Service of the Word Third Sunday in Lent Livestream Worship & Hospitality March 7, 2021 ~ 10:00 am

Pray. Fast. Give.

Bienvenidos/Welcome Everyone is Welcome Here. This Means You. Damos la bienvenida a personas de todos los ámbitos de la vida y en todos los lugares en el viaje de la fe y la vida a First English Lutheran Church (iglesia luterana “primera inglés”). Si usted es un cristiano de toda la vida, un antiguo, algo diferente, o un buscador y un interrogador que busca más a la vida y un lugar para explorar, le damos la bienvenida. Te invitamos a participar en esta liturgia y en la comunidad de la iglesia. Su presencia es un regalo. // We welcome people from all walks of life and in all places in the journey of faith and life to First English Lutheran Church (FELC). Whether you’re a lifelong Christian, a former something else or a seeker and questioner looking for more to life and a place to explore, we’re glad to welcome you. We invite you to participate in this liturgy and the church community. Your presence is a gift.

Use the Welcome Visitors information form and provide feedback on your visit: http://www.felcaustin.org/forms/visitors If this is your first time to connect, WELCOME!

FELC welcomes, affirms, and celebrates God’s love for people of all sexual orientations and all gender identities and expressions. We openly encourage all people to participate fully in the life of the church and society. Since 1989, FELC has participated in the Reconciling in Christ ministry of public, open welcome. (www.reconcilingworks.org)

At First English, we strive to use language for God, Christ, and humanity that is inclusive and diverse. Our use of feminine, non-gender, and masculine names and metaphors for God, both biblical and contemporary, help us to know God more fully. Languages that include persons of all gender identities and sexualities, ethnicities, and color, help us more fully capture God’s inclusive love for all. To learn more about our mission, history, each other, and our outreach, please click here: https://www.felcaustin.org/information/aboutfelc/felc-history Children are welcome, to be children fully, and to participate fully in our life together. .

Portions of the liturgy and music are from Sundays and Seasons.com © 2020 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #32815. Except as noted, biblical texts from New Revised Standard Version Bible © 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-700000. All rights reserved. Permission to podcast / stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, License #A-700000. All rights reserved.

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☩Al Congregarse/Gathering Third Sunday in Lent, Year B

Gathering

Prelude and Fugue in e minor (BWV 555) Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

If this is one of your first times connecting with First English Lutheran Church, we encourage you to complete a Welcome Visitor Information form at: http://www.felcaustin.org/forms/visitors

Bells and singing bowls call us to praise and prayer.

The assembly speaks or sings the responses in bold print.

Procession To You All Hearts are Open John Tiro (b. 1950)

Confession and Forgiveness

Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God, the keeper of the covenant,

the source of steadfast love, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

God receives our cries, and draws us close in Jesus Christ.

Let us return to the one who is full of compassion.

Silence is kept for reflection.

Gracious God, have mercy on us.

We confess that we have turned away from you, knowingly and unknowingly.

We have wandered from your just ways.

We have strayed from your love for all people.

We have failed to give thanks for all your gifts.

Turn us back to you, O God.

Give us new hearts and right spirits, that we may do what is pleasing to you

and live with gratitude all our days. Amen.

Receive good news: God turns to you in love. “I will put my spirit in you, and you shall

live,” says our God. All your sin is forgiven in the name of ☩ Jesus Christ,

who is the free and abounding gift of God’s grace for you. Amen.

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Kyrie South African

Greeting

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,

and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. And also with you.

Prayer of the Day

Holy God, through your Son you have called us to live faithfully and act courageously.

Keep us steadfast in your covenant of grace,

and teach us the wisdom that comes only through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen

Welcome

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☩Palabra/Word

First Reading Exodus 20:1-17 1God spoke all these words: 2I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land

of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; 3you shall have no other gods before me.

4You shall not make for yourself and idol, whether in the form of anything that is in

heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a

jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth

generation of those who reject me, 6but showing steadfast love to the thousandth

generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.

7You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord

will not acquit anyone who misuses the divine name.

8Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. 9Six days you shall labor and do all

your work. 10But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do

any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock or

the alien resident in your towns. 11For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the

sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the

sabbath day and consecrated it.

12Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that

the Lord your God is giving you.

13You shall not murder.

14You shall not commit adultery.

15You shall not steal.

16You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

17You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife,

or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Word of God, word of life.

Thanks be to God.

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The psalm is chanted responsively.

Psalm 19: 1-8, 13, 14

1The heavens declare the glo- | ry of God,

and the sky proclaims its | maker’s handiwork.

2One day tells its tale | to another,

and one night imparts knowledge | to another.

3Although they have no | words or language,

and their voices | are not heard,

4their sound has gone out into all lands,

and their message to the ends | of the world,

where God has pitched a tent | for the sun.

5It comes forth like a bridegroom out | of his chamber;

it rejoices like a champion to | run its course.

6It goes forth from the uttermost edge of the heavens

and runs about to the end of | it again;

nothing is hidden from its | burning heat.

7The teaching of the Lord is perfect and re- | vives the soul;

the testimony of the Lord is sure and gives wisdom to | the simple.

8The statutes of the Lord are just and re- | joice the heart;

the commandment of the Lord is clear and gives light | to the eyes.

13Above all, keep your servant from presumptuous sins;

let them not get dominion | over me;

then shall I be whole and sound, and innocent of a | great offense.

14Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable | in your sight,

O Lord my strength and | my redeemer.

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Second Reading 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 18The message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who

are being saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 20Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age?

Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since, in the wisdom of God,

the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of

our proclamation, to save those who believe. 22For Jews demand signs and Greeks

desire wisdom, 23but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and

foolishness to Gentiles, 24but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ

the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For God’s foolishness is wiser than human

wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

Word of God, word of life.

Thanks be to God. The assembly welcomes the gospel. Gospel Acclamation Richard Proulx (b. 1939)

We proclaim Christ crucified, the power of God and the wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1:23,24 The assembly repeats the acclamation.

Gospel John 2:13-22

The holy gospel according to John.

Glory to you, O Lord.

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13The Passover of the Jewish people was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14In the

temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers

seated at their tables. 15Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple,

both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and

overturned their tables. 16He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things

out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” 17His disciples remembered

that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” 18The Judeans then said to

him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” 19Jesus answered them, “Destroy this

temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20The Judeans then said, “This temple has

been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21But

Jesus was speaking of the temple of his body. 22After he was raised from the dead, his

disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the

word that Jesus had spoken.

The gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon

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The assembly proclaims the word of God in song.

Hymn of the Day In the Cross of Christ I Glory John Bowring (1792-1872)

Rathbun, Ithamar Conkey (1815-1867)

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Prayers of Intercession

Hear us, O God.

Your mercy is great.

Offering An offering is gathered for the mission of the church, and the care of those in need. http://www.felcaustin.org/information/giving

In this time of great need due to severe storms, please consider additional offerings to: https://www.elca.org/Our-Work/Relief-and-Development/Lutheran-Disaster-Response/Our-Impact/US-Severe-Storms

Offering Song God Has Told Us, God Has Taught Us Susan Palo Cherwien (b. 1952)

Pisti, Elpida, Jai Agapi, Scott Hyslop (b. 1961)

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Offering Prayer

Gracious God, receive these gifts:

our praying, our fasting, our giving to the poor,

and our whole lives as an offering to you.

May following the way of the cross bring us to the joy of Christ’s resurrection;

who lives and reigns, now and forever.

Amen.

Lord’s Prayer

Lord, remember us in your kingdom, and teach us to pray:

☩Envio/Sending

Announcements

Announcements can be read beginning on page 12 of this Sunday bulletin.

Blessing

Almighty God, Father, ☩ Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever.

Amen.

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins

as we forgive those

who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial

and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power,

and the glory are yours,

now and forever. Amen.

Padre nuestro que estás en el cielo,

santificado sea tu nombre.

Venga tu reino.

Hágase tu voluntad

en la tierra como en el cielo.

Danos hoy nuestro pan de cada día.

Perdona nuestras ofensas

como también nosotros

perdonamos a los que nos ofenden.

No nos dejes caer en tentación

y líbranos del mal.

Porque tuyo es el reino, tuyo es el

poder, y tuya es la gloria,

ahora y siempre. Amén

Sending Song Thuma Mina South African

Dismissal

Go in peace. Share the good news.

Thanks be to God!

Sending Music Psalm XIX Benedetto Marcello (1686-1739)

Hospitality on Facebook & Zoom

Daylight Savings Time Begins Next Sunday, March 14 Set your clocks ahead one hour next Sunday.

Season of Lent

Information about the season of Lent can be read on page 16 of this bulletin.

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Feasts, Commemorations, & Remembrances this Week Perpetua and Felicity and companions, martyrs at Carthage, died 202—Sunday, March 7

Vibia Perpetua was a noblewoman, and Felicity her slave, who were catechumens at Carthage, northern

Africa. They, with four other catechumens, had defied the Roman emperor who had forbidden conversions to

Christianity, and were put to death in the amphitheater.

Harriet Tubman, died 1913; Sojourner Truth, died 1883; renewers of society—Wednesday, March 10

Harriet Tubman, born into slavery, helped about 300 others to escape slavery until the institution was

abolished. Sojourner Truth, whose birth name was Isabella, was freed after slavery was abolished, and

discerned a call to be a preacher. Taking the name Sojourner Truth, she set out on an evangelistic journey,

where people found her testimony to be deeply moving.

Gregory the Great, Bishop of Rome, died 604—Friday, March 12

Born into wealth and power, Gregory was for a time the chief administrator of the city of Rome. Giving this

up for a life in the church, he was elected pope in 590. He influenced worship through the establishment of a

lectionary and prayers to correlate with the readings. Gregorian chant is named in his honor.

Lent 2021: Pray. Fast. Give. A Communal Practice Sharing Lenten Disciplines Let’s continue Lent in communal practices. We can do Lent together this year through Sunday worship,

Evening Prayer on Wednesdays, and sharing communal practices together.

Read and participate: https://www.felcaustin.org/lent-2021-a-communal-practice

Tiny Desk Sermon: Tuesdays at 11:00 am Livestream on Facebook Tiny Desk Sermon will be live on Tuesday, March 9 at 11:00 am on our Facebook page. Join Pastor Coffey for

conversation on the upcoming scripture texts in worship.

Musical Meditation: Wednesdays at 12:05 pm Livestream on Facebook Join FELC music director Bryan Rust Wednesdays in Lent at 12:05 pm for a brief musical meditation. Music as

comfort, music as healing, music as challenge, music as wonder.

More information: https://www.felcaustin.org/musical-meditation

Lent Evening Prayer: Wednesdays at 7 pm Livestream on Facebook Created for Community During our ongoing need to practicing safe distancing during the pandemic, our need for living in community becomes more apparent. The invitation to Lent spoken on Ash Wednesday states that “we are created for communion with God, to love one another, and to live in harmony with creation.” This emphasis on life in community will be our theme for Lent Evening Prayer. Our Lent Evening Prayer is one way you can

experience and share in community, as we listen to Scripture, inspiring writings, sing, meditate, and pray.

Mixology & Theology: Thursdays at 6:00 pm Livestream on Facebook Mixology and Theology continues on Thursdays thought March 24 livestream on Facebook with new

sessions: three are “Deeper Dives” into previous topics, as requested by participants. Three are new topics

suggested by participants. Mixology and Theology is Pastor Coffey’s livestream adult forum series bringing

together classic cocktail history and recipes with theological themes. For more information, including the

ingredients list for the cocktails/mocktails: https://www.felcaustin.org/mixology-and-theology.

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Staff Pastor Michael Coffey pastor@felcaustin.org 512-487-0956

Director of Music & Office Administrator Bryan Rust office@felcaustin.org 512-704-2906

Seminarian Ann Graham ann.graham@student.austinseminary.edu 806-470-4002

Director of Child Development Center (CDC) LaQuetha Ford lford@firstenglishcdc.org 512.478.5424

Bookkeeper Mary Lou Turnbull payable@felcaustin.org

Custodians Teresa del Aguila, Jesus del Aguila

The church office operates online, and the office and church building are closed to in-person visitors.

The child development center is open weekdays to students and staff only.

Congregation Council President Allen Jensen

Vice President Merrily Porter

Secretary Gwen Flory

Pastor Michael Coffey

Members-at-Large Michele Hockett

Cooper

Wendell Horton

Katherine Houston

Todd Jermstad

Mary Lou Larson

Jamie Maillart

Greg Meier

Teresa Ringness

Treasurer Erin McCracken

Financial Secretary Penny Baker

Our Doors are Open Online @ FELC Connect http://www.felcaustin.org/church-connecting-during-social-distancing-plan

Web Page Visit http://www.felcaustin.org/ for daily updates and more. Be connected with our ministry and outreach

Facebook Like our page for updates, sharing, and live worship feeds. Search Facebook for First English Lutheran Church—Austin

Twitter Follow us @FELCAustin

E-mail Weekly Updates Subscribe to our distribution list for weekly updates—info@felcaustin.org

Online Giving To donate by bank account, debit or credit card, or mobile giving app: www.felcaustin.org/giving

ELCA Visit https://www.elca.org/ to learn about the Evangelical Lutheran Church in American and our global mission

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Devotional Prayers for the Week Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us.

Almighty God, who knows that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil which may assault and hurt the soul; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

How can I turn from sin unless I turn to you? You speak, you raise your hand, you touch my mind and call my name, “Turn to the Lord your God again.” These days of your favor leave a blessing on me, on all people, and your whole creation. Turn to us, Lord God, and we shall turn to you. Amen. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Serving Today Assisting Minister Ann Graham Presiding Minister Michael Coffey Music Minister Bryan Rust

Livestream Technician Jamie Maillart Offering Counters Terry Porter

3001 Whitis Avenue God Loves. We Love. Austin, Texas 78705

Everyone! info@felcaustin.org

www.felcaustin.org 512.478.1933 church 512.478.5424 cdc a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America—a sanctuary church body in the United States

Lent 2021

Let’s make this Lent of all Lents a shared, communal practice.

Maybe you normally begin Lent by coming up with your own individual ways of

observing the traditional Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting, and giving to the poor.

That’s fine in any normal year. This is no normal year. I think we need this Lent to feel

connected in a shared set of spiritual practices that unite us and guide us toward the

celebration of the death and resurrection of Christ, the Paschal Mystery, at Easter.

You are invited to share these practices with Pastor Coffey continuing through the day

of the Easter Vigil, April 3. Lent is 40 days, not counting Sundays, mirroring Jesus’ 40

days in the wilderness and Israel’s 40 years of wandering. We can leave Sundays out of

this plan. For more information:

https://www.felcaustin.org/lent-2021-a-communal-practice

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The Season of Lent What is Lent? Lent is an old English term for “spring.” In the annual cycle of the church’s liturgy and spiritual formation, it is the time of year for preparation for new life at Easter, the celebration of the resurrection, so the connection to the season of spring is appropriate. Lent is a more solemn season than Christmas or Easter and it is not a time of excessive negativity, but a time of growing trust in God’s power to renew our lives.

When did Lent begin? Lent always begins on Ash Wednesday, 40 days before Easter, excluding Sundays, connecting it to Jesus’ 40 days and the Israelites 40 years in the wilderness, both times of preparation.

What are some practices during Lent? The traditional ancient spiritual practices for Lent are prayer, fasting (forgoing certain foods for a time of refocus), and almsgiving (giving to the poor). The themes of Lent are wilderness time, repentance (meaning a turning around of one’s life), following Jesus in the way of the cross, and preparation for baptism or renewal of baptism at the Easter Vigil. The Vigil is the Saturday night service before Easter Day, the most celebratory liturgy in church tradition, and the primary time for baptisms and confirmations.

Are Sundays part of Lent? Sundays are Sundays in Lent and take on a different character than other days because Sunday is always a celebration of the resurrection of Christ.

Why don’t we use “alleluia” during Lent? Lent serves as a reminder that we do not yet experience the reign of God in its fullness. We live in the hope of the resurrection. Alleluia is a Hebrew word of praise and exhilaration. The omission of the alleluia is one symbolic way to enter into the spirit of renewal.

What is the significance of the color purple during Lent? The color purple is an additional symbol of penance. The Scriptures tell us that a purple garment was placed on Jesus during his passion as a mockery. It is fitting that the color be maintained during the days in which we focus on the need for the love of God.

What determines the date of Easter and when Lent begins? The Council of Nicaea (CE 325) set the date of Easter as the Sunday following the 14th day of the paschal full moon, which is the full moon whose 14th day falls on or after the vernal (spring) equinox. That was the date of Passover in the Jewish calendar, and the Last Supper (Maundy Thursday) occurred on the Passover. Therefore, Easter was the Sunday after Passover.