Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany

3461 Merle Ave Modesto, CA 95355 (209) 551-0563 www.stpetermodesto.org W Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany February 17, 2019 Epiphany Epidemic: Blessings Abound elcome! all - both visitor and member alike! May our ever-giving and gracious God fill your heart with joy, peace, and hope through the message of forgiveness in our living Savior, Jesus Christ! The Lord s Supper (Holy Communion) The Bible tells us that those who take Communion together are to: Recognize that Christ s true body and blood are present in the Sacrament (1 Cor. 11:29), Examine themselves as Scripture instructs (1 Cor. 11:28), and Be one in faith and belief with the congregation with which they commune (1 Cor. 10:17). For these reasons, it is our practice that only those who are members of our congregation or a congregation of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) join us for Holy Communion. If you are interested in learning more about becoming a member of our body of believers or want to find out more about our Communion practice please speak to Pastor Schroeder after the service. PRAYER BEFORE WORSHIP O Lord, so often we are poor in spirit because of our sins. Enrich us with your forgiving love. O Lord, we are hungry for an understanding of you. Satisfy us with the knowledge of you, found only in the Scriptures. O Lord, we are saddened by what we see in the world. Gladden us with the good news of the good life that is to come. Bringer of blessings, speak your words of grace upon us. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Flowers adorning our altar this morning are given to the glory of God by Jack and Joni Faria in thankfulness for God s blessings. Minister: Pastor Daniel Schroeder Pianist: Karen Adams 1

PREPARING FOR WORSHIP By its very nature, an epidemic is something you can t stop. You either quarantine yourself from it or inevitably catch it. The same is true of the child born at Christmas. The truth about his identity is undeniable and its effect on human lives is unstoppable. This week, we see that blessing comes to those who put God first and live lives of faith, seeking to put the spiritual ahead of the physical. MUSICAL PRELUDE As we prepare to worship, the prelude helps us direct our thoughts to God and makes the sanctuary a place of meditation and prayer. CALL TO WORSHIP OPENING HYMN All Depends on Our Possessing Christian Worship #421 Minister: The grace of our Lord (+) Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you. Congregation: And also with you. CONFESSION OF SINS M: God invites us to come into his presence and worship him with humble and penitent hearts. Therefore, let us acknowledge our sinfulness and ask him to forgive us. C: Holy and merciful Father, I confess that I am by nature sinful and that I have disobeyed you in my thoughts, words and actions. I have done what is evil and failed to do what is good. For this I deserve your punishment both now and in eternity. But I am truly sorry for my sins, and trusting in my Savior Jesus Christ, I pray: Lord have mercy on me, a sinner. M: God, our heavenly Father, has been merciful to us and has given his only Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Therefore, as a called servant of Christ and by his authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen. 2

LORD, HAVE MERCY (KYRIE) M: For all that we need in life and for the wisdom to use all your gifts with gratitude and joy, hear our prayer, O Lord. M: For the steadfast assurance that nothing can separate us from your love and for the courage to stand firm against the assaults of Satan and every evil, hear our prayer, O Christ. M: For the well-being of your holy Church in all the world and for those who offer here their worship and praise, hear our prayer, O Lord. M: Merciful God, maker and preserver of life, uphold us by your power and keep us in your tender care: 3

M: The works of the Lord are great and glorious; his name is worthy of praise. SONG OF PRAISE Melodic Gloria by James Chepponis M: Refrain C: Refrain M: Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father. C: Refrain M: We worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. C: Refrain M: Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer. C: Refrain M: For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in the glory of God the Father. C: Refrain (sung twice) PRAYER OF THE DAY M: Let us pray. Lord God, in mercy receive the prayers of your people. Grant them the wisdom to know the things that please you and the grace and power always to accomplish them; through Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen. 4

THE WORD OF GOD CHILDREN S MESSAGE Children are invited to come forward for a message directed at them. FIRST LESSON Deuteronomy 30:1-10 God promises an abundance of blessings to his people who turn to the Lord with all their heart and with all your soul. When all these things happen to you the blessings and curses I have set before you and you come to your senses while you are in all the nations where the LORD your God has driven you, 2 and you and your children return to the LORD your God and obey him with all your heart and all your soul by doing everything I am commanding you today, 3 then he will restore your fortunes, have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you. 4 Even if your exiles are at the farthest horizon, he will gather you and bring you back from there. 5 The LORD your God will bring you into the land your fathers possessed, and you will take possession of it. He will cause you to prosper and multiply you more than he did your fathers. 6 The LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the hearts of your descendants, and you will love him with all your heart and all your soul so that you will live. 7 The LORD your God will put all these curses on your enemies who hate and persecute you. 8 Then you will again obey him and follow all his commands I am commanding you today. 9 The LORD your God will make you prosper abundantly in all the work of your hands, your offspring, the offspring of your livestock, and the produce of your land. Indeed, the LORD will again delight in your prosperity, as he delighted in that of your fathers, 10 when you obey the LORD your God by keeping his commands and statutes that are written in this book of the law and return to him with all your heart and all your soul. (CSB) M: The Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God! 5

PSALM OF THE DAY Psalm 1 The Man Is Ever Blest Christian Worship #475 The righteous in the Lord are blessed and prosper as a well-watered tree. God guards and protects his people but warns that the wicked will perish. SECOND LESSON 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 God s power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so that I would not exalt myself. 8 Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me. 9 But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness. Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ s power may reside in me. 10 So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (CSB) M: The Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God! VERSE OF THE DAY John 6:68 Alleluia. Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia. Alleluia is a word that comes to us from Hebrew, the language of the Old Testament. Another form of this word you might be familiar with is Hallelujah. Both mean, Praise the Lord! 6

GOSPEL LESSON Luke 6:17-26 Jesus pronounces unexpected blessings After coming down with them, he stood on a level place with a large crowd of his disciples and a great number of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon. 18 They came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those tormented by unclean spirits were made well. 19 The whole crowd was trying to touch him, because power was coming out from him and healing them all. 20 Then looking up at his disciples, he said: Blessed are you who are poor, because the kingdom of God is yours. 21 Blessed are you who are now hungry, because you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, because you will laugh. 22 Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you, insult you, and slander your name as evil because of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy. Take note your reward is great in heaven, for this is the way their ancestors used to treat the prophets. 24 But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your comfort. 25 Woe to you who are now full, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who are now laughing, for you will mourn and weep. 26 Woe to you when all people speak well of you, for this is the way their ancestors used to treat the false prophets. (CSB) M: This is the gospel of the Lord. 7

HYMN OF THE DAY Speak, O Savior; I Am Listening Christian Worship #283 This 17th century German Lutheran hymn expresses a prayer that the Lord work in the heart of his people to love his Word and live his Word. Our Savior directs our daily lives through the Bible, and also delivers a message of comforting forgiveness to us when our sins are heavy upon us. SERMON Luke 6:17-26 Jesus Blessings Bring A Different Kind Of Joy (He shows us that it is a joy): 1. To be poor 2. To be hungry 3. To weep 4. To suffer 8

NICENE CREED We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and became fully human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen. OFFERING The members of St. Peter Congregation have joined together to do the Lord s work in this community and around the world. Guests at St. Peter are welcome to participate in the offering but need not feel obligated to do so. 9

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH Spoken by the minister LORD S PRAYER 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. THE SACRAMENT St. Peter Lutheran Church practices close communion. We invite confirmed members to come forward to partake of the Sacrament. Thank you for your consideration. This dialog (also known as the preface ) leads into the heart of the Sacrament portion of the service. In its exalted sentences, we have the oldest and least changed part of the liturgy. There is evidence of its use in the 100 s A.D. M: The Lord be with you. C: And also with you. M: Lift up your hearts. C: We lift them up to the Lord. M: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. C: It is right to give him thanks and praise. M: Praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In love he has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. In the past he spoke to us through the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, who is the radiance of his glory. Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ. To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and thanks and honor and glory forever and ever. 10

HOLY, HOLY, HOLY (SANCTUS) WORDS OF INSTITUTION M: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat. This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink from it all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me. M: The peace of the Lord be with you always. C: Amen 11

O CHRIST, LAMB OF GOD (AGNUS DEI) DISTRIBUTION OF THE LORD S SUPPER During the distribution you are invited to join in singing the indicated hymns or to use the time for private prayer and meditation. Appropriate prayers are found on page 11 in the front of the hymnal. A personal preparation for the Lord s Supper is found on page 156. DISTRIBUTION HYMNS I Lay My Sins on Jesus Christian Worship #372 Amazing Grace How Sweet the Sound Christian Worship #379 12

THANK THE LORD CLOSING PRAYER AND BLESSING M: Hear the prayer of your people, O Lord, that the lips which have praised you here may glorify you in the world, that the eyes which have seen the coming of your Son may long for his coming again, and that all who have received in his true body and blood the pledge of your forgiveness may be restored to live a new and holy life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen. M: Brothers and sisters, go in peace. Live in harmony with one another. Serve the Lord with gladness. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look on you with favor and give you peace. 13

The following were reprinted under OneLicense.net #A-706579: Service of Word and Sacrament 1993 Northwestern Publishing House. All rights reserved. Cover artwork by Ian M. Welch. Copyright 2015 Ian M. Welch. All Rights Reserved. The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible, and CSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved. 14