Holy Eucharist

Annual Council of the Diocese of Nebraska

Friday, October 7, 2016

Feast of Henry Melchior Muhlenberg

Lutheran Pastor in North America, 1787

Church of the Holy Trinity

6001 A Street

Lincoln, NE 68510

402-488-7139

www. holytrinitylincoln.com

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Holy Eucharist

Annual Council of the Diocese of Nebraska

Feast of Henry Melchior Muhlenberg

Lutheran Pastor in North America, 1787

Friday, October 7, 2016

Prelude Holy Trinity Bell Choir

Liturgy of the Word

Opening Hymn The Church’s one foundation Hymnal 525

All standing, the Celebrant says

Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

People And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever.

Amen.

The Celebrant says

Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are

hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may

perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our

Lord. Amen.

The following is sung, all standing

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Collect of the Day

Celebrant The Lord be with you.

People And also with you.

Celebrant Let us pray.

Loving God, Shepherd of your people, we thank you for the ministry of Henry Melchior

Muhlenberg, who left his native land to care for the German and Scandinavian pioneers

in North America; and we pray that, following the teaching and example of his life, we

may grow into the full stature of Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy

Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

First Reading Isaiah 60:1-5

All sit.

A Reading from the prophet Isaiah

Arise, shine; for your light has come,

and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

For darkness shall cover the earth,

and thick darkness the peoples;

but the Lord will arise upon you,

and his glory will appear over you.

Nations shall come to your light,

and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Lift up your eyes and look around;

they all gather together, they come to you;

your sons shall come from far away,

and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms.

Then you shall see and be radiant;

your heart shall thrill and rejoice,

because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,

the wealth of the nations shall come to you.

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Reader The Word of the Lord.

People Thanks be to God.

Anthem “ Prayer to the Trinity” Bedford

Combined choir of Holy Trinity, St. Mark’s, St. David’s, and

St. Matthew’s, Lincoln

Second Reading Galatians 5:22-6:10

A Reading from Paul’s letter to the Galatians

By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity,

faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those

who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we

live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited,

competing against one another, envying one another.

My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit

should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not

tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves. All

must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor’s work, will become

a cause for pride. For all must carry their own loads.

Those who are taught the word must share in all good things with their teacher.

Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to

your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you

will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for

we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an

opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.

Reader The Word of the Lord.

People Thanks be to God.

All stand

Sequence Hymn Love divine, all loves excelling Hymnal 657

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Holy Gospel Matthew 18:15-20

Deacon The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.

People Glory to you, Lord Christ.

[Jesus said] “If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault

when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.

But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word

may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to

listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church,

let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you

bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in

heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it

will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my

name, I am there among them.”

Deacon The Gospel of the Lord.

People Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon The Rt. Rev. J. Scott Barker

Nicene Creed All stand.

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:

by the power of the Holy Spirit

he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,

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and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified 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.

With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.

He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead,

and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Prayers of the People

All remain standing.

Let us pray for the Mission of the Church and of the People of the Diocese of Nebraska.

That we may proclaim the forgiveness of sin and new lives of grace. We pray for:

St. Matthew’s, Alliance; Grace Church, Chadron; St. Mark’s, Gordon; Good Shepherd of

the Plains, Harrisburg; Calvary Church, Hyannis; St. Hilda’s, Kimball; Holy Apostles,

Mitchell; St. Paul’s, Ogallala; St. George’s, Oshkosh; St. Mary’s Holly and Rushville; St.

Francis, Scottsbluff; Christ Church, Sidney

Silence

Lord, in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

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That we may invite inquiring and discerning hearts. We pray for:

St. Paul’s Arapahoe; St. Mary’s, Bassett; St. John’s, Broken Bow; St. Christopher,

Cozad; St. Stephen’s, Grand Island; St. John’s, Harvard; St. Mark’s Pro-Cathedral,

Hastings; St. Elizabeth’s, Holdrege; St. Luke’s, Kearney; St. Peter’s in the Valley,

Lexington; St. Alban’s, McCook; St. Joseph’s, Mullen; Church of Our Savior, North

Platte; St. John’s, Valentine

Silence

Lord, in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

That we may invite a courage to will and to persevere. We pray for:

Christ Church, Beatrice; Trinity Memorial Church, Crete; St. Augustine’s, DeWitt; St.

Thomas, Falls City; Holy Trinity, Lincoln; St. Mary’s, Nebraska City; St. David’s,

Lincoln; St. Mark’s, Lincoln; St. Matthew’s, Lincoln; St. Andrew’s, Seward; Grace

Church, Tecumseh

Silence

Lord, in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

That we may invite a spirit to know and to love you. We pray for:

Christ Church, Central City; Grace Church, Columbus; St. Mark’s, Creighton; Trinity

Church, Norfolk, St. Michael and All Angels, O’Neil.

Silence

Lord, in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

That we may invite the gift of joy and wonder in all your works. We pray for:

All Saints’, Omaha; Holy Spirit, Bellevue; St. Mary’s, Blair; St. Augustine of Canterbury,

Elkhorn; St. James, Fremont; St. Luke’s, Plattsmouth; St. Martha’s, Papillion; Church of

the Resurrection, Omaha; St. Andrew’s, Omaha; St. Martin of Tours, Omaha; Trinity

Cathedral, Omaha

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Silence

Lord, in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

The Bishop concludes with the following Collect.

Almighty and everliving God, source of all wisdom and understanding, be present with

those who take counsel in this Diocese for the renewal and mission of your Church.

Teach us in all things to seek first your honor and glory. Guide us to perceive what is

right, and grant us both the courage to pursue it and the grace to accomplish it; through

Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Peace All stand.

Celebrant The peace of the Lord be always with you.

People And also with you.

Then the Ministers and the People may greet one another in the name of the Lord.

Holy Communion

The Celebrant says

Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and make good your vows to the Most

High. Psalm 50:14

Offertory Hymn is on the following page

All donations this evening will go to the ELCA Food Pantry in Lincoln. Representatives

of the congregation bring the people’s offerings of bread and wine, and money and other

gifts to the deacon or celebrant. The people stand while the offerings are presented and

placed on the Altar.

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Great Thanksgiving

The people remain standing.

The Celebrant proceeds

It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you,

Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, because in the obedience of your saints

you have given us an example of righteousness, and in their eternal joy a glorious pledge

of the hope of our calling.

Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the

company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:

Sanctus H S125

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,

heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

The people stand or kneel.

The Celebrant continues

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We give thanks to you, O God, for the goodness and love which you have made known to

us in creation; in the calling of Israel to be your people; in your Word spoken through the

prophets; and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus, your Son. For in these last days

you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the Savior and Redeemer of the

world. In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you.

In him, you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of

death into life.

On the night before he died for us, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had

given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat: This is

my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.” After supper he

took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, “Drink

this, all of you: This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for

many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of

me.” Therefore, according to his command, O Father,

Celebrant and People

We remember his death,

We proclaim his resurrection,

We await his coming in glory;

The Celebrant continues

And we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, O Lord of all; presenting to

you, from your creation, this bread and this wine.

We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts that they may be

the Sacrament of the Body of Christ and his Blood of the new Covenant. Unite us to your

Son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable through him, being sanctified by the Holy

Spirit. In the fullness of time, put all things in subjection under your Christ, and bring us

to that heavenly country where, with all your saints, we may enter the everlasting heritage

of your sons and daughters; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation,

the head of the Church, and the author of our salvation.

By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is

yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.

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The Celebrant then continues

As our Savior Christ has taught us, we now pray,

People and Celebrant

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy Name,

thy kingdom come, thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,

for ever and ever. Amen.

Breaking of the Bread

A period of silence is kept.

Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;

Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.

The Celebrant says

The Gifts of God for the People of God.

All baptized persons are welcome to receive Holy Communion.

Communion Hymns

Humbly I adore thee, Verity unseen Hymnal 314

Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness Hymnal 339

Amazing grace! how sweet the sound Hymnal 671

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After Communion, the Celebrant says

Let us pray.

Celebrant and People

Eternal God, heavenly Father,

you have graciously accepted us as living members

of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ,

and you have fed us with spiritual food

in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood.

Send us now into the world in peace,

and grant us strength and courage

to love and serve you

with gladness and singleness of heart;

through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Episcopal Blessing

The Bishop blesses the people.

Closing Hymn Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty Hymnal 362

Dismissal

Deacon Let us go forth in the name of Christ.

People Thanks be to God.

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Ministers of the Service

Celebrant and Preacher The Rt. Rev. J. Scott Barker

Bishop’s Chaplain The Rev. Betsey Bennett, Archdeacon

Deacon of the Word The Rev. Dan B. Coffman

Deacon of the Table The Rev. John Long, II

First Reader Darlene Percival

Second Reader/Intercessor Sally Bates

Chalice Bearers Mary Jo Tietjen, Sue Everett

Darlene Percival, Marcia White

Prayers of the People author The Rev. Ernesto Medina

Music Director/Organist Loretta Love

Hand Bell Choir Director Nancy Youngman

Musicians Jessica Freeman, St. Mark’s On the Campus

Carrie Mardock, violin

Master of Ceremonies The Rev. Susanna DesMarais, Rector

Choirs of Holy Trinity, St. David’s, St. Matthew’s and St. Mark’s, Lincoln under the

direction of Loretta Love.

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Henry Melchior Muhlenberg is regarded as the

patriarch of Lutheranism in North America.

Muhlenberg, born near Hannover, Germany, in

1711 , received his education in Göttingen and

Halle before immigrating to the American colonies

in 1742 . Lutherans came to the colonies from a

variety of regional and ethnic backgrounds and

tended to build churches wherever they settled,

sometimes with Lutherans of different origins

settling in closer proximity to each other. There

was little organization among these disparate

groups until the arrival of Muhlenberg.

Upon his arrival, Muhlenberg visited Lutherans in coastal Carolina and Georgia before

making his way to Philadelphia. With enormous energy and unflagging patience,

Muhlenberg began to call together the Lutherans, first the Germans, then the Swedes,

until the formation of the first Lutheran synod in America in 1748, the Ministerium of

Pennsylvania. At the inaugural synod, Muhlenberg offered a common liturgy for use

among Lutherans. The liturgy was adopted and became the essential element in unifying

the Lutherans in America for several generations. Muhlenberg’s axiom, “one book, one

church,” has been a benchmark for liturgical revision among North American Lutherans

to the present day.

Muhlenberg also recognized the pastoral challenges of organizing a new church in the

new world. In the old countries, the church was closely allied with the state. Taxes to

support of the churches were collected by the state and Christian education was part of

the curriculum in every school. In the new world, the churches were to be voluntary, self-

supporting associations and education in matters of Christian faith was to be the concern

of church and home. Muhlenberg’s family played prominent roles in the birth of the new

nation. One of his sons served as a brigadier general in the Revolution while another was

a member of the Continental Congress and later the first speaker of the House of

Representatives. His great-grandson, William Augustus Muhlenberg, was a priest who

shaped the Episcopal Church in the mid-nineteenth century (see April 8 ).

Henry Melchior Muhlenberg died on October 7, 1787.