A Question of Ownership 18 th Sunday after Pentecost October 7 & October 8, 2017
Ebenezer Lutheran Church Port Hudson The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod 9100 Highway YY Leslie, Missouri Parsonage 573-459-6432 Church 573-459-6431 Rev. William F. Zastrow, Pastor Mary Sprick, Secretary ebenezerlutheran@hotmail.com ebenezerlutheranchurch.wordpress.com AS WE GATHER: How disappointed God was with His people, over and over again! He had prepared the Promised Land and brought them out of Egypt to inhabit it. Yet, long before He let outsiders destroy it, the people the vines in His vineyard were producing wild grapes, according to Isaiah. And when the vineyard owner s son came to receive good wine, they would have nothing to do with him. Jesus spells all that out in a parable. But the death of the Son is what produces life for all who call on Him in faith. Knowing Christ, as Paul proclaims, is all that matters. Everything else is rubbish. It wasn t easy for Paul to say, and it isn t easy for us to live, but nourished by Word and Sacrament, we can press on toward the upward call of our Savior, who awaits us in His eternal vineyard. PRAYER BEFORE WORSHIP: Lord God, owner of the vineyard that is Your people, whose Son paid with His life that we might live with You forever, grant that each day we give You the fruits of love and the praise You seek until Your Son returns for the final harvest; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. THE ORDER OF WORSHIP The Divine Service based on page 5 of TLH HYMN O Bless the Lord, My Soul LW 457 2
P- In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost C- Amen. The Confession of Sins P- Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness. Our Help is in the name of the Lord. C- Who made heaven and earth. P- I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord. C- And Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. P- Almighty God, our Maker and Redeemer, we poor sinners confess unto Thee that we are by nature sinful and unclean, and that we have sinned against Thee by thought, word, and deed.wherefore we flee for refuge to Thine infinite mercy, seeking and imploring Thy grace for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. C- O most merciful God, who has given Thine only begotten Son to die for us, have mercy upon us and for His sake grant us remission of all our sins; and by the Holy Spirit increase in us true knowledge of Thee and of Thy will and true obedience to Thy Word, to the end, that by Thy grace we may come to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. P- Almighty God our heavenly Father, hath had mercy upon us and hath given His only Son to die for us and for His sake forgiveth us all our sins. To them that believe on His name He giveth the power to become sons of God and hath promised them His Holy Spirit. 3
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. Grant this, Lord, unto us all. C- Amen. PSALM Psalm 80:7 19; antiphon: v. 7 P- You brought a vine out of Egypt; You drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land. The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches. It sent out its branches to the sea and its shoots to the River. C- Restore us, O God of hosts; Let Your face shine, that we may be saved! P- Why then have You broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit? The boar from the forest ravages it, and all that move in the field feed on it. Turn again, O God of hosts! Look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine, the stock that Your right hand planted, and for the son whom You made strong for Yourself. C- Restore us, O God of hosts; Let Your face shine, that we may be saved! P- They have burned it with fire; they have cut it down; may they perish at the rebuke of Your face! 4
But let Your hand be on the man of Your right hand, the son of man whom You have made strong for Yourself! Then we shall not turn back from You; give us life, and we will call upon Your name! Restore us, O LORD God of hosts! Let Your face shine, that we may be saved! C- Restore us, O God of hosts; Let Your face shine, that we may be saved! All (Sung): Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. The Kyrie Lord have mercy upon us, Christ have mercy upon us, Lord have mercy upon us. Gloria in Excelsis P - Glory be to God on high: C- And on earth peace, good will toward men. We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee, we glorify Thee, we give thanks to Thee, for Thy great glory. O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty. O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ; O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, That takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us. 5
The Salutation Thou that takest away the sin of the world, receive our prayer. Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us. For thou only art holy; Thou only art the Lord. Thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen. P- The Lord be with you. C- And with thy spirit. P- Gracious God, You gave Your Son into the hands of sinful men who killed Him. Forgive us when we reject Your unfailing love, and grant us the fullness of Your salvation; through 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 Isaiah 5:1 7 (Israel, God s vineyard, is producing wild grapes.) P- This is the Word of the Lord. C- Thanks be to God. GRADUAL Psalm 91:11; 103:1 P- He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. C- Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name! 6
EPISTLE LESSON Philippians 3:4b 14 (Nothing compares to knowing Christ and the resurrection.) P- This is the Word of the Lord. C- Thanks be to God. ALLELUIA VERSE Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! GOSPEL Matthew 21:33 46 (The parable of the vineyard) P: - The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew the 21 st Chapter. C - Glory be to Thee, O Lord. P - Here endeth the Gospel C - Praise be to Thee, O Christ. The Apostles Creed I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And 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 dead and buried; He descended into Hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall 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. 7
HYMN OF THE DAY Fruitful Trees, the Spirit s Sowing HS98 875. The Sermon The Offertory Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me, Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free spirit. Amen. OFFERING OFFERING HYMN We Give You but Your Own LW 405 We give you but your own In any gifts we bring; All that we have is your alone, A trust from you, our King. May we your bounties thus As stewards true receive And gladly, Lord, as you bless us, To you our first fruits give. THE GENERAL PRAYER THE LORD S PRAYER HYMN Children of the Heavenly Father HS98 888 The Collect for the Word P- Blessed Lord, who has caused all Holy Scripture to be written for our learning, grant that we may in such 8
wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by the patience and comfort of Thy holy Word we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life which Thou hast given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. C- Amen. The Benediction P- The Lord bless thee and keep thee The Lord make His face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee, The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace. C- Amen, Amen, Amen. OUR MISSION AND MINISTRY We welcome our members and guests who are here with us today. May the Lord refresh you with peace and love during our worship service on this Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost. Please join us here at Ebenezer again soon! Please sign the guest register near the front entrance with Your name, address and Church affiliation. Thank you! In Our Prayers We remember in our prayers, Cooper Schroeder, infant son of Andrew and Kelsey Schroeder who still has some health issues. Jeff Bopp who has returned home from the hospital in Columbia, Chris Anderson who is in New Haven Care Center and Gail Meyer who is at Grandview in Washington. We have special requests for prayers from members of congregation and people in the community: Chris Gruce, whose father was Leon, has been diagnosed with cancer, Janice Bacon, the mother of Joyce 9
Hohlt who has also been diagnosed with cancer and Jolene Rice, the sister of Joyce Holt, who had recently had broken her back and has surgery and will have a long road to recovery. We pray for safe travels for Pastor and Margret as they travel in Minnesota to spend time with his mother and take vacation time in North Minnesota. In case of a Pastoral Emergency: call Pastor Mark Bangert at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Washington 636-239-4705, or his Cell 636-399-0828 or our Elders Warren Bauche 573-239-2230, Dave Summers 573-459-2005, or Tom Anderson 573-308-5880. We welcome to our Church, Rev. Stanish Stanley who will lead our services and Sunday school as Pastor and Margaret are gone. Rev. Stanley was born in India as the son of a Lutheran Pastor. He is an ordained Minister of the India Evangelical Lutheran Church, a Partner Church of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Rev. Stanley is married to Beenakumari Stanley and they have been blessed with two children. Rev. Stanley has his Ph.D. degree in Historical Theology at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. Pastor Stanley is actively involved in Christian Friends of New Americans, St. Louis. Ebenezer Mission Society is actively involved supporting Christian Friends of New Americans, St. Louis. Please take along some Sausage Dinner flyers, that are on the table at the back of Church, for the places you frequent. Do you like to sew? There are backpack patterns on the table that Rev. Rudy and Dorothy Schaser, Directors of With God s 10
Little Ones, will take to the children in a small village in Cambodia. Please have these completed by November 5 th Thank you for your help with this project!!! Check out the New Luther Book This new book is published by Concordia Publishing House sign up for the discount price of $22.49. The orders must be made by October 15 th. There is a sample of the book on the small table at the back of Church right next to the book sign-up sheet. Ebenezer Mission Society will be having a Country Store in connection with the Sausage Dinner on October 22 nd. Contributions such as crafts, garden produce and baked goods are appreciated. All proceeds will be used for mission projects. Please place the items in the old dining hall. Some important dates to keep in mind Christ Lutheran Church, 123 Church Road, Augusta, Mo will have their Annual Whole Hog Sausage and Sauerkraut Dinner TODAY with serving from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Caring for Yourself When Someone Else is Struggling Wednesday, October 11 th 7:00 8:00 PM at Immanuel Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall in Washington. This is a special presentation by Licensed Professional Counselor, Katie Walker. This event is free and open to the public. If you have any questions, please call Immanuel at 636-239- 4705. Please see the flyer on the bulletin board at the back of Church! Fall Fun Day This event is at St. John s United Church of Christ Casco next Sunday, October 15 th 11:30 AM 3:00 PM. Dinner is at 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM. Free will donations appreciated. Horse Drawn Wagon Rides noon to 3:00 PM. Games for the kids and the young at heart! Come and enjoy 11
the day!! For more information, please see the flyers on the bulletin board at the back of our Church. The October, 2017 Newsletter from Light of Christ, Reaching Out to the Chinese in St. Louis, is on the table at the back of Church. Please take one home to read. Officer s Meeting will be October 12 th at 7:00 PM Voter s Meeting will be October 16 th at 7:30 PM The Christian Women s Survival Show The Christian Women s Survival Show will be held in conjunction with the LWML Fall Rally at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Union. Mo on Saturday, October 21 st, 2017. Call to Order will be at 9:00 AM. There will be vendor booths from CPH, LWML, LHM, CASA, Tupperware, Mary Kay, Essential Oils, Stamping Up and a Photo Booth. Guest Speakers will include Deaconesses Maryann Hayter and Kelly Hardt. Also, Bonnie Matzat will portray Katie Luther. Our Zone Pastors will debut as the Singing Saints. Lunch will be provided. The ingathering for the day will be children s hats, gloves or mittens and socks for local charities. EVERY WOMAN IS INVITED. Please see the poster on our bulletin board at the back of Church for more information! Support your local Police, Firefighters & EMS Personnel The Franklin County Backstoppers is having a Dinner, Dance, and Auction on Saturday, October 14th at St. Gertrude s Parish Center in Krakow, MO, beginning at 5:00 pm. Proceeds provide financial assistance to families of local personnel killed in the line of duty. Tickets are available for $50 each or $380 for a table of 8. Dinner, full bar, and live music is included in the cost of the ticket. There will also be over 100 silent and oral auction items. For ticket/table 12
reservations please call Pat Eckelkamp 636-262-4636, or Tim Frankenberg 636-221-4671 by October 7th. A Circuit-wide Reformation Service and Lutherfest This event will be at St. John Lutheran Church, Drake, on October 29. The service (with Holy Communion) will be at 4 pm. We will have special music and a special preacher. The meal will be at approximately 5:30 pm. You can come early to play games and socialize; that will start at 2 pm. (For the meal--pork loin, mashed potatoes & gravy, hotdogs, applesauce, and root beer will be provided. (Donations of a covered dish or dessert would certainly be appreciated.) An invitation by Pastor Ehrhard from Trinity Lutheran Church in New Haven. For the past several months I've spoken about trying to get a screening of the new Luther Docudrama at the historic Walt Theater in downtown New Haven. I'm happy to say that we have finally confirmed with the theater and distributor to have A Return to Grace: Luther's Life and Legacy screened on Wednesday, October 25 at 7 p.m. Admission will be free, thanks to Bethlehem, Ebenezer, and Trinity Congregations of the New Haven area. Concessions will be available for purchase. But isn't this the same movie that we saw in the theater last spring, or on PBS just this month, The Idea that Changed the World? No! While it does share some of the same footage, this edition is a different look at the Reformation, which examines it from a theological perspective. It should be of particular interest to practicing Lutherans, however, guests are certainly invited to attend. Join Trinity congregation in celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. On Sunday, October 29 at 3 p.m., Trinity Lutheran Church in New Haven will host a Reformation worship service. This service will be adapted 13
from Luther's 1526 German service (but in English!), After the service, please plan to stay for a pot-luck dinner. Guests are welcome to bring a dish to share if they choose. Pork Sausage Dinner October 22 The 2017 Sausage Supper on October 22 is fast approaching. Please sign the sheet in the back of Church indicating your preferred job or shift. For those unable to work for any reason, there is also a place for you to sign so that we know not to assign a job to you. There are also places to sign for those willing to perform any job as needed. Thank you in advance for your help!! REFORMATION SERVICE FOR THE 500 th ANNIVERSARY Ebenezer Lutheran will celebrate the Reformation on Saturday, October 28 at 5:00 PM and again at our regular Sunday morning service. 14
Those Serving Today Organist Saturday Laura Nichols Organist Sunday Ruth Marschel Choir Director Kathy Scheer Head Usher Saturday Tracey Bade Head Usher Sunday Marvin Kassebaum Altar Guild Denise and Kate Walkenhorst Bell Ringer Jeff Hohlt Acolytes Confirmation Class Offerings and Attendance September 30 & October 1, 2017 Weekly Contributions $1,871.00 Plate 7.00 Sunday School 19.75 Recycle Funds 10.15 $1,907.90 Attendance: Saturday Worship 24 Sunday Worship 67 Sunday School Attendance: Children 8 Adults 17 This Week at Ebenezer Monday Pastor in Minnesota Thursday Officers Meeting 7:00 PM Friday Pastor returns Saturday Worship 5:00 PM No Confirmation this week 15
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