Our mission is to share Christ’s love with the greatest number of people.

+ Contemporary Worship +

At Redeemer Lutheran Church

9:45 am May 19, 2019

Prelude “Bind Us Together”

Call to Worship Based on Psalm 148

Pastor Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens! All Praise the Lord from the earth! Pastor Let us praise the name of the Lord! All For God commanded and all was created. Pastor Let us praise the name of the Lord, for God's name alone is exalted. All God's majesty is above earth and heaven. Hallelujah!

2

Confession of Sin

Pastor We are called to follow Christ. We are called to obey Jesus' commandment to love one another. Let us confess how we have fallen short of that love.

All Loving God, we have not loved you or each other with our whole hearts.

Forgive us, we pray, and lead us toward wholeness, that we may be filled with your joy.

Pastor The promise of our faith is that we are forgiven. As a called and ordained servant of the Church of Christ, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Receive the Holy Spirit and be empowered to be witnesses of God's love that we know through his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Song of Gathering

We invite you to turn and face the cross (as you are comfortable). Please turn to the

front of the sanctuary after the cross has passed you. All sing.

3

Song of Praise

Please stand and sing.

4

Welcome and Announcements

Children's Message

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Pastor The Lord be with you. People And also with you. Pastor Let us pray. O Lord God, you teach us that without love, our actions gain nothing. Pour into

our hearts your most excellent gift of love, that, made alive by your Spirit, we may know goodness and peace, through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

People Amen.

Acts 11:1-18 1Now the apostles and the believers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also accepted the word of God. 2So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, 3saying, “Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?” 4Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying, 5“I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners; and it came close to me. 6As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. 7I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8But I replied, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ 9But a second time the voice answered from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, you must not call profane.’ 10This happened three times; then everything was pulled up again to heaven. 11At that very moment three men, sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were. 12The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. 13He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter; 14he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be saved.’ 15And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning. 16And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?” 18When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God, saying, “Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.”

Reader Word of God, word of life. People Thanks be to God.

5

Pastor The Holy Gospel according to St. John. People Glory to you, O Lord.

Please stand and sing.

Sermon

Who am I to hinder the Lord? Pastor Erin Swenson-Reinhold

Gospel: John 13:31-35 After washing the disciples’ feet, predicting his betrayal, and then revealing his betrayer, Jesus speaks of his glorification on the cross. This deep complicated love of Jesus, even to death on the cross, will be the distinctive mark of Jesus’ community.

31When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Pastor The Gospel of the Lord. People Praise to you, O Christ.

6

Please stand and sing.

7

Sharing the Lord’s Peace

Pastor The peace of Christ be with you always. People And also with you. Please greet one another with words such as “God’s peace be with you.” Please sit.

Prayers

Prayers are included for the whole Church, the nations, those in need, the parish and special concerns. After each portion of the prayers: Assisting Minister Hear us, O God. All Your mercy is great. At the end of the prayer: Pastor Into your hands, gracious God, we commend all for whom we pray,

trusting in your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Savior. All Amen.

APOSTLES’ CREED

Pastor With the whole Church, let us confess our faith.

All I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come 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.

8

Offering Music

“Word Of God Speak” by Bart Millard Pete Kipley

Please sign the red Attendance Book and pass it down the pew.

Song of Offering Please stand and sing.

Pastor Lord, remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray. All 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.

Words of Institution

The Lord’s Prayer

The Invitation

Assistant With the breaking of bread and sharing the cup, Jesus offered the disciples peace Minister and friendship, trust and forgiveness, the love and embrace of God. Jesus offers the same to all people.

All Jesus, we are sinners hungry for grace. We come - eager but hesitant - to receive your gift of love. Receive our gifts of love

and use them to further your care for the world. Amen.

9

Prayer

Assisting Minister Let us pray. We give you thanks, almighty God, that you have refreshed us through the healing power of this gift of life. In your mercy, strengthen us through this gift in faith toward you and in fervent love toward one another; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.

People Amen.

Please stand.

Pastor The body of our Lord Jesus Christ and his precious blood, strengthen and preserve you unto eternal life.

People Amen.

Communion Distribution

All who are baptized are welcome to receive Holy Communion. Those who are not baptized are invited to come forward for a blessing. Simply indicate this to the pastor when you come forward. Intinction is used – the wafer is retained and touched lightly either to the wine (red) or to the grape juice (white) that is in the chalice. Gluten-free wafers are available from the Pastor. You are invited to sing the communion song with the Praise Team singers.

COMMUNION SONG

All sing.

COMMUNION MUSIC

“Praise Ye the Father” by Charles Gounod, arr. by Karen Roth Bell Choir

10

+ THE SENDING +

Benediction

Pastor The God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus.

All Amen. Pastor The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you

may abound in love by the power of the Holy Spirit. All Amen. Pastor The God of grace + bless you now and forever. All Amen.

SENDING SONG

Please follow the cross, turning toward the cross as it passes by your pew. As the cross leads, so Christ leads us out into the community to share Christ’s love. All sing.

11

Dismissal

Assisting Minister Go in peace. Share the good news. People Thanks be to God.

Postlude

Please join the Redeemer family in the Crossroads foyer area

for fellowship and refreshments.

Today we, the Redeemer Congregation, welcome into baptized membership: Kelly Anne Dewberry,

her sponsors are Alexandra Helena Wiles and Alicia Todd Hyman.

We pray God's richest blessings on Kelly Anne as she continues to grow in faith.

12

Visitors are invited to sign the red Attendance Book at the end of the pew.

Hearing help available: We have for your use personal hearing amplification units available in the narthex. Please refer questions or comments to an usher.

Children are welcome in our worship. If you choose, there are special worship bulletins available from our ushers. We also have a cart of books in the back of the sanctuary to borrow during the service. If you prefer, a nursery is available for children up to age 3 during all worship services.

CCLI License# 1850655

Please return this bulletin to the entrance hall for recycling if you choose not to take it home.

+ Assisting in Worship +

Ushers: Steve Gunderson and Ethan Ngo

Chancel Care: Lucinda Romberg

Coffee Host: Karen Miller, Florence Ofili and Janelle Okorie

The flowers are given by Michelle Brown to the glory of God

and in memory of her mother.

Sunday Services 9:45 am for the contemporary service and 8:30 and 11 am for traditional services

Lutheran Church of the Redeemer

Two Additional Readings for Today Please read before or after worship as a meditation piece: Revelation 21:1-6 and Psalm 148

Next Sunday’s Scripture: Acts 16:9-15 Psalm 67 Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5 John 14:23-29

The 3rd and 4th Grade Faith Formation Class (Sunday School) will be our worship leaders today.

A special thank you for their mentors (Sunday School teachers) – Maija Lawler and Douglas Johnson