The Prodigal God From a Servant s Perspective

The Prodigal God From a Servant s Perspective Peace Lutheran Church 2090 Commerce Drive North Mankato, MN 56003

Peace Lutheran Church Evangelical Lutheran Synod Serving Christ with united hearts and hands and voices Church Staff Pastor Timothy Hartwig: 507-382-6826 Vicar Matthew Behmer: 763-516-1967 Church Office: 507-385-1386 Jesus Lambs at Peace Preschool Teacher/Director: Joslyn Moldstad Phone: 507-385-7752 Email: joslynmoldstad@gmail.com Divine Service Sunday 8:30 & 10:45 AM March 6, 2016 Fourth Sunday in Lent Welcome to Peace! The purpose of our congregation is to worship God, who gives life through Word and Sacrament; to serve one another in love and fellowship; and to proclaim forgiveness and salvation to all through Jesus Christ alone. Before Worship As you prepare to worship your Lord today, spend a few quiet minutes in prayer before the service. Review the lessons, the service notes, and pray this prayer: Prayer of the Day Almighty God, we confess that we deserve to be punished for our evil deeds. But we ask You graciously to cleanse us from all sin and to comfort us with Your salvation; through Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. For the Children A Cry-Room is available if your little ones need a moment. It is the first room on the left as you walk into the church building. Sound and video are piped into the room to enable you to hear and see the service. Facilities Restrooms are located down the hall and on the right side. 2

The Divine Service Matins, p. 109 The Confession of Sin P: Dearly beloved! We have come together in the presence of God our heavenly Father, to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at His hand, to set forth His most worthy praise, to hear His holy Word, and to ask for ourselves and on behalf of others, those things that are necessary for our life and salvation. O come, let us worship Him! Let us kneel and bow down before Him. Let us confess our sins with penitent hearts, and obtain forgiveness by His infinite grace and mercy. C: Almighty and most merciful Father, we have strayed from Your ways like lost sheep. We have followed the devices and desires of our hearts. We have offended against Your holy law. We have done those things which we should not have done, and we have not done those things which we should have done. Have mercy on us, O Lord! Spare us and restore us, according to the promises You have declared to us in Jesus Christ, our Lord. For His sake grant that we may live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of Your holy name. P: The almighty and merciful Lord has granted us pardon and forgiveness of all our sins, grace for true repentance and amendment of life, and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Hymn: #489, The Law Commands and Makes Us Know The Versicles P: O Lord, open my lips. 3

P: Make haste, O God, to deliver me. The Invitatory P: O come, let us worship the Lord. 4

The Venite exultemus 5

The Lesson Isaiah 12:1-6 1 In that day you will say: "I will praise you, O LORD. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. 2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." 3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 In that day you will say: "Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. 5 Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. 6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you." 10:45 Preschool Choir: God s Own Child I Gladly Say It ELH 246 Drawn to the Cross TLH 390 The Epistle 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." 20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. 6

The Holy Gospel Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 1 Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." 3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 11 "There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. 13 "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' 20 So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. ' 22 "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. 25 "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' 28 "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' 31 "'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'" 7

A Responsory P: O Lord, have mercy upon us. Hymn: Amazing Grace Christian Worship #379 8

Text: John Newton, 1725-1807, st. 1-3, abr.; John P. Rees, 19 th century, st. 4 NEW BRITAIN Tune: Columbian Harmony, Cincinnati, 1829, alt. CM Setting 1964 Abingdon Press Reprinted under OneLicense.net A-721927. Sermon: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 The Prodigal God From a Servant s Perspective The Offering The members of Peace Lutheran Congregation have joined together to do the Lord s work in this community and around the world. Visitors need not feel obligated to participate in this offering which supports our ministry. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (II Corinthians 9:8) Please fill out the Friendship Register. Duet: Behold the Lamb of God Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Have mercy on us. In perfect love He dies for me, He dies for me. O all-atoning sacrifice I cling by faith to Thee. The Canticle Hymn: #516:1-4, O Watch and Pray 9

The Prayers, beginning with The Kyrie The Lord s Prayer 10

The Collect P: Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank You, that of Your boundless grace, for the sake of Your Son, You have given us the Holy Gospel, and have instituted the holy Sacraments, that through them we may have comfort and forgiveness of sin; we beseech You, grant us Your Holy Spirit, that we may believe Your Word; and through the holy Sacraments day by day establish our faith, until we at last obtain salvation, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one true God, now and forever. 11

The Benedicamus P: Let us bless the Lord. The Benediction P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. The Closing Hymn: #516:5-8, O Watch and Pray Thank you to those who served in our service today: Duet: Laura Harstad, Allison Wierschke; The Preschool Choir; Accompanist: Eric Harstad, Amanda Madson; Organist: Amanda Madson; The ushers; Cover artwork: Don Moldstad. To God be the Glory! 12

Announcements Thank you for your generosity! the bake sale last Sunday raised $256. All proceeds will be donated to the American Cancer Society during the BLC Relay for Life walk on April 15 th. The Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School Booster Club Pork Chop Lunch is TODAY, March 6 th. Please stop out and have a wonderful meal: Boneless Pork Chops grilled to perfection, baked potatoes, green beans, applesauce, rolls, lemonade, coffee, water, and lots of dessert. Stop out after church! Serving begins at 10:30 AM and ends at 1:00 PM. Band concert at 1:30p.m. ECM CROSSED and AMPED are NOT meeting tonight. We hope you ll use your evening to connect with your family through quality time and devotion. We will meet again next Sunday at All Seasons Arena, from 1-4pm. CROSSED and AMPED members are invited to serve by canvassing for Easter this Saturday, March 12, from 8:30-12. We will be signing up as three or four teams with the goal to out canvass our other CROSSED and AMPED friends. Wear CROSSED t-shirts. Peace is looking for volunteers for their English Conversation Ministry. In this ministry, volunteers share the basics of the Gospel Message with immigrant populations through small group English conversation sessions. Materials are prepared in advance for volunteers and there is no preparation required. The sessions are offered at Peace every Monday from 9:30am to 11:00am. Please contact Vicar Behmer if you are interested in volunteering. Solid Grounds Bible Study meets on Tuesdays at 9:00am. Everyone is invited to attend! The Peace/Mt Olive Moms On a Mission bible study group does NOT meet this week. We will meet again next Wednesday. New moms welcome! Direct your questions or register to come by contacting Kristen Lukasek at mattlukasek@yahoo.com or 507-382-7963. The Lenten season is upon us. For the Wednesdays in Lent we will serve a meal from 5:15-6:15pm and have a Divine service at 6:30pm. The meals are provided by each group on the following days: 3/9 Group 5; 3/16 Group 6. Group members please watch for information from your leaders regarding these meals. Youth Choir rehearsals are on Wednesdays at 5:30pm during Lent. If your child is interested in joining please contact Anna Tecken (atecken@blc.edu; (712) 539-8745). 13

Adult Choir rehearsals are Wednesdays at 7:30pm during Lent. We welcome new members! Please contact Eric Harstad (emh_music@hotmail.com) for more information. All members are invited to help distribute door hangers inviting everyone in North Mankato to our Easter Services. Please arrive at church this Saturday, March 12 th, at 8:30am. If you have any questions please contact Vicar Behmer. A pizza lunch will be served after we are finished. Jesus Lambs at Peace Preschoolers sing today! We welcome all of our families. We will be singing: God s Own Child and Drawn to the Cross. For those who would like to join us next year for preschool, our Annual Open House is Tuesday, March 22, 6-8 p.m. Come join us in the fun or volunteer for the evening. There will be face-painting, crafts, games, food and a skit performed by the Bethany Lutheran College Educational Students. Our preschool play, The King Stilts by Dr. Seuss, will be performed on Friday, March 18. We will have a show at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Come for the fun! The King s Stilts Refreshments served afterward. For more information concerning preschool, call Joslyn at 385-7752. Groups 3 & 6 are up for cleaning the church on Saturday, March 19 th, from 9-11am. If you are in either of those groups, please come and help us get YOUR church ready for Holy Week and Easter. It doesn t take long if everyone helps out! Building Committee Update - Do you have a question for the Building Committee regarding the proposed preliminary building design on display in the narthex? The Building Committee is looking for your input prior to proceeding with completion of the design. There is a box in the narthex near the bulletin board where you can submit your questions. Please include your name and contact information. If you prefer email you can submit your question to one of the following Building Committee Members: Todd Olsen - tolsen66@gmail.com; Tim Paulsen - tim@rhenryconstruction.com; Joni Wiederhoeft - joni.wiederhoeft@blc.edu; Karen Tetzloff - ktdzns@gmail.com. The last day to submit questions will be Sunday, March 27 th. We will be holding a Building Committee meeting that is open to the congregation. The Committee will address questions that have been submitted ahead of time as well as those that are asked in the meeting. The meeting will be at Peace on Monday, March 21 st, at 6:30pm. Offering counters NEEDED for after second service. You would only be scheduled for one Sunday per month. If you are interested or would like more information please contact Brian Koch at 605-941-5521. Please prayerfully consider if you can serve Peace in this way. Thank you. 14

HELP! We are in need of a few volunteers to record baptisms and the various choirs during the 10:45 service. You won't need to record the entire service - only the baptism and/or special music. If you would like to help, please contact Paul Fries (507-381-6807; paul.fries@blc.edu). NAVIGATORS NEEDED! We are starting a program to help new members feel at home at Peace. Only a small time commitment is involved. If you'd like to help with this important activity, we'd love to have you! Contact Paul Fries (507-381-6807; paul.fries@blc.edu) for more information. Group Three is responsible for Sunday morning refreshments in March. The information has been posted on Volunteer Spot. (check your email or www.volunteerspot.com) Volunteer Spot is a very easy way to view where help is still needed and to sign up for bringing, serving or cleaning up. The Sunday School Choir will be singing during the 10:45am service on Palm Sunday, March 20 th. Softball season is almost here! There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board for those wishing to be on the Peace Softball team. Please fill out the information requested and sign. The first softball game is April 25 th! Any questions please contact Chris Harstad at harstadck@gmail.com. From the church office: We are asking for all Thrivent members to please write your name on the sheet on Karen s desk. There are opportunities to utilize Thrivent dollars for activities at Peace but we need to know who you are to help coordinate any projects. From the synod office: "Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod may have access to monthly updates from our president's office. News about synodical events, home and world missions, finances and calls are included. You may subscribe by going to els.org and then, on the right hand side of our opening page, click the link for 'Email Sign Up.'" Lutheran Youth Association Convention Two Kingdoms. This year the LYA convention will be held on the SMU campus in Dallas, TX, on July 28-31 st. Register at els.org/lya16. Cost is $250 before May 1 st, $300 after. To watch our services live, go to: www.peacemankato.com/live-streaming. The service will start automatically when it is live (8:30AM). For recorded services, go to www.vimeo.com/peacemankato and you can choose which service you want to watch. Last week at Peace: Sunday Divine Service 276 Wednesday 144 15

Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School Track Coaches Needed - MVL is looking for assistant track coaches for this spring. If you are interested please contact Craig Morgan at cmorgan@mvlhs.org or 507-354-6851. Job Opportunities Palmer Bus Service for MVL is looking for a bus driver for the Mankato Route. Training is available to get a license and you do get summers off! There are no student issues... They say Thank You when they get off the bus. Contact Randy Gieseke at 507-995-5387. Bethany Lutheran College has positions open for: Director of Online Learning Accounts Payable Clerk / Receptionist, a part-time support staff position. Resident Hall Coordinator (2 positions) The job descriptions are posted on the bulletin board. Trinity Lutheran s Caring Arms Daycare is going to be in need if a few daycare workers starting in May. We will be losing some MLC graduates and will be looking to replace them. For more information you can call Connie Kurtweg at 507-232-2273 or Arden Enter at 507-317-1640. Bethany Lutheran College Events Biblical Archaeology: A Site and a Seat. - Monday, March 14 th, 7-8PM at Bethany Lutheran College, Meyer Hall room 101, Prof. Adie Harstad and Dr. Bill Kessel will give a presentation: "We will explore Biblical Archaeology by using one site and one topic as representative studies. The ancient site is Jericho. The topic centers on a necessity of the Biblical world and every age. Everyone is invited. Free admission. - Part of the In Depth series. Band and Jazz Band Homecoming Concert - Tuesday, March 15, at 7 p.m. in Trinity Chapel. The Bethany bands with directors Adrian Lo and Erik Hermanson return from their spring break tour to Florida to play for the home audience. Free, with free will donations welcome. Sitar Concert - Wednesday, March 16, at 7:30 p.m. in Trinity Chapel. Dr. Hans Utter performs classical Indian sitar music in concert, accompanied by the Bethany String Band on several pieces. Free, with free will donations welcome. 16

Join Us For Supper! Lenten suppers will be served from 5:15-6:15PM every Wednesday during the Lenten season. We have awesome cooks in our congregation come and enjoy the food and fellowship! Midweek Lenten services are held Wednesdays at 6:30pm. The theme is Contrasts of the Cross: March 9 Justice and Mercy March 16 Shame and Glory Easter Breakfast For many years now, the Peace Softball Team has done a wonderful job preparing and serving our Easter breakfast. This year will be no different as far as the wonderful meal is concerned. Menu: French toast, sausages, fruit, milk, juice and coffee. Message from the softball team: The free-will donation will go to the Building Fund. This year donations will be matched, up to $2000.00! We look forward to serving you breakfast (7:30-8:45) and hope you will join us in donating to the Building Fund. The softball season begins on Monday evening, April 25 th. We hope you will come and cheer us on this season! 17