St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church 962 Gold Street | Evans Center | Angola NY 14006
Worship Service for
May 17, 2020-10:30am
Sixth Sunday of Easter Rev. Alex Knowles, Interim Pastor
Concordia Publishing House
Worship Bulletin Cover for Sixth Sunday of Easter
St. John Ev. Lutheran Church-Angola NY Sixth Sunday of Easter-May 17, 2020 Page 2
PLEASE DON’T HESITATE TO REACH OUT TO
PASTOR OR AN ELDER IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE
WITH ANYTHING DURING THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES
WATCH THIS WORSHIP SERVICE AT:
Web: stjohnangola.org
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: facebook.com/StJohnAngola/
Facebook Messenger: m.me/StJohnAngola
YouTube: https://bit.ly/399pGlt
Serving in the Lord’s House:
Interim Pastor:
Rev. Alex Knowles: Cell 716-417-9980 | [email protected]
Elders:
Jerry Ruhl: Home 716-947-4720 | [email protected] (Congregation President)
Joe Ells: Home 716-549-2114 | Cell 716-445-5821 | [email protected]
Tony Csati: Home 716-549-0656 | Cell 716-861-0869 | [email protected]
Bill Bateman: Cell 859-353-7509 | [email protected]
Tiger Schmittendorf: Cell 716-777-0205 | [email protected]
Church Staff:
Secretary: Janet McCauley
Custodian: Mrs. Michelle Paterson
Organists: Mrs. Ruth Davis, Mrs. Ellen Gradl, Mr. Jack Frost
Praise Band Leader: Mr. Joe Ells, Mr. Jack Frost
St. John Ev. Lutheran Church-Angola NY Sixth Sunday of Easter-May 17, 2020 Page 3
The service for this Sixth Sunday of Easter is being aired via Facebook Live at 10:30am and will be available on our website and YouTube channel soon after the live broadcast.
As previously reported, due to ongoing health concerns, all worship services and other congregational activities are suspended until further notice. We plan to continue with online worship services and other messages until such time that gathering restrictions are lifted.
UPDATES:
1. How can we help? Do you need help shopping, picking up prescriptions, picking something up, etc.? Call the church office at 716-549-2144 and a volunteer can help you with what you need.
2. Please Give: You can always mail your offering to the church or make secure donations via PayPal or common credit cards such as MasterCard, Visa, American Express & Discover for offerings, donations and gifts on our website at stjohnangola.org. Our "Giving" page outlines other ways of contributing.
3. Watch Worship Reruns: You can still catch all of our worship services on our Facebook page, YouTube channel, and our website: http://stjohnangola.org.
4. Follow Along: If you're interested in obtaining a loaner copy of either a hymnal or bible, please contact Pastor or an Elder and we will make arrangements to get them to you.
5. Stay Connected: We use our iPray email distribution list as a primary means of communication for sharing all forms of information so please monitor your email often and if you know of anyone who should be added, please forward those names and email addresses. If you have other suggestions for reaching out to those who may not use online resources, please let us know or take the initiative to reach out to them yourself.
In the meantime, remember to:
• Subscribe to: stjohnangola.org
• Like, Follow and Share our posts on Facebook to help us get out the GOOD WORD: https://www.facebook.com/StJohnAngola/
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaVV5p9I_1YnxpWOqbaY2zw
THIS WEEK’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL BIBLE VERSES:
SUNDAY 5/17/2020 Proverbs 3:5
MONDAY 5/18/2020 Psalms 100:2
TUESDAY 5/19/2020 2 Corinthians 5:17-18
WEDNESDAY 5/20/2020 Psalm 119:112
THURSDAY 5/21/2020 John 14:16-17
FRIDAY 5/22/2020 Acts 17:16-18
SATURDAY 5//23/2020 1 Peter 2:2-3
Daily Devotionals are available for reading and discussion every day on our Facebook Page
St. John Ev. Lutheran Church-Angola NY Sixth Sunday of Easter-May 17, 2020 Page 4
St. John Ev. Lutheran Church 962 Gold Street | Evans Center | Angola NY 14006 stjohnangola.org | 716.549.2144 | [email protected] Rev. Alex Knowles – Interim Pastor
An important update on our Pastoral Call Process: May 14, 2020
Hello St. John's Family - I have been asked to serve as the chairman of our new pastor call process committee. Our self-assessment document was completed and submitted to the Eastern District Office on our target date of April 30, 2020. As part of the call process for a permanent pastor for our church, District President Pastor Chris Wicher has asked that we solicit nominations from the congregation for potential pastor candidates to be added to the call list he is preparing. An email was sent to everyone on our distribution list today, nomination forms were mailed Friday to all congregants, and those we know not be online may also receive a telephone call from the call committee. You can also find a link to the nomination form on our Facebook page. Please respond back to me by May 22, 2020 with your nomination if you have one. You can:
• Complete, scan and email the nomination form back to me
• Mail or drop off your nomination to the church (Please just let me know so that we can watch for it and anticipate it.)
• Complete the form, take a photo of it with your phone and text it to me at 716-777-0205
• Complete our online nomination form at: https://stjohnangola.wordpress.com/pastoral-candidate-nomination/
Nominations will then be compiled and forwarded to the District Office. Pastor Wicher will review and send a list of potential candidates back to the call committee for discussion with the congregation, so the sooner we submit our nominations, hopefully the sooner we will see a list for consideration. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to click or call with any questions. We are praying that God will give our congregation another faithful pastor soon.
In Fellowship with You and Christ Jesus,
Tiger Schmittendorf – Elder [email protected] | 716.777.0205
PS - In anticipation of your questions, yes – you can nominate Pastor Alex Knowles if you feel in your heart that he is/would be a right candidate for our congregation. We do not know at this time whether his name will be included on the call list that Pastor Wicher provides us, or ultimately whether he would accept the call if forwarded, but you can nominate him if the Spirit so moves you. All appropriate candidates will be given due consideration.
St. John Ev. Lutheran Church-Angola NY Sixth Sunday of Easter-May 17, 2020 Page 5
Nomination of Pastor for Consideration by
St. John Ev. Lutheran Church – Angola NY
Eastern District, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod)
(Members of the congregation who wish to suggest names of pastors to be considered for our call list are asked to complete this form.
When it is completed, please give it to an elder or to the chairman of the call committee. It will be forwarded to District President
Chris Wicher. Please include your name at the bottom of the form; otherwise it cannot be recognized as valid.)
1. Having carefully and prayerfully considered the pastoral needs of our congregation, I wish to nominate the following pastor as a
candidate to be considered for a call to our church:
Name: (Please print):
____________________________________________________________________________________
Address: ____________________________________________________________________________________
(Please check The Lutheran Annual for the correct spelling and address!)
2. I believe this pastor will be good for our congregation for the following reasons:
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
3. Please state whether you know him personally, where, and for how long a time.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
4. If you do not know him personally, state the source of your information, or the basis on which you are making your nomination:
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Jesus said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out
laborers into His harvest."
(Matthew 9:37-38)
We are praying that God will give our congregation another faithful pastor.
Name of person making nomination (Please print):
__________________________________________________________________________________
I am a member of ________________________________________________________________congregation
of_____________________________________(city), ______________________(state) ___________
Thank you, from President Chris Wicher, Eastern District, LCMS
St. John Ev. Lutheran Church-Angola NY Sixth Sunday of Easter-May 17, 2020 Page 6
Please keep the following church members, family and friends in your prayers:
Stacy Badgett, Nikki Bradford, Mary Lou Cheney, Kyle Christopher, Tony & June Csati, Nancy Ells, Bud Hanna, Chris Hartz, Peggy Hermann, Edna Hornburg, Linda Krull, Maxine Loos, Arleen & Glenn MacMillen, Janet McCauley, Judy Palyszeski, Hazel Paterson, Marv Rankus, Scott Rankus, Jim Russ, Jim Ryan, Barb Schoen, Eddie Weider…and all those affected or afflicted by the COVID-19 virus, and those we keep in our hearts.
SPECIAL PRAYER REQUESTS:
Tiger Schmittendorf asks for a prayer of comfort and peace for the family of his friend and fellow firefighter Angelo Rizzuto who passed away on Monday-May 11. We continue to share a special prayer of thanksgiving and hope as our Pastoral Call Committee progresses in its work with the Eastern District Office of the Missouri Synod to initiate a call for a new pastor for St. John’s. We pray that our “Small Church with a Big Heart!” is a welcoming, inviting, and challenging opportunity for the right pastor to lead us in our mission to serve our church and local community.
Prayer of the Day: O God, You see that of ourselves we have no strength. By Your mighty power defend us from all adversities that may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ, your Son, Our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen.
DID YOU KNOW? You can submit a prayer request via our SHARE A PRAYER webpage and indicate how you would
like your prayer shared.
All prayer requests are forwarded to our iPray Email Prayer Chain Coordinator Gloria Ruhl.
If requested, we will share any prayers received in our videotaped Sunday worship service.
St. John Ev. Lutheran Church-Angola NY Sixth Sunday of Easter-May 17, 2020 Page 7
Divine Service – Setting One for the Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 17, 2020
LSB 151
• Pre-Service Music & Bell
• Welcome and Greetings
• Lighting of the Candles
Confession and Absolution
Hymn of Invocation: LSB 915 Today Your Mercy Calls Us
Text and tune: Public domain
Stand
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.
Kneel/Stand
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Silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. 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. We justly deserve Your present and
eternal punishment. 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 you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. 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 T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Stand
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 119:89–93; antiphon: v. 105
A Your word is a lamp | to my feet*
and a light | to my path.
C Forever, O | LORD, your word*
is firmly fixed | in the heavens.
A Your faithfulness endures to all gener- | ations;*
you have established the earth, and it | stands fast.
C By your appointment they | stand this day,*
for all things are your | servants.
A If your law had not been | my delight,*
I would have perished in my af- | fliction.
C I will never forget your | precepts,*
for by them you have giv- | en me life.
C Glory be to the Father and | to the Son*
and to the Holy | Spirit;
as it was in the be- | ginning,*
is now, and will be forever. | Amen.
A Your word is a lamp | to my feet*
and a light | to my path.
Kyrie LSB 152 A In peace let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
A For the peace from above and for our salvation let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
A For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all let us pray to
the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
A For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
A Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
C Amen.
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Gloria in Excelsis LSB 154 A Glory to God in the highest, and peace to His people on earth.
C Lord God, heavenly king, almighty God and Father:
We worship You, we give You thanks, we praise You for Your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God:
You take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.
You are seated at the right hand of the Father; receive our prayer.
For You alone are the Holy One, You alone are the Lord,
You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Salutation and Collect of the Day P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
O God, the giver of all that is good, by Your holy inspiration grant that we may think those things that are right
and by Your merciful guiding accomplish them; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns
with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
First Reading Acts 17:16–31 16While Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of
idols. 17So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with
those who happened to be there. 18Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some
said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he
was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. 19And they took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May
we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to
know therefore what these things mean.” 21Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their
time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.
22So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very
religious. 23For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription,
‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24The God who made the
world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25nor is he served by
human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted
periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their
way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually 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 are indeed his offspring.’
29Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image
formed by the art and imagination of man. 30The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people
everywhere to repent, 31because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom
he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
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Epistle 1 Peter 3:13–22 13Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14But even if you should suffer for
righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15but in your hearts regard Christ the
Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; 16yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile
your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s
will, than for doing evil.
18For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to
death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20because they
formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a
few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 21Baptism, which corresponds to this, 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 having been
subjected to him.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse LSB 156 C Alleluia.
Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Holy Gospel John 14:15–21 P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the fourteenth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
15[Jesus said:] “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you
another Helper, to be with you forever, 17even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither
sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
18“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you
will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I
in you. 21Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved
by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Sit
St. John Ev. Lutheran Church-Angola NY Sixth Sunday of Easter-May 17, 2020 Page 11
Hymn of the Day: LSB 528 Oh, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing
5 Look unto Him, ye nations; own
Your God, ye fallen race.
Look and be saved through faith alone,
Be justified by grace.
6 See all your sins on Jesus laid;
The Lamb of God was slain.
His soul was once an off’ring made
For ev’ry soul of man.
7 To God all glory, praise, and love
Be now and ever giv’n
By saints below and saints above,
The Church in earth and heav’n. Tune and text: Public domain
Sermon
St. John Ev. Lutheran Church-Angola NY Sixth Sunday of Easter-May 17, 2020 Page 12
Hymn: LSB 725 Children of the Heavenly Father
Text: © Augsburg Publishing House. Used by permission: CPH Limited Promotional License no. 119000000
Tune: Public domain
Stand
Apostles’ Creed C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His 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 into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Offering: You may make an offering or donation via US Mail or via PayPal at: stjohnangola.org Prayer of the Church
Following the prayers, the people may greet one another in the name of the Lord, saying, “Peace be with you,” as a sign of
reconciliation and of the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Matt. 5:22–24; Eph. 4:1–3).
St. John Ev. Lutheran Church-Angola NY Sixth Sunday of Easter-May 17, 2020 Page 13
Lord’s Prayer LSB 162 P Lord, remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
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. Stand
Benediction LSB 166 P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Hymn to Depart: LSB 660 Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus
Tune and text: Public domain
Acknowledgments Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard
Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission.
All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2018 Concordia Publishing House.
