We Have Peace with God

Transcription

1 We Have Peace with God Peace Lutheran Church 2090 Commerce Drive North Mankato, MN 56003

2 Peace Lutheran Church Evangelical Lutheran Synod Serving Christ with united hearts and hands and voices Pastor Timothy Hartwig Church Office: Cell Phone: Jesus Lambs at Peace Preschool Teacher/Director: Joslyn Moldstad Phone: Divine Service Sunday 8:30 & 10:45 AM & Wednesday 6:30 PM March 1, 2015 Second Sunday in Lent Welcome to Peace! The purpose of our congregation is to worship God, who gives life through Word and Sacrament; to serve one another in love and fellowship; and to proclaim forgiveness and salvation to all through Jesus Christ alone. Before Worship As you prepare to worship your Lord today, spend a few quiet minutes in prayer before the service. Review the lessons, the service notes, and pray this prayer: Prayer of the Day Almighty God, You see that we have no power to defend ourselves. Guard and keep us both outwardly and inwardly from all adversities that may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. For the Children A Cry-Room is available if your little ones need a moment. It is the first room on the left as you walk into the church building. Sound and video are piped into the room to enable you to hear and see the service. Facilities Restrooms are located down the hall and on the right side. 2

3 The Lutheran Chorale Service Today we introduce in our worship The Lutheran Chorale Service, Rite Four in our Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary (p. 107). The service is based on Martin Luther's Deutsche Messe, or The German Mass, published in The Deutsche Messe was composed by Luther to provide worship in the language of the people, vs. his Latin mass, Formula missae, published in Both of these masses were meant as suggested orders, i.e., not expected to be used exactly as written, but open to alteration. The German Mass in its original form was completely chanted, except for the sermon. In the Lutheran Chorale service and in our worship today, congregational hymn singing is used extensively for the various parts of the service. For example, the Apostle's Creed and The Lord's Prayer are sung as hymns instead of being spoken. Luther, an early proponent of incorporating congregational singing into worship (vs. singing/chanting strictly by the choir and/or clergy), believed that the function of the mass is to allow people to hear the Word of God. Surely The Lutheran Chorale serves this purpose. May we be edified in our worship through the use of this service. A chorale is a melody to which a hymn is sung by a congregation, having originated primarily in the German church. The typical four-part setting of a chorale, in which the sopranos (and the congregation) sing the melody along with three lower voices, is known as a chorale harmonization. Chorales tend to be simple and singable tunes. The words are often sung to a rhyming scheme and are in a strophic form (the same melody used for different verses). Starting in 1523, Martin Luther began translating worship texts into German from the Latin, so that the people could understand, continue to learn and participate. This created an immediate need for a large repertoire of new chorales. He composed some chorales himself, such as A Mighty Fortress. For other chorales, he used Gregorian chant melodies from Roman Catholic worship and fitted them with German texts, sometimes adapting the same melody more than once. Johann Sebastian Bach harmonized hundreds of chorales, typically used at the end of his cantatas and concluding scenes in his Passions. He also used hymns as the base for his cycle of chorale cantatas and chorale preludes. Today, many of the Lutheran chorales are familiar as hymns used in our churches, often sung in four-voice harmony. 3

4 The Divine Service The Lutheran Chorale, p. 107 Opening Hymn: #258:1-5, Lord Jesus Christ, My Savior Blest The Invocation P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen. The Confession of Sin and Absolution P: Praise the Lord who forgives all sins, C: His mercy endures forever. P: Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid, cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, that we may love and honor Your Name! C: Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of the world: We confess that we have sinned against Your divine majesty by thought, word, and deed, provoking Your wrath against us. We earnestly repent and are heartily sorry for our sins. We grieve to think of then. Their burden is intolerable. Have mercy upon us, gracious Father! Forgive us our sins for the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Grant that we may serve You in newness of life, to the honor and glory of Your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. P: Lift up your hearts! The Lord God, according to His promise, is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. By the command of Christ I forgive you all your sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Peace be with you! C: Amen. Response Hymn: #258:6-7, Lord Jesus Christ, My Savior Blest The Prayer of the Day P: Almighty God, You see that we have no power to defend ourselves. Guard and keep us both outwardly and inwardly from all adversities that may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. The Service of the Word The Lesson Genesis 28: Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. 11 When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, 4

5 he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. 12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 There above it stood the LORD, and he said: "I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." 16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it." 17 He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven." The Epistle Romans 5: Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10 For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. The Holy Gospel Mark 8: He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." 5

6 34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels." The Creed Hymn #37, We All Believe in One True God Sermon Hymn: #226:1-4,9-10, By Grace I m Saved Sermon: Romans 5:1-11 We Have Peace with God The Offering The members of Peace Lutheran Congregation have joined together to do the Lord s work in this community and around the world. Visitors need not feel obligated to participate in this offering which supports our ministry. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (II Corinthians 9:8) Please fill out the Friendship Register. The Prayer of the Church P: Gathered in the name of Jesus; let us call on our heavenly Father for ourselves, for our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world, and for all people. Almighty God, Maker of heaven and earth, You never slumber nor sleep, but always watch over Your whole creation. Bless Your Church that it may always declare Your glory, tell of Your salvation and make known the treasures You have prepared for those who call on Your name. Help Your people to proclaim Your marvelous works. Give them faithfulness to Your truth, and in every circumstance, keep them from harm. C: Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer. P: For all the blessings You have bestowed on this congregation, we give thanks to You, O Lord. Help us remember each other in prayer. Send Your Holy Spirit with power among us. Give us zeal to carry Your message of salvation to the lost. Teach us to welcome all who seek Your mercy in this place and to accept them as brothers and sisters in Christ. C: Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer. P: O God, Yours is the strength that rules and judges the nations. Where there is division and strife, bring unity and peace. Where there is hunger and thirst, give 6

7 rain, abundant harvest, and generous neighbors. Where there is prejudice and lack of justice, give understanding, fairness, and trustworthy rulers. Bless our nation, its President, and all who serve in government, that we who rejoice in Your truth may be permitted, without restriction, to declare Your gracious promises and serve You. C: Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer. P: Gracious Lord, sustain and protect those whose vocations call them to the service of their country, especially the members of our armed forces. Bless their efforts to establish peace and stability in the world. Sustain them during lonely times; protect and defend them from all danger. Keep their families in Your care, that during their time of separation they may receive support and encouragement within their communities. C: Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer. P: Heavenly Father, our eyes look to You to send help to all who are in need. Give work, we pray, to the unemployed. Give confidence in Your love to those who are anxious about tomorrow. Grant strength and patience to those who bear heavy burdens at work, school, or home, and give the peace of Your forgiveness to those who live with regrets over past actions. Grant the comfort of Your Holy Spirit to all who confess You to be the only God, that as they call on Your name they may find rest for their souls. C: Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer. (intercession for special needs may be made at this time.) P: Be merciful, O God, to all, according to Your great love in Christ Jesus, our Lord. When our final hour shall come, grant us a blessed departure from this world, and on the last day, a resurrection to Your glory. C: Grant us Your peace, O Lord! Amen! The Lord s Prayer Hymn #384, Our Father, Throned in Heaven Above The Benediction P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 7

8 The Closing Hymn: #595, Peace to Soothe Our Bitter Woes Thank you to those who served in our service today: Organist: Katie Hartwig; The ushers; Cover artwork: Don Moldstad. To God be the Glory! Announcements March & April Groups Groups scheduled for March and April are: Refreshments Group 2; Greeters Group 5. THANK YOU to groups 1 and 4 for your service in January and February!! CROSSED is meeting tonight from 6:15 to 8:30. We hope you ll use this time to connect with God and connect with others. Teens in grades 7-12 are invited to join in the faith, fun, and fellowship time. Get ready to get wrapped up in fun! Solid Grounds Bible Study will meet on Tuesday at 9:00AM. Everyone is invited to attend! M.O.M.s is at Peace! M.O.Ms will meet weekly on Wednesday mornings through the month of April. Fellowship begins at 8:15, followed by bible study from 8:45-10:00am. Come when you can. Childcare is provided. All moms and their children welcome! Come meet other moms who face the same parenting challenges you do. Questions? Contact Kristen Lukasek at mattlukasek@yahoo.com or Emily Peters at emmykf@hotmail.com. Wednesdays during the Lenten season - Supper will be from 5:15-6:15PM. Lenten Worship Service will begin at 6:30PM. We are serving THIS WEDNESDAY! Please check your and follow the link to VolunteerSpot and sign up to help or call Terri Fries or Debra Howson at to have them sign you up. The Adult Choir will have rehearsal Wednesday at 7:30PM. Please join us! For more information please contact Susan Lepak at or salepak@hotmail.com. 8

9 Jesus Lambs at Peace Preschoolers will perform the play, Pinocchio on Friday, March 6. We will have two performances, one at 10:00 a.m. and the other at 2:00p.m. Families, siblings, grandparents, friends, and church members are welcome! We thank Mrs. Amanda Madson for playing the songs for our play! Our Preschool Open House will be Tuesday, March p.m. If you would like to help with registration, crafts, face-painting, games and prizes, our math and science room, please let us know. Call Joslyn at It s softball time again!! If any male members of Peace are interested in being on Peace s softball team please sign-up today on the sheet on the bulletin board (signature required). Softball dues are $100, and are due when you sign up. Any questions, please call Chris Harstad at Please leave your check on Karen s desk with memo line - softball dues. We are serving for the March 11 th Lenten Meal and we still need two large vegetable trays and people to help serve and clean up. Please log in to Volunteer Spot ( or call Joni Wiederhoeft at before March 4 th to let her know what you would like to sign up for. Thank you to those who have already signed up to help. Calling all members in groups 3 & 6 Saturday, March 21 st, from 9-11a.m. we are scheduled for seasonal cleaning. Everyone s help is greatly needed and appreciated! There is much to get done, but with everyone helping it will go quickly. Please contact one of your group co-leaders and let them know you will be there to help clean YOUR church. Thanks much!! Music and More 2015 is on the calendar! Last year's trial run of this event was a great success, and we are looking forward to its encore this year. So set aside Sunday, May 31, to come and enjoy an hour or so of entertainment and socializing. Beginning at 3:00PM, you will be treated to a showcase of homegrown talent, presented by members of Peace Lutheran. The program is intended to focus primarily on music of all kinds, but non-musical entries (the More of Music and More) also are encouraged. The latter might include poetry or essay readings, story-telling, even visual art such as photography, sketching, painting, etc. If you have a talent you'd like to share, please contact Susan Lepak ( ;salepak@hotmail.com) or Amanda Madson ( ) by April 19. To watch our services go to: The service will start automatically when it is live (Sundays at 8:30AM). For recorded services, go to and you can choose which service you want to watch. Last week at Peace: Divine Worship 291 Wednesday 106 9

10 Join Us For Supper! Lenten suppers will be served from 5:15-6:15PM every Wednesday during the Lenten season. We have awesome cooks in our congregation come and enjoy the food and fellowship. Midweek Lenten services are held Wednesdays at 6:30pm. Lenten Services will be a rotation with ELS/WELS pastors. The theme is I Tell You the Truth March 4 You Will Disown Me March 11 March 18 March 25 Faith Can Move Mountains If One Dies, It Produces Life for Many One of You Will Betray Me Mt. Olive Lutheran School is seeking an After-School Care Coordinator to oversee the K-8 program from approximately 2:15-5:15 on school days. This part-time position involves minimal administrative duties, which would include scheduling and over-seeing all After School Care staff, with the primary focus on keeping the children safe, calm and occupied. If interested, please contact Mt. Olive at or Principal Rude at lrude@mtolivelutheran.org. Head Cook Position Open: Looking for a part-time job of hours per week that offers a competitive hourly wage, free lunches and summers off? Maybe you'd be a good fit to fill our head cook position. Although not required, the ideal candidate would possess some experience in the food industry. Organizational and multi-tasking skills, patience with children and a willingness to train are a must. The position will start in mid-april, with training provided by the current head cook. Also seeking an Assistant to the Head Cook, (15-20 hours per week) with a start date of late August. If interested in either of these opportunities, please contact Mt. Olive at , or Principal Larry Rude at lrude@mtolivelutheran.org. Events at Bethany Lutheran College Saturday, March 7 - Mark your calendar and plan on joining us for this year s Women s Day Out. Guest speakers will include Tina Kotulski, Jennifer Schwertfeger and Amanda Gerdts who will speak on Resilience in Hope. The day will be filled with sessions, activities, and vendors and we will end the day with a new show from THE LOONEY LUTHERANS. The day begins at 8am Saturday, March 7 in Trinity Chapel. For more information and registration options visit the Bethany website at: contact Carrie Flanagan at or Carrie.Flanagan@blc.edu. 10