“I Am the Resurrection and the Life. Those Who Believe in Me, Even Though They Die, Will Live, and Everyone Who Lives and Believes in Me Will Never Die.”

“I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.”

June 20, 2021 9:30 Worship Fourth Sunday of Pentecost

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church “Participating in God’s mission of life” 7104 - 39th Avenue Kenosha, WI 53142

We are a Reconciling in Christ Congregation (All are welcome here) Email: [email protected] Phone 262-694-5050

The mission of God is life. Hope replaces despair. Faith replaces fear. Life replaces death. How are you participating in God’s mission of life?

WELCOME AM: Welcome and good morning to you. Trinity is a Reconciling in Christ congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. We welcome and affirm all persons into the life of our faith community and extend a special welcome to those watching who are new to our faith community. We invite you to explore our ministries by visiting our website at trinitykenosha.org, or contacting Pastor Tom by email at [email protected]. For those present in the sanctuary, you are invited to speak the responses, stand as directed, and hum to the music but please refrain from singing. Welcome to worship. GATHERING SONG

♫ Thine The Amen ……………………………………… Hymn 826 Thine the amen thine the praise alleluias angels raise Thine the everlasting head thine the breaking of the bread Thine the glory thine the story thine the harvest then the cup Thine the vineyard then the cup is lifted up, lifted up.

Thine the life eternally, thine the promise let there be Thine the vision thine the tree, all the earth on bended knee. Gone the nailing, gone the railing, gone the pleading, goe the cry. Gone the sighing, gone the dying, what was loss lifted high.

Thine the truly, thine the yes, thine the table we the guest. Thine the mercy all from thee, thine the glory yet to be Then the ringing and the singing, then the end of all the war Thine the living, thine the loving, evermore, evermore.

Thine the kingdom, thine the prize, thine the wonder full surprise Thine the banquet then the praise, then the justice of thy ways. Thine the glory, thine the story, then the welcome to the least Then the wonder all increasing, at thy feast, at thy feast. Thine the glory in the night, no more dying only light. Thine the river thine the tree, then the Lamb eternally, Then the holy, holy, holy, celebration jubilee. Thine the splendor, thine the brightness, only thee, only thee.

A Confessional Litany and Lament Commemorating Nine Who Were Slain at Mother Emanuel AME Church They were doing what we are called to as they engaged in bible study. It was Wednesday night— a stranger walked in, and these people welcomed him and prayed together: the Rev. Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, Cynthia Marie Graham Hurd, Susie Jackson, Ethel Lee Lance, the Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor, Tywanza Kibwe Diop Sanders, the Rev. Daniel Lee Simmons, the Rev. Myra Singleton Quarles Thompson, and the honorable state senator and pastor of the church, the Rev. Clementa C. Pinckney.

This stranger wanted to ignite a “race war,” he said, after he shot and killed them, denying them the very humanity he claimed for himself, claiming rights and privileges associated with “whiteness.” Now we are grieved, once again in pain, burning and anguished, lamenting the horror of evil unleashed. And so we cry out, All: Have mercy, O God, have mercy on us.

Sorrow and heartache have come to us. Death and mourning have visited us. We feel far from you, O God, and distant from one another. And so we cry out, All: Have mercy, O God, have mercy on us.

Evil besets us in our land. We acknowledge that our nation is socialized in ways that promote and normalize colonialization. We cry out against the horrors and agonies of racism. And so we cry out, All: Have mercy, O God, have mercy on us. The privileged of our nation have benefited from practices that dehumanize indigenous peoples. We have claimed as “discovery” lands that were not ours. These lands have been stolen and the nations, that were the original occupants of these lands, slain. And so we cry out, All: Have mercy, O God, have mercy on us.

Tribalism has led to the denial of your presence, O God. Present generations, the children whose ancestors were kidnapped and sold into slavery, those forced to labor not on their own behalf, still suffer and struggle to live in freedom while the children of colonizers, live out of “white privilege,” denying the fullness of your presence in all people. And so we cry out, All: Have mercy, O God, have mercy on us.

Assaults born of greed and murder continue propping up white privilege that is institutionalized in our church and nation, preventing us from recognizing the twin evils of racism and nationalism still perpetuated among us. And so we cry out, All: Have mercy, O God, have mercy on us.

Open our eyes, O God, open our hearts. Open our ears, O God, open our minds. Help us to behold one another as you behold us. Help us to be more firmly rooted in the practices of the gospel—so that, when we pray, the way we live will make real the dream of your beloved community within and among us. And so we cry out, All: Have mercy, O God, have mercy on us.

With the help of your mercy and grace, lead us to think, believe, and change. May your gospel’s transforming power by the working of the Holy Spirit be present in us, in our churches, in our nation and all the nations of the earth. May it be so. And the people said, “Amen.” All: Amen.

PRAYER OF THE DAY AM: Let us pray together the Prayer of the Day. Loving Shepherd, C: ...We rely on you for everything we need. It is a gift that we cannot have it all or do it alone. For that, we offer thanks. Amen.

WORD AM: Let us pray... Gracious God, we do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from you. Bless Linda Dubaniewicz, who will read to us the scripture. Make us hunger for the Word of life, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

L: Through the proclaimed word of God, the Holy Spirit moves to instill and deepen faith. A reading from 2 Corinthians. (2 Corinthians 3:1-12) 3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Surely we do not need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you or from you, do we? 2 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all; 3 and you show that you are a letter of Christ, prepared by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God, 6 who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7 Now if the ministry of death, chiseled in letters on stone tablets, came in glory so that the people of Israel could not gaze at Moses’ face because of the glory of his face, a glory now set aside, 8 how much more will the ministry of the Spirit come in glory? 9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, much more does the ministry of justification abound in glory! 10 Indeed, what once had glory has lost its glory because of the greater glory; 11 for if what was set aside came through glory, much more has the permanent come in glory! 12 Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness.

L: Word of God, word of life. C: Thanks be to God. GOSPEL ACCLAMATION L: The Gospel Acclamation welcomes the gospel and prepares our hearts to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. ♫ (Setting 10 Gospel Acclamation) Alleluia! Lord and Savior: open now your saving word. Let it burn like fire within us; speak until our hearts are stirred. Alleluia! Lord, we sing for the good news that you bring. A reading from the gospel of John (John 11:21-37) 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.” 28 When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34 He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus began to weep. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” L: The gospel of the Lord. C: Praise to you, O Christ. SERMON Pastor Tom A moment of silence follows to allow the Holy Spirit to instill and deepen faith in Jesus Christ. HYMN OF THE DAY ♫Jonah’s Song In my trouble, in my trouble I cried out to the Lord, my God, and, Lord, you heard me, yes, you heard me; from the depths you heard my cry. Though the water swirled around me, though the deep waves thundered o’er me, Lord, you saved me, yes, you saved me. You would not let your servant die.

I was sinking, I was sinking in the darkness to the ocean floor, and, Lord, you heard me, yes, you heard me; from the depths you heard my cry. When my prayer came to your temple, you stretched out your mighty hand. Lord, you saved me, yes, you saved me. You would not let your servant die. Those who worship worthless idols will never know the grace of God, but, Lord, you heard me, yes, you heard me; from the depths you heard my cry. With a song of high thanksgiving I will sacrifice to God. Lord, you saved me, yes, you saved me. You would not let your servant die.

LITANY OF LAMENT P: Eternal God, your knowledge of us is perfect - the situations we face, the decisions we make, our motives, our passions, our losses. Today, we recall our losses and raise our lament to you. We bring to mind beloved persons and experiences Covid-19 has affected or taken from us: ● Friends and loved ones who have died and those who bear the ongoing pain of Covid’s attack on their bodies. ● Family gatherings celebrating life’s most precious milestones: births and birthdays, graduations, weddings, anniversaries, retirements, funerals and memorials. ● Beloved members in care homes and those hospitalized left isolated from the personal touch of loved ones for months on end. ● Job opportunities and careers derailed by business closures and shut downs. ● The communal pain and confusion of an increased awareness of racial inequity and injustice. ● Relationships strained or lost by the politicization of healthy responses to the pandemic. ● The losses of our life together as a faith community: the closure of Four Seasons and their care for persons with dementia. An emerging ministry with Carthage College. The impact on our once thriving Sunday School and children’s ministry. The loss of members who have chosen to worship elsewhere or not at all and other laments that weigh heavy on our hearts. (after a pause, leader continues) Hear our confession, O Lord:

ALL: We confess that the pain of our losses causes us to turn inward. Centered on self, we have injured others by neglecting their cries for justice, for assistance, for compassion. We judge others for failing to meet our expectations. Forgive us, save us, heal us. Amen.

P: Beloved children of God, the Lord hears your cries and answers you: I AM the great I AM. Was it not I who spoke all of creation into existence? Who placed the stars in the sky and the waters in the deep? Who formed humankind in My likeness and breathed the breath of life into them? I AM the One who rescued Israel from slavery and defeated death through the cross. I have heard your lament and come to your aid offering mercy, forgiveness and healing. Through Christ, you are my beloved. I AM with you always freeing you from your grief to live a life of hope and joy as you participate in my mission of life for the world.

ALL: We give you our thanks and praise, O God, for hearing our lament and forgiving our sins. Through your healing power, we affirm our baptismal calling to work for justice, care for the poor and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

♫Blessed Assurance, verse 2 ………………………….…… Hymn 638 Perfect submission, perfect delight, visions of rapture now burst on my sight; Angels descending bring from above echoes of mercy, whispers of love. This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long: This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH AM: Please take a moment to text prayer concerns to 262-287-8098

AM: With the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, let us pray for the church, those in need, and all of God’s creation. Each portion of the prayers ends with these words: Loving Shepherd,...“Hear our prayer”

AM: We have a guardian unlike any other in you, O God. Ease our anxiety and restore our souls with the stillness of your constant presence. Loving Shepherd, C: Hear our prayer.

AM: You have made enough green pastures and restoring waters for all to enjoy, O God, but too often we hoard, pillage, and destroy what does not belong to us alone. Expand our hearts to hold and guard your whole creation, that all creatures might truly enjoy your blessings. Loving Shepherd, C: Hear our prayer.

AM: As the season of summer storms visits us once again, steer us through the driving winds, drenching rains and rising waters that we might emerge safely on the other side. Move us to share our plenty with others who have lost homes, property or loved ones to disaster. Loving Shepherd, C: Hear our prayer.

P: Anoint our heads with your healing oil, and offer to all who suffer your overflowing cup of healing. We pray especially for... Loving Shepherd, C: Hear our prayer.

AM: Dwelling in your house are all your faithful ones, from every time and place. Join us all together as one big flock of your beloved children. Loving Shepherd, C: Hear our prayer.

P: (Here other petitions are offered.) Loving Shepherd, C: Hear our prayer.

AM: There is nothing left to want. There is nothing left to fear. We offer you our prayers and you hear them without judgment. Restore our souls again, O Lord. Amen.

PEACE AM: The peace of the Lord be with you all. C: And also with you. AM: If you are gathered with friends or family, share a word of peace with one another.

OFFERING AM: During this season of “together while apart” your financial gifts given to the glory of God are especially precious and needed. There are three ways to give: 1. Mail a check to Trinity, 7104 - 39th Avenue, Kenosha, WI 53142 2. Text a dollar amount with dollar sign (i.e. $20) to: 262-429-9785 3. Select the “Giving” button on our homepage, www.trinitykenosha.org

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING AM: 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.

SENDING ANNOUNCEMENTS AND HAPPENINGS - Pastor Tom

GREAT THANKSGIVING The Lord be with you. C: And also with you. Lift up your hearts. C: We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. C: It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God, through our Savior Jesus Christ. Fulfilling the promise of the resurrection, you pour out the fire of your Spirit, uniting in one body people of every nation and tongue. And so, with Mary Magdalene and Peter and all the witnesses of the resurrection, with earth and sea and all their creatures, and with angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

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. O God of resurrection and new life: Pour out your Holy Spirit on us and on these gifts of bread and wine. Bless this feast. Grace our table with your presence. C: Come, Holy Spirit.

With your Holy Ones of all times and places, we praise you, O God, blessed and holy Trinity, now and forever. C: Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER AM: As we pray together the Lord’s Prayer, please use the version that best nurtures your faith. Our Father in heaven, hallowed Our Father who art in heaven, be your name, your Kingdom hallowed be thy name, thy come, your will be done, on kingdom come, thy will be done, earth as in heaven. Give us on earth as it is in heaven. Give today our daily bread. Forgive us this day our daily bread; and us our sins, as we forgive those forgive us our trespasses, as we who sin against us. Save us forgive those who trespass from the time of trial and against us; and lead us not into deliver us from evil. For the temptation, but deliver us from kingdom, the power, and the evil. For thine is the kingdom, glory are yours, now and and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. forever and ever. Amen

P: Blessed are you, O God, ruler of heaven and earth. Day by day you shower us with blessings. As you have raised us to new life in Christ, give us glad and generous hearts, ready to praise you and to respond to those in need, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. ALL: Amen.

BLESSING P: Almighty God, Father +Son and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever. Amen. C: Thanks be to God!

SENDING HYMN ♫ You Alone Can Rescue Redman, Myrin Who, O Lord, could save themselves? Their own soul could heal Our shame was deeper than the sea, Your grace is deeper still.

Who, O Lord, could save themselves? Their own soul could heal Our shame was deeper than the sea, Your grace is deeper still.

You alone can rescue; You alone can save, You alone can lift us from the grave. You came down to find us, led us out of death; To You alone belongs the highest praise.

You, O Lord, have made a way, The great divide you heal. For when our hearts were far away, Your love went further still. Yes, your love goes further still.

You alone can rescue; You alone can save, You alone can lift us from the grave. You came down to find us, led us out of death; To You alone belongs the highest praise. To You alone belongs the highest praise. To You alone belongs the highest praise.

We lift up our eyes, lift up our eyes; You’re the giver of life. We lift up our eyes, lift up our eyes; You’re the giver of life. (4x)

DISMISSAL AM: Go. The Holy Spirit will lead and guide you. C: Thanks be to God!