Words for Worship – Sunday, May 16, 2021
Easter joy – every moment is holy 

Welcome – Seventh Sunday of Easter – Easter joy: A More Beautiful World, Honoring Grads
In today’s gospel Jesus prays for his followers and includes Jesus’ desire that his followers will be one as he and the Father are one. This oneness is not just agreement or institutional unity, but mutual abiding, in life, mutual love, and joy. This oneness is the work of the Spirit whom we have received but also await. Come, Holy Spirit!

Song    You Servants of God Worship 825 (vs 3, 4)
Salvation to God who sits on the throne!
Let all cry aloud and honor the Son.
The praises of Jesus the angels proclaim,
fall down on their faces, and worship the Lamb.

Then let us adore and give him his right,
all glory and pow’r and wisdom and might,
all honor and blessing, with angels above,
and thanks never ceasing, and infinite love!

Text: Charles Wesley, 1707-1788, alt.

Prayer of the Day
Gracious and glorious God, you have chosen us as your own, and by the powerful name of Christ you protect us from evil. By your Spirit transform us and your beloved world, that we may find our joy 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.

Children’s Time with Pastor Joy

Song of Praise             When it seems the day will end  All Creation Sings 1034
1          When it seems the day will end,
and all light gives way to fear,
we will speak your name again
to remind us you are here.

Refrain
New life rising, (New life rising,)
ashes falling, (ashes falling,)
joy and weeping, (joy and weeping,)
in your calling. (in your calling.)

2          When it seems the day will end,
sinking low under our skin,
we are dead and born again,
and with you now enter in.  Refrain

3          When it seems the day will end,
and a coldness fills our bones,
we will walk the way you’ve been,
and our hearts will be your home.  Refrain

Text: Justin Rimbo, b. 1980
Text © 2020 Augsburg Fortress

First Reading in Ukrainian, Natalia Peterson

First Reading  Psalm 1
A reading from Psalm 1
Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked,
  nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seats of the scornful!
 Their delight is in the law of the Lord,
  and they meditate on God’s teaching day and night.
 They are like trees planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither;
  everything they do shall prosper.
 It is not so with the wicked;
  they are like chaff which the wind blows away.
 Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes,
  nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.
 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
  but the way of the wicked shall be destroyed.
Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation  Celtic Alleluia  Worship 174

Gospel             John 17: 6-19
The gospel is from John
[Jesus prayed:] ⁶“I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. ⁷Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; ⁸for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. ⁹I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. ¹⁰All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. ¹¹And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. ¹²While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. ¹³But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. ¹⁴I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. ¹⁵I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. ¹⁶They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. ¹⁷Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. ¹⁸As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. ¹⁹And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.”
The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.

Message         Pastor Joy 

Song – God We Gather As Your People, All Creation Sings 1038
For All the Children
1          God, we gather as your people to raise our song above,
and we dare to claim the promise of your love.
Though the day may not yet be here,
we trust it soon will be, when your children will be free.

Refrain
Oh, may our hearts and minds be opened,
fling the church doors open wide.
May there be room enough for ev’ryone inside.
For in God there is a welcome, in God we all belong.
May that welcome be our song.

2          Oh, we sing for all the children, that one day they be free;
and we sing for generations yet to be,
that they never have a reason to doubt that they are blest.
May they, in your love, find rest.  Refrain

3          Oh, we pray for all the young lives cut short by fear and shame,
so afraid of who they are and whom they love.
May the message now be banished that your love is for the few;
may their faith in you renew.  Refrain

4          God, we’re working for the future when children far and wide
can live their lives with dignity and pride.
As they grow in strength and stature, may they join us hand in hand,
as against all hate we stand.  Refrain

Text: David Lohman, b. 1961
Text © 2007 Welcome Song Music, admin. Augsburg Fortress

Honoring 2021 Grads

Prayers of the People
Alive in the risen Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, we bring our prayers before God who promises to hear us and answer in steadfast love.
A brief silence.

Holy God, in Christ Jesus the joy of the church is made complete. Root the church in your Word and unify us as Christ’s body. Send us into the world as your loving people, ready to testify to your Spirit at work. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

Mighty God, the world is your handiwork, displaying your creative impulse. Seas teem with life, forests reach up to praise you, and the mystery of life lies deep in the soil. Guard and keep this world for the well-being of all your creatures. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

Gracious Sovereign, those who follow your ways are like trees planted near streams of water. Establish the leaders of nations and all in authority in your grace and truth. Strengthen them, so that the people they serve will have abundant life. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

Generous Savior, you befriend those who are sick, suffering, poor, lonely, outcast, rejected, or sick. Grant healing and love to all in need (especially those we think of now…………………..). Give them tangible signs of your steadfast love. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

Creator God, here in this community we share the gift of praying, learning, and supporting one another. Give us thankful hearts as we claim the gifts that are unique to us and keep us from being envious of others with different gifts. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

Traveling God, you go before us and walk beside us. We pray for the Grads that we celebrate today—for all that has been, for this milestone and for all that is to come. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

Saving God, your wonderful promise is the gift of eternal life in Jesus. Through the witness of those who have died in you, strengthen us now in this gift of life. We cherish the memory of your saints. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

In the hope of new life in Christ, we raise our prayers to you, trusting in your never-ending goodness and mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Sharing of the Peace
Johm riab sua.
Selam.
The peace of Christ be with you all.

Offering – Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee Worship 836
1   Joyful, joyful we adore thee,
God of glory, Lord of love!
Hearts unfold like flow’rs before thee,
praising thee, their sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness,
drive the gloom of doubt away.
Giver of immortal gladness,
fill us with the light of day.

2   All thy works with joy surround thee,
earth and heav’n reflect thy rays,
stars and angels sing around thee,
center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
flow’ry meadow, flashing sea,
chanting bird, and flowing fountain
call us to rejoice in thee.

3   Thou art giving and forgiving,
ever blessing, ever blest,
wellspring of the joy of living,
ocean-depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our brother,
all who live in love are thine;
teach us how to love each other,
lift us to the joy divine!

Text: Henry van Dyke, 1852-1922

Offering Prayer
God of love, you call us beloved children and welcome us to your table. Receive our lives and the gifts we offer. Abide with us and send us in service to a suffering world; for the sake of your beloved Child, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Holy Communion
The Lord be with you. 
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

O God triune, how majestic is your name in all the earth. Over the eons your merciful might evolved our home, a fragile tree of life. Here by your wisdom are both life and death, growth and decay,

the nest and the hunt, sunshine and storm, darkness and light. Sustained by these wonders, we creatures of dust join in the ancient song: The earth is full of your glory. The earth is full of your glory.

O God triune, you took on our flesh in Jesus our healer. In Christ you bring life from death; we remember his cross, we celebrate his resurrection. Broken like bread, he enlivens our body. Outpoured like wine, he fills the earth with goodness. Receiving this mystery, we sing our song: The earth is full of your glory. The earth is full of your glory.

We praise you for the heart of Jesus, so filled with your love for this earth. 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. Gathered around this table, we your children unite in this song: The earth is full of your glory. The earth is full of your glory.

O God triune, you create the worlds, you uphold the living, you embrace the dead. Send forth your Spirit and renew the face of the earth. Strengthen us for our journey with this meal, the body and blood of Christ. Give us a future that trusts in you and cares for your earth. Empowered by your promises, we rise from our deaths to praise you again: The earth is full of your glory. The earth is full of your glory. Amen, and amen.

Invitation
The risen Christ invites us to this table. Come, eat and be satisfied.

Now, if you are gathered with others, when the music begins, please share with one another first the bread and then the cup with the words, 
The body of Christ, given for you. The blood of Christ, poured out for you.

If you are by yourself, I offer this invitation…  Receive the body of Christ, given for you.
Receive the blood of Christ, poured out for you.

And if for any reason you will not receive Communion bread & cup today, a blessing for you…
May God fill you up with the Holy Spirit and give you all that you need.

Communion Song – Welcome Table All Creation Sings 969
1          I’m a-goin’-a eat at the welcome table, I’m a-goin’-a eat at the welcome table, one of these days. I’m a-goin’-a eat at the welcome table, I’m goin’-a eat at the welcome table,  one of these days.

2          I’m a-goin’-a feast on milk and honey, I’m a-goin’-a feast on milk and honey, one of these days. I’m a-goin’-a feast on milk and honey, I’m goin’-a feast on milk and honey, one of these days.

3          I’m a-goin’-a wade ‘cross Jordan’s river, I’m a-goin’-a wade ‘cross Jordan’s river,  one of these days. I’m a-goin’-a wade ‘cross Jordan’s river,  I’m goin’-a wade ‘cross Jordan’s river,  one of these days.

Text: African American spiritual

Prayer after Communion
Wellspring of joy, through this meal you have put gladness in our hearts. Satisfy the hunger still around us, and send us as joyful witnesses, that your love may bring joy to the hearts of all people, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Cambodian Lord’s Prayer

Blessing
May our glorious God grant you a spirit of wisdom to know and to love the risen Lord Jesus. The God of life, Creator, ☩ Christ and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever. Amen.

Sending Song – A Hymn Of Glory Let Us Sing! Worship 393
1          A hymn of glory let us sing!
New hymns throughout the world shall ring:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Christ, by a road before untrod,
ascends unto the throne of God.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

3   To whom the shining angels cry,
“Why stand and gaze upon the sky?”
Alleluia! Alleluia!
“This is the Savior!” thus they say,
“this is his glorious triumph day!”
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

5   O risen Christ, ascended Lord,
all praise to you let earth accord:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
You are, while endless ages run,
with Father and with Spirit one.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! 

Text: Bede, 673-735; tr. Lutheran Book of Worship
Text © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship, admin. Augsburg Fortress.

Sending
Alleluia! Christ is risen.
Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Go in peace. Share the good news. Alleluia!
Thanks be to God. Alleluia!

Postlude/Offering