Second Sunday of Lent March 13, 2022 - St. John's ...
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Second Sunday of Lent March 13, 2022
Second Sunday of Lent
March 13, 2022
St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
9 North Ninth Street Stroudsburg, PA 18360
570-421-8520
E-Mail:sjohnstroudsburg@gmail.com
stjohn-stroudsburg.org
Pastor Rev. Elizabeth Koerner [570-421-8520]
Music Director Robert Riday [570-421-8520]
Music Director Gary Raish [570-421-8520]
Church Secretary Stephanie Jones [570-421-8520]
Financial Secretary John Sesta [570 421-8520]
Maintenance Manager Eddie Omer [570 421-8520]
Sunday, March 13, 2022 – 10:30 AM
Altar Team
Communion Assistants Bernice Henderschedt
Vivian Morris
Lay Reader Bernice Henderschedt
Greeters/Ushers Michael & Rosa Watford
Counting Team Vivian Morris & Ben Battle
Bell Ringer Warren Savercool
Sunday, March 20, 2022 – 10:30 AM
Altar Team Jeremy Diehl
Communion Assistants Larry Savercool
Jeremy Diehl
Lay Reader Jeremy Diehl
Greeters/Ushers Larry & Warren Savercool
Counting Team Terry Karhan
Dorothy Fox
Bell Ringer Warren Savercool
Mission Statement: St. John’s Lutheran Church exists as a body of believers in Jesus Christ to
invite others to faith in Christ and to live out our faith in the world.Second Sunday of Lent
March 13, 2022
Though we sometimes doubt and often resist God’s desire to protect and save
us, our God persists. In holy baptism, God’s people have been called and
gathered into a God-initiated relationship that will endure. Lent provides the
church with a time and a tradition in which to seek God’s face again. Lent
provides another occasion to behold the God of our salvation in the face of the Blessed One who
“comes in the name of the Lord.”
WELCOME AND PARISH ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRELUDE: “O God, You Search Me” Arr. David Lasky
*ORDER OF CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
P In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are
hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may
perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess
our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.
The assembly may kneel or sit
Silence for reflection and self-examination.
P Most Merciful God,
C We confess that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned
against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have
left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our
neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us.
Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in
your ways, to the glory of your holy name. Amen
P Almighty God, in his mercy, has given his Son to die for us and, for his sake, forgives us all
our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the Church of Christ, and by his authority, I
therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and
of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
* Signifies to rise in body or spirit*HYMN: ELW 831, Vs. 1 & 4 *GREETING P 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.
*KYRIE
*PRAYER OF THE DAY
God of the covenant, in the mystery of the cross you promise everlasting life to the world. Gather
all peoples into your arms, and shelter us with your mercy, that we may rejoice in the life we
share in your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
First Reading: Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
1
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I
am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2But Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will you
give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3And Abram
said, “You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.” 4But
the word of the LORD came to him, “This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own
stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6And
he believed the LORD; and the LORD reckoned it to him as righteousness.
7
Then he said to him, “I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you
this land to possess.” 8But he said, “O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” 9He
said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years
old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10He brought him all these and cut them in two, laying
each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. 11And when birds of prey
came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
12
As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying
darkness descended upon him.
17
When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch
passed between these pieces. 18On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To
your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river
Euphrates.”
P The Word of the Lord C Thanks be to GodPsalm 27
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom then shall I fear?
1
The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2
When evildoers close in against me to devour my flesh,
they, my foes and my enemies, will stumble and fall.
3
Though an army encamp against me, my heart will not fear.
Though war rise up against me, my trust will not be shaken.
4
One thing I ask of the LORD; one thing I seek;
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life; to gaze upon the beauty of
the LORD and to seek God in the temple.
5
For in the day of trouble God will give me shelter,
hide me in the hidden places of the sanctuary, and raise me high upon a rock.
6
Even now my head is lifted up above my enemies who surround me.
Therefore I will offer sacrifice in the sanctuary, sacrifices of rejoicing; I will sing and make
music to the LORD.
7
Hear my voice, O LORD, when I call;
have mercy on me and answer me.
8
My heart speaks your message—“Seek my face.”
Your face, O LORD, I will seek.
9
Hide not your face from me, turn not away from your servant in anger.
Cast me not away—you have been my helper; forsake me not, O God of my salvation.
10
Though my father and my mother forsake me,
the LORD will take me in.
11
Teach me your way, O LORD;
lead me on a level path, because of my oppressors.
12
Subject me not to the will of my foes,
for they rise up against me, false witnesses breathing violence.
13
This I believe—that I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living!
14
Wait for the LORD and be strong.
Take heart and wait for the LORD!
Second Reading: Philippians 3:17--4:1
17
Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example
you have in us. 18For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them,
and now I tell you even with tears. 19Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their
glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is in heaven,
and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21He will transform the
body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also
enables him to make all things subject to himself. 4:1Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I
love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.
P The Word of the Lord C Thanks be to God*GOSPEL ACCLAMATION: *Gospel: Luke 13:31-35 C Glory to you O Lord 31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to [Jesus,] “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” 32He said to them, “Go and tell that fox for me, ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. 33Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’ 34Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 35See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ” P The Gospel of the Lord C Praise to you, O Christ CHILDREN’S SERMON SERMON Rev. Elizabeth Koerner
*HYMN ELW ACS 1082, Vs. 1-4 *APOSTLES’ CREED I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again 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
*THE PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
P Drawn close to the heart of God, we offer these prayers for the church, the world, and all who
are in need. Each petition ends: Merciful God.
C Receive our Prayer
P Accept the prayers we bring, O God, on behalf of a world in need, for the sake of Jesus Christ.
C Amen
*SHARING THE PEACE
P The peace of Christ be with you always.
C And also with you.
CHOIR ANTHEM (RECORDED)
We Remember
Words & Music by Mark Burrows
Lord, You knew we would falter. Lord, You knew we would fall.
You knew we would wander the wilderness and struggle to hear your call.
Then You gave a gift to remind us, there is no place Your love won’t find us.
The bread of life has been broken, the cup of mercy poured,
the table of grace has been set for all. We remember peace.
We remember hope. Your love, O Lord, we remember.
You are hope for the hopeless. You are help from above.
The promise of peace in a weary world, a beacon of light and love.
You are faithful friend to the friendless, We are saved, for Your love is endless.
The bread of life has been broken, the cup of mercy poured,
the table of grace has been set for all. We remember peace.
We remember hope. Your love, O Lord, we remember peace.
We remember hope. We remember.
*OFFERTORY PRAYER
P Let us pray
C Extravagant God, you have blessed us with the fullness of creation.
Now we gather at your feast where you offer us the food that satisfies.
Take and use what we offer here, come among us, and feed us with the body and
blood of Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.*MEAL GREAT THANKSGIVING *PREFACE: It is indeed right, our duty and our joy . . . . we praise your name and join their unending hymn. *SANCTUS HOLY, HOLY, HOLY
*EUCHARISTIC PRAYER P Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal: you we praise and glorify, you we worship and adore. You formed the earth from chaos; you encircled the globe with air; you created fire for warmth and light; you nourish the lands with water. You molded us in your image, and with mercy higher than the mountains, with grace deeper than the seas, you blessed the Israelites and cherished them as your own. That also we, estranged and dying, might be adopted to live in your Spirit, you called to us through the life and death of Jesus. 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. Together as the body of Christ, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes: With this bread and cup we remember your Son, the first-born of your new creation. We remember his life lived for others, and his death and resurrection, which renews the face of the earth. We await his coming, when, with the world made perfect through your wisdom, all our sins and sorrows will be no more. Holy God, holy and merciful one, holy and compassionate, send upon us and this meal your Holy Spirit, whose breath revives us for life, whose fire rouses us to love. Enfold in your arms all who share this holy food. Nurture in us the fruits of the Spirit, that we may be a living tree, sharing your bounty with all the world. Holy and benevolent God,
receive our praise and petitions, as Jesus received the cry of the needy, and fill us with your blessing, until, needy no longer and bound to you in love, we feast forever in the triumph of the Lamb: through whom all glory and honor is yours, O God, O Living One, with the Holy Spirit, in your holy church, now and forever. *LORD’S PRAYER P Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us. 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 *INVITATION TO COMMUNION P Here is food and drink for the journey. Take and be filled. C Thanks be to God
*CANTICLE “Lamb of God” . All who wish to receive God’s forgiveness in Christ are welcome at his table. Young children and babies may be brought forward for a blessing. The ushers will instruct your pew when to go up for communion. You may walk down the aisle to the center table and take a small cup with a wafer in it (Gluten Free Wafers in Center tray, back row), then step to your respective side to take a small cup of wine or grape juice. Dispose of both into the baskets at the end of the row . *COMMUNION BLESSING P The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace. C Amen
*PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION P Blessed Jesus, in this rich meal of grace, you have fed us with your body, the bread of life. Now send us forth to bear your life-giving hope to a world in need. C Amen *BENEDICTION P You are children of God, anointed with the oil of gladness and strengthened for the journey. Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit ☩ bless you this day and always. C Amen
*HYMN: ELW 468, Vs. 1 & 2
*DISMISSAL P Go in peace. Jesus meets you on the way. Share the good news. C Thanks be to God *POSTLUDE: “Sing My Tongue, the Glorious Battle – Arr. Robert Lau Reprinted from Sundays & Seasons, copyright 2021 Augsburg Fortress. Used by permission. Scripture quotations (except psalms) from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA. All rights reserved. Used by permission. *CCLI License #A21023342 *CCLI Streaming License #A 21023335 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Welcome to worship! Let us turn our eyes to Jesus and bow our hearts before him. Please sign the guest register if you are visiting with us today. Covid Response & Policy Update for Worship Due to the decreased numbers in Covid cases across the county, Council has voted to change our masking policy to optional for during worship. However, all of our other covid protocols will remain in place (Social Distancing, every other pew roped off, communion continuing as is, etc.). Also, during the week while daycare is in session, we will continue to ask you to mask in the hallways at the church because the daycare still needs to require masks due to CDC guidelines and the vulnerability of the smaller children at the daycare. As followers of Christ, our job is to show compassion and love towards everyone, especially the most vulnerable among us. As always, this policy is subject to change at anytime if there poses a greater risk due to other covid variants that may arise or an increase in case numbers for our area. If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, please feel free to talk to Pastor Liz following worship, or email her to set up an appointment. Please note: We are asking ALL that attend service to fill out the attendance form in the bulletin and place it in the offering plate with your contributions. We would like to keep an accurate record of who worships with us each week. Please remember faithfully in prayer: Marianna Artim, Dana Benenadi & daughter, Heather Butz, Laura Buzzell, Maureen Delaney, Dana Dildine, Nancy Dixon, Garrett Farr & Family, Peg Fritchen, Louise Hawk, Mary Beth Hazelton, Kelsey Huff, , Stephanie Jones, Craig Karhan, Ronald Kindt, John McGowan, Gregg Mitchell, Nita Morris, Lois O’Doherty, Pat Overcash, Ed Pick, Jim Quinn, Carolyn Romano, Ruth Sasala, Meredith Shochet, Nora Shuttleworth, Mary Lou Thomkin, Nicole Van Why, Matthew Van Why, Pete Vaughn, Jennifer Watford, Alexander Weissbach, Mick Williams, Mary Ellen Yearick, Bette Younkin. Please continue to pray for the safety and well-being of those serving in the military: Craig Pearson, Greg LeClair, Matthew Migliori. Today’s Altar flowers are sponsored by Ed Pick in memory of Lester Pick. The new flower chart for 2022 is on the bulletin board in the hallway. We have many Sundays open for sponsorship. The cost is $30 per arrangement. Please sign your name on the chart and fill out a sponsor form and return it with your payment to the office at least a week before the date you’ve chosen.
We always keep all of our congregation in our prayers. We are trying to keep our prayer list
current. Could everyone please take a moment to look at the prayer list and update us on the people
listed, who we can take off and who we may need to add? Thank You.
Are you interested in becoming a member of St. John’s? Please let Pastor Liz know your
intentions. She will be happy to give you more information.
St. John’s bible study will continue to meet on Wednesdays at 10:30 in the
Library. Please join us person or online.
St. John’s Bible Study Group Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85115504881
Meeting ID: 851 1550 4881
Please note: The FOOD PANTRY operation has greatly expanded in it’s service in the last six
months. Some of this renewed interest is due to the Free Food Sign we put out front every food
pantry day. There was a time when we had very few visitors 1 or 2 or less, but we are now
serving sometimes 13 families in one day!!! That is wonderful, but let it serve as a reminder that
your donations are needed now more than ever to help keep our shelves full.
Currently we need Juices, soups, Dry or boxed Milk, Cereal, Chili, Saltines, potatoes, canned
juice... You can drop off your donations Tues.-Fri. 10:00AM – 2:00PM in the bin provided, or you
can drop them off on Sunday. If you have fresh food donations, please inform Bernice..... You
can drop off your donations Tues.-Fri. 10:00AM – 2:00PM in the bin provided, or you can drop
them off on Sunday. If you have fresh food donations, please inform Bernice.
We are now also collecting winter clothing (coats, scarves, hats, gloves/mittens—all sizes-Men,
Women, Children) to give to people in need. You can drop your donations in or near the food
collection bins located in the hallway and Narthex.
Weekly Lenten services will be held on Wednesdays starting March 9th through April 6th. We
will start with a Soup & Sandwich meal at 6:00 PM followed by Holden Evening Prayer service /
topical discussion at 7:00 PM. We will need volunteers each week to provide soup and
sandwiches. Look for the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board.
Easter flowers are available to sponsor. The cost will be $11 for lilies and $9 for yellow tulips.
The same as last year, due to COVID supply issues, we had to place our order early to insure we
could get them. There will be 18 lilies and 14 tulips available for sponsoring. A sign-up sheet will
be on the bulletin board in the hallway. There is 1 line for each flower so if you want to sponsor
multiple plants put your name on each individual line. If you are attending services from home
and wish to sponsor flowers, please call or email the office so we can put your name on the list.
Deadline for ordering is April 3.
Church Announcements - If you have an announcement you want to give to the church,
please talk to Pastor Liz before worship. It is important for Pastor to know so she can either
make the announcement for you, or bring you a microphone so that everyone can hear you.
With our hybrid worship online, as well as the large in-person space we have, it is important to
use the microphone so that everyone can hear what is happening and so the information can be
distributed in an orderly fashion. Thank you!THE PRAYER CORNER
Lent is a contemplative season during which we concentrate on God giving His son to die for our
sins. The gratitude we feel helps us to come closer to God. Another way to come closer to God is
through prayer. During Lent a “ Prayer Corner “ will be created to help us concentrate on our
relationship to God and others through prayer.
There is nothing more comforting and reassuring than hearing the words “ I’ll keep you in my
prayers ” We all need prayers and to know that others are praying for us.At the “prayer corner”
you will find a prayer for the week with copies to take home for use in your daily prayers. There
will also be a place to ask others to pray for you. You need not sign your name or be specific if
you do not want to (for privacy sake) .Just a simple word or two such as , health issue, travel,
waiting test results, person problems. After all, the Lord knows our needs before we do
Remember … prayers are always answered and we can join you in rejoicing at answered prayers,
so please feel free to put some prayers of gratitude and joy.
I hope and pray that we can continue praying for one another after lent is over and this “prayer
corner” will bring you closer to God and our community of believers.
ELCA Lutheran World Relief Fundraising for Ukraine Crisis
As the Crisis in Ukraine is getting more dire, the needs of those affected are increasing rapidly.
Lutheran World Relief is currently in an effort to raise funds for immediate first response teams “to provide
food, shelter and emergency funds for refugees, in addition to supporting critical health needs through the
provision of medical supplies or support for emergency medical services”. With the needs being so dire at this
moment, especially as safe passage ways for the Ukrainian citizens and hospitals are being attacked, we as
followers of Christ are encouraged to and called to care for those most vulnerable among us.
Two ELCA churches of Tomorrow River Lutheran Parish, Nelsonville Lutheran Church and Peace Lutheran
Church, of Amherst, Wisconsin, Have put forth a challenge to ELCA Congregations across the country to
donate to LWR by offering to match any donations given up to $258,000. This offer to match funds for this
crisis gives an opportunity to give over $500,000 potentially in aid to the people most in need right now as this
Crisis continues.
Here at St. John’s Bernice Henderschedt has come forward and offered to match any donations that our
church can raise for this matching fund up to $1,000. If you would like to contribute to our church’s donation
toward this cause, here is what you can do:
1. Write a check out to St. John’s Lutheran Church and in the memo line write “Ukraine Match”. John
and Terry have set up a line item so we can set the money aside to collect through the tenth and
send the funds to Lutheran World Relief for this matching fund.
2. If you would like to donate cash, please place it in an envelope marked “Ukraine Match” and put it in
the offering plate or give it to the office. “Ukraine Match” envelopes can be found in the narthex or by
the office entrance to the sanctuary.
3. The tech team is working on setting up our online donate button on the church’s website soon, so if
you would rather donate online, we will update you as soon as that is set up.
ALL DONATIONS NEED TO BE IN BY PALM SUNDAY, APRIL 10TH, 2022 in order to give us enough
time to get the funds to LWR by the cut off date of April 25th for the matching funds.
Thank you for your consideration toward this cause. Every week in our church service we confess our sins of
“things we have done and things we have failed to do”. Here is an opportunity for us to love our neighbors as
ourselves, and give aid to an area in immediate need. We as a congregation have been able to accomplishamazing things in short amounts of time, covid preparation, calling of a pastors, fundraising for an organ. We have rallied around for those here in this space with us. Yet, as Christian people, as Lutherans specifically, we believe in being Christ’s hands and feet in the world. We can care for our neighbors around the world through prayer, love, and most importantly, action. Thank you for being you, and thank you for considering this call to action and response to this crisis. If you would like more details on LWR and the matching funds, please check the information on the bulletin board.
WEEK AT A GLANCE_
Sunday, March 13, 2022
10:30 AM Worship service with Holy Communion
Worship & Music Meeting after service
Monday, March 14, 2022
6:00 PM, Rainbow Trail Comm. Mtg.
Tuesday, March15, 2022
6:00PM Choir Rehearsal
Wednesday, March 16, 2022
9:30AM Rainbow Trail Chapel Time
10:30AM Bible Study
6:00PM Soup & Sandwich Supper
7:00PM Evening Prayer
Thursday, March 17, 2022
2:00-5:00PM Food Pantry
Friday, March 18, 2022
Saturday, March 19, 2022
Sunday, March 20, 2022
10:30 AM Worship service with Holy CommunionYou can also read
