St. John s Lutheran Church 111 Second Ave. NE Stewartville, Minnesota 55976 507-533-4420 www.stjohnsandweecare.org Rev. Lyle Fritsch, Pastor pastor@stjohnsandweecare.org 533-4286 Dave Erickson, Director of Christian Education dce@stjohnsandweecare.org 268-4329 Dee Radtke, Wee Care Director director@stjohnsandweecare.org 533-6260 Serving as God s Family: Sharing His Love, Telling His Story Fifth Sunday after Pentecost June 24, 2018 O Lord, in your wondrous care remember the tempted, the distressed and the erring; gently guide them and bring them back into your ways of peace and truth. Graciously regard all who are in trouble or danger of body and soul; rescue them from the storms of life and by your presence preserve them. In the end of days bring all of your people to the everlasting tranquility and peace of our eternal home. Amen. Welcome in the name of the Lord! Guests and members who do not have email are invited to pick up a copy of this week s church announcements on the usher s stand in the narthex. To be added to our email list and receive the weekly announcements electronically, please contact secretary@stjohnsandweecare.org. Thank you. + DIVINE SERVICE + HYMN My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less LW 368 INVOCATION Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. People: Amen. CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS OF SINS Pastor: We have come into the presence of God, who created us to love and serve him as his dear children. But we have disobeyed him and deserve only his wrath and punishment. Therefore, let us confess our sins to him and plead for his mercy. People: Merciful Father in heaven, I am altogether sinful from birth. In countless ways I have sinned against you and do not deserve to be called your child. But trusting in Jesus, my Savior, I pray: Have mercy on me according to your unfailing love. Cleanse me from my sin, and take away my guilt. 1
Pastor: God, our heavenly Father, has forgiven all your sins. By the perfect life and innocent death of our Lord Jesus Christ, he has removed your guilt forever. You are his own dear child. May God give you strength to live according to his will. People: Amen. INTROIT Pastor: Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. People: He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders. 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. Pastor: Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. (Psalm 107:28-32) SALUTATION Pastor: The Lord be with you. People: And also with you. PRAYER Pastor: Let us pray: People: O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have safely brought us to this moment. Defend us this day with your mighty power and grant that we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by your governance, may be righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. HYMN Our God, Our Help in Ages Past LW 180 OLD TESTAMENT READING Job 38:1-11 Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said: "Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone--while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? "Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, when I fixed limits 2
for it and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, `This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt'?" PSALM 124 People: If the LORD had not been on our side let Israel say if the LORD had not been on our side when men attacked us, when their anger flared against us, they would have swallowed us alive; the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, the raging waters would have swept us away. Praise be to the LORD, who has not let us be torn by their teeth. We have escaped like a bird out of the fowler's snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. SECOND READING Acts 27:1-2a, 13-27, 33-44 When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment. We boarded a ship When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had obtained what they wanted; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the "northeaster," swept down from the island. The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure. When the men had hoisted it aboard, they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Fearing that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. On the third day, they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved. After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: "Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, `Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island." On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. "For the last fourteen days," he said, "you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food--you haven't eaten anything. Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head." After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. 3
They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. Altogether there were 276 of us on board. When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea. When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf. The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. But the centurion wanted to spare Paul's life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. The rest were to get there on planks or on pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land in safety. THE HOLY GOSPEL Mark 4:35-41 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" CHILDREN S MESSAGE (Sunday) APOSTLES CREED People: I believe in God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From thence he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Amen. HYMN Be Still, My Soul LW 510 SERMON OFFERING AND SIGNING OF FRIENDSHIP REGISTERS 4
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH Pastor: Almighty and eternal God, worthy to be held in reverence by all people, we give you humble and hearty thanks for the innumerable blessings which, without any merit or worthiness on our part, you have bestowed on us. People: We praise you especially that you have preserved for us your saving Word and the holy sacraments. And we implore you, O Lord, to grant and preserve to your holy Church throughout the world purity of doctrine and faithful pastors to preach your Word with power. Pastor: Help all who hear the Word rightly to understand and truly to believe it. Send laborers into your harvest, and open the door of faith to those who do not know you. In mercy remember the enemies of your Church, and grant them repentance to life. Protect and defend your Church in all tribulation and danger. People: Strengthen us and all fellow Christians to set our hope fully on the grace revealed in Christ, and help us to fight the good fight of faith that in the end we may receive the salvation of our souls. Pastor: Bestow your grace on all nations of the earth. Bless especially our country and its inhabitants and all who are in authority. People: Let your glory dwell in our land that mercy and truth, righteousness and peace may everywhere abound. Pastor: Graciously defend us from all calamity by fire and water, from war and pestilence, from scarcity and famine, and from every other evil. Protect and prosper everyone in his rightful calling, and let all useful arts flourish among us. People: Be the God and Father of the widow and the fatherless, the helper of the sick and needy, and the comforter of the forsaken and distressed. (Petitions of the day are spoken.) Pastor: As we are strangers and pilgrims on earth, help us by true faith and a godly life to prepare for the world to come, doing the work you have given us to do while it is day, before the night comes when no one can work. People: And when our last hour comes, support us by your power, and receive us into your heavenly kingdom; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. LORD S PRAYER Pastor: Lord, remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray: People: 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. BENEDICTION Pastor: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace. People: Amen. 5
HYMN Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me LW 513 Jesus, Savior, pilot me over life s tempestuous sea; Unknown waves before me roll, hiding rock and treach rous shoal. Chart and compass come from thee; Jesus, Savior, pilot me. As a mother stills her child, thou canst hush the ocean wild; Boist rous waves obey thy will, when thou say st to them, Be still! Wondrous Sov reign of the sea, Jesus, Savior, pilot me. When at last I near the shore, and the fearful breakers roar Twixt me and the peaceful rest, then, while leaning on thy breast, May I hear thee say to me, Fear not, I will pilot thee. 6