Ash Wednesday ST. JOHN LUTHERAN CHURCH OF PRAIRIE HILL Old Independence Rd Brenham, TX phone:

Transcription

1 Ash Wednesday ST. JOHN LUTHERAN CHURCH OF PRAIRIE HILL 6605 Old Independence Rd Brenham, TX phone: February 18, 2015

2 Welcome to Prairie Hill WELCOME VISITORS! We rejoice that you have chosen to worship with us, and hope you feel welcome to call Prairie Hill your home. The page numbers for the service refer to the front of the red hymnals in the pew. You will find hymns in the back of the same hymnal. A cry room and a bathroom are located near the church entrance (the back of the sanctuary). If you have any questions about our church family, you are invited to ask an usher or the person next to you in the pew. Please take a moment to introduce yourself to Pastor Abbott after the service. THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION is distributed by bread and wine in individual glasses or a common cup. Individual glasses of white grape juice are also available for those unable to consume wine. All baptized Christians are invited to join us at the table for the Sacrament of Holy Communion, in which we confess that we receive the Body and Blood of our Lord in, with, and under the elements of bread and wine. THE IMPOSITION OF ASHES is a traditional part of worship on Ash Wednesday. As we begin Lent, the ashes serve to remind us of our mortality and the fleeting nature of life. Throughout Lent, we are called to repent of our shortcomings and sinfulness, seeking to live in a closer fellowship with God and our neighbor. At the time of the Imposition, you are invited to come forward to have the Pastor mark your forehead with ashes in the sign of the cross. You may come forward to receive the Imposition. Ash Wednesday 2 February 18, 2015

3 REMEMBER YOU ARE DUST Lent begins with a solemn call to fasting and repentance as we begin our journey to the baptismal waters of Easter. As we hear in today's readings, now is the acceptable time to return to the Lord. During Lent the people of God will reflect on the meaning of their baptism into Christ's death and resurrection. The sign of ashes suggests our human mortality and frailty. What seems like an ending is really an invitation to make each day a new beginning, in which we are washed in God's mercy and forgiveness. With the cross on our brow, we long for the renewal that comes from the Easter feast to come. *PSALM OF REPENTANCE GATHERING AROUND THE WORD Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; in your great compassion blot out my offenses. Wash me through and through from my wickedness, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my offenses, and my sin is ever before me. Against you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight. And so you are justified when you speak and right in your judgment. Indeed, I was born steeped in wickedness, a sinner from my mother s womb. Indeed, you delight in truth deep within me, and would have me know wisdom deep within. Ash Wednesday 3 February 18, 2015

4 Remove my sins with hyssop and I shall be clean wash me, and I shall be purer than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness, that the body you have broken may rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my wickedness. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit. Let me teach your ways to offenders, and sinners be restored to you. Rescue me from bloodshed, O God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing of your righteousness. Open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise. For you take no delight in sacrifice, or I would give it. You are not pleased with burnt-offering. The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit; a troubled and broken heart, O God, you will not despise. *PRAYER OF THE DAY The Lord be with you. And also with you. Let us pray. Gracious God one God, now and forever. Amen. PROCLAIMING THE WORD FIRST READING ISAIAH 58:1-9 Pew Bible, p.647 (OT) The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Ash Wednesday 4 February 18, 2015

5 RESPONSIVE READING PSALM 103:8 14 8LORD, you are full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love; 9you will not always accuse us, nor will you keep your anger forever. 10You have not dealt with us according to our sins, nor repaid us according to our iniquities. 11For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is your steadfast love for those who fear you. 12As far as the east is from the west, so far have you removed our transgressions from us. 13As a father has compassion for his children, so you have compassion for those who fear you, O LORD. 14For you know well how we are formed; you remember that we are but dust SECOND READING 2 CORINTHIANS 5:20B - 6:10 Pew Bible, p.160 (NT) The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. *GOSPEL MATTHEW 6:1-6, Pew Bible, p. 5 (NT) Return to the Lord your God, For he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. The Holy Gospel, according to Saint Matthew, the sixth chapter. Glory to you, O Lord. SERMON The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ! Pastor Jim Abbott HYMN OF THE DAY O Lord, Throughout These Forty Days #319 INVITATION TO LENT On this first day of Lent, we are invited and encouraged to enter into the reflection and spiritual practices of this season of repentance and renewal. Ash Wednesday 5 February 18, 2015

6 CONFESSION OF SIN p. 252 The congregation remains seated for the Confession. Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another. A time of silence is kept for reflection and self-examination. Most holy and merciful God, we confess to you and to one another, and before the whole company of heaven, that we have sinned by our fault, by our own fault, by our own most grievous fault, in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart, and mind, and strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have not forgiven others as we have been forgiven. We have shut our ears to your call to serve as Christ served us. We have not been true to the mind of Christ. We have grieved your Holy Spirit. Our past unfaithfulness: the pride, envy, hypocrisy, and apathy that have infected our lives, we confess to you. Our self-indulgent appetites and ways, and our exploitation of other people, we confess to you. Our negligence in prayer and worship, and our failure to share the faith that is in us, we confess to you. Our neglect of human need and suffering, and our indifference to injustice and cruelty, we confess to you. Our false judgments, our uncharitable thoughts toward our neighbors, and our prejudice and contempt toward those who differ from us, we confess to you. Ash Wednesday 6 February 18, 2015

7 Our waste and pollution of your creation, and our lack of concern for those who come after us, we confess to you. Restore us, O God, and let your anger depart from us. Hear us, O God, for your mercy is great. IMPOSITION OF ASHES p. 254 As a part of the confession, the congregation may come forward to receive the ashes. As each person is marked with the cross of ashes, the Pastor says, Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return. After all who desire the cross of ashes have received it, the service continues. Accomplish in us, O God, the work of your salvation, that we may show forth your glory in the world. By the cross and passion of your Son, our savior, Bring us with all your saints to the joy of his resurrection. Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen *PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION Returning to the Lord, our God, let us pray for the church, the world, and all of God's creation. Each petition of the prayers ends with the following response: Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.. Into your hands, O God, we commend ourselves and all for whom we pray, trusting in your abundant mercy, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord Amen. Ash Wednesday 7 February 18, 2015

8 *THE PEACE SHARING OUR GIFTS OFFERING HYMN We Give Thee But Thine Own (v 1,4) #686 We take up an offering, acknowledging that all that we have is a gift from God. The offering supports the ministries of St. John here at Prairie Hill and around the world. *OFFERTORY Create in Me a Clean Heart O God #186 *OFFERTORY PRAYER Let us pray. God our provider, you have not fed us with bread alone, but with words of grace and life. Bless us and these your gifts, which we receive from your bounty, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. We ask that you also fill out a worship attendance card and place it in the offering plate so that we can stay in touch with you You may use the back of the card to share any prayer concerns with the pastor. RECEIVING GOD S SACRAMENT *DIALOGUE p. 152 The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise. *SANCTUS p. 153 Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of pow r and might, heav n 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. Ash Wednesday 8 February 18, 2015

9 *EUCHARISTIC PRAYER Blessed are you, O God of the universe as we proclaim the mystery of faith: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. O God of resurrection Bless this feast. Grace our table with your presence. Come, Holy Spirit. Reveal yourself to us Send us forth, burning with justice, peace, and love. Come, Holy Spirit. we praise you, O God, blessed and holy Trinity, now and forever. Amen. *THE LORDS PRAYER 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, forever and ever. Amen. LAMB OF GOD p. 154 Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; grant us peace, grant us peace. DISTRIBUTION OF HOLY COMMUNION Ash Wednesday 9 February 18, 2015

10 *POST COMMUNION PRAYER Let us pray. God of mercy Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. *BENEDICTION BEING SENT TO PROCLAIM *SENDING HYMN I Want Jesus to Walk With Me #325 *DISMISSAL Go forth into the world in peace: be of good courage, hold fast to that which is good, render to no one evil for evil. Strengthen the fainthearted, support the weak, help the afflicted, honor all persons. Love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit. Thanks be to God. Portions of the liturgy From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2014 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License # served. Ash Wednesday 10 February 18, 2015

11 WEDNESDAYS IN LENT The Word at Work in YOU Ash Wednesday February 18 7:00 am and 7:00 pm The Word Creates. Wednesday February 25 4:30 & 6:30 The Word Calls Wednesday March 4 4:30 & 6:30 The Word Commands Wednesday March 11 4:30 & 6:30 The Word Saves Wednesday March 18 4:30 & 6:30 The Word Sustains Wednesday March 25 4:30 & 6:30 The Word Shapes Maundy Thursday April 2 7:00pm The Word Sends Good Friday April 3 9:00 am The Passion of the Word February 25 th March 4 th March 11 th March 18 th March 25 th Soup Soup Soup Soup Soup Cookie Engeling Linda Bryan Phyllis Bickham Darren Huckert Donna Bentke Debra Westerfeld Susan Lake Connie Glaesmann Connie Rohde Deanna Giese Sandy Ordner Delores Gaskamp Donna Deleon Louise Abbott Patty Schroeder Glenda Stegent Cathie Klatte David Stegent Mary Hill Regina Holtkamp Christin Seeker Corn Bread Corn Bread Corn Bread Corn Bread Corn Bread Cathie Steinfeld Nina Little Johanna Becker Nina Little Elvera Janner Donna Bentke Karen Spinn Phyllis Bickham Helen Schulze Forrest Luce Deanna Giese Elsie Herrmann Stephanie Koehler Arlie Parker Marjorie Hohlt Cookies Cookies Cookies Cookies Cookies Johanna Becker Allene Holtkamp Nina Little Heather Myers Linda Bryan Donna Skrla Diana Williams Dolores Seeker Anna Finke Becki Schawe Linda Pieper Connie Seward Jeannie Kroll Kelly Antkowiak Dianne Smith Set-Up/Clean-Up Set-Up/Clean-Up Set-Up/Clean-Up Set-Up/Clean-Up Set-Up/Clean-Up Rachel Circle Deborah Circle Ladies Aid Rebecca Circle, MIM Naomi Circle Ash Wednesday 11 February 18, 2015

12 Worship Assistants Accompanist Council Members Altar Preparations Linda Schulze Johanna Becker, Herbert Klatte, Jr. Mary Hill, Betty Feldmann Soup Needed for Lent Suppers We still need a few volunteers to make soup for the lent services on: February 25 th, March 11 th, and March 18 th. Please let us know if you can help and we will get you signed up! Special Congregational Meeting Sunday, March 1, :15AM We will finalize plans for the Audio Visual Upgrade We are a family of faith, Gathering around Word and Sacrament, Forming disciples, and Proclaiming the Gospel to the world! Connect with us on Facebook: facebook.com/prairie.hill Ash Wednesday 12 February 18, 2015