THE VINE PRODUCES FRUIT IN HIS BRANCHES Fifth Sunday of Easter May 2, 2021 LUTHERAN CHURCH | Tucson, Arizona

SEASON OF EASTER After forty days of repentance and prayer, the Church bursts forth in jubilant praise at the Resurrection of our Lord. The alleluias and glorias which were muted for Lent ring out again as the Bride of welcomes her Bridegroom back from the dead. Easter is the pinnacle of the Church Year, the oldest festival and season celebrated by the worshipping Church. For a full week-of- weeks (49 days) the Church celebrates the resurrection of Christ on the Sundays of Easter which culminate on the 50th day, Pentecost. FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER Researches have been studying church attendance trends for more than a century. While the data ebbs and fows, one item consistently ranks at or near the top of every list as to why guests return to a parish to worship. Can you guess what it is (hint: music does not make the top 10)? The answer is, "They made me feel welcomed." Here's the kicker: people know whether they will return BEFORE the service ever starts! People are often shocked to learn this. Really, there's nothing shocking or complicated about it. When Christians love, it's attractive. People want to be part of that! If you visited a church where you didn't feel the Christian love, would we blame you for not returning? As Paul taught the Corinthians, "But eagerly desire the greater gifts. The greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 12:31, 13:13). Today's worship makes that point repeatedly. "...let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth" (1 John 3:18). The parishioners in Acts loved so demonstrably that no one had any need; they shared generously. That love is a natural outfowing of our connection to Christ which identifed with his famous metaphor, "I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit. Apart from me, you can do nothing" (John 15:5). Christian love cannot be faked or manufactured. It is a real and natural outgrowth of our connection to Christ. The deeper our faith, the bigger our love. That also means that when you see authentic Christian love, you really see Christ living and acting through his believing child. Love. Let it grow! God bless your worship.

SERVING IN WORSHIP Preacher Pastor Mueller Presiding Minister Vicar Eric Zabel Organist/Pianist Rachel Casmer Choir Directed by: Andrew Vagts Media Technicians 8:00am: Leigh Webster; 10:45am: Volunteer needed Lead Ushers 8:00am: Charlie Weinstein; 10:45am: Clyde Brumfeld 2 Cover artwork by Ian M. Welch. © 2021 Ian M. Welch.All Rights Reserved. [paramentics.com] † ORDER OF SERVICE †

Greeting and welcome

OPENING HYMN Christ Is With Me | 761 Choir sings stanza 1 and refrain. Congregation joins in singing stanzas 2-3 and refrains.

3 Please stand.

INVOCATION1

M: In the name of the Father and of the Son ✠ and of the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen.

CONFESSION OF SINS

M: Dear friends, let us approach God with a true heart and confess our sins, asking him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to forgive us.

C: Lord of life, I confess that I am by nature dead in sin. For faithless worrying and selfsh pride, For sins of habit and sins of choice, For the evil I have done and the good I have failed to do, You should cast me away from your presence forever. O Lord, I am sorry for my sins. Forgive me, for Jesus’ sake.

ABSOLUTION2

M: Christ was born. Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. In his great mercy, God made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in our sins. Hear the word of Christ through his called servant:

I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son ✠ and of the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen.

M: In the peace of , let us praise the Lord.

1The name of the triune God and the sign of the cross remind worshipers of their .

2 The use of the keys is that special power and right which Christ gave to his church on earth: to forgive the sins of penitent sinners” [The Small Catechism, First: What is the use of the keys?]. See John 20:21-23. 4 COME, OH, COME, LET US SING TO THE LORD Venite The Congregation will sing the Venite in unison.

5 The Word

PRAYER OF THE DAY M: O God, you form the minds of your faithful people into a single will. Make us love what you command and desire what you promise, that among the many changes of this world, our hearts may ever yearn for the lasting joys of ; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: Amen.

Please be seated.

FIRST READING Acts 4:32-37 Love unites.

32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34 There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. 36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), 37 sold a feld he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

M: The Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God.

6 PSALM OF THE DAY In the Morning I Will Sing | Psalm 63 Choir sings frst refrain and verses. Congregation repeats frst refrain and sings remaining refrains.

O God, you are my God; for you I long; for you my soul is thirsting. My body pines for you like a dry, weary land without water. So I gaze on you in the sanctuary to see your strength and your glory. Refrain

For your love is better than life, my lips will speak your praise. So I will bless you all my life, in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul shall be flled as with a banquet, my mouth shall praise you with joy. Refrain

On my bed I remember you. On you I muse through the night, for you have been my help; in the shadow of your wings I rejoice. My soul clings to you; your right hand holds me fast. Refrain

Please stand.

7 John 15:1-8 The vine and the branches.

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fre and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

M: The Gospel of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

Please be seated.

HYMN OF THE DAY In Christ Alone | 752

8 9 SERMON 1 John 3:18-24 Love with actions and in truth.

18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19 This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20 whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confdence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

Exceeding the Love Limit

Please stand.

NICENE CREED We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us, and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and became fully human. For our sake he was crucifed under Pontius Pilate. He suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorifed, who has spoken through the prophets.

10 We believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Please be seated.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH M: Dear Lord Jesus, your Father planted you in this world to show us his perfect love.

C: You are the vine and we are the branches.

M: Because of your great love, you became the atoning sacrifce for our sins.

C: Since you loved us in this way, grant that we might also bear spiritual fruit.

M: Branches rooted in love must bear fruit of love. Just so, Christians rooted in Christ must show love in action.

C: You have given the command for us to love as you have loved us.

M: Yet we have not loved others as we should. We have broken our promises to love them.

C: Faith without deeds is dead. When we speak in love but act selfshly, we deserve to be cut off from you and thrown into the eternal fre.

M: But you forgive sinners like us because of your great love. Give us hearts like yours so that we are willing to make sacrifces for the sake of our families, our friends, and even our enemies.

C: Encourage us by your great love. Let us show love to the people in our lives simply because it is who we are.

M: Motivate us with your gospel. Nourish our faith so that showing love and restraining selfshness comes naturally. Give us hearts that go out for others.

C: Therefore, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

Special prayers and intercessions may follow.

M: Hear us, Lord, as we bring you our private petitions.

Silent prayer.

M: God of love, apart from you we can do nothing. By your , keep us planted in love and truth.

C: You have shown us how to love. Now we pray that the love we show our neighbors refects the love you have given to us and to the world. Amen.

11 LORD’S PRAYER Our Father in heaven as we forgive those hallowed be your name, who sin against us. your kingdom come, Lead us not into temptation, your will be done but deliver us from evil. on earth as in heaven. For the kingdom, the power, Give us today our daily bread. and the glory are yours Forgive us our sins, now and forever. Amen.

Please stand.

The

M: The Lord be with you.

C: And also with you.

M: Lift up your hearts.

C: We lift them up to the Lord.

M: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

C: It is good and right so to do.

M: It is truly good and right that we should at all times and in all places give you thanks, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, and we praise you especially for the glorious resurrection of your Son, the true Passover Lamb, who by his sacrifce took away the sins of the world and by his resurrection restored everlasting life. Therefore, with all the on earth and hosts of heaven, we praise your holy name and join their glorious song:

CANTICLE Holy, Holy, Holy Sanctus

12

WORDS OF INSTITUTION M: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my ✠ body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; this is my ✠ blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

The peace of the Lord be with you always.

C: Amen.

CANTICLE O Christ, Lamb of God Agnus Dei

C: � O Christ, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us. O Christ, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us. O Christ, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; grant us your peace. Amen.

13 Please be seated.

DISTRIBUTION In keeping with the Bible's teaching on Holy Communion, Redeemer celebrates the sacrament with her members and those who belong to her church body, the WELS. If you are not yet a member of Redeemer or WELS, please speak with one of our pastors before communing.

Please stand.

THANKSGIVING Song of Simeon Nunc Dimittis

14 M: Blessed Lord, you have given us your Holy Scriptures for our learning. May we so hear them, read, learn, and take them to heart, that being strengthened and comforted by your holy Word, we may cling to the blessed hope of everlasting life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: Amen.

BLESSING M: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look on you with his favor and ✠ give you peace.

C: Amen

Please be seated.

CLOSING HYMN Sing to the Lord of Harvest | 614:1,3

15 ❖ Please reserve the pews in the back of the church for families with small children.

❖ Restrooms are located in the entrance area of the church.

❖ A quiet room with a window is available in the entrance area of the church and ofers live audio of the service and is equipped with chairs and a changing table. Parents may also use this room to calm a restless child.

❖ If you would like to know more about Redeemer, visit redeemertucson.com or contact Pastor Mueller.

www.redeemertucson.com - (520) 572-8136 [email protected] Pastor Adam Mueller – [email protected] Redeemer Lutheran Church 8845 N Silverbell Road - Tucson, AZ 85743 VICAR ERIC ZABELL - [email protected]