Third Sunday after the Epiphany

Transcription

1 Third Sunday after the Epiphany January 20 th & 21 st, th and Georgia Avenue -- Norfolk, Nebraska Saturday Worship... 6:30 PM Sunday Worship... 9:00 AM Holy Communion on 1st and 3rd Weekends of the Month Radio Service (94.7 FM) Sunday... 9:00 AM T.V. Services Cable Channel 12: (English) Wednesday...9:00 AM (Spanish) Thursday... 2:00 PM

2 Welcome to Worship at St. Paul s! It is our privilege to have you here with us today! We are especially delighted to welcome all our guests who are with us. May the Holy Spirit bless your worship and fill your heart with peace, joy, and faith in your Savior Jesus Christ. Please introduce yourself, sign our guest book in the entryway, and worship with us again soon! Restroom and nursery facilities (with a video link) are located across from the west (drive-up) entrance. If you have any questions about our congregation's ministries or facilities, please do not hesitate to ask one of our Elders. If you are looking for a church home or have questions about what we believe and teach, please speak to our Pastors. Theme of the Day: Jesus Reveals His Glory by Calling Us to Follow Him Holy Communion will be celebrated in our service today for the blessings of forgiveness of sins and strengthening of faith, which we receive in Jesus true body and blood miraculously joined to the bread and wine. In order to preserve our spiritual unity (1 Corinthians 10:17) and protect against anyone s spiritual harm (1 Corinthians 11:27-29), our congregation and synod follow the historic Christian practice of Close Communion. Confirmed members of St. Paul s and those in fellowship with our Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod are invited to celebrate the Lord s Supper with us. Visitors are asked to speak to our Pastors or one of our Elders before the service if you wish to commune. All those communing are asked to announce their intentions to commune on the Lord s Supper registry in the church entryway. Materials for worship and communion preparations can be found on pages and 156 in the front part of the hymnal. The Lord bless our celebration of his Supper! 2

3 Service of Word and Sacrament 1 Christian Worship, p. 26 The Opening Hymn: #463, Jesus Calls Us O er the Tumult The Invocation M(inister): The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you. C(ongregation): And also with you. The Confession of Sins M: God invites us to come into his presence and worship him with humble and penitent hearts. Therefore, let us acknowledge our sinfulness and ask him to forgive us. ALL: Holy and merciful Father, I confess that I am by nature sinful and that I have disobeyed you in my thoughts, words, and actions. I have done what is evil and failed to do what is good. For this I deserve your punishment both now and in eternity. But I am truly sorry for my sins, and trusting in my Savior Jesus Christ, I pray: Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner. M: God, our heavenly Father, has been merciful to us and has given his only Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Therefore, as a called servant of Christ and by his authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. ALL: We do take comfort in the peace of this forgiveness. Amen. 1 This order of service is based on an ancient and firm foundation in the Church. Its primary focus is Christus pro nobis, the Christ who is for us. Therefore, it exudes a joyous spirit of thanksgiving as it leads believers to the benefits of God s Word and Sacrament and then dismisses them in the peace of Christ to serve the Lord with gladness and to tell everyone what he has done. 3

4 Prayer and Praise Lord, Have Mercy 2 M: For all that we need in life and for the wisdom to use all your gifts with gratitude and joy, hear our prayer, O Lord. M: For the steadfast assurance that nothing can separate us from your love and for the courage to stand firm against the assaults of Satan and every evil, hear our prayer, O Christ. M: For the well-being of your holy Church in all the world and for those who offer here their worship and praise, hear our prayer, O Lord. M: Merciful God, maker and preserver of life, uphold us by your power and keep us in your tender care: M: The works of the Lord are great and glorious; his name is worthy of praise. 2 Kyrie is a Greek word from the phrase Kyrie eleison, Lord, have mercy! This is the heartfelt cry of believers to their Lord that he would hear us, take away our sins, and help us in all our needs and troubles. Christians have been praying the Kyrie at worship for more than 1700 years. 4

5 O Lord, Our Lord 3 3 In heartfelt appreciation for the great and glorious works of the Lord, this canticle gleams as a vibrant song of praise and provides an outlet of thanksgiving to God for all he has accomplished for us through Christ. 5

6 M: Let us pray. The Prayer of the Day ALL: Dear Lord, thank You for another day of grace and the opportunity to worship in Your house. Whether in my thoughts or in my words, I will pray to You, meditate on Your Word, and praise Your holy name! Thank You for cultivating saving faith in my heart that trusts in Jesus and His forgiveness. Use this to guide all my plans, conversations, and decisions. I pray this through Jesus Christ, my living Savior, who reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. The Word of God 4 The First Lesson: Acts 13:1-5 The Holy Spirit calls Barnabas and Saul (or Paul) to serve Christ as missionaries. 1 In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit 4 The reading of God s Word is the highlight of the worship service, of vital importance for our life and our relationship with God because faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). 6

7 said, Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. 4 The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper. The Verse of the Day: Ephesians 4:1b-2 5 The congregation will speak the Verse responsively with the Pastor. M: Alleluia! 1 I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. C: 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Alleluia! 5 In anticipation of hearing the good news about Jesus, we sing Alleluia! (Hebrew for Praise the LORD! ) and John 20:31, which highlights the primary purpose of God s Word: to point us to Christ for life and salvation. 7

8 The Gospel Lesson: Mark 1:14-20 Jesus calls his disciples to follow him as fishers of men. 14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 The time has come, he said. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news! 16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 Come, follow me, Jesus said, and I will make you fishers of men. 18 At once they left their nets and followed him. 19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him. After the reading of the Gospel, the congregation sings: The Hymn of the Day: #453, Come, Follow Me, the Savior Spoke The Sermon: 1 Kings 19:9b-21 6 The Voice of God I. Instructs clearly. II. Works exclusively. 9 The word of the LORD came to him: What are you doing here, Elijah? 10 He replied, I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too. 6 The sermon is an extended opportunity for the preacher to apply in the lives of God s people the two main teachings of God s Word, Law and Gospel. The Law (God s dos and don ts) first shows us our sin and what we deserve for that sin, death. The Gospel ( Good News ) shows us our Savior Jesus Christ and what he s done to win us eternal life in heaven through faith, and then motivates us to live according to his will in thanks for all he s done for us. Compelled by Christ s love for us, the Law finally guides us in leading those God-pleasing lives to his glory. 8

9 11 The LORD said, Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by. Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, What are you doing here, Elijah? 14 He replied, I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too. 15 The LORD said to him, Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him. 19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. Let me kiss my father and mother good-by, he said, and then I will come with you. Go back, Elijah replied. What have I done to you? 21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant. The Nicene Creed 7 C: We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. 7 Public Confession is faith s response to God s saving Word, in unity with other Christians around the world and across time. This statement of belief, called Nicene because most of its groundwork was laid at a church council in Nicaea in 325 AD, was composed to defend the Bible s teachings that both Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are true God, equal to the Father in one eternal, undivided Trinity. 9

10 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, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and became fully human. 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, who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy Christian 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. The Offering The members of St. Paul s Lutheran Church give offerings to show love and thanks to God for doing so much for them, as well as to support the Lord's work here in Norfolk and around the world. If you are a visitor, please don t feel obligated to contribute; but if you would like, you are welcome to do so. Scan this code to give a digital donation! The Prayer of the Church The Lord s Prayer C: 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. 10

11 The Sacrament of Holy Communion 8 Preface M: The Lord be with you. M: Lift up your hearts. M: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. M: Praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In love he has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. In the past he spoke to us through the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, who is the radiance of his glory. Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ. To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and thanks and honor and glory for ever and ever: 8 Along with the Word of God section, the Sacrament is the high point in our worship service because here God is at work for us, giving us his greatest spiritual gifts of forgiveness, new life, and eternal salvation. The words of the Preface mark the beginning of the Holy Communion section of the service and lift the worshipers hearts in praise. The opening sentences are among the oldest in the Christian liturgy, dating from the second century AD. 11

12 Holy, Holy, Holy Jesus Words Instituting & Commanding His Holy Supper M: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, Take and eat; this is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink from it, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me. The peace of the Lord be with you always. 12

13 O Christ, Lamb of God The Distribution 9 (Sunday) Distribution Hymn: #310, I Come, O Savior, to Your Table 9 At St. Paul s Lutheran Church, we believe that in the Lord s Supper we receive the true body and blood of our Lord in, with, and under the bread and wine. This teaching of God s Word is commonly referred to as the doctrine of Real Presence. By Christ s own Word and by declaration of solid Scripture (Matthew 26:26, 28; 1 Corinthians 10:16, 11:27), we believe his true body and blood are really present in the sacrament; we receive Christ s body and blood with the bread and wine all four elements together; and Christ s body and blood are present under the bread and wine in a miraculous way, rather than in a way that we can see, sense, or detect locally. 13

14 Thanksgiving 10 Communion Response Hymn: #316, O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee M: Hear the prayer of your people, O Lord, that the lips which have praised you here may glorify you in the world, that the eyes which have seen the coming of your Son may long for his coming again, and that all who have received in his true body and blood the pledge of your forgiveness may be restored to live a new and holy life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. The Lord s Blessing M: Brothers and sisters, go in peace. Live in harmony with one another. Serve the Lord with gladness. 10 Having been fed and satisfied through Word and Sacrament, in this final section of the service believers join to thank God for all his blessings and prepare to leave God s house in peace, harmony, and joyful service. 14

15 The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look on you with favor and give you peace. The Closing Hymn: #422, Jesus, Lead Us On 11 Service of Word and Sacrament 1993 Northwestern Publishing House. All rights reserved. O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee Setting: 1982 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission of CPH. Scripture is taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Growing through the Word, going with the Word... Together by grace alone. Sunday School at 10:15 AM (during school year) Adult Bible Studies Sundays at 8:00 & 10:15 AM Worshipping the Lord Last Week s Attendance: Saturday 6:30 PM 72; Sunday 9:00 AM 102; Total = 174 8:00 AM Bible Class 6; 10:15 AM Bible Class 46; Wed. Bible Class 16 Worship Visitors: This hymn puts the finishing touches on today s worship and closes the service on a high note, with one last opportunity for God s people to raise their voices together for worship and mutual encouragement. We depart in peace, walking and speaking in tune with the glorious melody of the eternal music of God. 15

16 Worship Leader: Pastor Paul Hirsch Organist: Mrs. Diane Herbolsheimer Radio Broadcaster(s): Joel & Kathy Wiedeman Television Broadcast Technician: Darol Dusseau Serving the Lord On Duty This Week: Elder: Miles Spreeman Glynn Grebe Greeters: Saturday 6:30 p.m. Sunday 9:00 a.m. Damon & Terri Weinrich Gordy & Jane Winter On Duty Next Week: Joel Moritz Dave & Linda Papstein Ushers: Jeremiah Nichols & Matt Bachman Dustin Kraemer & Darren Papstein Technology: Colton Price Zach Sweigard Announcements 1) Calling for Lent Supper Sponsors! It is customary for St. Paul s to host Lenten suppers prior to the 6:30 PM Wednesday Lent Services. With Lent fast approaching, we would like to encourage the different groups of St. Paul s to consider sponsoring one of the Lent suppers. Meals start serving at 5:00 PM. Please contact Jeanette in the school office ( ) to reserve a day. February 14 th February 28 th Friends of NELHS March 14 th February 21 st Softball Team March 7 th March 21 st Ladies Aid 2) High School & College Tuition Assistance Funds Are Ready If your child is enrolled in one of our synod high schools or colleges or at Lutheran High NE, speak with Jeff Jensen ( ) about receiving tuition assistance. 3) Volunteering at the Norfolk Food Pantry Our church s time for volunteering at the Norfolk Food Pantry has begun. We are helping Mondays-Fridays from January 16 th -31 st. Hours are 9:30-11:30 AM. If you can still help, please sign up at the church Communication Center. Thanks! 16

17 4) Notes of Thanks - From Gilbert Grimm: Thanks to Pastor Reichert & Pastor Hirsch for their visits & for the prayers while I was in the hospital and nursing home. God bless you all! - From Brenda Andersen: Thanks to the pastors and the army of men who helped me move out of and back into my apartment when the flooring had to be redone. I so hope you know the appreciation I have to you for all you did. I can t put into words what all your hard work has meant to me. I thank you again! 5) Fun & Fellowship for All! Please put Sundays, February 11 th & 25 th on your planning calendars. On Sunday, January 28 th, three adult confirmands will be joining our Christian family here at St. Paul s (Megan Arthur, Alecia Neidig & Ethan Preister), so on Sunday, February 11 th we ll be having a welcome/fellowship brunch in the church basement. There WILL NOT be Bible Class that morning so we can get eating and visiting with our new sisters and brother. Then, also on February 11 th, whether you can make the brunch or not, some lanes at King s Bowling Alley have been reserved to do nothing but have a little bit of fun. Any and all are invited to that. Please check out the sign-up sheet at the church Communication Center concerning the brunch and bowling. Then, two weeks later, on Sunday, February 25 th at 4:00 PM, the church band Koine will be here at St. Paul s to give a concert to which the area congregations are being invited. Plans are being made to have the congregations chip-in for a chili-dump supper for all after the concert. More information will follow soon, along with opportunities beginning in February to gather funds to cover the operating cost for Koine as they re out on the road. If you don t know too much about Koine and their incredible Christian music, check them out at The Service Field Test Report Last year, we spent 3+ months field testing an order of service for the new hymnal that our synod is producing, due out sometime in the next 3-5 years. This new order of service included some new items or progressions, lots of well-known service pieces, and plenty of unfamiliar musical settings. In December we asked for respectful, constructive feedback from the congregation, and for the most part that s what we received. That feedback has now been passed on to the Hymnal Committee. 17

18 Some have asked for a congregational report on that feedback. Unfortunately, those survey sheets were submitted and then disposed of; however, there were some general trends that we can share with you about the congregational response to this new order of service. First, regarding the service music. It was widely agreed that it was too difficult for the average worshiper in the pew to be able to pick up quickly and well. Even after a number of months, we and this includes called workers, choirs, and musicians were still having some trouble singing it smoothly. While many said the new music was pleasant to the ear, it seemed to be a little too advanced for its purpose in congregational worship. Second, regarding the service text and progression, results were more mixed. Many survey-takers appreciated the responsive introduction to the Confession & Absolution from 1 John 1:8-9; however, a fair amount of people preferred variety in the Confession & Absolution we use, rather than using the same one week after week. Many appreciated the Thanks be to God Praise be to You, O Christ responses after each Reading as a way of showing our thanks for God s revelation to us. Results seemed split down the middle as far as people who like participating in the Prayer of the Church responsively vs. people who like when the pastor speaks it alone; based on that result, we may try to have more variety in that area in our services normally. However, results were almost unanimous in our appreciation for being able to sit during the sometimes-long Prayer of the Church. Finally, some had some overarching questions that were voiced throughout the process or included on the surveys. A common one went something like, Why do we need to change our order of service? What s the purpose? The answer is that we don t need to change our order of service and the truth is, we aren t really changing anything of substance about it. God s Word and Sacraments are still being shared; God s people still have opportunities to respond with prayer, praise, and thanksgiving; and the vast majority of common, beloved service elements (Creeds, Lord s Prayer, etc.) are still present. This service was carefully crafted by a group of men who have a great love for Christ and for our historic Christian liturgy and who have no intention of watering down or deviating from any of that. We can all be very thankful for that. Yet, in Christian freedom, we often enjoy some variety in worship songs and expressions and that s definitely a preference that our survey feedback showed. The 18

19 Service intended to provide that by being different in some ways from our orders of service in Christian Worship and yet in other ways it also seemed to restrict that. Part of the difficulty of this field test is that the Hymnal Committee asked us to be very rigid about our service planning so that they could get good feedback on all the material they produced and on just the material that they produced. They also asked us to use this same order of service every week for a long period of time so that our people could become very familiar with it and therefore be able to give well-informed and well-thought-out feedback. The intended purposes were good, but admittedly the process did become somewhat tedious in the end. However, under normal circumstances, we d be able to tailor the service more to our church s needs and preferences and use a number of different services in rotation, much like we do now. Whether The Service really hit the spot for you or not, thank you on behalf of all your worship leaders for being willing to play along with this field test. It is our sincere hope that by our participation and feedback, Christ s Kingdom will be wellserved for many years to come. If this can contribute to that, then God be praised! St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church Annual Voters' Assembly Tuesday, January 23 rd, :00 PM I. Call to Order and Devotion II. Reception of any new voting members III. Minutes from previous meeting IV. Reports: 1. Board of Elders (including Membership Transactions) 2. Board of Trustees 3. Board of Christian Education/School Administrator 4. Pastor's Report 5. Board of Finance Report 6. NELHS Delegate 7. WELS Representative Report 8. Cemetery Board 9. Endowment/Trust Committee th Anniversary Committee 11. Evangelism Committee There are currently no items of Old or New Business presented for action. VII. Adjourn / Prayer 19

20 Our Week with Christ Sun., 1/21 Mon. Tues. - 8:00 AM Adult Bible Study (Jesus Is Better) - 9:00 AM Worship Service with Holy Communion - 10:00 AM Fellowship Coffee / Open Forum Hosts: Gary and Laurie Jackson, Darlene Bretschneider, & Darol Dusseau - 10:15 AM Sunday School - 7:30 PM Worship Service at Immanuel Lutheran, Hadar (in school) - 7:00 PM Annual Voters Meeting Wed. - 9:00 AM Worship Service Broadcast on Local Cable 12-10:00 AM Bible Class (Schliewe) - 7:00 PM Choir Thurs. - 2:00 PM Spanish Worship Service Broadcast on Local Cable 12-5:00 PM Boys Basketball Game (at Columbus Christian) Sat. Sun., 1/28-6:30 PM Worship Service Organist: Mrs. Karen Pufahl - 8:00 AM Adult Bible Study (Jesus Is Better) - 9:00 AM Worship Service (K-8 sing) - 10:00 AM Coffee / 10:15 AM Adult Bible Study (Acts) - 10:15 AM Sunday School - 6:00 PM Adult Fellowship Group ============================================================================== Pastor Mark Reichert (Office: , Cell: ) mark.d.reichert@gmail.com Pastor Paul Hirsch (Office: , Cell: ) pahirschki@gmail.com Mike Paulsen, Principal (Office: , Cell: ) mikepaulsen@stpls.com Jeanette Leuthold, Secretary (Office: ) stpls.office@gmail.com St. Paul s Web Site: Synod Web Site: ============================================================================== Church Cleaning Teams: Week of Jan. 21 Team 4 (Traci Anderson, Pat Jamison, Leonard Janovec, John & Jan Schlomer, Debbie Webb, Marlin & JoAnn Winter) Weeks of Jan. 28 & Feb. 4 Team 5 (Gary & Sue Bretschneider, Joan Ellenberger, Shannon Spreeman, Walt & Marian Tinius) 20