Service of the Wordstjohnluthchurchmineola.org/.../2020-05-17.easter_6a.ever… · Web view17/05/2020 · We give you thanks, O God, for in the beginning you created us in your

SERVICE OF THE WORD – COVID-19 Suspension

St. John Lutheran Church (ELCA)Mineola, IA

Pastor Luke Kuenzli

Order of Service and Worship TextsFor Virtual Worship

Adapted from Evangelical Lutheran WorshipService of the Word and Holy Communion Setting 4

May 2020 during COVID-19 pandemic

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This SUNDAY: May 17, 202010:30am Virtual Worship

CANCELLED for the time being: please pay attention to church website, Facebook page,

and/or word-of-mouth network for updates!Quilting, Bible StudyPreschool, ChoirSunday School, ConfirmationSunday in-person WorshipsGlenwood HS Baccalaureate (Mills Co. Ministerial Association)Relay for Life (Mills County)

Glenwood HS Virtual Graduation will be May 31. We will also recognize our congregation’s four graduates on that date in our worship service.

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St. John Lutheran ChurchMineola, Iowa Phone (712) 526-2268Website: stjohnluthchurchmineola.orgPastor Luke Kuenzli

May 17, 2020 10:30am6th Sunday of Easter

We are called to glorify God,

grow in faith, and build community.

Mission Statement


GatheringWelcome/Announcements

As we begin, please prepare by finding a bowl (small or large) and placing some water into the bowl; or you may pour water into the bowl at the same time as Pastor Luke.

THANKSGIVING FOR BAPTISMAlleluia! Christ is risen. Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Joined to Christ in the waters of baptism, we are raised with him to new life.Let us give thanks for the gift of baptism.

Water may be poured into the font as the presiding minister gives thanks.

We give you thanks, O God, for in the beginning you created us in your image and planted us in a well-watered garden.

In the desert you promised pools of water for the parched, and you gave us water from the rock.

When we did not know the way, you sent the Good Shepherd to lead us to still waters. At the cross, you watered us from Jesus’ wounded side, and on this day, you shower us again with the water of life.

We praise you for your salvation through water, for the water in this font, and for all water everywhere.

Bathe us in your forgiveness, grace, and love. Satisfy the thirsty, and give us the life only you can give.

To you be given honor and praise through Jesus Christ our Lord in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

Take a moment to dip your hands in the water and make the sign of your cross on your family members’ or your own forehead, a sign that Christ is with us even in the midst of suffering, anxiety, and uncertainty. You may say “Remember your baptism into Christ’s life, death, and resurrection” if you are marking others who have been baptized with the sign of the cross; or “rejoice in God’s grace, poured out for all people in Jesus” if you are marking those who

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have not been baptized.

GATHERING SONG “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” ELW #631(public domain)

Love divine, all loves excelling, Joy of heav’n, to earth come down!Fix in us thy humble dwelling, all thy faithful mercies crown.Jesus, thou art all compassion, pure unbounded love thou art;

visit us with thy salvation, enter ev’ry trembling heart.

Breathe, O breathe thy love Spirit into ev’ry troubled breast;let us all in thee inherit; let us find they promised rest.Take away the love of sinning; Alpha and Omega be;end of faith, as its beginning, set our hearts at liberty.

Come, Almighty, to deliver; let us all thy life receive;suddenly return, and never, nevermore thy temples leave.

Thee we would be always blessing, serve thee as thy hosts above,pray, and praise thee without ceasing, glory in thy perfect love.

Finish then thy new creation, pure and spotless let us be;let us see thy great salvation perfectly restored in thee!

Changed from glory into glory. Till in heav’n we take our place,till we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love, and praise!

GREETINGThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And also with you.

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KYRIE (Holy Communion Setting 4)

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SONG OF PRAISE (Holy Communion Setting 4)

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PRAYER OF THE DAY Let us pray. A brief silence is kept before the prayer.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.

WORDFirst Reading: Acts 17:22-3122Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, “Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. 23For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, 25nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. 26From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, 27so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us. 28For ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’29Since we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. 30While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

...Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God!

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Psalm: Psalm 66:8-208Bless our God, you peoples; let the sound of praise be heard.9Our God has kept us among the living and has not allowed our feet to slip. 10For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us just as silver is tried.11You brought us into the net; you laid heavy burdens upon our backs.12You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water,

but you brought us out into a place of refreshment.13I will enter your house with burnt offerings and will pay you my vows—14those that I promised with my lips

and spoke with my mouth when I was in trouble.15I will offer you burnt offerings of fatlings with the smoke of rams;

I will give you oxen and goats. 16Come and listen, all you who believe,

and I will tell you what God has done for me.17I called out to God with my mouth, and praised the Lord with my tongue.18If I had cherished evil in my heart, the Lord would not have heard me;19but in truth God has heard me

and has attended to the sound of my prayer.20Blessed be God, who has not rejected my prayer,

nor withheld unfailing love from me.

Second Reading: 1 Peter 3:13-223Who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? 14But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, 15but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; 16yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. 17For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will, than to suffer for doing evil. 18For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, 19in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, 20who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. 21And baptism, which this prefigured, 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, 22who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.

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...Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God!

Gospel Acclamation (Holy Communion Setting 4)

Announcement of the GospelThe Holy Gospel, according to John 14:15-21. Glory to You, O Lord!

The Gospel is Proclaimed[Jesus said to the disciples:] 15“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. 17This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. 18“I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. 20On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.” …the gospel of the Lord. Praise to You, O Christ!

SERMON Pastor Luke Kuenzli

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There is a song that many of you know very well; one that we have grown

up singing in the Church, in Sunday School, at camps and in our homes. It is a

song that has shaped and molded each of us, giving us comfort in times of grief,

giving us hope in times of despair… It is a wonderful song, but lately I have been

feeling that it is missing something. The song is “Jesus Loves Me!” Everything

that this song proclaims about the love of God in Jesus Christ is, I believe,

perfectly true and acceptable. There’s nothing really wrong about the song.

have begun to wonder about the message we hear when we sing it.

Think about the lyrics for a moment. In the entire song (all three verses),

there is only one person who the singer designates as the recipient of God’s love.

“Me.” Jesus loves me! Jesus washes away my sin, let his little child come in

through the wide-open gates of heaven! Jesus stays beside me and will take me

home on high when I come to die. Again, I don’t think that this is wrong. I believe

that Jesus does love me, as an individual human being, just as I am, and that his

life, and death and resurrection are my own salvation… AND, I believe that Jesus

loves you, and is your salvation and walks beside you.

The thing is, there is only one of me. There are some 7.8 billion of you in

this world. As I preached last week, I truly believe that Jesus’ love extends to every

one of you, regardless of whether you have heard, known, accepted, or rejected

that message of love. I believe God in Jesus Christ to love the world

unconditionally. So, I have begun to think that, as much as I like the song “Jesus

Loves Me,” I might actually like it better if it was “Jesus Love You!”

In John’s Gospel, we hear about the love that God pours out upon this world

in Jesus Christ. In Verse 15, Jesus speaks to his disciples (and we read ourselves

into his message) about how we are to love Jesus – by keeping his commandments,

namely, in John’s Gospel, to “love one another as [Christ] has loved us.” (John

13:30). This was Jesus’ mandate to his disciples on the evening before the

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Passover, when he shared that last meal with them and washed their feet. What we

read today, from John 14, is from Jesus’ so-called “farewell discourse,” the last

major teaching Jesus offered to his followers before offering himself for the

salvation of the world.

As I hear John’s account of Jesus’ words, it is as though Jesus is speaking to

me. “If you love me, Luke, then you will keep my commandments… the Father

will send you an advocate, Luke, to be with you forever… and this Spirit of truth

will abide in you, Luke…” You get the idea. But that is a misinterpretation of

Jesus’ words because something gets lost in translation.

In the original Greek, every single one of those instances of the word “you”

is plural. They know how to distinguish between plural and singular in the South

and in parts of the East Coast, but we in the Midwest aren’t so good at it.

Depending on where you might go in the Eastern states, you might year “you” and

“y’uns” or “you” and “youse.” In the South, we might hear “you” as a directed,

individual address, and “y’all” as a way to speak of those present, and “all y’all” to

refer to everyone in general. Jesus, when he says “I will not leave you orphaned…”

and so on, is using a “y’uns” or “youse guys” or “y’all” or “all y’all” kind of

address… He isn’t only speaking to me, Luke; but to us, to all who are hearing his

words as he speaks and to all who will hear his words in the days and years that

follow. Jesus will not leave any of you orphaned; for the Advocate, the Spirit of

truth, abides with many, and will be in multiple persons.

Paul takes up this theme as well, when he speaks to the “pagan” Athenians

at Mars Hill. There were idols and statues and inscriptions to all sorts of deities in

Athens – the Greeks were polytheistic, after all, as are many in the world today.

But the one inscription that caught his eye was the one addressed “to an unknown

God.” Even the Greeks with their household goddesses and their patron gods and

their god for this and goddess of that realized that divinity could not be so easily

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captured, that there would always be something unknown and unknowable about

God (gods, in their case. They allowed space for growth and learning and mystery.

Paul, it seems, respected both their desire to know the divine and their willingness

to admit some uncertainty. He, of course, wasn’t so uncertain in his own faith.

message was that God wants all people everywhere to repent and turn to the God

who made the world and everything in it! Not just me, but “all y’all!” He was

certain that God’s love in Jesus Christ was extended to everyone, everywhere, all

who might seek after, grope for and perhaps find the divine! Indeed, Paul said,

“God is not far from each one of us.” There is that spirit of truth, the advocate

promised by Jesus who abides with us and lives in us.

These scriptures make me wonder why it that, for so long, we have been

singing “Jesus loves me!” instead of “Jesus loves you!” or at the very least, “Jesus

loves us.” The danger in singing “me” is in egoism, and in “us” is exclusivism.

Now, I’ll admit, the danger in singing “you” is in some form of unmitigated

universalism that leads to no consideration whatsoever for searching after the

divine, because “Hey, God will love me either way! Why bother!” That isn’t my

point, when I talk about God’s love being unconditional, for all.

My point is that God’s love is so remarkable in its welcome and inclusion

that it changes those who hear its message. It makes us want to seek more, to grope

after God, and perhaps to find something of the divine! God’s love for all of us, all

7.8 billion and counting, transforms our lives and our world, our hearts and minds

and even our words!

Jesus told his disciples that they wouldn’t be left orphaned, and I think he is

speaking to the whole world. He promised the Spirit, and I think that Spirit comes

to all who are searching for God. Jesus said he would reveal himself to all who

love him, and he also says that we are to love one other as Christ loves us; that we

are to love our neighbors as ourselves, that we are to love our enemies… And we

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know that we can only accomplish this when God’s love, which is a force outside

of our own beings, comes to dwell in us. We don’t love well on our own.

why I like the reminder that we would get by singing “Jesus loves you!” instead of

“Jesus loves me!”

The question, of course, becomes how we will define the “you” to whom we

sing. I think of all those orphaned, abandoned, left vulnerable as a result of this

coronavirus pandemic. All who are feeling isolated and alone, detached from the

community. All who are living with food insecurity because their paychecks aren’t

coming in right now, or because the services they rely on, such as food pantries,

are not receiving the support they normally do through gifts of food items and

volunteer hours. The 14.7% of the American population who has currently filed for

unemployment during this crisis… Those of darker skin tones, and those of lower

economic status who are more vulnerable to this virus because of the quality of

affordable housing available in urban centers, because of the racial disparity in

homeless shelters and prison systems, because of the close proximity in

immigration detention centers… I think of the food service workers and grocery

store clerks and retail workers those who stock shelves and care associates at

nursing homes working their tails off right now at near minimum wage to survive

economically, and in so doing, putting themselves, their own health and their

children’s health at risk.

The extreme privilege that I and others who look like me have experienced –

that we can work from home with little or no economic impact to us and our

families, while many small business owners and entrepreneurs have had to declare

bankruptcy… Most of us can say “let’s keep things shut down: it’s not safe yet.”

Or “let’s start gathering again: we miss being together” because we have the

option. We have decent medical insurance if we do get sick, we have the extra

money to buy or make masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, hand soap. What about the

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people who don’t really have a choice…? They have to work to feed themselves

and their kids, and they are getting sick, they are dying. What about them?

When I sing “Jesus loves you!” I’m thinking of them, today. They may or

may not know Jesus; may or may not believe in the Spirit, may or may not be

seeking God. But we, the Church, do know Jesus. We, the Church, believe that the

Spirit of truth is an advocate. We, the Church, seek to follow in God’s ways. And

so, I invite you, good people and good friends of St. John, to sing with me, “Jesus

Loves You!” And to sing it not only with our words, but with our actions, with our

donations, with our volunteer hours, with our lives. To sing “Jesus Loves You!”

with the disciples and with Paul and with the Church through history. To sing it

today and to sing it every day in the troubled weeks and months and years that are

ahead of us. To sing it, trusting that it is true – that, yes, Jesus loves me; and that

yes, Jesus loves you, y’uns, all’ yawl. Amen.

HYMN OF THE DAY “Jesus Loves You!” an adaption of “Jesus Loves Me!”(public domain) adaptations by Pastor Luke Kuenzli

Jesus loves you! this I know, for the Bible tells me so;little ones to him belong, they are weak, but he is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves you, yes, Jesus loves you,yes, Jesus love you, the Bible tells me so.

Jesus loves you! he who died heavens gates to open wide;he will wash away your sin, let his little child come in.


Jesus loves you! he will stay close beside you all the way;when at last you come to die, he will take you home on high.


Jesus loves you! and he sends you the Spirit as a friend;

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Truth and Advocate and Love; one with Christ and God above.Yes, Jesus loves you, yes, Jesus loves you,

yes, Jesus love you, the Bible tells me so.

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NICENE CREEDWe 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 Maryand 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 INTERCESSIONEach portion of the prayers ends with these or similar words.Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

The presiding minister concludes the prayers with these or similar words.Into your hands, gracious God, we commend all for whom we pray,trusting in your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

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Uplifted by the promised hope of healing and resurrection, we join the people of God in all times and places in praying for the church, the world, and all who are in need. A brief silence.

Abiding God, you have revealed yourself to us in the form of your Son, Jesus Christ. Embolden your church, as your followers, to reveal your love to everyone in our speaking and in our living. We pray especially for Fulton Lutheran Church in Moorland, IA and Zion Lutheran Church in Gowrie, IA and Pastor James Davis; for our own ministry at St. John Lutheran in Mineola and our Congregation Council; and for the many social justice ministries of our local and national church groups. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

You are the creator of heaven and earth. Revitalize the health of oceans, rivers, lakes, springs, glaciers, and other bodies of water that give life to your creatures. We give thanks for rain that has watered our fields and gardens, and pray for all farmers who are in the midst of wrapping up their planting season. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

You call all people of the world your children. Judge the nations justly, show mercy to the oppressed, and speak truth to power through your prophets. Bless with wisdom and discernment the leaders of this and every nation in the midst of this continued pandemic, and grant us all patience and compassion for our neighbors. We give thanks for the continued risk and labor of all who continue to provide us much-needed services, and we pray for those who have experienced economic hardship due to this virus. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

You come near to us when we are lost, and you hear our distress. We pray for those who suffer in any way (especially) the family of Lisa Kruse on her death; Jon Plumer, Kim Malskeit, those individuals and families who have COVID in their homes and workplaces, . Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Your commands are good and merciful. Give us courage to take hold of our baptismal promises to work for justice, advocate for the voiceless, and free the oppressed and imprisoned in body, mind, or spirit. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

You remain with us always, O God, and your kingdom has no end. We remember the saints who have gone before us. Unite us forever in your final victory over death. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

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With bold confidence in your love, almighty God, we place all for whom we pray into your eternal care; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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PEACE The peace of Christ be with you always. And also with you.Please take a moment to greet your family members who are with you, or to send a greeting via text message to someone you are thinking of today.

ThanksgivingOFFERING

While we cannot take up a physical offering through our virtual worship, I would encourage you to continue the practice of giving. Even though we cannot meet in person and our church building is closed to the public, we do have continued commitments to ministries beyond our congregation’s walls, such as the MCMA food pantry, the Mills County Storehouse, Bethany Lutheran Home, the Western Iowa Synod, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, as well as commitments to our congregation’s employees and expenses such as utilities.

OFFERTORY SONG “Now Thank We All Our God” public domain

Now thank we all our God with hearts and hands and voices,who wondrous things has done, in whom this world rejoices;

who, from our mothers’ arms, has blest us on our waywith countless gifts of love. And still is ours today.

Oh, may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,with ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us,

and keep us all in grace, and guide us when perplexed,and free us from all harm in this world and the next.

All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given,the Son, and Spirit blest, who reigns in highest heaven,

the one eternal God, whom earth and heav’n adore;for thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.

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THANKSGIVING FOR THE WORDThe presiding minister leads one of the following or another appropriate prayer.Let us pray.

Praise and thanks to you, holy God, for by your Word you made all things:you spoke light into darkness, called forth beauty from chaos,and brought life into being.For your Word of life, O God, we give you thanks and praise.

By your Word you called your people Israel to tell of your wonderful gifts:freedom from captivity, water on the desert journey,a pathway home from exile, wisdom for life with you.For your Word of life, O God, we give you thanks and praise.

Through Jesus, your Word made flesh, you speak to us and call us to witness:forgiveness through the cross, life to those entombed by death,the way of your self-giving love.For your Word of life, O God, we give you thanks and praise.

Send your Spirit of truth, O God; rekindle your gifts within us:renew our faith, increase our hope,and deepen our love, for the sake of a world in need.Faithful to your Word, O God, draw near to all who call on you;through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord,to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,be honor and glory forever. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYEROur 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,

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forever and ever. Amen.

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Sending

BLESSINGMay the One who brought forth Jesus from the deadraise you to new life, fill you with hope,and turn your mourning into dancing.

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

SENDING SONG “Love Consecrates the Humblest Act” ELW#360Text and Music: public domain.Arr. © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship, admin. Augsburg Fortress.

Love consecrates the humblest act and haloes mercy’s deeds;it sheds a benediction sweet and hallows human needs.

When in the shadow of the cross Christ knelt and washed the feetof his disciples, he gave us a sign of love complete.

Love serves and willing stoops to serve; what Christ in love so truehas freely done for one and all let us now gladly do!

DISMISSALChrist is risen, just as he said. Go in peace. Share the good news. Alleluia! Thanks be to God. Alleluia!

From Evangelical Lutheran Worship copyright © 2006. All rights reserved. And/or from Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2020 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved.

Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #46263.

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Service of the Wordstjohnluthchurchmineola.org/.../2020-05-17.easter_6a.ever… · Web view17/05/2020 · We give you thanks, O God, for in the beginning you created us in your