CALVARY LUTHERAN CHURCH A Congregation of the Church of the Lutheran Confession 450 W. Ohio Marquette, Michigan www.calvary.clclutheran.org Divine Worship......... 9:30am Sunday School 10:45am/Bible Class 10:50am Andrew A. Schaller, Pastor Church: (906) 226-9372 Parsonage: (906) 228-3566 CLC CALL NEWS Trinity Lutheran, Spokane WA, has called Pastor Aaron Ude, who currently serves Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Rapid City, SD Our Redeemer s of Red Wing, MN, has called Pastor Edward Starkey, who currently serves Resurrection Lutheran of Corpus Christi, TX ADVENT ONE December 2, 2018 PREPARATION FOR WORSHIP: Psalm: 40 (Pg. 132) Prayers: 1 (Pg. 118) 5-6 (Pg. 118). Organist: Mr. Walter Priebe HYMNS: 66 75 226:1-6 330/310 226:7-9 PRAYER OPENING HYMN: 66 - Hark the Glad Sound! The Savior Comes! THE ORDER OF HOLY COMMUNION (TLH Pg.15ff.) The Invocation The Confession of Sins... Absolution, -- Amen. The Introit The Gloria Patri (Pg. 16) The Kyrie (Pg. 17). Gloria in Excelsis (Pg. 17-19) The Salutation (Pg. 19) The Collect (Prayer for the Day) -- Amen. THE PROPHECY CANDLE OLD TESTAMENT LESSON: JOEL 2:12-32 12 Now, therefore, says the LORD, Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. 13 So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm. 14 Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him A grain offering and a drink offering For the LORD your God? Missions/Cooperative Budget Plan Pledge 2018 Amount Pledged 2018 Amount Received as of 11/25 $7500.00 $5465.00 (-2035.00) CLCI SEMINARY STUDENT SPONSORSHIP - $35/MO FEBRUARY GOAL RECEIVED 11/25 MARCH GOAL $10.00 $25.00 $20.00 The Offerings of Thankful Hearts Calvary Offerings 11/25/18 General Fund Loose Offerings Missions (CBP) CLCI Sem Student $675.00 $133.00 $200.00 $25.00 Offerings Total: $1033.00 * Scripture quotations (unless otherwise noted) are taken from the Holy Bible, New King James Version, 1982 by Thomas Nelson Publishers.All rights reserved.
DAILY BIBLE READINGS FOR DEVOTIONS; DECEMBER 3-8, 2018 Monday - Ezekiel s theme: Then you shall know that I am the LORD. The scary vision of chapter 1 helped prepare Ezekiel for his personal interview with God in chapter 2. Having faced God, Ezekiel could face rebellious Israel if he swallowed God s Word, digested His directives, and gave them God s personal warning (ch.3). God had a lot of bad news (chapters 4, 5, 6, 7) for a crowd that had turned Jerusalem into a garbage dump of abominations (ch.8). They should not be allowed to live (chapter 9), for God could stand the stench no longer (chapter 10). Tuesday - Conversion of heart and life was the escape hatch (11:14-20), and to produce that result, God directed a Show-and-Tell lesson for the wretches (chapter 12). Some scary details are given in chapter 13, and nobody could escape by cuddling up to Noah, Daniel, or Job (chapter 14). Chapter 16 gives me the shivers, for renouncing God seems to be every generation s thing. Nevertheless, God sticks to His guns (16:60-63). Chapter 18 pinches a few toes: God doesn t judge by your ancestors but by your personal conduct. That s fair-and-square, so repent! Get yourself a new heart and spirit! [God doesn t want to lose you.] Wednesday - Chapters 24:15-27 Ezekiel was a sign to them that if it s callous to not cry when your dear wife dies, it s more callous to not cry when you lose God s love. God nudges His spokesmen in chapter 33:7-11: Warn a fellow believer to quit his sinful behavior, for God does not want a single soul to perish in impenitence. Vv. 12-20 clarify how a repentant sinner responds to God s love. We have a Good Shepherd who seeks, finds, gathers, feeds, and tends the sheep that belong to Him (chapter 34:11-16). [Note God s emphatic: I will ] Thursday - In case you re wondering what God intended with the Exile and the Restoration, here s the scenario: When the Jews turned their homeland into a religious garbage dump, they proved unworthy to live there, and so God exiled them to foreign garbage dumps. Restoring them was God s special project intended to refit the Jews for a renewed, clean life (36:16-33). Friday - 37:1-14 When God would resurrect dead Israel and put it back on its feet, then they shall know that I am the LORD. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God. They shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Saturday - 39:21-29 It bears repeating, so Ezekiel repeated: God had good reason for sending Israel into captivity, and after they had learned their hard lesson, God restored them. THEN (not before) they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who sent them... and also brought them back to their own land. And I will not hide My face from them anymore, for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel. [We stay tuned for further developments.] CALVARY LUTHERAN CHURCH Advent One.December 3, 2018
CHURCH ENVELOPES The new church envelopes have arrived and have been set out on the back table. Please pick up your envelopes today. CHRISTMAS/NEW YEARS WORSHIP SCHEDULE Our Christmas/New Year s Worship Schedule is as follows: Sunday December 23 rd Advent Four 9:30am Monday December 24 Christmas Eve Worship 7pm Tuesday December 25 Christmas Day Worship 10am Sunday December 30 Sunday After Christmas 9:30am Monday December 31 -- New Year s Eve Communion Service 7pm CALVARY COUNCIL/VOTERS MEETINGS The Council Meeting to prepare for the Annual Meeting is scheduled for Sunday January 13 th following worship. The Annual Voters Meeting is scheduled for Sunday January 20 th following worship. LADIES OF CALVARY CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON The Ladies of Calvary have scheduled their Christmas Luncheon for Saturday January 5 th at Big Boy at Noon. A sign-up sheet will be placed on the back table to ascertain who is attending. LADIES OF CALVARY The Ladies of Calvary meet next on Thursday evening, December 13 th at 7pm in the Pastor s Office. COUNCIL MEETING There will be a brief council meeting this morning after church to discuss our banking situation. 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly; 16 Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, And the bride from her dressing room. 17 Let the priests, who minister to the LORD, Weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, Spare Your people, O LORD, And do not give Your heritage to reproach, That the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, Where is their God? 18 Then the LORD will be zealous for His land, And pity His people. 19 The LORD will answer and say to His people, Behold, I will send you grain and new wine and oil, And you will be satisfied by them; I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations. 20 But I will remove far from you the northern army, And will drive him away into a barren and desolate land, With his face toward the eastern sea And his back toward the western sea; His stench will come up, And his foul odor will rise, Because he has done monstrous things. 21 Fear not, O land; Be glad and rejoice, For the LORD has done marvelous things! 22 Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field; For the open pastures are springing up, And the tree bears its fruit; The fig tree and the vine yield their strength. 23 Be glad then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the LORD your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will cause the rain to come down for you The former rain, And the latter rain in the first month. 24 The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. 25 So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. 26 You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame. 27 Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the LORD your God And there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame. 28 And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. 29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
30 And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. 32 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the LORD has said, Among the remnant whom the LORD calls. * EPISTLE LESSON: EPHESIANS 2:1-13 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. 11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. * THE GRADUAL -- (A Prayer for the Sunday read responsively) Pastor: All those who wait on You; Congregation: Shall not be ashamed, O LORD. P: Show me Your ways, O Lord; C: Teach me your paths. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! P: Show us Your mercy, O Lord; C: Grant us Your Salvation. Hallelujah! (Sung) Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
ANNOUNCEMENTS December 3, 2018 THIS WEEK Tuesday: Confirmation Class 3pm; Sunday School Teachers, 7pm Wednesday: Choir Practice 6pm; Midweek Advent Worship, 7pm Saturday: Calvary Christmas Party 5pm Sunday: Divine Service 9:30am; Sunday School 10:45; Bible Class 10:50am CHOIR PRACTICE/ADVENT WORSHIP Choir Practice continues at 6pm this Wednesday, Advent Worship will follow at 7pm. CALVARY CHRISTMAS DINNER The Schedule for the Annual Christmas Dinner, next Saturday December 8 th is as follows: 5:00-5:45pm Fellowship/Appetizers 5:45-6:15pm Christmas Carol Sing 6:15-7:30pm Dinner/Gift Exchange 7:30pm Christmas Jeopardy The Dinner Menu is posted in the Fellowship Hall. If you plan to attend, please sign the attendance sheet and sign up to bring an appetizer if you wish. There will be a $5 gift exchange for those who wish to participate. Men are to bring manly gifts and Women womanly gifts. The cost for the meal is $5.00 per person, payable to Walter Priebe. MIDWEEK ADVENT SERVICES Advent will begin on Sunday December 2 nd, which means that our Midweek Advent Services will be held December 5 th, 12 th, and 19 th at 7pm. Our Advent Series focuses on three different Word Pictures of the Savior Jesus. We see that He is our Potter (Isaiah 64:8) who shapes us according to His Will; Our Shepherd (Isaiah 40:11) who carries us close to His Heart; and our Living Branch (Isaiah 11:1) who died and rose to give us eternal life. CHRISTMAS CAROLING ON SUNDAYS On Sunday Mornings during Advent it is our tradition to sing Christmas Carols from 9:15-9:30am. We will follow this procedure December 2, 9 th, 16 th and 23 rd. So, join us a little early and exercise your faith and your voice in song! A Christmas Caroling trip to Jacobetti is also being planned for Sunday December 16 th at 2pm in the chapel for anyone who would like to bring some joy to our veterans. "Glory be to Thee, O Lord!" GOSPEL LESSON: JOHN 15:26-16:14 26 But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning. 16 These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. 3 And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. 4 But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, Where are You going? 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. 12 I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. * "Praise be to Thee, O Christ!" CONFESSION OF FAITH: THE NICENE CREED (TLH PG. 22) HYMN: 75 - Ye Sons of Men, Oh, Hearken SERMON: EZEKIEL 37:1-14 The hand of the LORD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones.
2 Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. 3 And He said to me, Son of man, can these bones live? So I answered, O Lord GOD, You know. 4 Again He said to me, Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! 5 Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. 6 I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them. 9 Also He said to me, Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live. 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army. 11 Then He said to me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off! 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13 Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. 14 I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it, says the LORD. * GOD S PLAN OF RESTORATION AND REVITILIZATION of the Nation of Israel of the Spiritually Dead Human Heart. THE OFFERINGS OF THANKFUL HEARTS THE OFFERING HYMN: (TLH 439:1-4) O God of mercy, God of might, In love and pity infinite, Teach us, as ever, in Thy sight, To live our life to Thee. And Thou, who cam'st on earth to die That fallen man might live thereby, Oh, hear us; for to Thee we cry, In hope, O Lord, to Thee. Teach us the lesson Thou hast taught, To feel for those Thy blood hath bought That every word and deed and thought May work a work for Thee. All are redeemed, both far and wide, Since Thou, O Lord, for all hast died. Oh, teach us, whatsoe'er betide, To love them all in Thee! PRAYER(S) HYMN: 226:1-6 - Come, Oh, Come, Thou Quickening Spirit THE LITURGY: (Pg. 24ff) The Preface, The Sanctus (Pg. 26), The Lord s Prayer, The Words of Institution, The Pax Domini, The Agnus Dei (Pg. 28). THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE SACRAMENT: The Lord's Supper is described in 1 Corinthians 11:23-32 as a most precious medicine for the soul. Like all medicines, of course, it must be used at the right time for the right purpose by the right person, lest it do more harm than good. Thus, we ask all communicants to speak to the pastor before communing, especially if you have not communed here before. The Lord s Supper will be received standing or kneeling before the communion railing. Communicants are asked to come forward together. Those who would like the common cup please indicate it to the pastor. Those who would like the individual cups please take one and then dispose of it in one of the small disposals near the front. DISTRIBUTION HYMNS: 330 I Come to Thee, O Blessed Lord; 310 Thy Table I Approach THE LITURGY: (Pg. 29ff) The Nunc Dimittis, The Thanksgiving; Prayer, Amen. Salutation; The Benedicamus. THE BENEDICTION: Pastor CONGREGATION: (Sung) Amen, Amen, Amen. CLOSING HYMN: 226:7-9 Come, Oh, Come, Thou Quickening Spirt The