Concordia Lutheran Church 255 West Douglas St. South St. Paul, MN

Concordia Lutheran Church 255 West Douglas St. South St. Paul, MN 55075 651-451-0309 Vision Creating a Christ-Centered Community, one family at a time, beginning in South St. Paul and continuing through the world Mission Creating a Christ-Centered community gathered together To joyfully worship our God To grow in faith and knowledge To love one another And to share the Good News of Jesus Christ

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THIRD SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY January 27, 2019 AS WE GATHER It s easy to take for granted something that happens every time we gather in the Lord s house and around His Means of Grace. It s easy to lose sight of the fact that, whenever we worship in Spirit and in truth, Jesus Himself is present. As He did in the ancient Nazareth synagogue among His own family and friends, Jesus stands in our midst, opening the Scriptures to us, and showing us how He has come to fulfill them for our salvation. More than just speaking the Word, Jesus is the Word made flesh! Today, in our hearing, Jesus comes anew with God s favor for us. Let us gladly receive Him! PRE-SERVICE MUSIC THE WELCOME THE RITE OF FRIENDSHIP PREPARATION OPENING HYMN God Himself is Present LSB 907 1 God Himself is present: Let us now adore Him And with awe appear before Him. God is in His temple; All within keep silence; Humbly kneel in deepest rev rence. He alone On His throne Is our God and Savior; Praise His name forever! 2 God Himself is present: Hear the harps resounding; See the hosts the throne surrounding. Holy, holy, holy! Hear the hymn ascending, 3

Songs of saints and angels blending. Bow Your ear To us here: Hear, O Christ, the praises That Your Church now raises. 3 Fount of ev ry blessing, Purify my spirit, Trusting only in Your merit. Like the holy angels, Worshiping before You, May I ceaselessly adore You. Let Your will Ever still Rule Your Church terrestrial As the hosts celestial. Text: Public domain INVOCATION P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen. CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION Psalm 19:14 P: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, C: O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. P: O Lord, hear us as we silently come before You. In silent prayer, God s children bring their sins to Jesus. P: Father, thank You for hearing us as we pray: C: Too often we have neglected Your Word and ignored Your work in our lives. Instead of focusing on You, we have focused on ourselves. Instead of serving others, we have expected to be served. Forgive us, gracious Father, and renew us through Your Word of life. Help us to see Jesus in our midst as Your Word made flesh crucified for our sins and raised to life again. By the working of Your Holy Spirit, give us hearts to joyfully worship You. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen. 4

P: Jesus stands and proclaims the Good News in your hearing this day! As your pastor and as His servant, it is my joy to announce His forgiving grace to all of you and, in His stead and by His command, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen. WORD INTROIT Psalm 102:18 22; antiphon: v. 13 P: You will arise and have pity on Zion; it is the time to favor her; the appointed time has come. C: Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord: P: that he looked down from his holy height; from heaven the Lord looked at the earth, C: to hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die, P: that they may declare in Zion the name of the Lord, and in Jerusalem his praise, C: when peoples gather together, and kingdoms, to worship the Lord. ALL: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. P: You will arise and have pity on Zion; it is the time to favor her; the appointed time has come. KYRIE P: Lord, have mercy upon us! C: Christ, have mercy upon us! P: Lord, have mercy upon us! HYMN OF PRAISE Alleluia! Sing to Jesus LSB 821 (verses 1,4) 1 Alleluia! Sing to Jesus; His the scepter, His the throne; Alleluia! His the triumph, His the victory alone. Hark! The songs of peaceful Zion Thunder like a mighty flood: Jesus out of ev ry nation Has redeemed us by His blood. 5

4 Alleluia! King eternal, Lord omnipotent we own; Alleluia! Born of Mary, Earth Your footstool, heav n Your throne. As within the veil You entered, Robed in flesh, our great High Priest, Here on earth both priest and victim In the eucharistic feast. Text: Public domain SALUTATION P: The Lord be with you. C: And also with you. PRAYER OF THE DAY P: Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, look upon us with mercy that we may receive the Scriptures and, fixing our eyes on Jesus, see Him as the fulfillment of all You have spoken; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen. OLD TESTAMENT READING Nehemiah 8:1 3, 5 6, 8 10 (The people gather as one to hear God s Word.) And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the LORD had commanded Israel. 2 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. 3 And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. 5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. 6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, Amen, Amen, lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. 6

8 They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. 9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep. For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. 10 Then he said to them, Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength. L This is the Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God. GRADUAL Psalm 117:1 2a; 96:8 ALL: Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts! EPISTLE 1 Corinthians 12:12 31a (In Christ, we are one Body with many members.) 12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body Jews or Greeks, slaves or free and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body, that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body, that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 7

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you, nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. L: This is the Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God. ALLELUIA AND VERSE ALL: Alleluia The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. Alleluia. HOLY GOSPEL Luke 4:16 30 (Jesus reads and fulfills God s Word in His hometown synagogue.) P: The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the fourth chapter. C: Glory to You, O Lord. 16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 8

18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. 20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing. 22 And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son? 23 And he said to them, Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, Physician, heal yourself. What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well. 24 And he said, Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, 26 and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian. 28 When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. 30 But passing through their midst, he went away. P: This is the Gospel of the Lord. C: Praise to You, O Christ. CREED Nicene Creed C: I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, 9

being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried. And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end. And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church, I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen. HYMN OF THE DAY O Christ, Our Ture and Only Light LSB 839 1 O Christ, our true and only light, Enlighten those who sit in night; Let those afar now hear Your voice And in Your fold with us rejoice. 2 Fill with the radiance of Your grace The souls now lost in error s maze; Enlighten those whose inmost minds Some dark delusion haunts and blinds. 3 O gently call those gone astray That they may find the saving way! Let ev ry conscience sore oppressed In You find peace and heav nly rest. 10

4 Shine on the darkened and the cold; Recall the wand rers to Your fold. Unite all those who walk apart; Confirm the weak and doubting heart, 5 That they with us may evermore Such grace with wond ring thanks adore And endless praise to You be giv n By all Your Church in earth and heav n. Text: Public domain SERMON OFFERING HYMN The Saints in Christ are One in Every Place LSB 838 1 The saints in Christ are one in ev ry place To serve the Gospel of His costly grace; From those first days to this, our hope the same: The love of Christ, one Lord, one saving name. 2 In chains for Christ! His pris ners love to sing, For slaves and free rejoice to praise our King; What though the Church on earth still suffers wrong? The cross of Christ remains our pilgrim song. 3 To live is Christ, for us, to die is gain; Where then shall be our hunger, danger, pain? Our joy to preach good news to rich and poor, Then be with Christ, to live forevermore. 4 Lord Jesus Christ! Heav n s praise let earth repeat; The work that You began, You will complete. By grace let ev ry foe become Your friend; Your day, O Christ, shall dawn and never end. Text: 1996 The Jubilate Group, admin. Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110003134 PRAYER OF THE CHURCH P: Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs. For the work of our triune God among us and among all people in the 11

Holy Christian Church, that Jesus would be the One upon whom all eyes are fixed and in whom we see all the Scriptures find their fulfillment, let us pray to the Lord. C: Lord Jesus, open our hearts to receive You. P: For the outpouring of the Holy Spirit through the Means of Grace, that the Lord Jesus would be glorified and His people edified through the faithful teaching and preaching of the Word of God, let us pray to the Lord. C: Lord Jesus, open our hearts to receive You. P: For the world in which we live and for all who work to care for the land and the people who dwell in it, that our gracious God would stand with those who serve in our government, military, and in all positions of public service, that they work wholeheartedly as for the Lord and not for men, let us pray to the Lord. C: Lord Jesus, open our hearts to receive You. P: For each member of the Body of Christ, the Church, that all of God s children would identify and put to use their God-given talents and that no members of the Body would see themselves as insignificant or unneeded but rather find their place of joyful service to Jesus and to one another, let us pray to the Lord. C: Lord Jesus, open our hearts to receive You. P: For those who are shut-in and homebound, hospitalized and undergoing treatment, awaiting surgery and recovering from procedures, [including...], that our merciful Lord would fill them with the healing and peace that comes from His mighty presence in their lives, let us pray to the Lord. C: Lord Jesus, open our hearts to receive You. P: For these petitions and all others we silently carry before the Lord in our minds and hearts, that our faithful Father would hear and answer our prayers in the name of the One who stands among us and fulfills God s Word in our hearing, let us pray to the Lord. C: Lord Jesus, open our hearts to receive You. Amen! 12

SACRAMENT We believe, teach and confess that in the Lord s Supper, Christ comes to us and his body and blood are really present to forgive our sins and assure us of everlasting life and salvation. We, as baptized believers, prepare for Communion by examining ourselves, repenting of our sins, anticipating our Lord s forgiveness and drawing on Christ s power in the Sacrament to help us live an amended life for Christ. To those who share this confession with us, we invite you to join us as we welcome you to the Lord s Table. PREFACE P: The Lord be with you. 2 Timothy 4:22 C: And also with you. P: Lift up your hearts. [Colossians 3:1] C: We lift them to the Lord. P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. [Psalm 136] C: It is right to give Him thanks and praise. PROPER PREFACE P: It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord; for what had been hidden from before the foundation of the world You have made known to the nations in Your Son. In Him, being found in the substance of our mortal nature, You have manifested the fullness of Your glory. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying SANCTUS LSB p. 161 13

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING P: Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. We stand as one to fix our eyes upon Him who stands among us in fulfillment of the Scriptures Jesus Christ, our Lord. With joyful hearts, we give You thanks for the salvation He accomplished for us by His sacrificial death and triumphant resurrection. Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we ask You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us by the power of Your Holy Spirit. Grant that we would never take this blessed reality for granted, but graciously receive our Savior as He comes to us in His body and blood. For to You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen. LORD S PRAYER (Matthew 6:9 13) 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. 14

THE WORDS OF OUR LORD P: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me. In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me. PAX DOMINI P: The peace of the Lord be with you always. C: Amen. AGNUS DEI LSB p. 163 DISTRIBUTION DISTRIBUTION HYMNS Word of God, Come Down on Earth LSB 545 Thy Body, Given for Me, O Savior LSB 619 Hail, O source of Every Blessing LSB 409 O Wondrous Type! O Vision Fair LSB 413 15

POST COMMUNION HYMN Thank the Lord LSB p. 164 POST-COMMUNION THANKSGIVING P: Let us pray. O God the Father, the fountain and source of all goodness, who in loving-kindness sent Your only-begotten Son into the world as the fulfillment of the Scriptures, we thank You that for His sake You have given us pardon and peace in this Sacrament, and we ask You not to forsake Your children but always to rule our hearts and minds by Your Holy Spirit that we may be enabled constantly to fix our eyes upon You; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen. BENEDICTION Psalm 19:14 P: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, C: O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. 16

P: Our gracious Redeemer now sends us out, with His Word in our hearts and our lips, that we may declare His grace to the world He came to save. 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. C: Amen. CLOSING HYMN To God Be the Glory RH 54 To God be the glory, great things He has done; So loved He the world that He gave us His Son, Who yielded His life an atonement for sin, And opened the life gate that all may go in. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the people rejoice! O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son, And give Him the glory, great things He has done. O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood, To every believer the promise of God; The vilest offender who truly believes, That moment from Jesus a pardon receives. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the people rejoice! O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son, And give Him the glory, great things He has done. Great things He has taught us, great things He has done, And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son; But purer, and higher, and greater will be Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the people rejoice! O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son, And give Him the glory, great things He has done. 17

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Concordia Lutheran Church s Covenant with One Another How Do We Love One Another at Concordia Lutheran Church? 1. We will behave in a spirit of forgiveness always speaking well of others with love and kindness knowing that God created every human being in His image and we will always show respect for others despite our mutual failures, acknowledging shortfalls and willing to forget prior harms. 2. We will promote and practice honest conversations following the 8 th Commandment to speak well of each other, avoiding gossip by redirecting people to the appropriate person and avoiding anything that would cause divisions in the Body of Christ. 3. We will lift up each other in prayer in all that we do by turning to God for guidance and support, showing our gratitude and thanksgiving, and realizing we depend on Him for our entire existence. 4. We will offer a hand of hospitality welcoming all people by acknowledging the presence of others, greeting everyone with concern for them and openly sharing our biblical faith with everyone in word and deed. 5. We will be positive and joyful sharing openly our happiness in the Lord with fun, positive humor and inclusive fellowship always defending each other, speaking well of each other, and putting the best construction on everything. Acknowledgments Serving In God s House Pastor: Reverend William L. Keller II Organ/Piano: Beth Ekblad Communion Assistant: Bruce Avenson Usher Captain: Kim Huebscher Lay Reader: Bob Kilb Altar Guild: Bruce & Gail Avenson Greeters: John & Jan Wilke Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version ), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Created by Lutheran Service Builder 2018 Concordia Publishing House. Creative Worship for the Lutheran Parish, Series C, Quarter 1. Copyright 2018 Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved. Used by permission. 20