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Saint James Evangelical Lutheran Church460 West Annapolis Street - West Saint Paul, MN 55118
Church Office: (651) 457-9232 Fax: (651) 457-1893 E-mail: [email protected]
Visit our web site: www.saintjameslutheran.comPastor Michael Albrecht
Pastor Ralph Rokke651-457-3955
[email protected] Dale Critchley
Cell: [email protected]
Pastor Richard StadlerCell: 651-338-8621
Terese Thune – Youth DirectorCell: 651-336-2117
Shirley Hess – Parish Nurse651-210-3380
Fifth Sunday of Easter / Confirmation Sunday May 3, 2015
WELCOME TO WORSHIP AT SAINT JAMES!THE TITLE OF TODAY’S SERMON IS: “When God Fixes What Isn’t Broken” drawn from John 15:1-8. Sometimes, life is moving just fine, then something happens to throw everything into chaos. Have you ever considered that you might be able to find God’s love through that suffering?
SPECIAL POCKET HEARING SYSTEMS are available from the ushers for anyone desiring an amplified broadcast of the
service.
LARGE PRINT COPIES OF THE SERVICEARE AVAILABLE IN THE NARTHEX.
GUESTS AND VISITORS, we are delighted that you are worshiping with us today! Please take a moment to fill out one of the “Welcome to our Church” cards that are available in the pew racks and place it in the offering. Also, stop by the Visitor Welcome Center as you leave and pick up a small gift. Thank you for coming, and please come back and visit again soon. You are always welcome here at Saint James.
THE NURSERY is not staffed but is available for parents who have young children who become noisy or restless during the service. We are thankful for families who teach their children to worship by bringing them to church. But when the little ones become noisy, feel free to use the narthex or the nursery to settle them down. The service is on closed-circuit TV in both locations.
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THE FIRESIDE ROOM BIBLE CLASS meets between services with Pastor Albrecht to continue our discussion of The Remarkable Gospel of Mark. Today we consider Jesus’ explanation of His parable of the Sower and the Soils. The birds that gobble up the seed that fell on the path represent Satan taking the Word away from people. How does Satan do that? Is this the reason why Jesus does miracles of exorcism? The seed that fell on the rocky ground represents people who fall away in times of tribulation and
persecution. What about people who remain faithful while enduring persecution? The seed the fell among thorns represents people whose faith is choked by the deceitfulness of riches. Is this a bigger problem for rich people or for poor people? As always, your comments and questions are encouraged. All are welcome.
PASTOR STADLER’S CHAPEL BIBLE CLASS on the Dead Sea Scrolls resumes meeting on Sundays at 9:15 AM today in the Chapel, rooms 7 & 8 downstairs. Last Thursday, they examined the “works of the law” that the people of 4QMMT insisted a person needed to do to be “reckoned as righteous.” We will finish comparing their attitudes with what the New Testament teaches about what it takes to be “reckoned as righteous”
before God. We will also begin studying the “War Scroll” which describes the battle between good and evil. Do Christians believe the same as the people of the scrolls about this battle? We will compare statements in the “War Scroll” with statements in the New Testament to find an answer. Your questions are welcome as well as your suggestions. The classes are recorded and posted on our Website at www.saintjameslutheran.com, or you can get an audio CD at the Visitor Welcome Center in the narthex. Welcome.
AS PREPARATION FOR WORSHIP, you are invited to meditate on God’s Word in Psalm 92. Consider your life, our nation, and the world, and how God speaks these words to us today.
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THE ORDER OF SERVICETHE PRELUDE: Come, Let Us Use the Grace Divine ... Roberta Bitgood
GATHERING HYMN: LSB 474 Alleluia! Jesus Is Risen
© 1995 Augsburg Fortress. Used by permission: OneLicense.net, no. A-724499.
PASTORAL GREETING Pastor Critchley
INVOCATION Matthew 28:19b; [18:20] P: In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.C: Amen.
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INTROIT Ps. 145:1–2, 8, 10, 21; antiphon: John 16:16 P: A little while, and you will see me no longer;C: and again a little while, and you will see me.P: I will extol you, my God and King,C: and bless your name forever and ever.P: Every day I will bless youC: and praise your name forever and ever.P: The LORD is gracious and merciful,C: slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.P: All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD,C: and all your saints shall bless you!P: My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD,C: and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Sonand to the Holy Spirit;as it was in the beginning,is now, and will be forever. Amen.
P: A little while, and you will see me no longer;C: and again a little while, and you will see me.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
FIRST READING: Acts 8:26–40When we follow Jesus, He will lead us to unexpected places and opportunities. But how amazing when we see Him working!
Reading ResponseP: This is the Word of the Lord.C: Thanks be to God.
EPISTLE: 1 John 4:1–11God gives us the standard by which all things are judged: the standard of love, the sacrificial dedication that Jesus showed by restoring us to God by His death and resurrection.
Reading ResponseP: This is the Word of the Lord.C: Thanks be to God.
VERSE Romans 6:9; John 14:23 P: Alleluia. We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death
no longer has dominion over him. C: Alleluia. If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love
him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Alleluia.5
HOLY GOSPEL: John 15:1–8Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing with lasting value, but when connected to Christ, He can make an eternal difference in and through us.
Reading ResponseP: This is the Gospel of the Lord.C: Thanks be to God.
HYMN OF THE DAY: LSB 691 Fruitful Trees, the Spirit's Sowing
© 1984 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: OneLicense.net, no. A-724499.
SERMON Text: John 15:1-8Title: When God Fixes What Isn't Broken
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION (We invite you to kneel)P: Our loving Father invites us to acknowledge our sin and impurity to Him that He may
remove it from us, so we confess our sin to Him.C: Lord Jesus, true Vine, apart from You, we can do nothing, yet so often, we attach
ourselves to Your creation instead of our Creator. We complain as if You were absent in our suffering and trust our own wisdom over Yours. For the sake of Your suffering for us, forgive us, prune away anything that prevents us from Your blessings, and turn our hearts ever back to You that we may bear much fruit in Your kingdom.
P: Our Father, the Vinedresser, saw our disconnect and sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to graft us back to Him. 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: (Sung) Amen6
NICENE CREEDOFFERINGOFFERING VOLUNTARY: If You But Trust in God to Give You ... Craig Phillips
HYMN OF REDEDICATION: Christian Worship #514 Lord, Help Us Ever to RetainPRAYER FOR OURSELVES AND OTHERS AND LORD’S PRAYERFIRST BLESSING (8:00)
RITE OF CONFIRMATION (10:30)Beata MarionMarie Benson Fear not, for I am with you; be
not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10).
Hannah Joy Critchley May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope (Romans 15:13).
Alexandra Lea Eichler Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits (Psalm 103:1-2).
James Francis Kinzer Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life (Revelation 2:10).
Erin Nicole Kropelnicki The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore (Psalm 121:7-8).
Morgan Elizabeth Lengsfeld Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Elina Anne McCarthy-Hodnik Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9).
Claire Marie Meeder For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Lucy Joy Polkinghorne Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (I Peter 1:3).
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LITURGY OF THE SACRAMENT: Christian Worship, pages 21-23 The Sacrament of the Altar is a special blessing for God’s people. In it, our sins are forgiven, our weak faith is strengthened, and our resolve to live for the Lord is renewed. We believe the word of Jesus that in, with and under the bread and the wine we are receiving the Real Presence of our Savior, His Body and His Blood, for the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation.
All who are baptized and confess with us this understanding of the Lord’s Supper are welcome to receive the sacrament with us. By this act of worship we are fellowshipping in a close communion with each other as we receive the Lord’s Supper. Visitors who wish to continue to commune with us on a regular basis, or those who have questions are encouraged to speak with one of the pastors.
Non-alcoholic white wine is available in each tray for anyone who prefers it. Gluten-free wafers are also available. To indicate that you prefer gluten-free, please raise your index finger when the wafers are brought to you.
DISTRIBUTION HYMN: Christian Worship #385 Chief of Sinners Though I BeDISTRIBUTION HYMN: 10,000 Reasons
ChorusBless the Lord, O my soulO my soulWorship His holy nameSing like never beforeO my soulI’ll worship Your holy name
Verse 1The sun comes up, it’s a new day dawningIt’s time to sing Your song againWhatever may pass and whatever lies before meLet me be singing when the evening comes
Chorus
Verse 2You’re rich in love and You’re slow to angerYour name is great and Your heart is kindFor all Your goodness I will keep on singingTen thousand reasons for my heart to find
ChorusVerse 3
And on that day when my strength is failingThe end draws near and my time has comeStill my soul will sing Your praise unendingTen thousand years and then forevermore
ChorusChorus
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DISTRIBUTION HYMN: Christian Worship #141 At the Lamb's High Feast We SingChristian Worship #333 Abide, O Dearest Jesus
POST-COMMUNION THANKSGIVING: Christian Worship, page 24
BENEDICTION Numbers 6:24–26
Acknowledgments10,000 Reasons: admin. EMI © 2011 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) Said And Done Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) sixsteps Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) SHOUT! Music Publishing (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) worshiptogether.com songs (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing). Used by permission: CCLI, no. 272318.
Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2006 Concordia Publishing House.
THE POSTLUDE: A Rejoicing ... Alfred Fedak
SERVING IN OUR WORSHIP TODAYPastor Dale Critchley (preaching)
Pastor Michael AlbrechtPastor Ralph Rokke
Organist: Tom RowlandUshers: (8:00) Len Bohrer and Team #3
(10:30) Dave Miller and Team #4Audio Video Team: Sharon Ferrara, Glenn & Wendy Gatzke, Norm Goetzke,
Jerry Hinz, Len & Diane Munson, Jerry Peterson, Lorna Redding, Michael Schroeder, Leif Thune and Gil Ude
Screen Slide Production: Ami Heesch
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REMEMBER THE SAINT JAMES LUTHERAN CHURCH FOUNDATION IN YOUR WILL. Your gift can make a difference for generations to come.
Suggested wording: In thanks to God for the gift of His Son Jesus, and for all His blessings to me in my lifetime, I gift and bequeath to Saint James Lutheran Church Foundation at 460 West Annapolis Street, West Saint Paul, MN 55118 the amount of $ _______________ or ___(specify the asset)___.
PEOPLE TO PRAY FORLet us remember to pray for some of our veteran members:
Wilmer Unruh, Elaine Wachholz, Audrey Ward, Ralph & Ruth WassmannMISSIONS TO PRAY FOR
This week please pray for Bishop Shalem and the pastors and people of the Bible Faith Lutheran Church of India, and for the Moriah Children’s Home and School, and for Dr.
Raj Kumar and the seminary in Guntur in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India.FLOWERS
The flowers in the chancel vases are given in loving memory of Leroy Noack, who entered his eternal home, May 2, 2013, provided by his family.
The flowers behind the crucifix are given in honor of Claire Meeder’s Confirmation, provided by her grandmother Jan Hoaglund, and in memory of Ruth Niemeyer,
Claire’s great-grandmother who entered her eternal home May 2, 2006.If you would like to order FLOWERS to be placed in the chancel, please contact
Altar Guild Flower Chairwoman Shirley Grabuski at 651-457-2529.
LIVING AS A LOCAL MISSIONARY: When returning a book to the library, put a short hand-written note in it that expresses Christ’s love for the reader. Base it on a theme from the book if you can.
TODAY IN SUNDAY SCHOOL the focus is the story of “Paul and Timothy.” Just as many in Paul’s day thought, we think we must do something to be saved. Yet the answer is always Jesus, Jesus, only Jesus, whose resurrection from the dead sealed our salvation and absolved the world. Questions for discussion include “How are you like Timothy?” and “How are we saved from our sin?”
SAINT JAMES PHOTO DIRECTORY: The photo directory is in the final stages! If you don’t want your contact information (address, phone number, email) included in the directory, please call the church office at 651-457-9232 as soon as possible.
SAINT JAMES LADIES GUILD BIRTHDAY LUNCHEON: Reservations may be made today in the Narthex after both services for the annual Ladies Guild Birthday Luncheon to be held Tuesday, May 5 at 12:00 pm in the Fellowship Room. The cost is $12. All members of the congregation – including men – are invited to attend. FOLLOWING THE LUNCHEON, A PICTURE WILL BE TAKEN OF ALL GUILD MEMBERS FOR THE NEW PICTORIAL DIRECTORY.
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THE SANCTUARY INTERIOR COMMITTEE wants to thank everyone who came to the Town Hall Meeting. Your opinions and input are important to us, whether you were able to attend the meeting or not. Please contact any member of the SIC with your comments.
JOIN THE SAINT JAMES BOOK CLUB for our next book discussion May 19th at 7 pm. We will be reading "One Summer: America, 1927" by Bill Bryson. 1927 was a very significant year: Charles Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic, Babe Ruth hit his way toward the home run record, and the first talking picture "The Jazz Singer" was filmed. Bill Bryson not only tells you about the events, but how they impacted history. We will be meeting at church in the Fireside Room. Contact Deb Most at [email protected] or 651-334-1457 with any questions
AN ELDERLY GENTLEMAN WOULD LIKE TO GO TO BASEBALL OR SOFTBALL GAMES. He’s a member of Saint James and can’t drive anymore. He needs someone to see that he gets safely to the game and safely home again. He is interested in the Twins, the Saint Paul Saints, or any local league games. If you could take him to a ball game, call Pastor Rokke, 651-457-3955.
SCHOLARSHIP AVAILABLE: Saint James offers financial assistance to families who enroll their children at parochial schools. The scholarship fund is available for pre-school, K-8, and high school. Students planning on entering college for the preaching or teaching ministry are also eligible. If you plan on sending a child to a Lutheran school for the 2015-16 school year, please inform Ron Ecker from the Education Committee by May 17 th at (651) 457-3177 or [email protected].
HONORING OUR YOUNG ADULTS: Please take a moment to write a message to one or more of our High School seniors who are about to embark on their next stage of life. These youth are from the 2011 Confirmation Class, some of them have been lifelong members of Saint James. We will be saying special prayers for these individuals during the services on Sunday May 10th and Monday night May 11th. Please pray for these important members of our Saint James family in all of their future endeavors!
Susan [email protected]
Kathy [email protected]
Gene [email protected]
Pastor [email protected]
Donna [email protected]
Christine [email protected]
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T H I S W E E K A T S A I N T J A M E S
TODAY, MAY 3, 2015 8:00 a.m. … Divine Service with Holy Communion
9:15 a.m. ... Sunday School and Bible Classes10:30 a.m. … Confirmation Service with Holy Communion
MONDAY, MAY 4 11:00 a.m. ... Service @ The Rivers
6:30 p.m. … Evening SonRise Worship Service: P.S. Preaching“Welcome Pruning Time!”7:30 p.m. … Sr. Handbells
TUESDAY, MAY 5 10:00 a.m. ... Bible Class
12:00 p.m. ... Ladies Guild – Spring Birthday Luncheon
WEDNESDAY, MAY 610:30 a.m. ... Service @ Good Samaritan
5:00 p.m. … Confirmation Classes & Supper(8th Grade - Paint & Hike Day)
6:15 p.m. ... Kantorei Choir Rehearsal6:30 p.m. … Adult Children of Alcoholics
6:30 p.m. ... Gsus3 Choir Rehearsal7:00 p.m. … Saint James Choir Rehearsal
THURSDAY, MAY 7 12:00 p.m. ... Opportunity Partners Music Therapy
6:00 p.m. ... Confirmation Banquet
FRIDAY, MAY 810:00 a.m. ... Service @ Lilydale
SATURDAY, MAY 98:00 a.m. ... Men’s Bible Study
SUNDAY, MAY 108:00 a.m. … Worship Service
Ushers: Loren Bahls and Team #59:15 a.m. ... Blood Pressure Clinic
9:15 a.m. ... Sunday School and Bible Classes10:30 a.m. … Worship Service
Ushers: Virginia Genz and Team #6
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