Sixth Sunday of Easter                                                                       May 25, 2003

SALEM  EVANGELICAL  LUTHERAN  CHURCH

10   McClellan  Circle  -  Buffalo, New York

Phone:  824-2787

e-mail: salemoncircle@yahoo.com

Rev. David F. C. Wurster, Ph.D.  -  Pastor  -  825-3253

Rev. Richard E. Blemaster, Pastor Emeritus

Sunday School & Bible Classes  .  .  .  .  9:00 a.m.

Worship  .  .  .  .  10:30 a.m.

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ORDER  OF  WORSHIP

G A T H E R I N G

PRELUDE

HYMN – “God Bless Our Native Land”                                                    LW 497

INVOCATION

CONFESSION  AND  ABSOLUTION

Pastor:     The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has

               glorified His servant Jesus, who was handed over to die, disowned, and

               murdered.

People:    We are guilty at times of disowning Jesus, the Holy and Righteous

               One.  On account of our sin, the author of life has been killed.

                   (Acts 3:13, 14)

Pastor:     Repent, then, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, that

               times of refreshing may come from the Lord.

People:    We confess before God and before one another our sins and

               iniquities that have caused offense and deserve God’s temporal

               and eternal punishment.  We repent of our grievous faults and

               plead for God’s abundant mercy and grace, for the sake of the

               holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Jesus the Christ.

(Silence for personal reflection and confession)

Pastor:     Times of refreshing have come!  God has raised up a Prophet, His Son,

               Jesus, and forgives our sins.  Therefore, as a called and ordained

               servant of the Word, I announce the grace of God to all of you, and in

               the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you

               all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the

               Holy Spirit.

People:    Amen.  Now may the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God

               of our fathers, glorify His servant Jesus in our speech and action.

 

INTROIT  AND  GLORIA  PATRIE – (insert) – said by all

KYRIE & HYMN OF PRAISE – “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise”    LW 451

COLLECT  OF  THE  DAY – read by all (insert)

T H E    W O R D

FIRST  READING – (insert)  -                                                        Acts 11:19-30

GRADUAL – (insert  -  read by all)

EPISTLE  -  (insert)                                                                           1 John 4:1-11

            VERSE                                                                                          page 164

GOSPEL  -  (insert)                                                                            John 15:9-17

HYMN  OF  THE  DAY – “Earth and All Stars”  (insert)

SERMON – John 15:9-17 – “Love – The Point of Commandments”

CREED – “Come, O Almighty King”                                                       LW 169

THE  PEACE  OF  THE  LORD  AND  GREETINGS

OFFERING

OFFERATORY – “America the Beautiful”  -  (insert)

S E N D I N G

PRAYERS  FOR  TODAYS  NEEDS  AND  MISSIONS

            (Leader:  Lord in Your mercy;

              Congregation:  “Hear  our  prayer”

LORD’S  PRAYER                                                                                  page 176

BENEDICTION

HYMN – “The Strife Is O’er, the Battle Done”                                          LW 143

POSTLUDE

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ASSISTANTS  IN  TODAY’S  WORSHIP

Officiant  .  .  .  Rev. David F. C. Wurster                                    Lector  .  .  .  Sheree Krol

Organist  .  .  .   Barbara Bartholomew                             Prayer Leader  .  .  .  Sheree Krol

Acolytes  .  .  .   Kristen Ball & Justin Karter  

Welcomers  .  .  Claire Carlson & Elinor Jentsch

Ushers  .  .  .  .   Frederick  Bartz  Jr.,   David  Carlson,  Mark  Thomas,  Paul  Thomas Jr.,

                          Chuck  Yung

Altar  .  .  .  .  .   Mary Bartz, Claire Carlson, Leola Colvin

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WELCOME  -  To all who have joined us.  Please sign our guest book and come again.

SICK  -  Karen Kopta; Carl Carlson; Beatrice Walczak

 

BIRTHDAY  -  Florence Sheppard’s 101^st this Thursday.

ANNIVERSARY  -  Mark & Barbara Miller’s 20^th this Wednesday.

DEATH  -  Emma Jasinski (wife of William Jasinski), died Monday, May 19, 2003.  Funeral: on Thursday, May 22, 2003, in Hillcrest Cemetery Chapel, Hamburg, N. Y. by Pastor Wurster.  Our sympathy and prayers to the family of Emma.

FLOWERS  -  The centerpiece is given by Roy & Deann Sheppard in honor of mother, Florence Sheppard’s 101^st birthday, May 29 . . . and the two sidepieces are given by Marjorie Baske and family in memory of husband/father, Irving R. Baske.

THIS  -  Mon.  -  MEMORIAL  DAY  (office closed); Tues.  -  1:30, Bible

WEEK   Study;  Wed.  -  NO CHOIR REHEARSAL;  Thurs.  -  9:30, Bible

              Study.

MILITARY  PERSONNEL  - Mark Banas (grandson of Shirley Banas and brother of Melissa Banas);  Daniel Berner (grandson of Delores Landwehr); William Colvin III (grandson of William & Leola Colvin); Bradley Kelly & Sean Kelly (grandsons of Wilson & Doris Baker);  Richard Lafferty (grandson of Delores Landwehr); Paul Landwehr Jr. (son of Paul Sr. & Sue Landwehr); Justin LeBlanc (son of Norman & Gloria LeBlanc); Michael Reiter (son of Erika Bruenn, and brother of Bernie & Emily Bruenn); Gary Ross (son of Lorraine Ross and brother of Judy Hoffmann and Laura Karter); Martin See (nephew of Dennis & Sharon Croston).

OFFERING  UPDATE  -  Weekly current collected May 18, 2003 - $2,031.60;

              Weekly current needed - $3,535.75;  Weekly attendance – 108

Next Sunday we will accept a special offering for the Eastern District Scholarship Fund.  Over the past 30 years, our district has provided more than $760,000 in scholarship aid to help almost 400 students prepare to become pastors, teachers, and other professional church workers in our churches, schools, and agencies.  Our participation in this offering will continue that tradition and help it to expand.

LANDSCAPING  -  Men, women & youth volunteers needed for planting flowers, shrubs, & grass seed around the church this Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to ?  Contact Fred Bartz Jr. TODAY, if you are interested. (Bring your garden tools and wheelbarrows.)  Pizza lunch will be provided.

STRAWBERRY  SOCIAL  -  Sunday, June 15, 2003 after worship.  Tickets available now from Renee Richards and Kim Alessi - $3.00 – adults; 2-5:$1.50; under 2 free.

WOMEN’S  GUILD  -  Salad  Bar/Penny  Sale,   Wednesday,   June 11,  12:00 noon;   tickets: $6.00 may be purchased from Shirley Wilke.  Please bring clean items for the sale.  Example:  hand lotion, cake and cookie mixes, knick-knacks, etc.  Mark items  “Women’s Guild/Penny Sale” and put in the kitchen before Tuesday, June 10^th.  We will gladly accept donations from anyone, not just Guild members.

WOMEN  -  Of Grace Lutheran Church, McKinley & Newton St., Hamburg, NY invite

                     Salem ladies to join them for a Salad Supper, Thursday, June 5, 6:00 p.m.  Program: “Decorating Can Be Fun For Everybody.”  Please bring a salad and $3.00 donation.  RSVP by Friday, May 30 to 649-6581 (9 a.m. to 12 noon).

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CELEBRATIONS  THIS  WEEK

BIRTHDAYS:  Today  -  Gretel Kaiser; Sue Gifford;  Mon.  -  Sally McAlpine; 

                          Tues.  -  Melvin Beyers;  Wed.  -  Frederick Bartz Jr.;  Thurs.  -  Florence Sheppard, William Strobele Sr.;  Fri.  -  Heather Krol, Carrie Radtke;  Sat.  -  Mary Ann Gerwitz.

ANNIVERSARIES:  Today  -  Ken & Joanne Kushka;  Tues.  -  Paul Sr. & Karen

                                   Hooftallen;  Wed.  -  Mark & Barbara Miller;  Thurs.  -  Stephen Sr. & Cherrie Jarmusz.

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“EARTH  AND  ALL  STARS”

1.   Earth and all stars!  Loud rushing planets!  Sing to the Lord a new

            song!

      Oh, victory!  Loud shouting army!  Sing to the Lord a new song!

      REFRAIN:  He has done marvelous things.  I too will praise him

                            with a new song!

2.   Hail, wind, and rain!  Loud blowing snowstorm!  Sing to the Lord

            a new song!

      Flowers and trees!  Loud rustling dry leaves!  Sing to the Lord a

            new song!       REFRAIN

3.   Trumpet and pipes!  Loud clashing cymbals!  Sing to the Lord a

            new song! 

      Harp, lute, and lyre!  Loud humming cellos!  Sing

            to the Lord a new song!     REFRAIN

4.   Engines and steel!  Loud pounding hammers!  Sing to the Lord a

            new song! 

      Limestone and beams!  Loud building workers!  Sing

            to the Lord a new song!     REFRAIN

5.   Classrooms and labs!  Loud boiling test tubes!  Sing to the Lord a

            new song! 

      Athlete and band!  Loud cheering people!  Sing to the Lord a new

            song!               REFRAIN

6.   Knowledge and truth!  Loud sounding wisdom!  Sing to the Lord a

            new song! 

      Daughter and son!  Loud praying members!  Sing to the Lord a

            new song!     REFRAIN

7.   Children of God, dying and rising, Sing to the Lord a new song!

        Heaven and earth, hosts everlasting, Sing to the Lord a new song!    REFRAIN

“AMERICA,  THE  BEAUTIFUL”

 

1.   O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain,

      For purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain!

      America!  America!  God shed His grace on thee,

      And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.

2.   O beautiful for pilgrim feet, whose stern, impassioned stress

      A thoroughfare for freedom beat across the wilderness!

      America!  America!  God mend thine every flaw,

      Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law.

3.   O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife,

      Who more than self their country loved, and mercy more than life!

      America!  America!  May God thy gold refine,

      Till all success be nobleness, and every gain divine.

4.   O beautiful for patriot dream that sees beyond the years

      Thine alabaster cities gleam, undimmed by human tears!

      America!  America!  God shed His grace on thee,

      And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.