack Leeti, as he mourns the death of his wife Betty. A graveside service was held for Betty on Friday morning in Bendersville.
Chet Walker prayers requested as he decides how to proceed with treatment of cancer.
Marybeth Murray Emmerth, sister of Kathy Bookheimer. Marybeth is a respiratory therapist. She is a professor in a four year college respiratory program. She has been recruited to work in West Virginia Coronavirus hotspots. There are now more ventilators but not enough trained staff to use them.
Chet Walker prayers requested as he decides how to proceed with treatment of cancer.
Marybeth Murray Emmerth, sister of Kathy Bookheimer. Marybeth is a respiratory therapist. She is a professor in a four year college respiratory program. She has been recruited to work in West Virginia Coronavirus hotspots. There are now more ventilators but not enough trained staff to use them.
Sam Main, sister of Nancy Carson and Sue Cline. She is in Wellspan Gettysburg Hospital. While she tested negative for Covid-19, she is recieving treatments to regulate her breathing.
Orlena, wife of Dick Kuhn's brother, who has been diagnosed with stage one breast cancer. She is awaiting a treatment plan.
Announcements:
Do you know anyone downsizing? Cleaning out household items or furniture during this unique time? Well, hold on to them and donate them to those in need once the crisis is over. During the season of Easter, St. Luke is focusing it's giving to the Chambersburg Conference of Lutheran Churches Homeless Connection.
How does it work? Once a homeless person/family is in the place to move into an apartment, the ministry (Chambersburg Conference of Lutheran Churches Homeless Connection) is notified and helps by providing needed furniture and household items.
There are three ways to help:
1. Donate money. (Make your check out to St. Luke and note "Homeless Connection" in the Memo.)
2. Donate time. (Drive your truck, or use your muscle to help lift items.)
3. Donate household items. (A full list of items can be seen on our website or our Facebook page. If you'd like a paper copy sent to you, please contact the Church office.)
Adult Faith Formation
Grab your coffee and danish and join us next Sunday, April 26 @ 10:00am and the Sundays following, for a time of fellowship and edification online. Spend some time face-to-face with your friends and fellow members of St. Luke. Look for the Zoom link on our website (saintlukechambersburg.org) or on our Facebook page.
Readings for the Week:
Monday Psalm 114. Tuesday (commemoration of Anselm, Bishop of Canterbury, died 1109) 1 Corinthians 15:19-28. Wednesday Matthew 12:38-42. Thursday (commemoration of Toyohiko Kagawa, renewer of society, died 1960) Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19. Friday Isaiah 26:1-4. Saturday (Mark, Evangelist) Mark 1:1-15. Third Sunday of Easter Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19; 1 Peter 1:17-23; Luke 24:13-35.
Upcoming Commemorations
Olavus Petri, priest, died 1552; Laurentius Petri, Bishop of Uppsala, died 1573; renewers of the church
Sunday, April 19, 2020
These two brothers studied with Luther at the University of Wittenberg and then returned to their native Sweden to introduce the Lutheran reforms. Olavus published a catechism and hymnal; Laurentius was a professor who defended the office of bishop and later became one.
Anselm, Bishop of Canterbury, died 1109
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
This eleventh-century monk was one of the greatest theologians of the Middle Ages. He is remembered for emphasizing the maternal aspects of God, and for the theory that the Son of God became human in order to make the necessary payment for our sin.
Day of the Creation (Día de la Creación) (LLC)
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
This observance invites us to notice and give God thanks for the wonders of the created universe. As stewards of that creation, we are also challenged to be careful in our use of it.
Toyohiko Kagawa, renewer of society, died 1960
Thursday, April 23, 2020
Born in Kobe, Japan, Kagawa was orphaned as a young child. Later, when he became Christian, he was disowned by the rest of his family. Wishing to bring Christian principles into society, he worked among poor people, established schools and hospitals, and worked for peace.
Mark, Evangelist
Saturday, April 25, 2020
He was not numbered among the twelve apostles, yet Mark was probably a member of the early church community. The gospel that bears his name is the shortest and most direct, and many scholars think it was the first to be written.
Portions from Evangelical Lutheran Worship and sundaysandseasons.com, © 2020 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress. Intercessory Prayer: Gail Ramshaw
Readings from Readings for the Assembly © 1995, 1996, 1997 Augsburg Fortress. Citations from the Revised Common Lectionary © 1992 Consultation on Common Texts. Scripture quotations from NRSV Bible, Copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America, adapted and edited with permission by Gordon Lathrop and Gail Ramshaw.
No comments:
Post a Comment