St. John s Lutheran Church 111 Second Ave. NE Stewartville, Minnesota 55976 507-533-4420 www.stjohnsandweecare.org Rev. Lyle Fritsch, Pastor pastor@stjohnsandweecare.org 533-4286 Dave Erickson, Director of Christian Education dce@stjohnsandweecare.org 268-4329 Dee Radtke, Wee Care Director director@stjohnsandweecare.org 533-6260 Serving as God s Family: Sharing His Love, Telling His Story Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost September 23, 2018 Direct us, O Lord, in all our doings with your most gracious favor, that all our works begun, continued, and ended in you glorify your holy name. Welcome in the name of the Lord! Guests and members who do not have email are invited to pick up a copy of this week s church announcements on the usher s stand in the narthex. To be added to our email list and receive the weekly announcements electronically, please contact secretary@stjohnsandweecare.org. Thank you. + DIVINE SERVICE + HYMN REFRAIN: Father Welcomes Father welcomes all his children to his family through his Son. Father giving his salvation, life forever has been won. Little children, come to me, for my kingdom is of these. Life and love I have to give, mercy for your sin. REFRAIN In the water, in the Word, in his promise, be assured; Those who are baptized and believe shall be born again. REFRAIN Let us daily die to sin; let us daily rise with him, Walk in the love of Christ our Lord, live in the peace of God. REFRAIN Text: Robin Mann, B. 1949 1986 Kevin Mayhew Ltd. All rights reserved. Reprinted under OneLicense.net A-720677 INVOCATION Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. People: SACRAMENT OF HOLY BAPTISM (Sunday 10:30) Pastor: Dearly beloved, Christ our Lord says in the last chapter of Matthew, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. In the last chapter of Mark our Lord promises, Whoever believes and is baptized shall be saved. And the Apostle Peter has written, Baptism now saves you. The Word of God also teaches that we are all conceived and born sinful and are under the power of the devil until Christ claims us as his own. We would be lost forever unless delivered from sin, death and everlasting condemnation. But the Father of all mercy and grace has sent his Son Jesus Christ, who atoned for the sin of the whole world that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.
THE SIGN OF THE CROSS Pastor: Kaitlyn Grace Smidt, receive the sign of the holy cross both upon your forehead and upon your heart to mark you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified. THE TASKS OF SPONSORS Pastor: From ancient times the Church has observed the custom of appointing sponsors for baptismal candidates. It is the task of sponsors to confess the Christian faith expressed in the Apostles Creed. They are to pray for them, support them in their ongoing instruction and nurture in the Christian faith, and encourage them toward the faithful reception of the Lord s Supper. Sponsors are at all times to be examples of the holy life of faith in Christ and love for one s neighbor. Marissa, Stephanie, Tricia and Tony is it your intention to serve Kaitlyn as sponsors in the Christian faith? Response: Yes, with the help of God. Pastor: God enable you to will and to do this faithful and loving work and with his grace fulfill what we are unable to do. THE LORD S PRAYER Pastor: In order to implore the blessing of our Lord Jesus Christ upon the gathering of Kaitlyn into the family of our Father, let us all join together in the Lord s Prayer: People: 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. Pastor: Kaitlyn, the Lord preserve your coming in and your going out from this time forth and even forevermore. THE CONFESSION OF FAITH Pastor: Because Kaitlyn cannot answer for herself, we shall all, together with her parents and sponsors, faithfully speak on her behalf in testimony of the forgiveness of sin and the birth of the life of faith which God our Father gives in and through Baptism. Pastor: Do you renounce the devil and all his works and all his ways? People: I do renounce them. Pastor: Do you believe in God, the Father Almighty? People: Yes, I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. Pastor: Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son? People: Yes, 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 sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence he will come to judge the living and the dead. Pastor: Do you believe in the Holy Spirit? People: Yes, 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. THE BAPTISM Pastor: Kaitlyn Grace Smidt, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The almighty God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has given you the new birth of water and of the Spirit, and has forgiven you all your sins, strengthen you with his grace to life everlasting. THE BAPTISMAL CANDLE THE PRAYER Pastor: Almighty and most merciful God and Father, we thank and praise you that you graciously preserve and enlarge your family and have granted Kaitlyn the new 2
birth in Holy Baptism and made her a member of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and heir of your heavenly kingdom. We humbly implore you that, as she has now become your child, you would keep her in her baptismal grace that, according to your good pleasure, she may faithfully grow to lead a godly life to the praise and honor of your holy name and finally with all your saints obtain the promised inheritance in heaven. Look also with kindness upon Matthew and Jessica, and upon all parents. Let them ever rejoice in the gifts you have given them. Enable them to be teachers and examples of righteousness to their children. Strengthen them in their own baptism so that they may share eternally with their children the salvation you have given them; through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. THE WELCOME Pastor: Kaitlyn, we receive you in Jesus name as a sister in Christ, that together we may hear his Word, receive his gifts, and proclaim the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. People: We welcome you into the Lord s family. Pastor: And you, Kaitlyn, the Lord bless you in all your ways from this time forth and even forevermore. People: CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS OF SINS Pastor: In Holy Baptism Christ Jesus forgives us our sins, clothes us with his righteousness and gives us new life. Yet in the weakness of our human flesh we sin daily against God and against our neighbor. By his grace God continues to forgive us and grants us the Holy Spirit that we may amend our sinful ways. Let us then confess our sins to God our Father. People: Holy and gracious God we confess that we are by nature sinful and that we have sinned against you in our thoughts, desires, words and deeds. We have often followed the ways of this world, acting out of jealousy and selfish ambition. We have turned from your wise counsel and given in to our greed. The lies of Satan have tempted us and we treasure the things of this world more than you. Make our repentance genuine and by your grace, for the sake of Jesus, forgive us, purify us and lift us up to live as your people every day. Pastor: Dear children of God, take to heart the fullness of the blessing the Lord bestows upon you through his Word and in Holy Baptism: as a called and ordained servant of Christ Jesus 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. People: Thanks be to God! HYMN Glory Be to God the Father LW 173 (Thursday) CHOIR ANTHEM How Can I Keep from Singing? (Sunday) There is an endless song echoes in my soul. I hear the music ring. And though the storms may come I am holding on; to the Rock I cling. REFRAIN: How can I keep from singing your praise? How can I ever say enough? How amazing is your love! How can I keep from shouting your name? I know I am loved by the King, and it makes my heart want to sing. I will lift my eyes in the darkest night for I know my Savior lives. And I will walk with you knowing you ll see me through, And sing the songs you give, I ll sing the songs you give. 3 REFRAIN REPEATS EPISTLE READING James 3:13-4:10 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. HOLY GOSPEL Mark 9:30-37 They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise." But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it. They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me." NICENE CREED Words are on the screen (Thursday and Sunday 8:00) HYMN Take My Life, O Lord, Renew LW 404 (Thursday and Sunday 8:00) SERMON PRAYERS OF THE DAY OFFERING AND SIGNING OF FRIENDSHIP REGISTERS PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING Pastor: Blessed are you, Lord of heaven and earth, for you have had mercy on those you created and sent your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the allavailing sacrifice of his body and blood on the cross. Gathered in the name and remembrance of Jesus, grant us faithfully to eat his body and drink his blood as he bids us to do in own testament. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in his kingdom which has no end. To alone, O Father, be all glory, honor and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. LORD S PRAYER Words are on the screen (Thursday and Sunday 8:00) WORDS OF INSTITUTION PEACE Pastor: The peace of the Lord be with you always. People: And also with you. 4
RESPONSE (melody: All Depends on Our Possessing) (sung) Jesus comes today with healing, knocking at my door, appealing, Off ring pardon, grace, and peace. He himself makes preparation, And I hear his invitation: Come and taste the blessed feast. DISTRIBUTION Text: Heinrich Puchta, 1808-58; tr. David W. Rogner, b. 1960 David W. Rogner. All rights reserved. Reprinted under OneLicense.net A-720677 NOTE: Holy Communion is celebrated in accord with the teaching of the Holy Scripture. The Apostle Paul states in I Corinthians 11:27-28, Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. This examination is to include: whether we are sorry for our sins; whether we believe in our Savior Jesus Christ for forgiveness of our sins and in his bodily presence in this sacrament; and whether we plan, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to change our sinful lives. Those who plan to receive the sacrament are asked to read the communion card that is printed on the inside covers of the friendship registers and check communion attendance on those registers. Persons who are not members of St. John s or of a fellow Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod congregation, are kindly asked to talk with the Pastor before communing. You are still welcome to come to the rail, and by crossing your arms on your chest, to receive a blessing. During the distribution you have a choice of receiving the wine in individual cups or the chalice. If you prefer individual cups, take one as the elder offers it and hold it until Pastor sees it. (Three glasses in the center of the tray have non-alcoholic wine.) If you prefer to drink from the chalice, wait for the pastor. On Thursdays we offer only the individual cups. DISTRIBUTION HYMNS (Sunday) Come, Follow Me Said Christ. the Lord LW 379 God of Grace and God of Glory LW 398 DISMISSAL PRAYER Pastor: 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. BENEDICTION Pastor: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace. People: HYMN Praise and Thanks and Adoration LW 387 v. 1 (melody: Speak, O Lord, Your Servant Listens) Praise and thanks and adoration, Son of God, to you we give, For you chose to serve creation, died that Adam s heirs might live. Dear Lord Jesus, guide my way; faithful let me day by day Follow where your steps are leading, find adventure, joys exceeding! 5