Messiah Lutheran Church Sixth Sunday after Epiphany February 17, 2019 8:45 am Mission Statement At Messiah Lutheran Church, we seek to answer God s call to love Welcome to all worshipping with us today. Please complete the Welcome Card and place it in the offering plate, during the offering. Prayer Petitions may be included on the back of the Welcome card. Please turn your cell phones to silent during worship. There are activity bags for children to enjoy during worship, which can be found on a rack just outside the worship space. Thank you. Prelude Welcome & Announcements Temple Talk Call to Worship Confession & Forgiveness Blessed be the holy Trinity, + one God, who creates us and forms us, who redeems us and calls us, who unites us and sends us. Amen. Gathered in God s presence, let us confess our sin. Silence is kept for reflection. Mighty and loving God, we confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. We seek our own way. We divide the body of Christ. In your mercy, cleanse us and heal us. Let the words of our mouths, the thoughts of our hearts, and everything that we do be filled with faith, hope, and love. Amen. Hear the voice of Jesus: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me to proclaim release to the captives. In the name of + Jesus Christ, I proclaim to you Leader reads light print Congregation reads bold print 1
that your sins are forgiven and you are released. The joy of the Lord is your strength, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit are yours forever. Amen. Gathering Hymn: #532 Gather Us In Greeting The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And also with you. Prayer of the Day Living God, in Christ you make all things new. You sent your son to overcome divisions between clean and unclean, holy and unholy, human and divine even death and life. Transform our nature by the riches of your grace so that we may follow in His footsteps, that we may love one another, joining together in Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. Amen. Reading: Jeremiah 17:5-8 Thus says the Lord: Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength, whose hearts turn away from the Lord. They shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when relief comes. They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit. Word of God, Word of Life. Thanks be to God. 2
Psalm: Psalm 1 Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seats of the scornful! Their delight is in the law of the Lord, and they meditate on God s teaching day and night. They are like trees planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; everything they do shall prosper. It is not so with the wicked; they are like chaff which the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes, nor the sinner in the council of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked shall be destroyed. Gospel Acclamation: Alleluia p. 124 Gospel: Luke 6:17-26 Glory to you, O Lord. [Jesus] came down with [the twelve] and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them. Then he looked up at his disciples and said: Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets. But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, 3
for you will be hungry. Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets. P: The Gospel of the Lord. C: Praise to you, O Christ! Children s Sermon Sermon Hymn of the Day: For All The Children (see insert) Apostles Creed I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God s 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 to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come 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. 4
Prayers Each petition will end with: Lord, in your mercy, The assembly will respond with: hear our prayer. United as one body in Christ, let us pray for the church, the world, and all those in need. A brief silence. We pray for the church. Raise up faithful leaders to proclaim the gospel. Guide us in the ways of love. Empower us in ministry and service. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. For the vast varieties in your creation, from rocks and soil, plants and trees, fish of the sea, birds in the air to all creatures inhabiting the land making this a colorful beautiful world. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. For the diversity of all people that we may see and learn from the wideness of your love leading us to love all likewise, welcoming everyone in unity of worship. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. For young people everywhere, that they may come into full bloom of who they were meant to be, that they will feel your love. Keep them from harm so they may grow in acceptance and hope for a less judgmental world. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. For the nations, and for all who are in need. May the power of your kingdom be at work in our midst. Grant healing, hope, and wisdom, and strengthen us in your service to your world. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Today we pray for Lois Mansell, Lois, Mike, Laurie Strokos, Janet Beyne Gonsalves, Jerry Godec, Kristine Hill, Karen, Cindy LaValley, Marilyn Voce, Larry, Matt Davis, Sherry Johnson, Alison, Diane, Don Dreisbach, Ted, Gary, Sierra, Mary Leslie, Ted Querin, Charlene Avery, Cathy Church, Nai, Cam & his family, Betty Hartman, Liz Kro, Katelin Bingner. With thanksgiving, we remember those who have gone before us, including Bev Delke. Encourage us by their example and lead us in faith until we are united at your unending feast. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Receive our prayers and fill us with the radiance of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 5
Sharing of the Peace Senior Choir Anthem In the Midst of New Dimensions Offering Offering Prayer God of all creation, all you have made is good, and your love endures forever. You bring forth bread from the earth and fruit from the vine. Nourish us with these gifts, that we might be for the world signs of your gracious presence in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. The Great Thanksgiving and Preface p. 129 Holy, Holy, Holy p. 130 Words of Institution The Lord s Prayer 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. Invitation to Communion & Distribution The table of life is spread before you. Feast on the goodness and mercy of God. 6
Communion Hymns: Lamb of God p. 135 We Are Your Soil (see insert) #471 Let Us Break Bread Together Blessing Prayer After Commumion We thank you, O God, that you have fed us at your banqueting table with bread and wine beyond compare, the very life of Christ for us. Send your Spirit with us now, that we may set the captive free, use your gifts to build one another up, and in everything reflect your glory revealed in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. Benediction May the God of glory dwell in you richly, name you beloved, and shine brightly on your path. May the blessing of almighty God, Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you always. Amen. Choral Benediction: #536 God Be with You Till We Meet Again Sending Go in peace. Christ is your light. Thanks be to God. Postlude 7
Serving Us Today: Preacher: Pr. Don Ludemann Liturgist: Pr. Allan Johnson Organist: Kathy Strazzinski Senior Choir Director: Dave Dagenais Acolyte: Ushers: Bruce Robertson, Barb Avery Reader: Lynne Hammerstrom Communion Assistants: Fred & Kathy Maynard, Carl Hammerstrom Greeters: Jan Vickstrom, Joan Tasson Assisting Minister: Al Edgar Sound Technician: Larry Pagel Nursery Attendant: Jaime Davis Nursery Volunteer: Flower Delivery: Jan Julian Coffee Hour: Grant & Kathy Soltwisch Welcome Messiah Lutheran Church seeks to be a welcoming community for all people. This includes people of every race, ability, sexual orientation and gender identity, ethnic background, economic grouping, religious affiliation, and political persuasion. We do this simply because God created all people in God s own image and Christ Jesus came so all people might have abundant and eternal life. We may not always be as welcoming as we should be, but this is our intention all are welcome! The Means of Grace As Lutherans, we believe that God comes to us in love through the means of grace: the preaching of the Word and the gift of two Sacraments--Baptism and Communion. Christ Jesus is the host at the Holy Communion table, welcoming all people to be fed. If you haven't been baptized, we also invite you to consider baptism. The pastors would be delighted to speak with you about this. Acknowledgments: Copyright 2017 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #SAS103648.New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. 8