LORD, LET YOUR MERCY BE ON US - A Mercy Ministry Sunday - January 23-25, 2016
TRINITY EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN Waukesha, WI January 23-25, 2016 WELCOME TO WORSHIP Welcome to worship. Today is Mercy Ministry Sunday at Trinity. Mercy ministry is a ministry that is special to any church. We help people going through crisis or problems of any sort because this is what family is all about and our spiritual family is that special to us. But why and how do we do this? This morning we are going to examine our motivation for all that we do and say as Christians as we look at the first of only two commands that Jesus Christ issued to His followers. If we can understand why we have a mercy ministry then getting involved in it is easy. But without the right motivation mercy ministry is difficult because it involves helping without ever expecting anything in return. It comes down to the right kind of love. May our service today help you see why we do mercy ministry. LITURGICAL NOTES The word Epiphany comes from a Greek word meaning to manifest or reveal. The DAY of Epiphany (January 6th) celebrates the visit of wise men to Bethlehem. The SEASON of Epiphany stretches from January 6th (the 12th day of Christmas) to Ash Wednesday (the beginning of Lent). Epiphany rivets our attention upon those sections of Scripture that reveal the PERSON of Jesus to us: the eternal Son of God in human flesh, the Savior of both Jew and Gentile. Through his preaching, teaching, and miraculous working, Jesus reveals himself to be who he really is Eyes of faith, literally around the world, rejoice in this Epiphany revelation OUR FACILITIES Our restrooms are located to the left as you leave the sanctuary doors. The members of Trinity believe that families should be allowed to worship together. If your young one needs some time out, we have an audio-equipped children s room just outside of the church doors to your right. Parents wishing to use our professionally staffed nursery during Bible Study hour and 10:45 a.m. service will find it on the lower level of the school rotunda. If you need anything during the service, please feel free to ask an usher. LARGE PRINT HYMNS AND HEARING ASSISTANCE Both are available from an usher at your request. 2 Page The 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany
DIVINE SERVICE I We are privileged to be the Lord s merciful hands in this world. OPENING HYMN O Fount of Good, for All Your Love CW 524 Stand CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION Minister: Congregation: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. (spoken) Amen. M: Beloved in the Lord: let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins to God our Father, asking him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness. C: Holy and merciful Father, I confess that I am by nature sinful and that I have disobeyed you in my thoughts, words, and actions. I have done what is evil and failed to do what is good. For this I deserve your punishment both now and in eternity. But I am truly sorry for my sins, and trusting in my Savior Jesus Christ, I pray: Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner. LORD, HAVE MERCY Kyrie M: God, our heavenly Father, has been merciful to us and has given his only Son to be the C: Amen. atoning sacrifice for our sins. Therefore, as a called servant of Christ 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. 3 Page The 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany
PRAYER AND PRAISE M: In the peace of forgiveness, let us praise the Lord GLORY TO GOD Gloria in Excelsis Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. Refrain Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer. Refrain For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God, the Father. Amen Refrain PRAYER OF THE DAY M: The Lord be with you. C: And also with you. M: Let us pray. Lord God, your Son came among us to serve and not to be served, and to give his life for the sins of the world. Lead us by his love to serve those to whom the world offers no comfort and little help. Through us give hope to the hopeless, love to the unloved, peace to the troubled, and rest to the weary; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. C: Amen. Be Seated 4 Page The 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany
THE WORD OF GOD FIRST LESSON Leviticus 19:9-16 (NIV) We are our brother s keeper in many merciful ways 'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God. 11 'Do not steal. 'Do not lie. 'Do not deceive one another. 12 'Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD. 13 'Do not defraud your neighbor or rob him. 'Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight. 14 'Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the LORD. 15 'Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly. 16 'Do not go about spreading slander among your people. 'Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's life. I am the LORD. PSALM OF THE DAY The Lord Is Kind and Merciful THE LYRIC PSALTER The congregation sings the refrains as marked Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all within me, his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and never forget all his benefits. Refrain It is the LORD who forgives all your sins, who heals every one of your ills, who redeems your life from the grave, who c owns you with mercy and compassion. Refrain The LORD does just deeds, gives full justice to all who are oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, and his deeds to the children of Israel. Refrain The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and rich in mercy. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so strong his mercy for those who fear him. Refrain MONDAY 6:30 P.M. Psalm 103 CW page 105 5 Page The 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany
SECOND LESSON James 2:14-26 (NIV) Faith expresses itself through loving action What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to him, Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed, but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18 But someone will say, You have faith; I have deeds. Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good Even the demons believe that-- and shudder. 20 You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God's friend. 24 You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. VERSE OF THE DAY C: Refrain M: As we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong C: Refrain to the family of believers. (Galatians 6:10) Stand out of respect for the words and works of Jesus GOSPEL After the announcement of the Gospel, the congregation sings: Luke 6:20-36 (NIV) We are empowered to show mercy even to those who hate us 6 Page The 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany
Looking at his disciples, he said: Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22 Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets. 24 But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. 25 Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. 26 Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets. 27 But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you. 32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. After the Gospel, the congregation sings: APOSTLES CREED I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth. 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 is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead. 7 Page The 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany
Be Seated 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. HYMN OF THE DAY Lord of All Nations, Grant Me Grace CW 521 SERMON Pastor Larry Gates John 13:34-35 After the sermon, the congregation stands to sing: Share Christ s Love with Everyone 8 Page The 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany
GATHERING OF OUR OFFERING AND OFFERING PRAYER Please take a moment during the collection of the offering to sign the FRIENDSHIP REGISTER in each of the pews. We encourage you to take a moment after the service to get to know those seated around you If you are not a member of Trinity Lutheran, we do not want you to feel obligated to give an offering. We gather our offerings in church, because the Bible teaches that giving is an act of worship. The vast majority of our church and school ministry is carried out by what is given on Sunday morning. May the Lord bless you. And may he use our gifts to be a blessing to many others. GATHERING OF OUR OFFERING AND OFFERING PRAYER Where re we find our witness should be made, What er our task, the Lord will be our aid, And we will gladly give for him our best And find each task divinely sent and blessed. Amen. PRAYER OF THE CHURCH AND LORD S PRAYER M: Eternal God and Father, we give you thanks for the blessings we share as members of your holy Church, for your gracious Word and sacraments, for opportunities to worship and to grow in faith and knowledge, for occasions to serve and be served, for fellowship with believers in our congregation and in our synod. C: Help us to rejoice in these blessings, dear Lord, and to use them faithfully. M: Jesus Christ, Lord of the Church, you give grace to your people by calling us to be your witnesses in the world. Open our eyes to see the great and noble mission that lies before us. In the hurting eyes of the lonely, in the pained eyes of the sick, and in the searching eyes of the lost, help us to see your face, O Jesus, and to serve others as we would serve you. C: Awaken us to the opportunities you give to proclaim your message of love. M: Holy Spirit, giver of life, through Word and sacrament bestow on us the wisdom and power we need to witness clearly and to act boldly. Help us to speak the truth in love, to give the reason for the hope we have, and to conduct ourselves with gentleness and respect. C: Set our hearts on fire as we work and witness for Christ. 9 Page The 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany
M: Hear us, Lord, as we pray for a family member, an acquaintance, a neighbor, or a friend who does not believe in you, or whose faith is weak or troubled. Silent prayer M: Bless the Church with men and women who are willing to proclaim your Word in places where we cannot go. Keep them and their loved ones in your care, and let nothing hinder their work. By the power of the gospel, restore their spirits each day, so that they do not lose heart as they serve us and others. C: Move us to support them with our sincere prayers and generous offerings. Special prayers and intercessions may follow M: Wherever your Word is proclaimed, O Lord, grant it success. Let your kingdom come to us and others, so that we and many more might join the assembly of saints and angels to sing your praise forever. C: Savior of all, hear our prayer and help us in our mission. Amen. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen. COLLECT AND BLESSING M: O Lord God, our heavenly Father, pour out the Holy Spirit on your faithful people. Keep us strong in your grace and truth, protect and comfort us in all temptation, and bestow on us your saving peace, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen. M: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look on you with favor and (+) give you peace. C: Amen. CLOSING HYMN Your Hand, O Lord, in Days of Old CW 520 10 Page The 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany
SERVICE PARTICIPANTS Presiding Minister Preacher Organist Cantor Pastor Scott Oelhafen Pastor Larry Gates Pastor Aaron Christie Jon Laabs COPYRIGHT PERMISSIONS Kyrie: Divine Service 1 2008 Northwestern Publishing House. Reprinted by permission Gloria: Holy Communion Creation Setting 1992, GIA Publications, Inc. Psalm 103: The Lord is Kind and Merciful, from The Lyric Psalter Year C 2012, GIA Publications. Reprinted with permission under onelicense.net # A-714834 11 Page The 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany
TRINITY EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH Worship Service Times Saturday - 5:30pm + Sunday - 8:15 & 10:45am + Monday 6:30pm Rev. Aaron L. Christie Administration, Worship, School & Youth Rev. Lawrence R. Gates Visitation & Senior Ministry Rev. Scott T. Oelhafen Outreach & Christian Nurture Rev. John Mattek* Director of Ministry Development Mr. Jeffrey A. Inniger Trinity Lutheran School Principal Seminarian Ryan Kolander* Hispanic Ministry *Denotes part time positions 1052 White Rock Ave. + Waukesha, WI 262-547-5350 www.trinitywels.com Like us on Facebook 12 Page The 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany