39th Annual Women’s Day Worship & Meal | 10-13-24
10-13-2024 10:00AM “Hybrid” Worship
“GOD’S LOVE CONQUERS ALL!”
+ We Gather in God’s Presence +
WELCOME
PROCESSIONAL SONG: “HE’S JUST ALRIGHT” (Dr. Jeff Jacobs) led by WOMEN’S DAY CHOIR
He’s alright
He’s alright (4X)
He’s alright with me
He’s just alright
He’s just alright
He’s just alright with me
I tried Him and I found out
He’s alright with me. (4X)
He’s just alright
He’s just alright
He’s just alright with me.
OPENING RITE:
L Today let us remember that love is patient, love is kind.
C It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
God’s love conquers all!
L Love is not rude; it is not self-seeking.
C It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
God’s love conquers all!
L Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth.
C It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
God’s love conquers all!
L My sisters and brothers, Jesus said that no one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
Jesus didn’t just talk this, he walked it.
He humbled himself, he surrendered himself, and he accepted thorns and nails and a cross for our sin-sick world
C God did not hold back on love!
Jesus did not hold back on love!
God’s love conquers all!
L Before and after his death, Jesus assured us of God’s love.
Before and after his death, Jesus showed us his faithful love for God and his authentic love for us.
And, now and always, Jesus commands us to love God and to love each other in the same genuine way.
C NOTHING can separate us when we hold on to God’s love!
NOTHING can overwhelm us when we lean on God’s love!
NOTHING can destroy us when we trust the power of God’s love!
God’s love conquers all!
L Both before he suffered and died, and also after he rose triumphantly, Jesus commanded us:
“Love one another as I have loved you,”
If we do not practice love, then we sound like, show forth, and achieve NOTHING!
C Love is always – ALWAYS! – the most excellent way!
Division, despair, death, and the devil don’t have the last word.
God’s love conquers all!
THE PRAYER OF THE DAY (together):
Dear God, your love for us can truly conquer anything and everything!
Through your love, we have your presence, peace, power, and promises to guide and empower us.
Through your love, you allowed your Son to suffer and die to defeat Satan, sin, and death.
May we always treasure and trust, seek and share your love through lives of faith and service. Amen.
+ We Proclaim God’s Saving Word +
FIRST READING: ROMANS 8:37-39
[Introduction: God’s love through Jesus Christ has a way, Paul is saying, of embracing and sustaining us through all kinds of burdens, all kinds of sorrows, all kinds of evil – no matter how high, how heavy, how long, or how deep our problems get.]
37 No, in all these things we are more than victorious through him who loved us.
38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
SONG SELECTION: “YOU’RE AN AWESOME GOD” (Chicago Mass Choir) WOMEN’S DAY CHOIR
SECOND READING: I CORINTHIANS 13:1-13
[Introduction: We Christians need to be reminded now and later the truth that warm, fuzzy thoughts and soft, sentimental statements toward others are not enough of “love”. Jesus Christ calls us to loving action… and not just shared with those whom we like or those who are like us. This passage lists 7 characteristics of what love is and 8 characteristics that it is not.]
13 If I speak in the tongues of humans and of angels but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 And if I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains but do not have love, I am nothing.
3 If I give away all my possessions and if I hand over my body so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant
5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable; it keeps no record of wrongs; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth.
7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end.
9 For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part,
10 but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end.
11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways.
12 For now we see only a reflection, as in a mirror, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.
13 And now faith, hope, and love remain, these three, and the greatest of these is love.
DANCE SELECTION: ST. PETER’S PRAISE DANCERS
GOSPEL VERSE:
“There is strength in the name of the Lord… There is power in the name of the Lord… There is hope in the name of the Lord… Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” [repeat]
“GOSPEL READING”: PHILIPPIANS 2:1-11
[Introduction: Using an early Christian hymn that celebrated Christ’s humble, unselfish, and obedient suffering and death – a path that carried Jesus to ultimate glory as Lord of all – Paul urges his readers to have the same mind, the same humility, and the same life path of obedient faithfulness. What would the effect be on our lives if we acted as servants to others, imitating Christ’s humble love?]
2 If, then, there is any comfort in Christ, any consolation from love, any partnership in the Spirit, any tender affection and sympathy, 2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not to your own interests but to the interests of others. 5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
6 who, though he existed in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be grasped,
7 but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
assuming human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a human,
8 he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross.9 Therefore God exalted him even more highly
and gave him the name
that is above every other name,
10 so that at the name given to Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
INTRODUCTION OF OUR GUEST PREACHER
SONG SELECTION: “WE’RE MORE THAN CONQUERERS” (Dorinda Clark-Cole) WOMEN’S DAY CHOIR
TODAY’S SERMON: Minister Zola Lamback
SONG SELECTION: “IT IS TO YOU” (Byron Cage) WOMEN’S DAY CHOIR
THE PRAYERS… We pray for NEW LIFE in the Spirit and for the MISSION of the Church to the world!
+ We Share God’s Nourishing Meal +
TITHES (10% giving) AND GIFTS… We faithfully accept the responsibility of OUR DISCIPLESHIP and GOD’S MISSION!
Those in the Sanctuary can put their offering in the offering plate to share their gratitude and their generosity in response to Christ’s love. Those who are farther away might: mail a check or money order to St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2169 74th Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19138… contribute online through bit.ly/stpetersgiving and set up a one-time donation or recurring weekly gift to selected categories… or text Give+ at 833-914-0896 and follow the instructions to register and record your contribution. God has blessed us to be a blessing!
[Those gathered “in person” in the sanctuary will come forward with their offerings. There will be one basket for regular support. There will be another basket for WOMEN’S DAY offering, which is a special gift received each Women’s Day. This year’s project is to complete the renovation of Knapp Chapel. Over the years, $104 per woman has been the Women’s Day challenge.]
SONG SELECTION: “GOD IS MY EVERYTHING” (Chicago Mass Choir) WOMEN’S DAY CHOIR
THE OFFERTORY SONG: (Tan #565)
“More about Jesus would I know, more of his grace to others show,
More of his saving fullness see, more of his love who died for me.
MORE, MORE ABOUT JESUS… MORE, MORE ABOUT JESUS…
MORE OF HIS SAVING FULLNESS SEE, MORE OF HIS LOVE WHO DIED FOR ME.
More about Jesus let me learn, more of his holy will discern;
Spirit of God, my Teacher be, showing the things of Christ to me.”
OFFERING PRAYER led by the Communion Assistant: [see PHILIPPIANS 3:10-11]
Dear God, I want to know Christ inside and out. I want to experience the power of his resurrection and join him in his suffering. I want to be like him in his death and be raised like him from death. As I grow in the grace of Christ, make me strong in my faith, bold in my witness, and fervent in my servant-love. There is no better life than life in Christ! Amen.
THE PREFACE:
L The Lord be with you. C And also with you.
L Lift up your hearts! C We lift them up in love for God!
L Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. C It is right to give God our thanks and praise.
L We are the Body of Christ! C His Spirit is in us! Alleluia!
L [continues the Preface]… we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
C [singing…] “Holy, holy, holy, holy,
holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!
and we lift our hearts before you as a token of our love,
holy, holy, holy, holy.
Precious Jesus, precious Jesus,
We’re so glad that you redeemed us, precious Jesus…
Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit,
come and fill our hearts anew, O Holy Spirit…”
THE EUCHARISTIC WORDS by the Celebrant, who recalls and re-enacts Jesus’ Holy Meal.
THE LORD’S PRAYER (spoken)
COMMUNION AND BLESSINGS… All believers in Jesus Christ are welcome at the Lord’s Table! The wine may be received from the pouring chalice; we also have grape juice on the tray. Praise the Lord for this community meal that unites us together, renews our spirits, powers our faith, and reminds us of the future heavenly banquet that awaits us!
COMMUNION SONG: “LET US BREAK BREAD TOGETHER”
- Let us break bread together on our knees. Let us break bread together on our knees.
When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun, O Lord, have mercy on me.
- Let us drink wine together on our knees…
- Let us praise God together on our knees…
COMMUNION SONG: “IN THE NAME OF JESUS”
In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, we have the victory!
In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, Satan will have to flee.
Oh-h-h, tell me: who can stand before us when we call on that great name?
JE-SUS! JE-SUS! Precious JE-SUS! We have the victory!
COMMUNION SONG: “THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE”
- This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine! This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine! Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!
- Ev’rywhere I go, I’m gonna let it shine… (4) In my neighborhood, I’m gonna let it shine…
- All through my life, I’m gonna let it shine… (5) Jesus gave it to me, I’m gonna let it shine…
THE COMMUNION BLESSING by the Celebrant after all have communed.
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER by the Communion Assistant.
+ We Go Forth in Mission +
THE BENEDICTION by the Pastor… God sends us forth TO LIVE faithfully and TO LOVE fervently!
CLOSING SONG: “HE’S JUST ALRIGHT” (Dr. Jeff Jacobs) led by WOMEN’S DAY CHOIR
+
Please join us downstairs for a luncheon. There is no charge for the meal.
Remember that God’s love for us is so strong that Jesus died for us on the cross in order to redeem us from our sins (John 3:16-17). The Lord’s love for us has no boundaries, and there is nothing in this world that God’s love cannot conquer. May you go forth from this place renewed, refreshed, revived, and responsible.
Don’t love others as others love you, but love others as Jesus Christ loves you.
Be the difference in our world.