Sunday Worship + August 15, 2021

Sunday Worship + August 15, 2021

+ Wisdom prepares a feast, sets her table, and invites all to come and eat her bread and drink her wine. The first chapter of John’s gospel owes much to the biblical tradition that imagined Wisdom as existing before anything was created and having a role in the work of creation. Christ, the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:24), today invites us to eat his flesh and drink his blood. John’s gospel includes no account of the institution of the Lord’s supper, but here we can’t help hearing Jesus’ words as an invitation to the meal of bread and wine we share. +

CONFESSION & FORGIVENESS

Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God,
the God of manna,
the God of miracles,
the God of mercy.
Amen.

Drawn to Christ and seeking God’s abundance,
let us confess our sin.

+ Silence is kept for reflection. +

God, our provider,
help us.
It is hard to believe there is enough to share.
We question your ways when they differ from the ways
of the world in which we live.
We turn to our own understanding
rather than trusting in you.
We take offense at your teachings and your ways.
Turn us again to you.
Where else can we turn?
Share with us the words of eternal life
and feed us for life in the world.
Amen.

Beloved people of God:
in Jesus, the manna from heaven,
you are fed and nourished.
By Jesus, the worker of miracles,
there is always more than enough.
Through Jesus, ☩ the bread of life,
you are shown God’s mercy:
you are forgiven and loved into abundant life.
Amen.

GATHERING HYMN: O Day of Rest and Gladness (ELW #521 + Verses 1 & 2)

1 O day of rest and gladness,
O day of joy and light,
O balm for care and sadness,
most beautiful, most bright:
on you the high and lowly,
through ages joined in tune,
sing, “Holy, holy, holy,”
to the great God triune.

2 On you, at earth’s creation,
the light first had its birth;
on you, for our salvation,
Christ rose from depths of earth;
on you, our Lord victorious
the Spirit sent from heav’n;
and thus on you, most glorious,
a threefold light was giv’n.

Text: Christopher Wordsworth, 1807-1885, alt.

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

Ever-loving God, your Son gives himself as living bread for the life of the world. Fill us with such a knowledge of his presence that we may be strengthened and sustained by his risen life to serve you continually, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

READINGS

Proverbs 9:1-6

+ Wisdom is portrayed as a woman who invites people to partake of her banquet. Just as ordinary food is necessary for physical life, Wisdom’s food—insight and understanding—is necessary for fullness of life with God. Partaking of Wisdom’s banquet is the way to life. +

The first reading comes from Proverbs beginning at the 9^th chapter.

 ¹Wisdom has built her house,
  she has hewn her seven pillars.
 ²She has slaughtered her animals, she has mixed her wine,
  she has also set her table.
 ³She has sent out her servant-girls, she calls
  from the highest places in the town,
 ⁴“You that are simple, turn in here!”
  To those without sense she says,
 ⁵“Come, eat of my bread
  and drink of the wine I have mixed.
 ⁶Lay aside immaturity, and live,
  and walk in the way of insight.”

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

Psalm 34:9-14

+ Those who seek the Lord lack nothing that is good. (Ps. 34:10) +

Together we will read responsively from Psalm 34.

⁹Fear the Lord, you saints of the Lord,
  for those who fear the Lord lack nothing.
 ¹⁰The lions are in want and suffer hunger,
  but those who seek the Lord lack nothing that is good.
 ¹¹Come, children, and listen to me;
  I will teach you reverence for the Lord.
 ¹²Who among you takes pleasure in life
  and desires long life to enjoy prosperity?
 ¹³Keep your tongue from evil
  and your lips from lying words.
 ¹⁴Turn from evil and do good;
  seek peace and pursue it.

Ephesians 5:15-20

+ True wisdom integrates our new reality in Christ with our Christian fellowship and daily conduct. Because we are filled with the Spirit, Christians regularly rejoice together, give thanks to God for one another, and care for one another. In this way we revere our Lord Jesus Christ. +

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

¹⁵Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, ¹⁶making the most of the time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, ²⁰giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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

John 6:51-58

+ In John’s gospel, the feeding of the five thousand leads to extended teaching in which Jesus identifies himself as the true “bread of life.” Finally, in these verses, he makes a connection that would not be understood until after his death, in light of the church’s celebration of holy communion. +

The Holy Gospel according to John beginning at the 6^th chapter. 
Glory to you, O Lord.

[Jesus said,] ⁵¹“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
  ⁵²The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” ⁵³So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. ⁵⁴Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; ⁵⁵for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. ⁵⁶Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. ⁵⁷Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. ⁵⁸This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.”

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

SERMON Pastor Analyse Triolo

HYMN OF THE DAY: My Faith Looks Up to Thee ( ELW #759 + Verses 1 & 3 )

1 My faith looks up to thee,
thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
take all my guilt away,
oh, let me from this day
be wholly thine!

3 While life’s dark maze I tread
and griefs around me spread,
be thou my guide;
bid darkness turn to day,
wipe sorrow’s tears away,
nor let me ever stray
from thee aside.

Text: Ray Palmer, 1808-1887

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

Rooted in Christ and sustained by the Spirit, we offer our prayers for the church, the world, and all of creation.

A brief silence.

God of wisdom, enlighten your church. Guide theologians, biblical scholars, authors, and seminary professors as they seek greater knowledge and invite others into deeper understanding. Teach us to ask faithful questions and open our minds to new ideas. God, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.

God of creation, mend the earth. Cool warming oceans and preserve melting ice caps. Increase our awareness of changing climate patterns and reveal new approaches to the ecological challenges we face. Shield those in the path of hurricanes or tropical storms. God, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.

God of all nations, direct our leaders. Grant them courage to lay aside political grudges and renew their determination to address difficult conflicts. Guide them in the work of reconciliation. God, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.

God of compassion, tend to the wounded. Rescue those tormented by mental illness or mired in addiction. Ease the anxiety of those struggling with dementia. Come quickly to help all who are grieving and all those who suffer especially Bob Sarro, Kara Innella, Peter Klarman, Don Kelly, Virginia Servas, Chad Aragona, Carole Zahner, Larry McEvoy, Roberta Detmers, *Al Zahner, *Harry Lund and *Evelyn Lund. God, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.

God of beauty, inspire artists. Bless those whose visual and musical gifts enliven this assembly. Bless the creative work of poets, hymnwriters, composers, painters, sculptors, and others that enrich our worship and daily life. God, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.

Comforting God, we pray for 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. God, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.

God of justice, we pray for 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. God, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.

God of resurrection, bring us to new life. Give us the living bread from heaven through which we abide in your love, and on the last day raise us all the saints to eternal life. God, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.

We lift these and all our prayers to you, O God, confident in the promise of your saving love; 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

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.

OFFERTORY HYMN: Come, Let Us Eat (ELW #491 + Verses 1 & 3)

1 Come, let us eat, for now the feast is spread,
come, let us eat, for now the feast is spread.
Our Lord’s body let us take together,
our Lord’s body let us take together.

3 In Jesus’ presence now we meet and rest,
in Jesus’ presence now we meet and rest.
In the presence of our Lord we gather,
in the presence of our Lord we gather.

Text: Billema Kwillia, b. c. 1925, sts. 1-3; Gilbert E. Doan Jr., b. 1930, st. 4, alt.; tr. Margaret D. Miller, b. 1927, sts. 1-3, alt.
Text sts. 1-3 © Lutheran World Federation. Text st. 4 © 1972 Contemporary Worship 4: Hymns for Baptism and Holy Communion, admin. Augsburg Fortress.

OFFERTORY PRAYER

Let us pray.

Jesus, Bread of life,
you have set this table with your very self,
and called us to the feast of plenty.
Gather what has been sown among us,
and strengthen us in this meal.
Make us to be what we receive here,
your body for the life of the world.
Amen.

GREAT THANKSGIVING                                            

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.

PREFACE  

It is indeed right our duty and our joy that we should at all times and in all places offer thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God, through our Savior Jesus Christ; who on this day overcame death and the grave and by his glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life. And so, with all the choirs of angels, with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

HOLY, HOLY, HOLY

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might. Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER

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.

Remembering, therefore, his birth and life among us, his death and resurrection, we await his coming again when all things will be restored in him.

By your Spirit bless us and this bread and cup, that, held and nourished by you, we may live as your children, shining with the light of your Son.

Through him all glory and honor is yours, Almighty Father, with the Holy Spirit, in your holy Church, now and forever.
Amen

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.

INVITATION TO COMMUNION

Christ has set the table with more than enough for all. Come!

TABLE BLESSING & COMMUNION PRAYER

The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
Amen

Jesus, Bread of life,
we have received from your table
more than we could ever ask.
As you have nourished us in this meal,
now strengthen us to love the world with your own life.
In your name we pray.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

IN PERSON WORSHIP

In person services begin at 10:00am each Sunday. Reservations are not necessary, but masks are. We will continue to stream while we are open.

CONFIRMATION

Next Class is September 13th at 11:30am. Details forthcoming.

SUNDAY SCHOOL

Virtual Sunday School will take place on via Zoom at 11:30am. Julia Klarman will send out more information closer to that date so look out for her email. The expectation is that Sunday School will resume in person in the fall. Diane Gilroy will lead a summer program for kids over the summer. Stay tuned for more information.

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!

SNAP

SNAP Senior Center (Services Now for Adult Persons, Inc.) is open on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10:00am-2:00pm. Reservations are required – 917-745-2203.

COFFEE HOUR
Downstairs after worship concludes. We ask that you wear your mask near food and while walking around. You may remove it while seated to eat.

COUNCIL MEETING
7/13 at 7:30pm + meeting at HTLC.

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

August 18^th @ 7:00pm

COVID VACCINE

As of May 13^th, 2021 all New York residents over the age of 16 are eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Residents over the age of 12 are eligible for the Pfizer vaccine only at this time.

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

The blessing of God,
who provides for us, feeds us,
and journeys with us,
☩ be upon you now and forever.
Amen.

SENDING HYMN: On Our Way Rejoicing (ELW #537 + Verses 1 & 2)

On Our Way Rejoicing

1 On our way rejoicing
gladly let us go.
Christ our Lord has conquered;
vanquished is the foe.
Christ without, our safety;
Christ within, our joy;
who, if we be faithful,
can our hope destroy?

Refrain
On our way rejoicing;
as we forward move,
hearken to our praises,
O blest God of love!

2 Unto God the Father
joyful songs we sing;
unto God the Savior
thankful hearts we bring;
unto God the Spirit
bow we and adore,
on our way rejoicing
now and evermore.  Refrain

Text: John S. B. Monsell, 1811-1875, alt.

DISMISSAL

What is our Mission?  Welcoming all to grow in faith; living Christ’s message of serving and loving neighbors near and far.
Go in peace. You are the body of Christ.
Thanks be to God.

Contact Us

holytrinitybellerose.org