Fifth Sunday of Easter The Lihu’e Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hawai’i Ka Hale Pule 'O Na Lahui Apau . Church Of All Peoples . Hele Pu Makou me Iesu Kristo . .Walking Together With Christ May 2, 2021 2 The Lihu’e Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hawai’i 4602 Ho’omana Road, Lihue, HI 96766 The Rev. Dr. JP Paxton Rhonda Pabo, Organist Clyde Miller, Lector Church: (808) 245-2145 Fax: (808) 246-8626 E-Mail: [email protected] Website: lihuelutheranchurch.com Welcome to Our Guests It is always a joy to share our faith and worship with people visiting from around the world. Please know your presence and participation in our service is most appreciated. At Lihue Lu- theran we celebrate Holy Communion at every service. You are certainly welcome in joining us as our Lord comes to us in this holy meal. Prayer Concerns Please remember these people in your prayers during the week: Sally Rasay, Linda Garrett, Stan Weeks, Ronnie Pacheco, Pagatpatan ohana, Villanueva ohana, Geronimo ohana, David Gragg, Joe Morgan, Zosimo and Virginia Austria, Karen Kinoshita, Jake Whisenhunt, Rick Rentz, Stan Weeks, Judy Hoffman, Norman Dibble, Kazue Zaima, Virginia Hines-Aflague, John Mattek, Girald II (Bobby Girald’s son), Kristie Schmid (Tony’s sister), Lolli Hagen, Abraham Torres, Sr., Kristy Kahananui, Sonny Koerte, Uncle Joe, Mallory Rodriguez, Steve Schantz, Pe- ter Alisna, Tirzah Pope, Pastor Matthew Weber, Joyce Anglemyer, Stephen Shioi, Peggy Hood, Jason Shimono, Richard Rasay, Nancy Nelson (formely Mandell), Karen & Patrick Pavao, Ed- ward Rasay, Karen Richards (friend of Nancy Mandell), Marcos Larson (Liedeke’s son), Dora Jane Rowell, Franklin Parraga, Penny Parraga, Leticia Ancog (Kurt Javinar’s sister), Yvonne Shinseki, Al Dressler (Larry’s Father), Shirley Hallman (Denese Alcott’s Mother), Mercy Balles- teros, Mike LaBerge, Anna Marie & Phil Croghan, Judy Carlson, Caroline Johnson, Sheila Belarmino, Ray Roderick, The Church Council, and leaders in the ELCA. If you have additional prayer requests, please let the church office know. “Ask it in my name . .” Mahalo for your love. Remembering Our Military As we gather for worship, please remember those serving us in the military, and the families of our Hawai’i National Guard. These names have been given by loved ones and family members: Navy – TJ, Javinar, Kristian Matsumoto, Coast Guard - Brian Rodriguez, Navy - Kiana Alisna, Coast Guard - Ke’ale Renta Army - Jason Lumacad, Levi Fajardo: Air Force - Steven Javinar, Ikaika Fajardo, Army - Brandon Perkinson, Drew Cox, Tony Garton: National Guard - Benji Mac- Kenzie, Eddie Resinto, Fred Casticimo, Philip Kamakea, Anthony Y. Torres, Master Sgt. If you know of someone you would like added to our prayer list, please advise the church office. 3 Introduction This Sunday’s image of how the risen Christ shares his life with us is the image of the vine. Christ the vine and we the branches are alive in each other, in the mystery of mutual abiding described in the gospel and the first letter of John. Baptism makes us a part of Christ’s living and life-giving self and makes us alive with Christ’s life. As the vine brings food to the branches, Christ feeds us at his table. We are sent out to bear fruit for the life of the world. Overview Connected For Life A parent stands at the bus stop on the first day of school with a kindergarten student. Another parent lingers in the doorway of a first-year dorm after unloading the final box from the car. These parents are entering new times they will not be present to help their children make some important life choices, and words of advice slip from their lips—eat your sandwich before your dessert, share with others, don’t drink and drive, remember who you are. After years of prepara- tion, their children step toward greater independence. Jesus lingers with the disciples before his death and prepares them for the time when he will no longer be present day to day to help them make their way in the world. Words slip from his mouth: “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). These are difficult words as the disci- ples try to make sense of Jesus’ impending death and the promise of his continued presence. “Apart from me you can do nothing” may also be a difficult word for a self-reliant, individualistic culture such as our own, focused on personal achievement and success. God is the vine grow- er, Jesus the vine, and we the branches, who, separated from the life-giving vine, can do noth- ing. Yet, these are gracious, gospel words from Jesus. He’s been preparing his disciples for years to take this step. These are words that point not toward individualistic, self-reliant independence but toward dependence on the one whose life defies death and whose perfect love casts out all fear. Connected to the vine, these branches are given a death-defying life free from fear. These are gracious, gospel words from Jesus that point to a community nourished by this life-giving vine and bearing fruit for the sake of the world. 4 Announcements and Weekly Events! Welcome, Check-In, and Announcements In the Facebook chatbox share something good God is doing in your life. Announcements 1. Sunday School Re-Launch Preparation—Sunday School Teachers Needed 2. Volunteers needed for (every other) Monday @ 7am—Martha’s Circle 3. Mobile Munchies—Tuesday morning volunteers 4. Help renovate our youth room! 5. Grab greens from our Garden of Grace! 6. Sponsor a youth Group Dinner—Contact Gloria Girald 7. Sponsor a College and Young Adults Dinner—Contact Pastor JP 8. Pentecost—MAY 23—WEAR RED! Weekly Events Youth Group Sunday, May 2, “What’s a eunuch?”, 5:30pm @ Fellowship Hall Ghetto Sweet Tarts Monday, May 3, “God beyond borders”, 5:30pm @ Fellowship Hall BOBS Table Talk – Last week in Ephesians! Tuesday, May 4, Ephesians @ 5:30-7:00pm, Centering Prayer with Liedeke Bulder Saturday, May 8, @ 9-10am via zoom https://us04web.zoom.us/j/9079773456 5 Fifth Sunday of Easter Order for Worship Moment of Mindfulness *Thanksgiving for Baptism P Alleluia! Christ is risen. C Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia! P Refreshed by the resurrection life we share in Christ, let us give thanks for the gift of baptism. Silence is kept for reflection on the Resurrection. We thank you, risen Christ, for these waters where you make us new, leading us from death to life, from tears to joy. We bless you, risen Christ, that your Spirit comes to us in the grace-filled waters of rebirth, like rains to our thirsting earth, like streams that revive our souls, like cups of cool water shared with strangers. Breathe your peace on your church when we hide in fear. Clothe us with your mercy and forgiveness. Send us compassions on our journey as we share your life. Make us one, risen Christ. Cleanse our hearts. Shower us with life. To you be all praise, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God, now and forev- er. C Amen *Gathering Song Jesus Christ is Risen Today 6 *The Apostolic Greeting P The grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. C And also with you. *Prayer of the Day P Let us pray. O God, you give us your Son as the vine apart from whom we cannot live. Nourish our life in his resurrection, that we may bear the fruit of love and know the full- ness of your joy, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C Amen. 7 First Reading Acts 8:26-40 Led by the Spirit, Philip encounters an Ethiopian official who is returning to his African home after hav- ing been to Jerusalem to worship. Philip uses their encounter to proclaim the gospel to him. Upon coming to faith in Jesus, he is baptized by Philip. 26An angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and Who can describe his generation? go toward the south to the road that goes down For his life is taken away from the earth.” 34The eunuch asked Philip, “About whom, may I from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a wilderness 27 ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself road.) So he got up and went. Now there was an 35 Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, or about someone else?” Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he pro- queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire 36 treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship claimed to him the good news about Jesus. As 28 they were going along the road, they came to and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29Then the some water; and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being bap- Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to this chariot and 38 join it.” 30So Philip ran up to it and heard him tized?” He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you 39 understand what you are reading?” 31He replied, into the water, and Philip baptized him. When “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the 32 Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him invited Philip to get in and sit beside him.