Third Sunday of Easter

St. Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church

Chambersburg, Pennsylvania

Prayer of the Day

Let us pray.
O God, your Son makes himself known to all his disciples in the breaking of bread. Open the eyes of our faith, that we may see him in his redeeming work, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen

First Reading: Acts 2:14a, 36-41

Psalm:  Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19

Second Reading: 1 Peter 1:17-23

Gospel: Luke 24:13-35

The holy gospel according to Luke.Glory to you, O Lord. 

The gospel of the Lord.Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon

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.

Prayers of Intercession

Separated in our residences but united by God’s promises of restoration, we pray for the church, the earth, the world, and all who are in need, saying:  Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. 

A brief silence.

Come to the church, so burdened by heartache. Give us faith to know your loving presence among us. Open the scriptures to us, and nourish us with the bread of your word. Direct our clergy and church leaders, in their novel and difficult tasks. Bind into one all denominations around the globe in hope for the renewal of all things, and uphold the work of the World Council of Churches.

A brief silence.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. 

Come to the earth. Bless all the natural world. Renew landscapes, cleanse the waters, and protect the animals. Save your people especially at this time from destructive storms and floods. Keep viruses in check, for the sake of your beloved humans.

A brief silence.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. 

Come to the nations. Preserve all peoples from war and violence. Guide the leaders of nations, our president, our governors, and our legislators toward wise decisions in struggling against the virus and in reviving the economy. Teach all peoples how to share limited resources with those in greater need. Guide the work of the United Nations during this unprecedented situation.

A brief silence.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. 

Come to all who suffer from the virus. Comfort the mourners, heal the sick, sustain medical workers. Empower those researchers who are seeking a vaccine. Stay with us, and accompany all those who are isolated or afraid. Give to those with prior ailments and chronic disease their necessary medical care. Especially we pray for those we name here before you (especially):

A brief silence.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. 

As at Emmaus you joined the meal of the disciples, so come also to our tables. Uphold farmers, ranchers, migrant workers, and all who produce, package and market our food. Guard the health of those who work at grocery stores. Bless the efforts of local food banks. Enable us to feed the children who have relied on food given out at school. Show us how to feed the people living in refugee camps and nations experiencing famine and drought.

A brief silence.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. 

Walk with us on our roadways, whether marked with sorrow or joy, and receive our petitions, both sad lament or fervent praise.

A longer period of silence.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. 

Accept our praises for those who have died in the faith, including those who stricken with the virus, the medical workers who died healing others, and this week Catherine of Siena, the apostles Philip and James, and Bishop Athanasius, each of whom served you in their own time and place. Accompany us now, as you did them, until at the end of all things we feast at your table with all the saints in glory.

A brief silence.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. 

With bold confidence in your providence, O holy and gracious God, we place all for whom we pray into your eternal care; through Christ our saving Lord.
Amen.

Offering

Your continued financial support is inspiring. During this season of pandemic, may we maintain our solid footing for whatever God is preparing for us in our mutual ministry and mission as a congregation. 

Offertory Prayer and Invitation

Generous God, we would be lost without the gift of your living, enduring word in Scripture. You teach us the mystery that Jesus, your dear Son, willingly gave his life to ransom us from death. Guide our hearts by your Spirit to set our hopes on you, not on perishable things like money. Accept our offerings in gratitude for all that you provide for us. Embolden our church to bring your word to enrich the lives of our neighbors. Through Christ, the source of new life, we pray. Amen. (1 Peter 1:17-23)

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.

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 God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing, so that we may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Almighty God, Father, + Son and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever.  Amen.

Be at Peace, Christ is with you.  Thanks be to God. 

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Devotional Music Links: For your individual or group devotion, you may choose to listen to the following choral recording made available through Augsburg Fortress: “Christ is Alive! Let Christians Sing”

Prayer Requests

Jack Leeti, as he mourns the death of his wife Betty. 

Chet Walker prayers requested as he has been admitted to Hershey Medical Center for treatment of cancer. 

Bruce Toma was readmitted to NIH for ongoing evaluation and participation in a treatment trial for has pancreatic cancer.

Pat Midolo, is under the care of SpiriTrust Lutheran Home Care and Hospice.

Luther Rider has moved into skilled care at SpiriTrust Lutheran the Village at Luther Ridge.

Cameron Zeger, great-grandson of Jerry and Jeanie Madden. Cameron is back at Hershey Medical Center being treated for cancer.

For our bishops: Elizabeth, Jim, and Bishop of Konde Diocese, The Rev. Dr. Edward Johnson Mwaikali and all who serve the church.

Upcoming Commemorations

Catherine of Siena, theologian, died 1380

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

This theologian was the first woman among Roman Catholics to receive the title "Doctor [teacher] of the Church." Catherine was a Dominican sister known for her mystical visions as well as her work on behalf of people who were poor and imprisoned.

Philip and James, Apostles

Friday, May 1, 2020

Philip was one of the first disciples of Jesus, and called Nathanael to "come and see." He later responded to an Ethiopian official's request for teaching and baptism. Little is known of James, the son of Alphaeus, called "the Less" to distinguish him from another apostle named James.

Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, died 373

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Best remembered for defending the teaching that Christ was fully God against those who taught otherwise, Athanasius was an influential church leader around the time of the Council of Nicea. He was banished from Alexandria five times for his forthright views.

Readings for the Week:

Monday Psalm 134. Tuesday 1 Peter 2:1-3. Wednesday (commemoration of Catherine of Siena, theologian, died 1380) Exodus 24:1-11. Thursday Psalm 23.  Friday (Philip and James, Apostles) John 14:8-14. Saturday (commemoration of Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, died 373) Ezekiel 34:1-16. Fourth Sunday of Easter Acts 2:42-47; Psalm 23; 1 Peter 2:19-25; John 10:1-10.

Daily Prayer Resources are now available, including simple forms of Morning, Evening, and Night Prayer; Responsive Prayer; and prayers for mealtimes and other occasions.

Announcements:

Sunday Morning Adult Faith Formation Online 
Grab your coffee and danish and join us today at 10:30 AM (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.

Wednesday Evening Zoom Share and Prayer Meeting

Pastor Frye is leading our Wednesday evening Share and Prayer Meeting tonight on Zoom opened up to all, 7:00 PM Eastern Time. It's a good time for you to share how you are doing and ask for prayers for our Church yourself or others in need.

Join Zoom Meetings at 7:00 PM

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8175586621

Meeting ID: 817 558 6621

(please note, this is every Wednesday at 7 PM at the same Zoom address)

You can also go to our web site and see all the new information Shelly has been adding. If you want to see the resources click here.

SpiriTrust Lutheran Home Care and Hospice has asked that we hold off on baking our sweet bread for Bereavement. Since it is deemed non essential they asked if we hold off until further notice and have thanked everyone for their kindness.

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 on 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 provides 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.)

Portions from Evangelical Lutheran Worship and sundaysandseasons.com, © 2020 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress. Reflection material: Gordon Lathrop. 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.

Easy Lemon 30 Second by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1200078 Artist: http://incompetech.com/