6th Sunday of EasterMay 17, 2020

Jesus does not abandon his followers. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus comes to abide with his disciples of every generation. As Pentecost draws near, we are reminded that the risen Christ dwells in us as the Spirit of truth. We receive this Spirit in baptism and pray that in our gathering around the Lord’s table the Spirit will transform us to be the body of the risen Christ in the world.

Sundays and Seasons, Year A, 2020

Easter Proclaimation-Exultet

P Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing, choirs of angels!Exult, all creation around God’s throne!Jesus Christ, our King, is risen!Sound the trumpet of salvation!

C Rejoice, heavenly powers!Sing, choirs of angels!Jesus Christ, our King, is risen!

P Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendor, Radiant in the brightness of your King!Christ has conquered! Glory fills you!Darkness vanishes forever!

C Rejoice, heavenly powers!Sing, choirs of angels!Jesus Christ, our King, is risen!

P Rejoice, O mother church! Exult in glory!The risen Savior shines upon you!Let this place resound with joy,echoing the mighty song of all God’s people!

C Rejoice, heavenly powers!Sing, choirs of angels!Jesus Christ, our King, is risen! Amen.

P Alleluia! Christ is Risen!C He is Risen indeed! Alleluia!

Confession and Forgiveness

P By Christ’s resurrection, we have confidence to confess our sins.Silence for reflection

C Lord, bring new life where we are worn and tired; new love where we have turned hard-hearted; forgiveness where we feel hurt and where we have wounded; and the joy and freedom of your Holy Spirit where we are prisoners of ourselves.

P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die and rise for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

Prayer of the Day

P The Lord be with you.C And also with you.P We pray,

Almighty and ever-living God, you hold together all things in heaven and on earth. In your great mercy receive the prayers of all your children, and give to all the world the Spirit of your truth and peace, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

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P The Lord be with you.C And also with you.

First Reading Acts 17:22-31

A The First Reading is from the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 17.

In Athens, Paul faces the challenge of proclaiming the Gospel to Greeks who know nothing of either Jewish or Christian tradition. He proclaims that the “unknown god” whom they worship is the true Lord of heaven and earth who will judge the world with justice through Jesus, whom God has raised from the dead.

The reading begins at verse 22.22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for“‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said,“‘For we are indeed his offspring.’29 Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

A This is the Word of the Lord.C Thanks be to God.

Epistle Reading 1 Peter 3:13-22

A The Epistle is from First Peter, chapter 3.

Peter encourages Christians to remain faithful even in the face of defamation and persecution. In baptism we are made clean to act in accordance with what is right.

The reading begins with verse 13.13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.

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18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20 because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

A This is the Word of the Lord.C Thanks be to God.

Holy Gospel John 14:12-21

P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, chapter 14.C Glory to you, O Lord.

12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

P This is the Gospel of the Lord.C Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon Pastor Mau

Nicene Creed

C I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made;

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who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried. And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets.

And I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church, I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life T of the world to come. Amen.

Prayer of the Church

P Filled with hope by the resurrection, we join God’s people around the world in prayer.

A brief silence is kept

A Son of God, source of life, we beseech your goodness upon us and upon all people.C Hear us, Lord of glory.A Help us to live by your life and walk as children of light in the joy of Easter.C Hear us, Lord of glory.A Increase the faith of your church; may it faithfully bear witness to your resurrection. C Hear us, Lord of glory.A Comfort all who have lost loved ones and imprint on their hearts your words of eternal life. C Hear us, Lord of glory.A Strengthen those who are weak in faith and reveal yourself to the doubting. C Hear us, Lord of glory.A Support the sick, attend the elderly, and reassure the dying of your saving presence. C Hear us, Lord of glory.A Bring to an end our current crisis and restore jobs and vocations. C Hear us, Lord of glory.A Hear O Lord, the prayers and petitions of your people...

Please offer concerns and thanksgivings from your homes…

P Into your hands, victorious Jesus Christ, we commend our prayers. C Amen.

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Lord’s Prayer

P In the confidence of the resurrection, we approach the throne, praying, C 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.

Easter Blessing

P The Lord bless you and keep you.The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.

C Amen.

Dismissal

P Alleluia! Christ is Risen.C He is Risen indeed, Alleluia!P Live in God’s peace and share the good news.C Thanks be to God.

T T T

Ministering TODAY

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Pastor:Lectors:

Intercessor:Media

Jon C. MauAdam MauRobin MauJoey HollisBrad DennisJohnny Dennis

AcknowledgmentsCreated by Lutheran Service Builder © 2018 Concordia Publishing House. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright ©2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The Prayer of the Day is taken from Sundays and Seasons 2020, Year A, ©2019 Augsburg Fortress Publishing, Minneapolis, MN. Graphics from Drawn from the Word, © 1999, Creative Communications for the Parish, Fenton, MO.

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