Listen to the Lord The Rich Man and Lazarus 19 th Sunday after Pentecost September 24 & 25, 2016
Ebenezer Lutheran Church Port Hudson The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod 9100 Highway YY Leslie, Missouri Parsonage 573-459-6432 Church 573-459-6431 Rev. William F. Zastrow, Pastor Mary Sprick, Secretary ebenezerlutheran@hotmail.com ebenezerlutheranchurch.wordpress.com AS WE GATHER: We do well to listen throughout our lives. Parents try their best to teach this to children at an early age. The ability to listen is a quality that affects relationships, vocations, and general communication. The same goes in our relationship, work, and communication with the Lord. We do well to listen to Him. The people in Amos s time learned this as the Lord spoke through him many woes and warnings. This is why Paul writes clear directions for the noble task of overseers, through whom people are to listen to the Lord. Even Jesus parable of the rich man and Lazarus reminds us that a day is coming when it will be too late. The Word of God teaches us that now is the time to listen, to repent, and to believe. PRAYER BEFORE WORSHIP: God of truth and life, through Your Word, You called people in comfort and complacency back to You and to the tasks You had prepared for the sake of Your kingdom. Continue to guide us in the direction of righteousness that we may trust in You rather than in ourselves, serving our neighbors to the glory of Your holy name; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 2
THE DIVINE SERVICE HYMN Listen, Listen, God is calling HS98 872 INVOCATION In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION Psalm 51:1 3; Amos 6:1, 4, 6 Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to Your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. As the Lord s prophet Amos spoke to the people of Israel, so His Word speaks to us today: Woe to those who are at ease in Zion. Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and stretch themselves out on their couches, who drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! Together we confess our sins: Gracious and ever-providing Lord, we are by nature sinful. We are often complacent and 3
filled with apathy in our worship and prayers. We have not loved You with our whole heart, and we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of Jesus Christ, forgive our sins, cleanse our hearts, and renew our spirits, that we may obey You and serve our neighbors with joy and gladness all the days of our life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Beloved in the Lord, God has heard our confession, and because of the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, He has answered with good news. As a called and ordained 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. Amen. INTROIT (ALL) Psalm 119:73 77 Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands. May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word. I know, LORD, that your laws are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me. May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant. Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, 4
KYRIE is now, and will be forever. Amen. In peace, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy. For the peace from above, which we may reflect in humble living, and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy. For the peace of the whole world, for the wellbeing of the Church of God, and for the unity of all who acknowledge Christ s name, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy. For this holy house and for all who, coming from their various callings and stations in life, offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy. Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord. Amen. HYMN OF PRAISE (Psalm 146) Sung to LW 275 Praise ye the Lord, my heart shall join In work so pleasant, so divine; Now, while the flesh is mine abode, And when my soul ascends to God. 5
Praise shall employ my noblest powers, While immortality endures; My days of praise shall ne'er be past, While life, and thought, and being last. Why should I make a man my trust? Princes must die and turn to dust; Their breath departs, their pomp, and power, And thoughts, all vanish in an hour. Happy the man whose hopes rely On Isr'el's God; he made the sky, And earth, and seas, with all their train, And none shall find his promise vain. His truth for ever stands secure; He saves th' oppressed, he feeds the poor; He sends the lab'ring conscience peace, And grants the pris'ner sweet release. The Lord hath eyes to give the blind; The Lord supports the sinking mind; He helps the stranger in distress, The widow and the fatherless. He loves his saints, he knows them well, But turns the wicked down to hell: Thy God, O Zion! ever reigns; Praise him in everlasting strains. Text: Isaac Watts (Public Domain) Melody: DEO GRACIAS (Public Domain) SALUTATION 6
The Lord be with you. And also with you. PRAYER OF THE DAY Let us pray. O God, You are the strength of all who trust in You, and without Your aid we can do no good thing. Grant us the help of Your grace that we may please You in both will and deed; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. OLD TESTAMENT READING Amos 6:1 7 (Words of warning for people who remove God from their lives in complacency) This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. GRADUAL Psalm 91:11; 103:1 All: He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name! EPISTLE 1 Timothy 3:1 13 (Qualifications for overseers and deacons) This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. 7
VERSE (ALL) Luke 16:31 Alleluia. If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead. Alleluia. HOLY GOSPEL Lazarus) Luke 16:19 31 (The rich man and The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the sixteenth chapter. Glory to You, O Lord. (The Gospel is read.) This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to You, O Christ. THE APOSTLE S CREED I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And 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 buried; He descended into Hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead. 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. 8
HYMN OF THE DAY My, Hope is Built on Nothing Less LW 368 SERMON OFFERTORY Create In Me page 175 LW Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me, Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free spirit. PRAYER OF THE CHURCH THE LORD S PRAYER HYMN "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah" (sung to TLH 54) 1. Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah, Pilgrim through this barren land. I am weak but Thou art mighty; Hold me with Thy powerful hand. Bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more. 2. Open now the crystal fountain Whence the healing stream doth flow; Let the fiery, cloudy pillar Lead me all my journey through. Strong Deliverer Be Thou still my Strength and Shield. 9
3. When I tread the verge of Jordan, Bid my anxious fears subside; Death of death and hell's Destruction, Land me safe on Canaan's side. Songs of praises I will ever give to Thee. O God the Father, the fountain and source of all goodness, who in loving-kindness sent Your only-begotten Son into the flesh, we thank You that for His sake You have given us pardon and peace through Your holy Word. We ask You not to forsake Your people but always to rule our hearts and minds by Your Holy Spirit that we may be enabled constantly to love You as the one true Lord and God and to love our neighbors as ourselves; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. BENEDICTION 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. Numbers 6:24 26 Amen. Creative Worship for the Lutheran Parish, Series C, Part 4. Copyright 2016 Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved. Used by permission. 10
OUR MISSION AND MINISTRY We welcome our members and guests who are here with us today. May the Lord refresh you with peace and love during our worship service on this Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost. Please join us here at Ebenezer again soon! Please sign the guest register near the front entrance with your name, address and Church affiliation. The Sausage Supper on October 23 rd is quickly approaching and as you may have seen the work sign up sheet is in the back of church. Please consider making time in your schedule to help us out with this event. If you are not able to help, there is a section for that so we know not to assign you a job. There are also sections for those willing to work any job as needed, so everyone please sign it somewhere. Thank you, The Sausage Supper Committee A sincere note of appreciation Thanks to all who contributed to the Cookie Sale for Orphan Grain Train. $246.00 was raised for earthquake relief in Ecuador. Your donation and prayers are sincerely appreciated! Thank you to our Ladies Aid for donating $244.00 for Confirmation materials for our 7 th grade confirmation class. Our Ladies gave 4 copies Faith Alive Bible - ESV Edition, 4 copies of 100 Bible Stories, and 4 copies of Luther s Small Catechism. Pastor, Abigail, Cole, Carson and Kelsey are very appreciative of these fine gifts. Luther s Small Catechism in Large Print Pastor has 25 Large Print Luther s Small Catechisms please help yourself if you would like one or give it to someone who enjoys large 11
print. The Catechism Word program came from Pastor Roth of Zion Lutheran Church of Owensville. We thank Pastor Roth for making this available to our congregation. We have just received this request from Mercy Hospice Mercy Hospice is currently seeking volunteers to offer support and comfort to patients and families in our community. Volunteers are matched with opportunities to serve according to their schedules, skills, comfort levels and geographic area. Volunteer opportunities include: caregiver relief, emotional support, Alzheimer s program, life review videos, bereavement support, Mercy Companions, administrative assistance, etc. The next free three week training will be Tuesdays, October 18, 25 and November 1 from 1:00 5:00. For more information please contact Stephanie Marquart, Volunteer Coordinator at 636-239-8862 or stephanie.marquart@mercy.net. Stephanie is also available to answer any questions or to speak about Mercy Hospice services at 636-239-8862 or stephanie.marquart@mercy.net. I Love My Church T-shirts Margaret has ordered 21 of the T-shirts. Shipment of the shirts should arrive in time for the Pork Sausage Supper. Thank you to all who ordered these shirts. St John s Lutheran Church at Beaufort will have their 39 th annual Pork Sausage and Sauerkraut Dinner on Sunday, October 2 nd. Serving will be from 12:00 5:00 PM. Please see the poster on our bulletin board for more information! Christ Lutheran Church at Augusta will have it s 66 th Annual Whole Hog Sausage and Sauerkraut Dinner on 12
Sunday, October 9 th. Please see the poster on our bulletin board for more information! Ladies Aid will be meeting October 14, at 1:30 PM. It is changed for wedding preparations on the 8 th. A Man Named Martin Part Two It s not too late to come to this new Bible Study Class on Thursdays at 10:00 AM and again at 7:00 PM. If you did not come to the last classes, you can come to this class to catch up on what you missed. This class will continue where we left off with the early life of Martin Luther. Classes will meet in our Church s fellowship hall downstairs. An Update on Alec Ingram Alec is the boy we have helped out as he has cancer. There is a picture of him with Karen Sprick on the bulletin board at the back of Church. Karen says Alec is back in school now. A module in his lung was discovered that is cancerous. The doctors are not going to do anything now but will take another scan in about 2 months. Please keep Alec in your prayers. A Thank You Note We have received a Thank You note from Lutheran Family and Children s Services at Union expressing appreciation for the donations we sent to them. The note is on the bulletin board at the back of Church. A Request from Faith Lutheran Church in Washington Faith Lutheran Church, Washington, Mo. will offer a special presentation on the religion of Islam by Professor John Loum of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. The presentation will be at 7:00 PM in the church sanctuary at 1008 Bieker Rd., in Washington (top of the hill behind Dairy Queen on Hwy 47) on THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13 TH. Please consider this a special invitation to you and your members to join us. A time for questions will be offered. Light refreshments will be 13
served in the church basement following the presentation. Dr. Loum is a former Muslim and will offer excellent insight into the religion of Islam and how we as Christians can relate with care and concern with the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. A free-will offering will be gathered to defray costs and support outreach efforts of Synod to Muslims. We look forward to having you and interested members of your congregation present. Yours in Christ, Pastor James Rhiver, Vacancy Pastor, Faith Lutheran Church We still have some Blessings From the Table cookbooks and RADA Cutlery catalogs available to look at on the table at the back of Church! Please remember our on-going collections for the Leslie Food Pantry, eyeglasses for MOST Ministries and shoes for the Shoeman Water Project. Thank you! From St. John Lutheran, Drake The LWML Evening Circle would like to invite you to our 10 th Annual Lutherfest celebration on October 30. Games will be played from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Special Church Service will be held with Holy Communion at 4:00 PM. The LWML will provide pork loin, mashed potatoes, gravy, sauerkraut, hot dogs, applesauce, bread, and Root Beer. Each family is asked to bring a covered dish or dessert to share. RSVP would be appreciated by calling 764-3701. We will be doing an October Newsletter this coming week. Please have your articles/items to Mary by Tuesday, September 27 th. Thank you! 14
Those Serving Today Organist Saturday Organist Sunday Head Usher Saturday Head Usher Sunday Altar Guild Acolytes Bell Ringer Laura Nichols Laura Nichols Tracey Bade Wilbert Baumann Denise and Kate Walkenhorst 7 th Grade Confirmation Class Corey Adams Offerings and Attendance Weekly Contributions $1,289.00 Plate 343.12 Sunday School 27.10 $1,659.22 Attendance: Saturday Worship 17 Sunday Worship 102 Sunday School Attendance: Children 12 Adults 21 Wednesday Thursday Saturday This Week At Ebenezer Confirmation Class 6:30 PM Luther Bible Study 10:00 AM & 7:00 PM Worship with Holy Communion 5:00 PM 15
Cub Scout Pack 814 & Ebenezer Lutheran Church Invite you to October 29, 2016 6:00 8:00 Ebenezer Lutheran Church 9100 Hwy YY, Leslie East Parking Lot (near cemetery) If you like to host a trunk or game, please contact us at 573-459-2046 or newhavencubs@gmail.com 16