A Prayer Upon Entering Church O God, on a sabbath long ago Your Son read the words of Isaiah and preached, proclaiming that the words of scripture had been fulfilled. Send Your Holy Spirit among us this day so that the words read be also fulfilled, so that our souls are nourished, our eyes are opened to Your truth, and our feet set on Your path. Amen ~ Thomas G. Long Fourth Sunday after Epiphany January 31, 2016 + 9:00 and 11:00 A.M. Welcome to the Lord s Day. For what kind of love do you hope? One that is patient? Kind? Forgiving? How about a love that can overcome evil and heal all the injuries of the world, even those injuries that are long past and beyond our power to fix? Today, we hear of that love as Jesus heals the sick, casts out demons, and preaches the good news. This love is for you. God made it yours when He put it on the cross for you, and by that love even raised the dead.
Sharing God s Blessings Today Sunday s Radio Broadcast is sponsored in memory of Ernest Roesler (B. February 2, 1919) from his family. The flowers at the altar are sponsored in loving memory of Laurin Jehn s 90th birthday by his family. Laurin was born January 30, 1926. The sponsor charts for 2016 for Broadcasts and Flowers are available for you to sign up. There are many open dates for you to sponsor. The charts are by the stairs by the northwest entry. How Jesus Changes Our View of Things When Jesus took bread and wine or a few fish and blessed God for them and shared them with His disciples, creation found its purpose once again. When the wood of the cross... became the means of expressing an undreamed of relationship between God and God s people, the wood itself was redeemed. In each instance the true order of things was restored and justice reigned insofar as created things could now once again speak of God, the lover of the human race. At the same time, and inseparably, they spoke of the right relationship that should exist between human beings. When Jesus took the bread, said the blessing, broke the bread and shared it, He demonstrated, unforgettably, the proper use of all material things. The early Christians realized this: They eucharistized their lives by blessing God in all things and by making their possessions available to one another. And when Jesus took the cup and gave thanks to God and passed it among His disciples, He rediscovered for the human race the joy of not claiming anything for one s own not even life itself. ~ Mark Searle, Liturgy and Social Justice, 1980 A.D. Announcements Parish announcements may be found in the weekly newsletter, For You, provided by the ushers after worship. 2
PRELUDE Largo Vivaldi/Wolff Brightest and Best of the Stars of the Morning Wold Bright and Glorious Is the Sky Leavitt RINGING OF THE BELLS Please stand. INVOCATION P: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION P: Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. C: Amen P: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Please kneel. Silence for reflection. 3
P: Most merciful God, C: we confess that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name. Amen P: Almighty God, in his mercy, has given his Son to die for us and, for his sake, forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the Church, and by the authority of Christ, I therefore forgive you all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen Please stand. ENTRANCE HYMN Bright and Glorious Is the Sky green hymnal #75 GREETING P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. C: And also with you. 4
GLORIA P: Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth. 5 Hark! How clear! How musical! How prolonged! What a triumphant thanksgiving of a cockcrow: Glory be to God in the Highest! It says those very words as plain as ever cock did in this world. Why, why, I begin to feel a little in sorts again. It ain t so very misty, after all. The sun yonder is beginning to show himself: I feel warmer.... It plainly says Never say die! My friends, it is extraordinary, is it not? ~ Herman Melville, Cock-A- Doodle Doo, 1800s A.D.
PRAYER OF THE DAY P: Let us pray... Almighty God, you know we live in the midst of so many dangers that in our frailty we cannot stand upright. Grant strength and protection to support us in all dangers and carry us through all temptations; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen Please be seated. God s word comes freely and calls the dead to life people by name. Watch and reply courageously when the Lord goes past calling your houses. ~ poet Huub Oosterhuis, Times of Life OLD TESTAMENT Jeremiah 1:4-10 4Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations. 6 Then I said, Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth. 7 But the LORD said to me, Do not say, I am only a youth ; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD. 9 Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me, Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant. L: The Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God. 6
PSALM 71:1-6 L: In you, O LORD, have I taken refuge;* let me never be ashamed. C: In your righteousness, deliver me and set me free;* incline your ear to me and save me. L: Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe;* you are my crag and my stronghold. C: Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,* from the clutches of the evildoer and the oppressor. L: For you are my hope, O Lord GOD,* my confidence since I was young. C: I have been sustained by you ever since I was born; from my mother s womb you have been my strength;* my praise shall be al ways of you. All: Glory 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 EPISTLE 1 Corinthians 12:31b 13:13 31bAnd I will show you a still more excellent way. 1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, be- 7
The first service that one owes to others in the fellowship consists of listening to them. Just as love of God begins with listening to His word, so the beginning of love for the brothers and sisters is learning to listen to them. It is God s love for us that He not only gives us His word but also lends us His ear. So it is His work that we do for our brothers or sisters when we learn to listen to them. ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together lieves all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. L: The Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God. Please stand. VERSE 8
GOSPEL P: The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the 4th chapter. 31And [Jesus] went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, 32 and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority. 33 And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34 Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are the Holy One of God. 35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, Be silent and come out of him! And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. 36 And they were all amazed and said to one another, What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out! 37 And reports about him went out into every place in the surrounding region. 38 And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon s house. Now Simon s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. 39 And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them. 40 Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. 41 And demons also came out of many, crying, You are the Son of God! But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ. 42 And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, 43 but he said to them, I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose. 44 And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea. 9
P: The Gospel of the Lord. To be a person of prayer, some might say, it is not necessary to consecrate certain times to prayer; we can find God in everything. This is perfectly true. Nevertheless, we begin to be able to find God in everything when we have begun by finding God above and beyond everything... APOSTLES CREED P: Let us confess the faith with one heart: C: I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen Please be seated. SUNDAY SCHOOL (9:00 a.m.) During the singing of the hymn, children of preschool age through grade 4 may leave for Sunday School classes downstairs in the church hall. Please reclaim your children at 10:25 a.m. after their music time in the balcony. 10
HYMN OF THE DAY Son of God, Eternal Savior green hymnal #364 SERMON The Holy One of God Please kneel. 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. P:... Lord in your mercy, C: hear our prayer. P: Into your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. C: Amen Please be seated. OFFERING While the offerings are received, please pass in your row the Friendship Register, and add your name(s). If you are a guest or visitor, please include your address. VOLUNTARY Songs of Thankfulness and Praise Cherwien... It is practically impossible to lead a life of union with God so long as there has not been that minimum of formal prayer which allows us to acquire spiritual liberty by accustoming us to disengaging from the chains of our environment. ~ Jean Daniélou, Prayer as a Political Problem 11
Please stand. OFFERTORY OFFERTORY PRAYER P: Let us pray... Merciful Father, C: we offer with joy and thanksgiving what you have first given us our selves, our time, and our possessions, signs of your gracious love. Receive them for the sake of him who offered himself for us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 12
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING P: The Lord be with you. P: Lift up your hearts. P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. P: It is indeed right and salutary... we praise your name and join their unending hymn: SANCTUS ( Holy ) 13
Drink in the richness of God. Enjoy the strength of the Lord. ~ Psalm 34:9 Please, sir, I want some more. ~ Oliver in Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens, 1800s A.D. WORDS OF INSTITUTION 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 the 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 of it, in remembrance of me. THE LORD S PRAYER P: Lord, remember us in your kingdom, and teach us to pray: 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
ACCLAMATION P: The Word was made flesh C: and we have seen his glory, full of grace and truth. AGNUS DEI ( Lamb of God ) Please be seated. The congregation is ushered forward for Communion. If you cannot use the steps to the altar, you may either ask an usher to have Communion brought to you, or you may go to the altar in the side (west) chapel. Those not communing may cross their arms over their chest for a blessing. Holy Communion is the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ which He joyfully gives to His Church to eat and to drink. This gift bestows tremendous benefits. His body and blood forgives ours sins, strengthens our faith, binds us to the Lord, and unites us with each other. In this is life and salvation. 15
The Lord therefore invites to His altar baptized Christians who trust that they will receive in Holy Communion all that He promises there: His body and blood, the forgiveness of sins, union with Christ and His Church, life, and salvation. Know that He gives it to you with great joy. COMMUNION HYMNS Songs of Thankfulness and Praise green hymnal #90 Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence green hymnal #198 Please stand after all have received the sacrament. POST-COMMUNION CANTICLE 16
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER P: We give you thanks, almighty God, that you have refreshed us through the healing power of this gift of life; and we pray that in your mercy you would strengthen us, through this gift, in faith toward you and in fervent love toward one another; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. C: Amen BENEDICTION P: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace. SILENT PRAYER POSTLUDE Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies + Soli Deo Gloria + To God alone be glory 17 Culli A Prayer as You Go Set us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins and give us the liberty of that abundant life which You have made known to us in Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ; Who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. ~ The Book of Common Prayer, 1977
Serving at Worship Celebrant: The Rev. Ted Gulhaugen Preacher: The Rev. Steven Gjerde Organist: Rodney Riese Lector: (9:00) Jan Gaugush (11:00) Craig Bergendorf Radio Announcer: (9:00) Keith Glasel Acolyte: (9:00) Grace Stimac (11:00) Ethan Goree Elder: (9:00) Dick Ames (11:00) Dave Gisselman Ushers: (9:00) Mark Gehrke; Jane Janz; Grace Mueller; Frank and Tammie Rodemeier (11:00) Al Lippert; Herbert Zahrt Communion Assistants: (9:00) Rob Kittel; Vicky Radunz (11:00) Gary Gisselman; Donna Nuernberg Altar Guild: Dianne Ames; Anna Gulhaugen 18
Acknowledgements The liturgy is reprinted from the Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978. Used by permission of Augsburg Fortress license #13202-L. Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. Used by permission. My Heart Is Now Thrilling - Nunc Dimittis: Copyright 1994 Stephen P. Starke, used by permission: Onelicense.net A-703762; Tune: Public domain. 19
Zion Lutheran Church Sixth and Grant Streets, Wausau, Wisconsin 54403 Those who trust in the Lord shall be like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. (Psalm 125:1) Church Telephone: 715-848-7286 Senior Pastor Steven K. Gjerde Associate Pastor Theodore B. Gulhaugen Kantor Irene Beethe Parish Nurse Lenore Grosinske Office Manager Pam Gabriel Secretary Anna Mae Zeinemann Head Custodian Michael Renken Custodian Roger Ormond To contact us by email: zion@dwave.net To visit our webpage: www.zionlutheranwausau.com Host of the Wausau Lutheran Hour Sundays, 9:00 am, WSAU Radio 550AM (or click Listen Live at www.wsau.com) Member Congregation of Lutheran CORE www.lutherancore.org 20