Service of the Word€¦ · Web view10/05/2020 · 4Come to him, a living stone, though rejected...

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 10, 202010:30am Virtual Worship

CANCELLED through May 10: please pay attention to church website, Facebook page,

and/or word-of-mouth network for updates!Quilting, Bible StudyPreschool, ChoirSunday School, ConfirmationSunday Worships (in-person)

Council meets tomorrow, May 11 th to reassess.

Upcoming: The following may be cancelled at a later date.Sat, June 13 – Relay for Life

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

May 10, 2020 10:30am5th Sunday of Easter- Happy Mother’s Day!

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 “Lord God, We Praise You” ELW #558(public domain)

Lord God, we praise you, now the night is over, active and watchful, standing here before you;

singing, we offer prayer and meditation; thus we adore you.

Monarch of all things, fit us for your mansions;banish our weakness, health and wholeness sending;

bring us to heaven, where your saints united joy without ending.

All holy Father, Son and equal Spirit, Trinity blessed, send us your salvation;

yours is the glory, gleaming and resounding through all creation.

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 God, your Son Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Give us grace to love one another, to follow in the way of his commandments, and to share his risen life with all the world, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

WORDFirst Reading: Acts 7:55-60

55Filled with the Holy Spirit, [Stephen] gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56“Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 57But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. 58Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died. ...Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God!

Psalm: Psalm 31:1-5, 15-161In you, O LORD, have I taken refuge; let me never be put to shame;

deliver me in your righteousness.2Incline your ear to me; make haste to deliver me.3Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe,

for you are my crag and my stronghold; for the sake of your name, lead me and guide me.

4Take me out of the net that they have secretly set for me,for you are my tower of strength.

5Into your hands I commend my spirit,for you have redeemed me, O LORD, God of truth.

15My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.

16Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love.”

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Second Reading: 1 Peter 2:2-102Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation—3if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and 5like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For it stands in scripture: “See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”7To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner,”8and “A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall.”They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. 9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

...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 14:1-14. Glory to You, O Lord!

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The Gospel is Proclaimed[Jesus said to the disciples:] 1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. 2In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. 4And you know the way to the place where I am going.” 5Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” 8Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. 12Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.” …the gospel of the Lord. Praise to You, O Christ!

SERMON Pastor Luke Kuenzli

I don’t know about the rest of you – many of you are at a different stage of life

than I am currently experiencing – but right now, a house with “many rooms” sure

does sound appealing. We have 6 people in our single-story, 3-bedroom residence:

a fine place to live, make no mistake. But when we have rainy weather, as we have

had on and off this week, and when school is out prematurely, and when we aren’t

able to go do fun things like the Omaha Zoo or the playground at Glenwood Lake

Park… well, things have gotten pretty crowded.

Toys are strewn about and laundry is piling up and dishes... well, we’re

doing OK of staying on top of dishes, since we have to keep using them. Sure,

Rachel and I can take little breaks, one at a time, in a dark bedroom to rest our ears

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and eyes and brains from the chaos of 4 kids in the house, but even then, we don’t

get much peace and quiet. The doors and walls are thin, and the distance from one

end of the house to the other is not that large. So, a place, a room, where I can

dwell in peace… and another for Rachel… that would be sweet. Right now, as I

hear Jesus speaking of the many rooms in his Father’s house, that’s what I am

picturing.

Though, in actuality, that image is probably not what Jesus is describing.

Having travelled to other places in the world, and having done some study of

ancient near-eastern cultures in seminary, it seems more likely that Jesus is talking

about something along the lines of a large, walled, family compound, in which

small sleeping rooms (dwelling places) encircle a central courtyard where there is

communal space and a shared kitchen, where brothers and sisters and cousins are

all living in close proximity to one another. In this space, meals are shared, games

are played, items like water jugs are stored and maybe even a few goats and

chickens are kept safe from the dogs that roam the streets. In such walled family

complexes, there is usually a room for each family unit, and maybe an extra for

guests, but more than likely, when a guest arrives, one family unit will give up

their own place and crowd in with another relative in the compound, so that the

guest can have their own space.

In my mind, I am now imagining the home of la famille Naba in Fada

N’Gourma, Burkina Faso. Victorine was the eldest, the matriarch, since her father

had passed away the year before. Her brother Abraham lived there when he wasn’t

off at school studying to become a Catholic Priest, and two other brothers with

their wives and children lived there, too. When I stayed with them in 2009, as I

travelled with a singing group, they gave me the largest room, with the only

bedframe, and they always encouraged me to eat until I was full. They treated me

as an honored member of their family.

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“In my Father’s house, there are many rooms.” What Jesus means, perhaps,

is that the Father always has space for more to join the family, to be treated with

honor and hospitality, to be welcomed with works of love. Jesus doesn’t mean,

contrary to my current picture of heaven, that everyone will have their own space,

but rather, that everyone will have a place in the eternal home of God the Father.

Everyone whom Jesus takes with him when he comes back again, all for whom a

place is prepared.

The thing is, if we are to live in the eternal dwelling place of the Father, then

two things are needed. The first is that the Father has to welcome us into the family

compound. That is done. Jesus is our welcome, our Way and Truth and Life. We

can come to the Father because Jesus has come to us, to show us the Father, to

open our eyes to what the love of God looks like: healing and feeding,

reconciliation and redemption; forgiveness and mercy; grace and love poured out

without condition. That is the first and most important piece, when it comes to

God’s house… we have been invited, one and all. And it’s an open invitation. It

won’t expire or get outdated, no, it’s an everlasting and steadfast love that calls us

to heaven. It’s not like God has limited real estate, after all. The whole universe

belongs to God! There is space enough for you and for your family and for your

friends, and yes, even for your enemies.

The second piece, the lesser of the two, is what we do with that invitation. In

the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we have been invited into eternity

with God. All that remains is saying “yes.” Now, there are some Christians out

there who believe that you have to say “yes” to God’s love in a specific way, by

speaking certain words or undergoing a particular ritual or by living by a precise

set of standards, and that your “yes” must come during your years of life on earth. I

don’t think any of that hurts, and much of it I find quite helpful in leading others to

God’s love, but I’m also not quite convinced that it is necessary.

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We, human beings, are constrained by time and space, so it makes sense for

us to be concerned about such things. But God isn’t so constrained. God was

before time began and will be long after this world has crumbled and been remade.

God created all things, all people, and in love for all of them, sent Jesus the Son to

be the Way back. God sustains all things, and sends the Holy Spirit to be our

comforter and guide. So, who are we to say what God can and can’t do with the

many people who don’t know about Jesus because they’ve never heard or because

they’ve been misled, or because they can’t comprehend so vast a love? I believe, I

trust, I have hope that God’s love is big enough even for such people – the

unbaptized, the unbelievers, the unrepentant – though I also trust that baptism and

belief and repentance make for a better life on earth for us and for our neighbors.

Could God’s invitation be extended even past the death of our mortal bodies? I

think so.

Jesus tells us that he has prepared places for us – I believe he means

everyone – and he tells his followers that he is the Way. That means I am not the

way – my belief or acceptance or lifestyle isn’t what gets me into heaven. Jesus,

and only Jesus, does that. And meanwhile, as we wait for Jesus’ triumphant return,

to bring us (John 14:3) and all things (John 12:32) to himself, he calls us to believe

in his works of love, and in fact, to do works of love even greater than his own!

I wonder what we could possibly do that might be a greater work of love

than Jesus’ giving of his own body and blood for the ransom of our souls. But then,

Jesus knew, without a doubt, Who He was – the eternal and incarnate Son of God.

He knew what would be required of him, it seems, from early in his ministry,

frequently telling his disciples what he must undergo.

Perhaps our greater work is in our trust in God’s grace, when we are not the

eternal and incarnate Son. A faith not in who we are, but in whose we are. Perhaps

our greater work is in telling others of the love in which we have come to have

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faith, of the mercy in which we have come to believe, of the forgiveness which we

have come to know in Christ. Perhaps our greater work is in praying for a world in

need, hoping for the ransom of souls who have not heard, trusting that God is great

enough, good enough, to make of those who are not a people, but many peoples, “a

chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that

[we] may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called [us] out of darkness into

marvelous light. Once [we] were not a people, but now [we] are God’s people;

once [we] had not received mercy, but now [we] have received mercy.” How can

we say that others won’t receive it, too?

As much as I might, in this moment in time, want a place and a space of my

own, that isn’t what I want for eternity. And I don’t believe that is what God has in

store for us in eternity. There are rooms prepared, yes. But I don’t believe that

means we’ll each be off on our own, isolated and at peace because there will be

silence. No, the rooms prepared for us will surround the golden courts of heaven,

and we will be at peace not because of silence, but because of the glorious hymns

of praise in which we will join all the ransomed of the earth, and the cherubim and

seraphim and angel hosts and all creation, singing “Hallelujah! Jesus lives!”

“Glory to God!”

We will rejoice and sing with praise and glory because in Jesus, who lives,

we have been invited into life eternal, life forgiven, life made new and right and

perfect. We have been called into this life, and we have been charged with sharing

the invitation. Jesus has prepared a place for you, and for me and for anyone else

who we can bring along. Thanks be to God. Amen.

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HYMN OF THE DAY “Hallelujah! Jesus Lives!”(public domain)

Hallelujah! Jesus lives! He is now the Living One;from the gloomy halls of death Christ, the conqueror, has gone,

bright forerunner to the skies of his people, yet to rise.

Jesus lives! Why do you weep? Why that sad and mournful sigh?Christ who died our brother here lives our brother still on high,

lives forever to bestow blessings on his church below.

Jesus lives! And thus, my soul, life eternal waits for you;joined to Christ, your living head, where he is, you shall be too;with the Lord, at God’s right hand, as a victor you shall stand.

Jesus lives! Let all rejoice. Praise him, ransomed of the earth.Praise him in a nobler song, cherubim of heav’nly birth.

Praise the victor king, whose sway sin and death and hell obey.

Hallelujah! Angels, sing! Join with us in hymns of praise.Let your chorus swell the strain which our feebler voices raise:

Glory to our God above and on earth his peace and love!

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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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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

Mothers’ Day Liturgy (Adapted from: https://worshiphelps.blogs.com/worship_helps/2006/05/a_mothers_day_l.html)

Lord, on this day set aside to honor and remember mothers, we give you thanks for our mothers. We are grateful that you chose to give us life through them, and that they received the gift of life from your hands, and gave it to us. Thank you for the sacrifices they made in carrying us and giving us birth.

We thank you for the women who raised us, who were our mothers in childhood. Whether birth mom, adopted mom, older sister, aunt, grandmother, stepmother or someone else, we thank you for those women who held us and fed us, who cared for us and kissed away our pain. We pray that our lives may reflect the love they showed us, and that they would be pleased to be called our moms.

We pray for mothers whose children are grown.Grant them joy and satisfaction for a job well done.

We pray for new moms experiencing changes they could not predict.Grant them rest and peace as they trust you for the future.

We pray for pregnant women who will soon be moms.Grant them patience and good counsel in the coming months.

We pray for moms who face the demands of single parenthood.Grant them strength and wisdom.

We pray for moms who enjoy financial abundance.Grant them time to share with their families.

We pray for moms who are raising their children in poverty.Grant them relief and justice.

We pray for step-moms and foster moms.Grant them patience and understanding and love.

We pray for mothers who are separated from their children by distance, circumstance, or relational strain.

Grant them faith and hope.We pray for moms in marriages that are in crisis.

Grant them support and insight.We pray for moms who have lost children.

Grant them comfort in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.We pray for mothers who have chosen to have an abortion.

Grant them healing and peace.

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https://worshiphelps.blogs.com/worship_helps/2006/05/a_mothers_day_l.html


We pray for moms who gave up their children for adoption.Grant them peace and confidence as they trust in your providence.

We pray for adoptive mothers.Grant them joy and gratitude for the gift you have provided.

We pray for girls and women who think about being moms.Grant them wisdom and discernment.

We pray for women who desperately want to be moms and who struggle with infertility, miscarriage, and other painful experiences.

Grant them grace and peace in the midst of their anguish, and a community of love and support.We pray for all women who have assumed the mother’s role in a child’s life.

Grant them joy and the appreciation of others.We pray for those people present who are grieving the loss of their mother in the past year.

Grant them comfort and hope in Christ’s resurrection.We pray for all moms who, in this world of coronavirus, are experiencing motherhood in a brand new and unprecedented way. Grant them patience, rest, energy, and relief.

Lord, we thank you for the gift of motherhood. We thank you for the many examples of faithful mothers in scripture, like Sarah, Hagar, Naomi, Hannah, and Elizabeth. We are mindful this day of all these women, and especially Mary the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, who had the courage in faith to say “yes” to your calling. May the women who have been as mothers to us emulate these examples of faith. And may they model for all the rest of us what it means to be your disciple. Bless them on this special day; in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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SENDING SONG “Unexpected and Mysterious” ELW#258Text © 2002 Jeannette M. Lindholm, admin. Augsburg FortressSung to the tune of Beach Spring (public domain)Arr. © 1985 Augsburg Fortress (c/o ELW 445 “Wash, O God, Our Sons and Daughters”)

Unexpected and mysterious is the gentle word of grace.Ever-loving and sustaining is the peace of God’s embrace.

If we falter in our courage and we doubt what we have known,God is faithful to console us as a mother tends her own.

In a momentary meeting of eternity and time,Mary learned that she would carry both the mortal and divine.

Then she learned of God’s compassion, of Elizabeth’s great joy,and she ran to greet the woman who would recognize her boy.

We are called to ponder myst’ry and await the coming Christ,to embody God’s compassion for each fragile human life.God is with us in our longing to bring healing to the earth,

while we watch with joy and wonder for the promised Savior’s birth.

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.

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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