REFLECT CHRIST S LOVE IN YOUR LIFE The Sixth Sunday of Easter May 4-6, 2018
N84 W15252 Menomonee Ave. Menomonee Falls, WI 53051 N108 W14290 Bel Aire Lane Germantown, WI 53022 WELCOME TO WORSHIP! We are pleased that you have chosen to worship the Lord with us today. If you are a guest visiting with us, know that we are thankful you have joined us, and please take a moment to sign the friendship register during the offering. Large print hymnals (both locations) are available upon request from an usher. Hearing assist devices are available upon request from an usher. Restrooms are located in the lower level of the church and also down the school hallway. If you need a place to quiet a restless child, the service is streamed to a TV in the lower level. NOTES FOR THIS SUNDAY The order of service for today is printed in this folder. The hymns are found in Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal, the red hymnal, or are printed in the folder. COPYRIGHT INFORMATION Service of the Word 1993 Northwestern Publishing House. Reprinted under OneLicnese.net #A-716490 Cover artwork by Ian M. Welch. 2013 Ian M. Welch. All Rights Reserved. www.paramentics.com All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. SERVING IN WORSHIP Preaching Minister Organist Pastor Paul Huebner Kim Streff 2
THE SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER The Service of the Word is found on p. 38 in the front of the red hymnal. OPENING HYMN Son of God, Eternal Savior 492 INVOCATION P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you. C: Amen. CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION P: 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. C: 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. P: 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. C: Amen. P: In the peace of forgiveness, let us praise the Lord. 3
OH, TASTE AND SEE PRAYER OF THE DAY P: Let us pray. Eternal God and Father, help us to remember Jesus, who obeyed your will and bore the cross for our salvation that through his anguish, pain, and death we may receive forgiveness of sins and inherit eternal life; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 4
THE WORD FIRST LESSON Acts 9:36-42 Teach the truth about Jesus. Live in a way that shows Jesus loves you. That does effect others. 36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. 37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, Please come at once! 39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. 40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, Tabitha, get up. She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. 42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. PSALM OF THE DAY Psalm 98 Sing to the LORD a new song,* for he has done marvelous things. The LORD has made his salvation known* and revealed his righteousness to the nations. 5
He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel;* all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Refrain Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth,* burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the LORD with the harp,* with the harp and the sound of singing. Shout for joy before the LORD, the King.* He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity. 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. Refrain SECOND LESSON 1 John 4:1-11 Know the Word of God. Listen carefully when "preachers" claim to speak for God. Real love listens to and obey Jesus. 4 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. 4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood. 6
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. VERSE OF THE DAY John 14:23 P: Alleluia. Alleluia. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia. If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Alleluia. Worship services center around the Gospel Reading; we rise to highlight its function. GOSPEL John 15:9-17 When we do what pleases Jesus, we will be showing love to one another. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one s life for one s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I 7
command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit fruit that will last and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other. HYMN OF THE DAY Dear Christians, One and All Rejoice 377 v. 1-4 SERMON Acts 9:32-43 Jesus Shows Us the Pattern of a Righteous Robe 1. God loves followers of Jesus 2. Followers of Jesus do good APOSTLES CREED I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth. I believe 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 is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there 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. THANK OFFERING Please take a moment during the gathering of the thank offering to sign the FRIENDSHIP REGISTER and get to know those seated around you. 8
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH P: God of all grace, we thank you for the gift of eternal life in your Son. By the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and by the faithful testimony of the apostles, you have assured us that our faith stands on a sure and solid foundation. Though we do not see Jesus with our physical eyes, help us see him with the eyes of faith. Through your Holy Spirit, breathe on your Church that it may faithfully proclaim the gospel of our risen Savior with courage and diligence in all lands and to all people. Grant that we also may be illumined by the heavenly light of your Word, and so keep us in the one and only true faith. Preserve us from all assaults on our souls, deliver us from doubt and despair, and preserve us from worldly wisdom and false teaching. Forgive the sins of your people. Strengthen the doubting and faithless. Bring back the forgetful and wayward, and comfort the anxious and the distressed. Special prayers and intercessions may follow. P: Hear us, Lord, as we bring you our private petitions. Silent prayer. P: As we go from this holy place today, grant peace and rest to us all. We pray this in the name of Christ our Lord. C: Amen. LORD S PRAYER Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen. HYMN This Is My Will 497 9
PRAYER P: O Lord God, our heavenly Father, pour out the Holy Spirit on your faithful people. Keep us strong in your grace and truth, protect and comfort us in all temptation, and bestow on us your saving peace, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. BLESSING P: 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. CLOSING HYMN Love Is the Gracious Gift 505 10
GOD S BLESSINGS TO THE CONFIRMATION CLASS OF 2018 Kyra Bednar Emmanuel Chudecke Makenna DiTirro Riley De Vor Nathan Feldbrugge Alyssa Ferguson Jake Freeman Aiden Gelhaar Matthew Grannan Luke Haines Julia Holst Caitlin Johnson Vincent Kapitanski Dylan Kaufman Noah Klug Kayla Kramp Michael Kuehl Brody Lang Jack Leffel Amelia McKillip Joshua Michel Bryna Mitchell Anthony Moro Rosa Rivera Reegan Siegel Brady Schulze Ella Snamiska Adeline Wendt Jacob Wetzel Ryan Wirkkula 11
WEEKLY NEWS AND NOTES CALL NEWS On Tuesday, April 17 th, the Voters of Bethlehem extended a call to Ms. Beth Hauf, currently serving as the 2 nd Grade Teacher at Bethany Lutheran School in Manitowoc to be Bethlehem s 1 st Grade Teacher. Additionally, on April 8 th, calls were extended to Pastor Kevin Wattles, who currently serves at Grace Lutheran Church in Falls Church, Virginia, to be Bethlehem's Administrative Pastor, as well as Ms. Rebecca Rixe, who currently serves at Crown of Life Christian Academy in Fort Myers, Florida, to be Bethlehem's Early Childhood Ministry Director. Please keep Pastor Wattles, Ms. Rixe and Ms. Hauf in your prayers as they consider their calls. In other call news, both Mrs. Bridget Weber, Bethlehem s 1 st /2 nd Grade Teacher and Mr. Daryl Weber, Bethlehem s Principal, received calls to Apostles Lutheran School in San Jose, CA. Mrs. Weber is called to teach 4 th Grade and Mr. Weber to serve as Principal. They invite your insight and ask for prayers as they contemplate where they can best serve in ministry. MARTIN LUTHER COLLEGE WIND SYMPHONY - Bethlehem has the privilege of hosting the Martin Luther College Wind Symphony for a concert on Monday, May 14th at 7:00 PM at the Germantown campus. Host families are also needed for the 51 MLC students. We have housing arrangements for the women in the symphony, but there are still 13 men needing housing. If you are willing to serve in this way, you may sign-up on Bethlehem s website (under Events, Upcoming Events tab) or sign up using the sign-up sheets at either campus. For any questions, contact Martha Johnson at mjohnson@bethlehem-wels.org. SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS Please be aware that there will be no Sunday School this Sunday, May 6 th, due to Confirmation. Our remaining dates for Sunday School are: May 13 th and May 20 th. Please watch for more information regarding Summer Sunday School at the Germantown campus! SUMMER BIBLE CAMP 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1! It's time to blast off to our Summer Bible Camp program called Space Station Salvation. We need teens and adults to help as lead teachers, teacher aides, snack helpers, craft helpers, and decorators for either the morning or evening sessions held the week of June 18-22. Even if you can spare only an hour, we can use your help! If you are interested in serving or have more questions, please contact Rachel Arnold via e-mail (rarnold@bethlehem-wels.org) or cell phone (262-674-5160). KMLHS FRESHMEN EXHIBITION NIGHT - All are invited to attend the Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School Freshmen Exhibition Nights on Sunday, May 6th, from 2-3 PM and Monday, May 7th, from 7-8 PM in the Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School Performing Arts Center lobby. You will have an opportunity to see, read and ask questions of the KMLHS 12
freshmen students regarding the research they have done as part of their English 9 course, the experiment they have conducted as part of their Physical Science course and a product they have designed to solve a challenge that they have chosen. We hope you can make it! Contact Matt Moeller at matt.moeller@kmlhs.org with any questions. CHILD CARE REGISTRATION FOR THE SUMMER PROGRAM Enrollment is open! The summer program at Bethlehem Lutheran Child Care has openings for children six weeks of age to twelve years. We would love to care for your little ones and have a wonderful program planned! A semi-flexible schedule is available, so you may only pay for days you signed up for care. It will be a fun and adventurous summer! Call (262) 257-0408 to register! KML GRADUATION NEWS - Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School will hold its graduation service on Saturday, May 26, 2018, at 10:30 AM. Rev. Bradley Wordell, from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary will be the speaker, and Rev. Michael Helwig from Crown of Life in Hubertus will be the liturgist. One of the class speakers will be Carly Heuer, who is a graduate and member of Bethlehem. Also included in the class Valedictorians are three Bethlehem members, Alexander Neuwirth, Dylan Schulz, and Samantha Stiemke. Congratulations to these students, as well as all of the graduates! NIGHT OF PERCUSSION You are invited to attend a Night of Percussion at Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School on Saturday, May 12 th at 6:30 PM in the Performing Arts Center. Featured percussion ensembles include Lakeside Lutheran High School, Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School, and the Kettle Moraine Lutheran Elementary School Band. CHURCH DIRECTORIES The directories have arrived! If you had your picture taken for the church directory, please pick up your copy of the directory at the campus where your church mailbox is located. The remaining directories left to be picked up have been placed in plastic bins on the countertops in the campus entry ways. Please contact Megan Landvatter with any questions: mlandvatter@bethlehem-wels.org Church Attendance Last Week: 729 Unified Offerings Last Week: $29,303.06 Building Relationships Offerings Last Week: $4,466.67 13
Serving in Worship Service Overseer: Sunday, May 6 th Menomonee Falls Gary Schilling Germantown Jim Henne Sunday, May 13 th Menomonee Falls Erich Schmandt Germantown OPEN Set Up Teams (Germantown): Sunday, May 6 th Team 4 Mark Ignatowski Sunday, May 13 th Team 5 Daryl Weber Ushers: Communion Assistants: Saturday, May 5 th Thursday, May 10 th 5:00 PM Team 3 - Kasten 6:45 PM Dave Koeppel Sunday, May 6 th Saturday, May 12 th 8:00 AM Team 5 De Vor 5:00 PM Bryan Cook & 9:15 AM Team 12 Grodek Dan Wittrock 10:30 AM Team 11 Liebner Sunday, May 13 th Saturday, May 12 th 8:00 AM Gene Strehlow 5:00 PM Team 11 Liebner 10:30 AM Reinhard Liebner Sunday, May 13 th 8:00 AM Team 6 Schuler 9:15 AM Team 5 De Vor 10:30 AM Team 12 Grodek Greeters: Thursday, May 3 rd Thursday, May 10 th 6:45 PM Vicki Busalacchi 6:45 PM Ann Udvare Saturday, May 5 th Saturday, May 12 th 5:00 PM Dennis & Jeanette Ledermann 5:00 PM Steve & Wendy Zimmermann Sunday, May 6 th Sunday, May 13 th 8:00 AM Dick & Nancy Maliszko 8:00 AM Cheryl Belott 9:15 AM CONFIRMATION 9:15 AM Jackie Schaefer 10:30 AM Gwen Berth 10:30 AM Peter Braun 14
The Week Ahead Confirmation Sunday, May 6 ALL BIBLE STUDY AND SUNDAY SCHOOL CANCELLED 8:00 AM Worship Service M 9:15 AM Confirmation Worship Service G 10:30 AM Worship Service M Counters: Sandy s Team Monday, May 7 6:00 PM Handbells M 6:00 PM Quilters M 7:00 PM Choir M 7:00 PM Stewardship M 7:00 PM Hope Grows Bible Study G Tuesday, May 8 10:15 AM Bible Study M 6:00 PM Board of Ed M 7:45 PM Council M Wednesday, May 9 6:00 PM Bible Study M Thursday, May 10 6:45 AM Bible Study M 9:00 AM Ladies Bible Study M 6:45 PM Worship Service w/ Communion M Friday, May 11 10:30 AM Virginia Highlands Chapel 1:00 PM Village at the Falls Chapel Saturday, May 12 8:00 AM Men s Bible Study M 5:00 PM Worship Service w/ Communion M Sunday, May 13 8:00 AM Worship Service w/ Communion M 9:15 AM Bible Study & Sunday School M 9:15 AM Worship Service w/ Communion G 10:30 AM Family Bible Hour G 10:30 AM Worship Service w/ Communion M 7:00 PM Live Streaming Bible Study 15