SERVICE OF HOLY COMMUNION – COVID-19 Virtual and In-Person

St. John Lutheran Church (ELCA)Mineola, IA

Pastor Luke Kuenzli

Order of Service and Worship Texts

For Virtual and In-person Worship

Adapted from Evangelical Lutheran WorshipSetting 2 and from Sundays & Seasons

January 2021 during COVID-19 pandemic

St. John Lutheran Church

Mineola, Iowa Phone (712) 526-2268

Website: stjohnluthchurchmineola.org

Pastor Luke Kuenzli

January 24, 2021 10:30am

Third Sunday after Epiphany

We are called to glorify God, grow in faith, and build community.Mission Statement

THIS SUNDAY: January 24, 2021 – Third Sunday after Epiphany

10:30 – In-person Worship with YouTube Live stream

Tues – No Quilting in January.

Mon/Wed/Fri – Preschool 9:00-11:30

Wed/Thurs – Virtual Communion (times below)

NEXT SUNDAY: January 31, 2021

10:30– In-person Worship with YouTube Live stream

ACCOMPANIST:Barb Mass

READER: Dave Stickrod

Virtual Communion:During Sunday worship (when worship is virtual-only) ORWhen Sunday worship is in-person: (meeting address is the same each week) Wednesdays at 11am: meet.google.com/ixe-mnpg-eejAND Thursdays at 6:30pm: meet.google.com/uwh-pewk-hmsORby other arrangement with Pastor Luke.

If worshipping from home, pick up a prepackaged communion cup/wafer at church at any of the following times at the North entrance, near the Church office. (or use your own bread and wine/grape juice):

Communion Pick-Up Times: Sunday – 9:15-11:30am

Monday/Wednesday/Thursday – 9:30am-Noon,      or 1:30pm-5:00pm, or evening as arranged.      Tuesday – 2:00-5:00pm, or evening as arranged.        Friday/Saturday – by arrangement with Pastor Luke.

Covid-19 Precautions for in-person worship

· We will require masks be worn while you are in the building (Ages 2 and up). Refusal to wear a mask will result in your being asked to leave.

· We will be practicing social distancing of 6 feet. Closed pews are cordoned off and labelled.

· Please don’t gather in the hallway or enter any closed spaces. Restrooms will be limited to single-person/family use at any given time. Those who do not comply with social distancing policies will be asked to leave.

· There will not be prolonged singing or unison speaking, communion, or fellowship time. Virtual communion will be held midweek.

· We continue to advise (not require) that persons in the vulnerable population groups of 65+ years of age and anyone with underlying medical conditions remain home.

· We ask that anyone with any respiratory symptoms (cough, sniffles, sneezing, sore throat) or fever please remain home. You will be asked to leave if you are displaying such symptoms.

· We ask that if you are traveling to areas of high virus activity, you remain home for the Sunday following your travels.

· Hand sanitizers are located throughout the open areas. Feel free to use them!

Food Drive

The Women of St. John are having a food drive and collecting for Mills County Store House all through the month of January.

Kid-friendly cereals, canned tuna, chicken, pears, peaches and mixed fruits, dry pastas, toilet paper and feminine hygiene products ALWAYS welcome and needed.

Items will be collected in the shopping cart. Only food items are counted for weight, but hygiene items are still needed!

Evangelical Lutheran Worship (Setting 2) (*Stand)

Prelude

Welcome/Announcements

Gathering

Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God,

whose voice is upon the waters,

whose mercy is poured out upon all people,

whose goodness cascades over all creation. Amen.

Let us confess our sin, trusting in the abundant grace of God.

Silence is kept for reflection.

Holy God,

you search us and know us.

You are acquainted with all our ways.

We confess that our hearts are burdened by sin—

our own sins and the broken systems that bind us.

We turn inward, failing to follow

your outward way of love.

We distrust those who are not like us.

We exploit the earth and its resources

and fail to consider generations to come.

Forgive us, gracious God,

for all we have done and left undone.

Even before the words are on our tongues,

you know them;

receive them in your divine mercy.

Amen.

Gathering Hymn“We Are Marching in the Light” #866Those at home may sing along. Those in-person, please listen and meditate on the words as one person sings.

Additional stanzas: We are praying… singing … living… in the light of God.

Tr. and arr. © 1984 Utryck, admin. Walton Music Corp.

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.

Kyrie (sung or hummed quietly)p. 120

*This is the Feast (sung or hummed quietly)p.122

SalutationThe Lord be with you. And also with you.

Prayer of the Day (spoken quietly)

Almighty God, by grace alone you call us and accept us in your service. Strengthen us by your Spirit, and make us worthy of your call, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

WORD

First Reading: A reading from Jonah 3:1-5, 10.

1The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying, 2“Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.” 3So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk across. 4Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s walk. And he cried out, “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth.  10When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it....Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God!

Psalm 62:5-12Two lectors read responsively by whole verse.

5For God alone I wait in silence; truly, my hope is in God.

6God alone is my rock and my salvation,my stronghold, so that I shall never be shaken.

7In God is my deliverance and my honor; God is my strong rock and my refuge.

8Put your trust in God always, O people,pour out your hearts before the one who is our refuge. 

9Those of high degree are but a fleeting breath; those of low estate cannot be trusted. Placed on the scales together they weigh even less than a breath.

10Put no trust in extortion; in robbery take no empty pride;though wealth increase, set not your heart upon it.

11God has spoken once, twice have I heard it, that power belongs to God.

12Steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord,for you repay all according to their deeds. 

Second Reading: A reading from 1 Corinthians 7:29-31

29Brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short; from now on, let even those who have wives be as though they had none, 30and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no possessions, 31and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.…Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God!

*Gospel Acclamation (sung or hummed quietly)

The time is fulfilled, |& the kingdom of God has come near;| repent, and believe in   the good news.

*Announcement of the Gospel The holy gospel according to Mark 1:14-20. Glory to you, O Lord.

*The Gospel is proclaimed

14Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”  16As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. 17And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” 18And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.

…the gospel of the Lord. Praise to You, O Christ!

SermonPastor Luke Kuenzli

Fishing for people seems like an odd calling. Imagine trying to cast a net over a crowd of people, pulling the lead ropes tight, encircling them, drawing them close. That’s where we often let the image stop – with the concept of drawing others into the “boat” that is Christianity, into a life of trusting in Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior. “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” So we do follow Jesus, and we try, from time to time, to bring others in with us.

Of course, if you take the metaphor too far, you end up with a haul of human souls being sold by a few fishermen for personal gain and comfort. You end up with the reek of rotting excess because not every fish is good enough to sell, but they’ve already been taken out of the liquid element to which they are accustomed and suffocated in the vaporous atmosphere of an unfamiliar and unbreathable air. “I will make you fish for people…?” Should people be sold, eaten, turned into omega-3 fatty acid pills to keep the rest of us healthier? Every metaphor, every image, breaks down in its usefulness if made too literal.

But that doesn’t mean the image isn’t helpful. Maybe there is something to what Jesus says – not just about his followers trying to bring people into the “boat” of salvation, but also about the response of many people to the disciples’ attempts – and our own – to bring them in to the boat. They writhe like fish attempting to escape the net, they wriggle and squirm and pull against your efforts because they’re comfortable where they are, thank you, and your efforts to bring them in may be, like fish drowning in the air above the water, what ends up doing them in. “I will make you fish for people…”

Maybe Jesus is also commenting on the challenge that the disciples will face. Even if they do manage bring in the haul, people are slippery creatures, quick to escape the grasp of those who have drawn them in, what with their squirming and flopping, with their prickly spines and jagged teeth and sharp-edged gills, with their gape-eyed looks of accusation and wide-mouthed expressions of disbelief. It’s as if they say “you brought me into the boat, into the church, trying to save me, and it’s killing me to see that the same problems out there in the wide-open sea that is the world, also exist here, in the church!”

We don’t need to the too-literal interpretation of selling people like fish… but maybe we do need to go beyond the simple image of Christians casting nets to save others, and consider the challenge that the fish face in being saved. It is a death, when non-believers come to believe; a death and resurrection through the waters of baptism, that allow us to breath in the rarefied airs of the Spirit. And we need to remember, too, that we are not always the fishermen… sometimes, we’re the fish.

Simon and Andrew left their lives behind; James and John left their father there on the shoreline; all four of these newly called disciples entered into a new way of living, of following, of being. Jesus had hauled them in, with his message of good news – that the kingdom of God had come near, that the time was fulfilled! All that was needed was for them to believe, to turn from living for themselves, and to live instead for Jesus. All that was needed was repentance.

There is that word again – repentance – which we explored a couple of weeks ago in its relationship to sin. To repent is to turn away from sinful ways, and toward God’s promise of mercy; to change one’s direction not only for the sake of personal salvation, but also for the sake of restoring relationship with those whom and by whom we have been hurt.

Jonah was sent by God to proclaim God’s judgement on the city of Nineveh for their wickedness. We aren’t actually told what their specific sin was, in Jonah, but the prophet Nahum cries out against Nineveh for their bloodshed and plundering of neighboring nations. In the case of Jonah, the warning was heeded, the people and their king and even their livestock repented in sackcloth so that perhaps God would show them mercy, and they were saved from destruction.

It doesn’t take long to read the whole book of Jonah, it is only 4 brief chapters in length – I recommend reviewing it when you have a few minutes to think about it. But it strikes me that God’s chosen one, Jonah, had more to learn about repentance and following God’s will than did the Ninevite Assyrians, the professed enemies of God’s people. It also strikes me that the story of Jonah, quite literally, has God “fish Jonah” out of the water and save him, just to set him about his initial task again. Talk about “fishing for people.”

Repentance, if the story of Jonah is to be exemplary to us, is not something that we do once and then are done with. Jonah repented, calling out from the belly of the great fish, “deliverance belongs to the Lord!” But when the Lord invoked that very deliverance over Nineveh, Jonah threw a hissy fit, because he just knew God would. Repentance means turning to God again and again and again, every time we become aware of our sinfulness. It means searching out our sins and acknowledging them, rather than ignoring them, dismissing them, turning a blind eye toward them.

Repentance means living in absolute trust that God’s steadfast love is enough to redeem us, no matter the depths of our sins. It means that we pray, with the Paslmist, “For God alone I wait in silence; truly, my hope is in God. God alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold, so that I shall never be shaken. In God is my deliverance and my honor; God is my strong rock and my refuge.”

And repentance has implications, too. It doesn’t mean we’ll never sin again, but rather than we will continue to turn away from sin. It means we’ll try to live in steadfast love for others, just as God’s love for us is steadfast. It means living every relationship as though there is no tomorrow, as though the appointed time has grown short, as though the time has been fulfilled and the kingdom of God is here, as though the present form of this world is passing away and the day of the Lord is at hand.

Every relationship – from parent to child, from foe to friend, from spouse to stranger – every single relationship lived as though each day is our last opportunity to express God’s love to them, to have that net of compassion and care and community cast out over us all once again, and to be drawn in, drawn closer, by God’s love. Not because we must do so to be saved… but because we are saved, and so we must.

This is the good news that we believe, which causes us to repent, turning away from sin and turning toward God – that in Jesus Christ’s call to join him in his journey through life, death, and resurrection, the Kingdom of God indeed comes near to us. Thanks be to God! Amen.

*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 Intercession

Guided by Christ made known to the nations, let us offer our prayers for the church, the world, and all people in need. A brief silence.

For the church throughout the world, for pastors and teachers, for deacons and deaconesses, and for musicians and servers, that all proclaim the good news of God’s reconciling love. For St. John Lutheran in Akron and St. John’s Lutheran in Craig and Pastor Trish Underberg; for St. John Lutheran in Mineola and our leadership; and for the work of pastors and church leaders everywhere, let us pray. Have mercy, O God.

For skies and seas, for birds and fish, for favorable weather and clean water, and for the well-being of creation, that God raise up advocates and scientists to guide our care for all the earth, let us pray. Have mercy, O God.

For those who provide leadership in our cities and around the world, for nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations, for planning commissions and homeless advocates, that God inspire all people in the just use of wealth. For newly inaugurated President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, their families and their staffs as this transition is made, that they would lead with wisdom and compassion, let us pray. Have mercy, O God.

For those who are sick, distressed, or grieving; for the outcast and all who await relief especially residents of long-term care facilities and the homebound, including Carolyn Plumer, Albert and Elva Roenfeld, Calvin Deitchler, Rose Kahl, Jean Goos, Gerald and Janet Jones, and all who are in need; Harper Griffin, Jillian and baby Dean Kahl, Randy Williams, that in the midst of suffering, God’s peace and mercy surround them, let us pray. Have mercy, O God.

For our congregation and community, for families big and small, for our Preschool teachers and students, for our neighbors and friends, that God’s steadfast love serve as a model for all relationships, let us pray. Have mercy, O God.

In thanksgiving for our ancestors in the faith whose lives serve as an example of gospel living, that they point us to salvation through Christ, let us pray. Have mercy, O God.

Merciful God, hear the prayers of your people, spoken or silent, for the sake of the one who dwells among us, your Son, Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

Peace The peace of the Lord be with you always. And also with you.Share a word or a sign of peace with those around you, or send a virtual greeting of peace to someone you’re thinking of.

THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving for the WordPraise 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.

Lord’s Prayer

Gathered together by the Holy Spirit, we pray as Jesus taught us: (spoken quietly)

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.

Sending

Blessing

God the creator strengthen you; Jesus the beloved fill you;

and the Holy Spirit the comforter ☩ keep you in peace. Amen.

Sending Song“Jesus Call Us O’er the Tumult”#696

Those at home may sing along. Those in-person, please listen and meditate on the words as one person sings.

Public domain

DismissalGo in peace. Be the light of Christ. Thanks be to God.

Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Service adapted from Evangelical Lutheran Worship © 2006. All rights reserved.And/or from Sundays and Seasons.com. © 2020 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved.

Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #46263.

“We Are Marching in the Light of God” Tr. and arr. © 1984 Utryck, admin. Walton Music Corp.All rights reserved. Used by permission through from ONE LICENSE, License #731513-A.

Permission to stream music in this service obtained

from ONE LICENSE, License #731513-A. All rights reserved.

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