November 27 & 28, 2013 Volume 76 No. 60
IMMANUEL EV. LUTHERAN CHURCH 421 North Second Street, Mankato, Minnesota 507-345-3027 www.immanuelmankato.org Serving us today: Pastor: Paul D. Nolting; Deacon: Paul Bade; Organists: Lane Fischer/Kristen Friedrichs; Sound: Brent Schreyer/Nathan Clobes; Screen: Rachael Hanel/Clifford Kuehne; Head Usher: Nathan Olmanson; Asst. Usher: Joseph Friedrichs Pre-Service Anthem: Shout to the Lord by Darlene Zschech (Thursday Ensemble) Pre-Service Devotion: Psalm 30 (red hymnal p. 129; pew Bible p. 494) Pre-Service Prayer: O Lord God, You are the Giver of every good gift! Cause my heart to overflow this day with prayers and praises filled with thanksgiving. You are a good and gracious God, bestowing upon all, blessings in abundance both spiritual and material. Forgive my tendency to worry and complain, and replace all such thoughts with a deep sense of well-being and gratitude. May I be strengthened by the message I will hear this day and then go forward with joy to serve You with ever greater faithfulness. In Jesus name I pray. Amen. 2 ORDER OF SERVICE Opening Hymn of Praise: 792 Let All Things Now Living Welcome and Invocation: Congregation (sings): Amen. Responsive Reading: Selected Thanksgiving Texts P: Sing praise to the LORD, you saints of His: C: And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. (Ps. 30:4) P: It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High: C: To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night. (Ps. 92:1-2) P: Be thankful to Him, and bless His name: C: For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations. (Ps. 100:4b-5) P: Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord: C: Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:18b-20)
P: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing: C: In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you! (1 Thes. 5:16-18) 3
Congregation (sings): Sing to the Lord a thank-filled song, Sing to His name, His greatness tell; Sing on, heaven s host, His praise prolong; Sing, all who now on earth do dwell: Worthy the Lamb, for sinners slain; 4
From angels praise and thanks from men; Worthy the Lamb, enthroned to reign, Glory and power! Amen, Amen. [Adapted from TLH 132:5] 1 st Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 8:11-18 (pew Bible p. 167) Moses warns the children of Israel not to forget the Source of their present and future blessings the LORD their God! That warning given so many centuries ago remains necessary and current today. We have been greatly blessed. Let us recognize that fact and thank the LORD our God for His grace and mercy! Anthem: O Give Thanks (WEDNESDAY Ensemble) O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is gracious and His mercy endureth forever. Alleluia! arr. Douglas E. Wagner 1987 Hope Publishing Company. All rights reserved. OneLicense.net License #A-710933 Ever Faithful, Ever Sure (THURSDAY - Church Choir) Praise, O praise our God and King; hymns of adoration sing; Praise Him that He made the sun day by day His course to run; And the silver moon by night, shining with her gentle light; Praise Him that He gave the rain to bring forth the golden grain; Congregation joins to sing this stanza (see screen for music): Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise Him all creatures here below; praise Him above, ye heav'nly host; praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Glory to our bounteous King; glory let creation sing; Words by Henry W. Baker and Thomas Ken. Music by Larry Shackley. 2012 Lorenz Publishing Company. All rights reserved. OneLicense.net License #A-710933 2 nd Scripture Reading: Luke 12:15-21 (pew Bible p. 921) We can so easily fall into the trap of materialism thinking that what really matters is the stuff that we possess. Jesus warns us that our greatest treasures are not material things, but the grace and blessing we receive from our heavenly Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Let us truly rejoice in and be thankful to our God! Confession of Faith: Luther s Explanation to the 1 st Article I believe that God has created me and all creatures. He has given me my body and life, eyes, ears, and all my bodily members, my mind, and all my senses and still keeps them for me. God also preserves me by richly and daily providing clothing and shoes, food and 5
drink, house and home, spouse and children, land, animals, and all my property and all I need to support this body and life. He protects me from all danger. He guards and defends me from every evil. God does all this because He is my good and gracious Father in heaven, not because of anything I have done to earn or deserve it. For all of this it is my duty to thank, praise, serve, and obey Him. This is most certainly true. Hymn: 36 Now Thank We All Our God Devotional Text: Acts 17:22-31 (pew Bible p. 985) Theme: IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS! BUT TO WHOM DO WE OWE OUR THANKS? I. To the God who is Lord of heaven and earth! II. To the God who is not far from each one of us! III. To the God who commands all men everywhere to repent! Offertory: Praise to God, Immortal Praise (TLH 572:1,4) 6 Praise to God, immortal praise, For the love that crowns our days; Bounteous Source of ev ry joy, Let Thy praise our tongues employ. All to Thee, our God, we owe, Source whence all our blessings flow. As Thy prospering hand hath blest, May we give Thee of our best And by deeds of kindly love For Thy mercies grateful prove, Singing thus through all our days Praise to God, immortal praise. Amen. Hymn: 568 We Praise Thee, O God, Our Redeemer, Creator Offering: Our offering today will be dedicated to and equally divided between our current budget and our mission goal. May we with willing and thankful hearts bring our offerings to our Lord! Offering Anthem: Blessed Be Your Name (Thursday Ensemble) Words and Music by Matt Redman and Beth Redman Prayers Lord s Prayer (Sung by Congregation) 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 debts as we forgive our debtors. 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.
Benediction: As You Go on Your Way (Sung by Pastor) Closing Hymn of Praise: 793 Sing to the Lord of Harvest Church Decorating Saturday, November 30 Decorating Begins 9:00 a.m. (coffee/juice provided; feel free to bring a breakfast item to share!) A time of fellowship, music, and fun while decorating God s House for celebrating the birth of His Son! Families are welcome! Thank you to all of the vocalists and instrumentalists for adding to our worship! 7
This art provided by Immanuel member, Augustine Corona. 8