JESUS REVEALS HIS GLORY THROUGH SUFFERING The Fifth Sunday in Lent March 17-18, 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 Phil Arnold Liz Sand 2
THE FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT The Service of the Word is found on p. 38 in the front of the red hymnal. OPENING HYMN O God Beyond all Praising tune 728 printed on p. 11 of the bulletin 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 Jeremiah 31:31-34 The "Old Covenant" the covenant given through Moses on Mt. Sinai cannot save sinners like us. Because the blessings of that covenant are conditioned on our perfect obedience to its stipulations, it could never bring eternal salvation. But thanks be to God for the "New" Covenant! Its blessings come to us freely through the suffering, death, and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ. The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them, declares the Lord. 33 This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, Know the Lord, because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. 5
PSALM OF THE DAY Psalm 115 SECOND LESSON Hebrews 5:7-9 The suffering of Jesus was real. But look at the glory that emerges from that suffering! Because of his faithful obedience, he has become the source of our eternal salvation and a Great High Priest who serves in the Most Holy Place of heaven forever. 6
7 During the days of Jesus life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him. VERSE OF THE DAY Mark 10:45 P: The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, C: and to give his life as a ransom for many. Worship services center around the Gospel Reading; we rise to highlight its function. GOSPEL John 12:20-33 As Jesus prepares to endure the horrors of his Passion, he links together the concepts of suffering and glory, of cross and crown. How glorious is our Savior s suffering! Through it, all people are drawn to Christ. 20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. Sir, they said, we would like to see Jesus. 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. 23 Jesus replied, The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. 27 Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name! Then a voice came from heaven, I have glorified it, and will glorify it again. 29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. 30 Jesus said, This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. 7
HYMN OF THE DAY My Song Is Love Unknown 110 SERMON John 12:20-33 What Kind of Savior Do You Want? 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. PRAYER OF THE CHURCH P: Dear God, heavenly Father, how great is your love for us! You willingly sent your beloved Son to a world of sinful rebels. The innocent one came to serve the guilty, but his own people rejected him, and his enemies tortured him and put him to death. Because you did not withhold your one and only Son but let him take our guilt on himself to set us free, we praise your holy name. Dear Son of God, our brother, how great is your love for us! You allowed yourself to be condemned so that we could be declared not guilty. Fill our hearts with the same selfsacrificing love that you showed us. You allowed no suffering, no fear, and no doubt to swerve you from your path to Calvary. Give us the same single-minded dedication and unshakable commitment as we daily take up our cross and follow you. 8
Dear Holy Spirit, how great is your love for us! By Word and sacrament you have warmed and transformed our foolish and stubborn hearts, making us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus and receptive to his gospel of forgiveness. Hold his cross before our eyes that we may dedicate our lives to him who died for us. Make us strong in the hour of temptation. Lead us to love and serve our neighbor as unselfishly as Christ did. Special prayers and intercessions may follow. P: Hear us, Lord, as we bring you our private petitions. Silent prayer. P: Keep us in the true faith in unity with all faithful Christians, and grant us a blessed death. Hear us for Jesus sake. 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 Lord Jesus Christ, You Set Us Free 123 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. 9
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 To God Be the Glory 399 10
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WEEKLY NEWS AND NOTES EASTER BREAKFAST SIGN UP - Please join us for breakfast on Easter Sunday! Breakfast will be served on Sunday, April 1 ST in the Menomonee Falls Gym, beginning at 7:00 AM, following the sunrise service, through 10:00 AM. There will be a selection of tasty treats, pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, bagels, and much more! To help us plan, we ask that you sign-up if you'll be joining us. You can either do this at our website (under the "Events" tab) or by using the sign-up sheets at either campus. Please let Pastor Arnold know if you have any questions. EASTER BREAKFAST VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - Looking for a way to help? We're looking for volunteers to serve at this year's Easter Breakfast! If you'd like to volunteer, you can either sign-up on the website (under the "Events" tab) or by speaking with Pastor Arnold. Please prayerfully consider using your time and talents to help make this year's Easter Breakfast a blessing to everyone! EASTER FLOWER ORDERS A purple-colored order form has been posted on the lobby bulletin board at the Menomonee Falls campus, designating three types of flowers that you may order to help beautify our Easter Sunday worship services. Please place your order by this Sunday, March 18 th. Thank you! NEW BIBLE CLASS BEGINS - Join us this Sunday as we begin a new Family Bible Hour Bible Class entitled "The Word Endures Forever." As the final installment of our celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation, we'll be studying the many ways the Lutheran Reformation affects our world today. Each class has a special focus on how we can live the truths of the Reformation in our daily lives. These classes are offered on Sundays at 9:15 AM in Menomonee Falls and 10:30 AM in Germantown. Please join us! MODERN CATHOLICISM STUDY - Due to an illness, Pastor Arnold was unable to deliver the third session in the "Modern Catholicism" Bible Study. He will be teaching that lesson discussing the Roman Papacy this Sunday, March 18 th at 7:00 PM in the Alpha Room at the Germantown campus. The session will also be live-streamed using Facebook Live and archived on our church's YouTube channel. Please contact Pastor Arnold with any questions. 2018 WELS INTERNATIONAL YOUTH RALLY Join Bethlehem teens and youth leaders as we trek to Bowling Green State University, Ohio from June 26 th - 29 th, 2018! The rally is open to confirmed youth, graduating 8th graders to graduating high school seniors. An informational parent/teen meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 20 th at 7:00 PM at the Menomonee Falls campus. Please email bethlehemacts@gmail.com to be added to the rally distribution list and to stay up-to-date with the latest Bethlehem rally plans! 12
LUTHERAN WOMEN S MISSIONARY SOCIETY Thank you to all who gave a free will offering last weekend to support LWMS! A total of $350.00 was raised to help fund LWMS mission projects. Your support is appreciated! MRS. MATTER RETIREMENT ANNOUNCEMENT After prayerful contemplation for the past few years, Mrs. Karla Matter, Bethlehem s part-time Kindergarten Teacher, has announced her retirement. She has served faithfully and well as an aide or teacher for 17 years. We will miss her and wish her many blessings to come! We will keep you posted regarding a future retirement celebration! CHURCH WISH LIST - In the very near future, Bethlehem plans to restart its congregational "Wish List." This list will include items of need that are not otherwise provided for in the Ministry Financial Plan. This will be separate from the Bethlehem Lutheran School Wish List. We plan to post the list on the bulletin boards at each campus, as well as on the church website. If anyone has ideas for items that should be included on the list, please contact one of our pastors. If you would like to make a donation toward a Wish List item, please use the special offering envelope included in your envelope box. Please write "Wish List" on the other line and, if giving toward a specific item, the item you'd like your donation to support. Any gift given can be designated for any item on the list, regardless of whether it covers the entire cost or not. Thank you for your continuing support of Bethlehem's ministry! OPEN GYM VOLLEYBALL March open gym volleyball will be held on Sundays, March 18 th and 25 th from 6:00-7:30 PM, and we would love to have YOU join us! No need to RSVP, just come to Germantown for all or part of the session. This open gym is fun and a great way to brush up on your skills. All skill-levels welcome! Hope to see you there! COMMUNITY BLOOD DRIVE Bethlehem will be hosting a community blood drive with the American Red Cross on Friday, April 6 th, 2018 from 1:00-6:00 PM at our Germantown campus. Those interested in donating are encouraged to schedule an appointment, but walk-ins are always welcome. Appointments can be made by using the link listed below, or by contacting the event coordinator, Megan Landvatter, at mlandvatter@bethlehemwels.org. Everyone is invited to help with this important cause, so make sure to spread the word as well! https://www.redcrossblood.org/give/drive/drivesearchlist.jsp?zipsponsor=bethlehemge rmantown 13
WISCONSIN LUTHERAN COLLEGE SPRING CONCERT TOUR On Friday, March 23 rd at 7:30 PM, the Wisconsin Lutheran Choir, together with the Chamber Choir, will perform their final concert of their spring tour in the Center for Arts and Performance at Wisconsin Lutheran College. The concert features both sacred and secular works. Tickets are required, but are free of charge. To learn more, please visit wlc.edu/choir or call (414) 443-8802. KETTLE MORAINE LUTHERAN ADULT CHORALE The Kettle Moraine Lutheran Adult Chorale seeks to serve the Federation of Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School through proclaiming the Gospel in song. The Chorale will present their sacred spring concert with the theme In Christ Alone and will sing settings of a number of hymns that are found in Christian Worship: Supplement. The concert will be held on Sunday, April 8 th at 4:00 PM at Peace Lutheran Church, 1001 Center Street in Hartford. A free-will offering will be taken. KETTLE MORAINE LUTHERAN S FAMILY MUSIC FEST 2018 The KML Music Department is busy planning for this year's edition of Family Music Fest. Please plan to join us on Friday, April 13 th, from 5:00-9:00 PM for A Knight to Remember. Monies raised at this event will go toward the improvement of technology within the KML Music Department. This event will feature elementary school and high school musical performances, a fish fry, games, auctions, and the dessert bar, in addition to showcasing the Lutheran Elementary School Science Fair exhibits. Join us for a night of music, food, and family fun. Adult admission is $5. Children/students get free admission. The fish dinner is $9, two dinner tickets are $16, and two adult combo tickets (2 admissions/2 dinners) are $25. Donations of pies and desserts for auction are needed, along with baskets for the silent basket auction. KML also welcomes cash donations toward the basket auction. If you are willing to donate any of these food items, please bring them to KML on Friday, April 13 th, from 12:00-3:00 PM. Baskets can be dropped off in the KML office the week of April 3 rd during the school day. If you would like to donate or would like to volunteer to help with the event, please contact Dan Hubert (dan.hubert@kmlhs.org). You can also visit www.kmlhs.org/fmf for donation forms, volunteer signup forms, and more information. Lists have also been posted at both the Germantown and Menomonee Falls campuses. We hope to see you on April 13 th for A Knight to Remember! Church Attendance Last Week: Lenten Services 320; Regular Worship - 655 Unified Offerings Last Week: $25,462.32 Building Relationships Offerings Last Week: $3,323.50 14
Serving in Worship Service Overseer: Sunday, March 18 th Menomonee Falls Joe Bartz Germantown Jim Affeldt Sunday, March 25 th Menomonee Falls Jim Casper Germantown Jim Henne Set Up Teams (Germantown): Sunday, March 18 th Team 4 Mark Ignatowski Sunday, March 25 th Team 5 Daryl Weber Ushers: Communion Assistants: Saturday, March 17 th Saturday, March 24 th 5:00 PM Team 12 Grodek 5:00 PM Ronn Eigenfeld & Joe Bartz Sunday, March 18 th Sunday, March 25 th 8:00 AM Team 6 Schuler 8:00 AM Fred Banaszak 9:15 AM Team 3 Kasten 10:30 AM Reinhard Liebner 10:30 AM Team 13 Eden Maundy Thursday, March 29 th Saturday, March 24 th 3:30 PM Jim Casper 5:00 PM Team 3 Kasten 6:45 PM Mark Manian Sunday, March 25 th 8:00 AM Team 7 Farrow 9:15 AM Team 13 Eden 10:30 AM Team 14 Ruddat Maundy Thursday, March 29 th 6:45 PM Team 14 Ruddat Good Friday, March 30 th 6:45 PM Team 7 Farrow 15
The Week Ahead Sunday, March 18 8:00 AM Worship Service M 9:15 AM Bible Study & Sunday School M 9:15 AM Worship Service G 10:30 AM Family Bible Hour G 10:30 AM Worship Service M 7:00 PM Live Streaming Bible Study Counters: Burton s Team Monday, March 19 5:30 PM PSC G 6:00 PM Handbells M 6:00 PM Quilters M 7:00 PM Choir M 7:00 PM Hope Grows Bible Study G Tuesday, March 20 10:15 AM Bible Study M 6:00 PM LBP & LGP (Grades 1-4) M 6:00 PM Board of Ed M Wednesday, March 21 3:30 PM Lent Service M 6:45 PM Lent Service M Thursday, March 22 6:45 AM Bible Study M 9:00 AM Ladies Bible Study M 6:00 PM Bible Study M Saturday, March 24 8:00 AM Men s Bible Study M 5:00 PM Worship Service w/ Communion M Palm Sunday, March 25 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 16