March 3, 2019 9:00 am This is My Son. WELCOME TO WORSHIP AT GRACE OF GOD CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS GATHERING (All may make the sign of the cross, the sign marked at baptism) P 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. C Amen P Gathered in God's presence, let us confess our sin. Silence for reflection and self-examination. P Mighty and loving God, C 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. P 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 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. C Amen. 1
PROCESSIONAL HYMN Immortal, Invisible 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. 2
HYMN OF PRAISE Now the feast and celebration... refrain refrain 3
PRAYER OF THE DAY P Let us pray. C Holy God, mighty and immortal, you are beyond our knowing, yet we see your glory in the face of Jesus Christ. Transform us into the likeness of your Son who renewed our humanity so that we may share in his divinity, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen SERVICE OF THE WORD FIRST READING Exodus 34:29-35 29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. 30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. 32 Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai. 33 When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. 34 But whenever he entered the LORD s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, 35 they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD. 4
SECOND READING Exodus 34:29-35 12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. 14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 1 Therefore, since through God s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man s conscience in the sight of God. ALLELUIA VERSE HOLY GOSPEL Luke 9:28-36 P The Holy Gospel according to Luke the 9 th chapter. C Glory to you, O Lord. 28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, 31 appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah. (He did not know what he was saying.) 34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him. 36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen. P The Gospel of the Lord. C Praise to you, O Christ. CHILDREN S MESSAGE 5
HYMN OF THE DAY Jesus Take Us to the Mountain SERMON 6
APOSTLES CREED a 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 PRAYERS (Response to each petition) P Lord, in your mercy, C hear our prayer. SHARING OF THE PEACE P The peace of the Lord be with you always. C And also with you. OFFERING Cantate Domino (Cantate Choir) Sing to the Lord a new song, sing to the Lord all the earth. Sing to the Lord and bless his name. Announce from day to day his salvation. Announce among the nations his glory. Among all the peoples his wonders. OFFERTORY 7
OFFERTORY PRAYER P Let us pray. God of abundance, a we bring before you the precious fruits of your creation, and with them our very lives. Teach us patience and hope as we care for all those in need until the coming of your Son, our Savior and Lord. Amen SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING P You are indeed holy, gracious and merciful God; everything is filled with your glory. We give you thanks for your promise and presence which have sustained the faithful in this and every generation. Above all, we give you thanks for Jesus, born of Mary, who in word and deed announced your gentle rule of justice, reconciliation and peace. WORDS OF INSTITUTION P Remembering his command to love one another, remembering his life and death, his resurrection and his ascension, we pray for his coming again, even as we cry: P Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. a P Send now, we pray, your Holy Spirit, that all of your promises may come to us and your whole creation. P Amen. Come, Holy Spirit. Amen. Come, Holy Spirit. a 8
P This we pray through Jesus Christ, our Savior and our friend. a LORD S PRAYER a 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 COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION Scripture says, Whenever we eat this bread and drink this cup we proclaim the Lord s death until he comes. 1 Corinthians 11:26. Martin Luther s Small Catechism says, Holy Communion is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ Himself for us Christians to eat and drink. All baptized Christians who have been instructed in this confession of faith and who share our belief in the real presence of Christ in the sacrament for the forgiveness of sins are invited to the Lord s Table today. Children who have not received their first communion are invited to come to the table and receive a blessing. As you approach the table down the aisles, receive an empty cup from the cart. Proceed to the left or the right and gather around the altar. After each gathered group has communed, they are dismissed in peace. As you return to your seat down the side aisles, place your cup in the racks on the tables to your left or right. Non-alcoholic wine is offered in pre-filled cups for those who cannot drink alcohol. These cups are marked in the rack. Gluten-free (and dairy-free and nut-free) wafers are offered in the small white bowl on the communion cart for those who prefer this option. 9
DISTRIBUTION SONGS Beautiful Savior 10
Thine the Amen, Thine the Praise SENDING DISMISSAL P The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen and keep us in his grace. C Amen PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING P God of wonder, in Jesus we behold the light of the world come near. As you have come among us now, send us out in joy, hastening to share the good news of your love. We ask this in the name of Jesus, through the Spirit dwelling among us now and forever. C Amen 11
BENEDICTION P 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. C Amen P Go in peace. Christ lives in you. C Thanks be to God. CLOSING HYMN Alleluia, Song of Gladness SERVING IN WORSHIP TODAY Worship leader Jon Marxhausen Elder Errol Bartz Piano Mary Dinesen Cantate Choir Director Mary Dinesen Lector Eileen Ocone Ushers Bob & Lori Koeritzer Acolyte/Crucifer Maren Sletten Greeters Jim & Jan Roth DON T FORGET YOUR 3-MINUTE MINISTRY 12
NEW ARTWORK at GRACE OF GOD The beautiful wood star was handcrafted by our own Bruce Gilman to accompany the three crosses wood piece he made previously. The star is a symbol of Christ and reminds us how God in Christ leads us on our journey. THANK YOU, BRUCE for this beautiful gift! (and example of such fine craftsmanship!) 13
Welcome Friends! Thank you for worshipping with us today. Please fill out a welcome card and place it in the basket on the table in the entryway. Help yourself to a welcome packet that will tell you more about the ministry at Grace of God. You are always welcome at Grace of God. GRACE OF GOD MISSION STATEMENT Grace of God is a Christ-centered community gathered around Word and Sacrament, preaching Christ crucified, serving our neighbor and discovering what it means to live under the grace of God. SMALL CHILDREN ARE WELCOME IN WORSHIP AT GRACE OF GOD Busy bags for young children are available in the classroom adjacent to the worship space near the doors. That room also has a speaker to hear the worship service. CLEANING CREW SCHEDULE March 7- March 9 March 14- March 16 March 21- March 23 TEAM 6 Evenson Family/Dinesen Family TEAM 7 Errol & Cindy Bartz/Eileen Ocone/Shirley Muelken TEAM 8 Barb Fallert/Kathy Rehbein/Dean Christenson/Franklin Hotzel SERVING IN WORSHIP DATE ELDER ACOLYTE LECTOR USHERS GREETERS 3/3/19 Errol Bartz Maren Sletten Eileen Ocone Bob & Lori Koeritzer Jim & Jan Roth 3/6/19 Errol Bartz TJ Richter Eileen Ocone Lori Ruppel George & Kathy Rehbein 3/10/19 Paul Hartleben Jake Richter Bruce Gilman Darrel & Noel Smith Errol & Cindy Bartz 3/13/19 Paul Hartleben Ella Fahey Pam Fallert Errol Bartz / Kathy Rehbein Roger & Nancy Prigge 3/17/19 Paul Hartleben Kiernan Benson Chris Fallert Becky Vigstol / Jenny Hanson Jim & Jan Roth YOUTH EVENT! DART ESCAPE IN OAKDALE TODAY, March 3 Meet at church at 4:00 pm Cost is $20.00 per youth 14
March 3-10, 2019 Sunday, March 3 9:00 am TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD Fellowship time after worship 10:15 am Sunday School Living Last Supper meeting 2:00 pm YOUTH EVENT DART ESCAPE Monday, March 4 7:00 pm Living Last Supper rehearsal Tuesday, March 5 9:30 am Women s Bible Study Wednesday, March 6 7:00 pm EVENING PRAYER Fellowship time afterwards Sunday, March 10 9:00 am FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT Fellowship time after worship 10:15 am Sunday School and Adult Bible Study Help create a GRACE OF GOD MASTERPIECE! We are going to re-create Leonardo da Vinci s famous painting square by square. We need artists will take one of 32 individual squares of this painting and re-create it on a 8.5 inch square will various media and colors! It will be stunning! See Pastor for all the details to participate! 15
Begins ASH WEDNESDAY, March 6 at 7:00 pm NEW SUNDAY MORNING ADULT BIBLE STUDY Begins NEXT SUNDAY at 10:15 am 16
Lent Service Project Coins and Cash for Tanzania Student Scholarships! During Lent we ll be collecting coins and cash to provide Bega Kwa Bega secondary student scholarships. Our collection goal during Lent is $1,300! Each scholarship costs about $400. Currently, Grace of God supports 3 student scholarships. If you have any questions please contact Audrey Gilman. 651-352-2888 or aggilman@comcast.net. A letter received from a student Grace of God sponsored during the 2018 school year. Easter Lillies Help decorate the church for Easter. Lilies will be available in 6 or 8 Pink and Blue Hydrangeas too! Don t forget a plant card (the snow can t last forever) Butter Braids are BACK! Youth will be selling Butter Braids for their mission trip to South Dakota. All orders will be delivered in time for Easter. See any youth to get yours!!! 17
RETREAT DATES FOR 2020: February 28-29 at Mount Olivet Retreat Center Mark your calendars! Grace of God is adding a new team our Welcome Team! When we have a group that would like to use our space, a Welcome Team member will be assigned to the group. Would you enjoy being the friendly person who will help our visiting group while they are using our space? Please consider joining our Welcome Team! See or call (651-226- 4255) Sally Warren for details!! OUR RESPONSE TO GOD S GRACE (January 2019) Revenue... $18,311.00 Budgeted giving... $22,414.00 Actual costs... $28,306.00 GRACE OF GOD LUTHERAN CHURCH 420 Hayward Avenue North Oakdale, Minnesota 55128 651.730.4900 www.graceofgodlutheran.com Jon Marxhausen, Pastor 18