Sunday Worship + May 9, 2021

+ This Sunday’s image of the life the risen Christ shares with us is the image of friendship. We are called to serve others as Jesus came to serve; but for John’s gospel, the image of servanthood is too hierarchical, too distant, to capture the essence of life with Christ. Friendship captures the love, the joy, the deep mutuality of the relationship into which Christ invites us. The Greeks believed that true friends are willing to die for each other. This is the mutual love of Christian community commanded by Christ and enabled by the Spirit. +

Thanksgiving for Baptism

Alleluia! Christ is risen.
Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Refreshed by the resurrection life we share in Christ,
let us give thanks for the gift of baptism.

We thank you, risen Christ,
for these waters where you make us new,
leading us from death to life, from tears to joy.

We bless you, risen Christ, that your Spirit comes to us
in the grace-filled waters of rebirth,
like rains to our thirsting earth,
like streams that revive our souls,
like cups of cool water shared with strangers.

Breathe your peace on your church when we hide in fear.
Clothe us with your mercy and forgiveness.
Send us companions on our journey as we share your life.

Make us one, risen Christ.
Cleanse our hearts.
Shower us with life.
To you be given all praise,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God,
now and forever.
Amen.

GATHERING HYMN: Love Divine, All Loves Excelling (ELW #631 + Verses 1 & 4 )

1 Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heav’n, to earth come down!
Fix in us thy humble dwelling,
all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation,
enter ev’ry trembling heart.

4 Finish then thy new creation,
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee!
Changed from glory into glory,
till in heav’n we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise!

Text: Charles Wesley, 1707-1788

GREETING

The 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.

HYMN OF PRAISE: Glorify Your Name (W&P #42 + Verse 1)

Father we love You.
We worship and adore You.
Glorify Your name in all thee earth.
Glorify Your name.
Glorify Your name.
Glorify Your name in all the earth.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

O God, you have prepared for those who love you joys beyond understanding. Pour into our hearts such love for you that, loving you above all things, we may obtain your promises, which exceed all we can desire; through Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

READINGS

Acts 10:44-48

+ While Peter shares the good news of Jesus with a Gentile soldier and his family, the Holy Spirit comes upon them. Recognizing that the Spirit works inclusively in the lives of both Jews and Gentiles, Peter commands that these Gentiles also be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. +

The first reading comes from Acts beginning at the 10^th chapter.

⁴⁴While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. ⁴⁵The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, ⁴⁶for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, ⁴⁷“Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” ⁴⁸So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.

Word of God, Word of Life. Thanks be to God.

Psalm 22:25-31

+ Shout with joy to the Lord, all you lands. (Ps. 98:4) +

Together we will read responsively from Psalm 98.

 ¹Sing a new song to the Lord, who has done marvelous things,
  whose right hand and holy arm have won the victory.
 ²O Lord, you have made known your victory,
  you have revealed your righteousness in the sight of the nations.
 ³You remember your steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel;
  all the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
 ⁴Shout with joy to the Lord, all you lands;
  lift up your voice, rejoice, and sing.
 ⁵Sing to the Lord with the harp,
  with the harp and the voice of song.
 ⁶With trumpets and the sound of the horn
  shout with joy before the king, the Lord.
 ⁷Let the sea roar, and all that fills it,
  the world and those who dwell therein.
 ⁸Let the rivers clap their hands,
  and let the hills ring out with joy before the Lord, who comes to judge the earth.
 ⁹The Lord will judge the world with righteousness
  and the peoples with equity.

1 John 5:1-6

+ God’s children believe that Jesus is the Messiah and love God by keeping God’s commandments. Thus the world is conquered not through military might but through love and faith. +

The second reading comes from 1 John beginning at the 5^th chapter.

¹Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. ²By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. ³For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, ⁴for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. ⁵Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

  ⁶This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth.

Word of God, Word of Life. Thanks be to God.

John 15:9-17

+ On the night of his arrest, Jesus delivers a final testimony to his disciples to help them in the days ahead. Here, he repeats the most important of all his commands, that they love one another. +

The Holy Gospel according to John beginning at the 15^th chapter. Glory to you, O Lord.

[Jesus said:] ⁹“As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. ¹⁰If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
  ¹²“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. ¹⁶You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. ¹⁷I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.”

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

SERMON

HYMN OF THE DAY: Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us With Your Love ( ELW #708 + Verses 1 & 4 )

Refrain
Jesu, Jesu,
fill us with your love,
show us how to serve 
the neighbors we have from you.

1 Kneels at the feet of his friends,
silently washes their feet,
master who acts as a slave to them.  Refrain

4 Kneel at the feet of our friends,
silently washing their feet:
this is the way we will live with you.  Refrain

Text: Tom Colvin, 1925-2000, alt.
Text © 1969 Hope Publishing Company, Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

Let us confess our faith saying the words of the Apostles’ Creed.

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.

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. +

Loving God, you call us to be your fruit-bearing church. Strengthen the bonds among all communities of faith in our neighborhood and around the world. Receive our prayer, O God.
Your mercy is great.

Creating God, the earth praises you. The seas roar and the hills sing for joy. Fill the earth with your love so that by their song, all creatures of land and sea and sky, burrowing and soaring, may call us to join with them in praise. Receive our prayer, O God.
Your mercy is great.

Faithful Savior, you conquer the world not with weapons but with undying love. Plant your word in the hearts of the nations’ leaders and give them your Spirit, so that the peoples of the world may live in peace. Receive our prayer, O God.
Your mercy is great.

Caring Healer, you forget no one and accompany the lonely. Be present with those who are sick or suffering especially Bob Sarro, Fredrica Vidair, Briana, Ray Holm, Ruth Nouza, Johnathan, and Durcie Banton. Provide for those needing homes or medical care and point us towards life-changing responses to these needs in our own communities. Be with the dying. Receive our prayer, O God.
Your mercy is great.

Gracious God, as a mother comforts her child, you comfort us. Bless mothers and mothering people in our lives. Comfort those who miss their mothers, mothers who grieve, those who grieve because they cannot be mothers, and those who have never known a loving mother. Receive our prayer, O God.
Your mercy is great.

Healing God, you give comfort and healing of those who cry out to you. Surround everyone in need of healing with your tender presence. Come to our aid in this Coronavirus pandemic, heal those who are sick, support and protect their families from being infected, grant access to vaccines for all. Receive our prayer, O God.
Your mercy is great. 

Justice Seeking God, you give fortitude to those who experience racism as part of their daily realities, who fear for their lives and that of those whom they love. May we do our part to learn about racism’s presence in our world, to accompany, and to advocate when members of your beloved community are not treated with the respect deserving of one created in your image. Receive our prayer, O God.
Your mercy is great. 

Gentle Redeemer, all who die in you abide in your presence forever. We remember with thanksgiving those who shared your love throughout their lives. Keep us united with them in your lasting love. Receive our prayer, 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 CHRIST’S PEACE

The peace of Christ be with you always!
And also with you!
Let us share Christ’s peace with one another.

OFFERING MESSAGE & PRAYER

Please consider continuing to mail in your offering or giving online!  We continue to have expenses that need to be covered during this time. We are most grateful for your generosity.

Let us pray.
O God of justice and love, we give thanks to you that you illumine our way through life with the words of your Son. Give us the light we need, awaken us to the needs of others, and at the end bring all the world to your feast; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory forever. 
Amen.

OFFERTORY HYMN: Give Thanks (W&P #41)

Give thanks with a grateful heart, 
give thanks to the Holy One,
give thanks because he’s given Jesus Christ, his Son.
Give thanks with a grateful heart,
give thanks to the Holy One,
give thanks because he’s given Jesus Christ, his Son.

And now let the weak say, “I am strong,” 
let the poor say, “I am rich,”
because of what the Lord has done for us.
And now let the weak say, “I am strong,”
let the poor say, “I am rich,”
because of what the Lord has done for us.
Give thanks!

Text: Henry Smith
© 1978 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music (ASCAP). All rights reserved. International © secured.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Lord, remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray:

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.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

IN PERSON WORSHIP

In person services will begin on May 2 at 10:00am. Reservations are not necessary, but masks are.

CONFIRMATION

Next Class is June 7th at 11:30am. Details forthcoming.

SUNDAY SCHOOL

Virtual Sunday School will take place on May 16th via Zoom. Julia Klarman will send out more information closer to that date so look out for her email.

FLOCKING
It’s Flocking Season at Holy Trinity! A flock of pink flamingos have begun gracing the yards of Holy Trinity members and friends. The fundraiser supports the Holy Trinity Youth Group trip to the ELCA Youth Gathering. Contact Diane Gilroy for more information on how to flock someone’s yard or to purchase Flocking insurance!

EXITING THE SPACE FOR IN-PERSON WORSHIP

At the end of worship this morning we ask that all in-person worshipers exit the space as quickly as possible while maintaining social distance. If you would like to gather in fellowship with one another to talk and catch up it is much safer and easier to maintain social distance on the lawn than it is inside and allows us to clean up the worship space more quickly. Thank you for your help.

PRAYER LETTERS

Even while we are still worshiping online prayer letters are still available. If you are interested in receiving the weekly prayer list please contact Ruth.

COFFEE HOUR
11:00am via Zoom.  Contact Carol Robinson for additional information.  It’s an opportunity to stay in touch with fellow Members.

COUNCIL MEETING
May 11^th meeting via ZOOM @ 7:30 pm

WORSHIP BULLETINS

Worship bulletins are available on Tuesdays for the following Sunday and may be found outside the red doors at the entry door for the office.

CELL PHONE DONATIONS

Holy Trinity is in need of a few more spare smartphones for Worship live streaming. If you have a spare iPhone or Android phones that you would be willing to donate please contact the church office, Ruth, Pastor Analyse, or Carol R. to make arrangements to drop them off. We can wipe the memory from the phone for you and it will be used to record video and audio. Thank you to those who have already donated. We really appreciate it.

NEW PARAMENTS

We are in the process of buying some much needed paraments for the altar. We welcome any gifts to purchase them as they are quite expensive.

WOMEN’S GROUP

MAY 19th via ZOOM @ 7:00pm

COVID VACCINE

As of April 6th, 2021 all New York residents over the age of 16 are eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

To see if you qualify click here, find the location for your vaccination, and to make an appointment visit nyc.gov/vaccinefinder, turbovax.info, the NY State Vaccine website or you can call 1-877-VAX-4NYC (1-877-829-4692) NOTE: When you make an appointment you must fill out the form at https://forms.ny.gov/s3/vaccine.

Get real time updates for appointment openings straight to your phone by following TurboVax’s Twitter Account. ( Click the link, then the follow button and then click the notification bell). TurboVax tracks appointment availability for the 5 boroughs, Long Island, and Upstate.

If you need to find a COVID test, locations are updated by zip code weekly at nyc.gov/covidtest or by calling 1-212-COVID19 (1-212-268-4319).

Holy Trinity is happy to help you with this process. Please contact Pastor Analyse at pastoranalyse@holytrinitybellerose.org or 516-400-2438.

Other announcements are located in the downloadable bulletin at the top of this webpage.

BLESSING

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

SENDING HYMN: What Wondrous Love Is This (ELW #666 + Verses 1 & 4)

1 What wondrous love is this, 
O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this
that caused the Lord of bliss
to bear the dreadful curse 
for my soul, for my soul,
to bear the dreadful curse for my soul?

4 And when from death I’m free, 
I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
and when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on;
and when from death I’m free, 
I’ll sing God’s love for me,
       and through eternity 
I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
and through eternity I’ll sing on.

Text: North American folk hymn, 19th cent., alt.

DISMISSAL

What is our Mission?  Welcoming all to grow in faith; living Christ’s message of serving and loving neighbors near and far.
Alleluia! Christ is risen.
Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Go in peace. Share the good news. Alleluia!
Thanks be to God. Alleluia!

Contact Us

holytrinitybellerose.org