Take It to the Lord in Prayer 10 th Sunday after Pentecost July 23 & 24, 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: Prayer is a gift. Through faith in Jesus Christ, you are welcomed into the Father s presence. As you approach the throne of God with both praise and petition, His Spirit grants you the grace to pray with confidence. As our worship service will show us, saints throughout the ages have experienced the privilege of pleading prayer. Yet Jesus disciples still requested their Master to teach them how to pray. And teach them He did. Jesus taught them and He continues to teach us that prayer is a gracious opportunity for children to come into their Father s presence and have a conversation with Him. May this conversation you have today be richly blessed as the Triune God reaches into your life to fill you with His presence and peace! PRAYER BEFORE WORSHIP: O Lord, let Your ears be attentive to the prayers of Your people. Teach us to pray rightly that we may know the privilege it is to lay our petitions before You; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. THE DIVINE SERVICE HYMN Dear Father God, We Rise to Say (sung to On Jordon s Banks LW 14) 2
INVOCATION Dear Father God, we rise to say, Your name be praised for this new day. For health and strength our prayers we lift: Grant ev ry good and perfect gift. O God the Son, we pray of You, May all we plan and say and do Be ever welcome in Your sight, Be done to Your and our delight. O Spirit God, preserve from fear All those who fret and sorrow here; And when the day of days arrives, With fadeless glory crown our lives. All praise to you, eternal Son, Whose advent has our freedom won, Whom with the Father we adore, And Holy Spirit, evermore. Text: Juraj Zábojnik, 17th cent.; Tr. Jaroslav J. Vajda, 1919 2008. Copyright 1970 Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved. Used by permission. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. OPENING SENTENCES Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? 3
We should never be discouraged. Let s take it to the Lord in prayer. Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness. Let s take it to the Lord in prayer. CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION In a time of confession, let us take our sins to the Lord in prayer, trusting that our Father hears us for the sake of His Son, Jesus Christ. (Please take a moment for silent prayer and reflection on your need for Jesus forgiveness.) With humble hearts, we join together in prayer: Father of all mercy and God of all consolation, we bow before You and confess our sinfulness. Your Holy Law, as we know it from the Ten Commandments, is like a mirror for our lives. It shows us how desperately we need Your forgiveness for our sins of thought, word, and deed. Even when we are not aware, we turn away from You when we should be turning toward You. Forgive us, Father. Have mercy on us, gracious Lord. Bring us the healing of body and soul that comes from the forgiveness of Christ. Your Father in heaven hears your prayer and, in His great mercy, has given His Son to die on the cross and rise again for you. The blessing of His cross and resurrection is yours today. Upon this 4
your confession, I, as a called and ordained servant of Christ, forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. WORD PSALM Psalm 138 (The Lord answers prayer and strengthens our souls.) I give You thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing Your praise; I bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness, for You have exalted above all things Your name and Your word. On the day I called, You answered me; my strength of soul You increased. All the kings of the earth shall give You thanks, O LORD, for they have heard the words of Your mouth, and they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, for great is the glory of the LORD. For though the LORD is high, He regards the lowly, but the haughty He knows from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve my life; On the day I called, You answered me; my strength of soul You increased. You stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, 5
and Your right hand delivers me. The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me; Your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of Your hands. On the day I called, You answered me; my strength of soul You increased. KYRIE All: Lord have Mercy Christ have Mercy Lord have Mercy HYMN OF PRAISE "This is the Feast of Victory" LW page 161 Refrain: This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia! Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain, Whose blood set us free to be people of God? (Refrain) Power, riches, wisdom and strength, And honor blessing and glory are his. (Refrain) Sing with all the people of God And join in the hymn of all creation. Blessing, honor, glory, and might Be to God and the Lamb forever. Amen. (Refrain) For the Lamb who was slain has begun his reign. Alleluia. (Refrain) 6
SALUTATION The Lord be with you. And also with you. PRAYER OF THE DAY Let us pray. O Lord, let Your merciful ears be attentive to the prayers of Your servants, and by Your Word and Spirit teach us how to pray that our petitions may be pleasing before You; 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 Genesis 18:(17 19) 20 33 (Abraham pleads before the Lord, and the Lord answers him.) This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. GRADUAL Romans 10:15b, 18b; Isaiah 52:7b, alt. How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news, who publish peace and bring good news of salvation. Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. EPISTLE Colossians 2:6 15 (16 19) (Our lives are rooted in Christ.) 7
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. VERSE Luke 11:9 Alleluia. I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Alleluia. HOLY GOSPEL Luke 11:1-13 (Jesus teaches His disciples to pray) The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the eleventh 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 8
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. HYMN OF THE DAY What a Friend We Have in Jesus LW 516 SERMON OFFERING OFFERTORY Let The Vineyards Be Fruitful page 168LW Let the vineyards be fruitful Lord And fill to the brim our cup of blessing. Gather a harvest from the seeds that were sown, That we may be fed with the bread of life. Gather the hopes and the dreams of all; Unite them with prayers we offer now. Grace our table with your presence, And give us a foretaste of the feast to come. PRAYER OF THE CHURCH THE LORD S PRAYER HYMN How Great Thou Art LW 519 THE CLOSING COLLECT Let us pray. 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 9
that for His sake You have given us pardon and peace. As You have first come to us, enable us by Your Spirit to constantly come before You, taking all things to You in prayer; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. BENEDICTION Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged. We take it to the Lord in prayer. Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share? Because Jesus knows our every weakness, we take all things to the Lord in prayer. 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 3. 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 Tenth 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. Help after Sunday s Service Please stay after church for helping to set up for Vacation Bible School. We need tables and chairs to be moved and general set up for the week ahead. Thank you to the many helpers and staff for Vacation Bible School. Pre-Kindergarten Kindergarten Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 & 4 Grade 5 & 6 Grade 7 & 8 Art Music LaRayne Brune Jane Redhage Mary Wesche Jenny Huellinghoff Kim Becerra Becky Summers Pastor Zastrow Karen Sprick and Julie Hilkerbaumer Joan Menke Donations for VBS Closing Program We are again asking for donations of homemade cookies, brownies or cupcakes for the closing program for VBS on Friday, July 29 th. Please bring your donations to the kitchen by Friday at noon. Drinks will be provided and your help is always appreciated! Thank you - VBS Coordinators 11
Food Bank Collection This month of July we will be collecting food for Otis Corner Peace Park. Needed are men s and women s personal products. Meals in a can, macaroni and cheese, cereal, canned meat and other food supplies. These items are desperately needed. Otis children are now operating Otis Corner. We are also collecting school supplies and backpacks for Otis kids in north St. Louis along with our local schools. Otis family will be partaking in our Evening Closing Service on July 29 th at 7:00 PM. Vacation Bible School Information The theme for this year s Vacation Bible School is Barnyard Roundup. Vacation Bible School will be held this coming week July 25-29, 9:00 to 11:30 AM. Mission projects for this year are: Kids Against Hunger, Shoeman Water Projects, and a collection of basic new school supplies. During the week we will be collecting old shoes for the Shoeman Water Project, one day we will pack meals for Kids Against Hunger, and throughout the week we will be collecting new school supplies to be distributed to the area schools. The following is a list of items that we are collecting for distributing to the local public schools in our area. There is a poster board at the back of Church with cards identifying the items we would like to collect. Please check the supply list before purchasing the following items: Pencil sharpeners #2 Pencils (Pack of 12) Dixon or Ticonderoga Brand Pens Black or Blue ink Pentel RSVP or Papermate Brand Tissues Rectangular box Dry Erase Markers Expo Brand Small pencil case or pouch Back Packs Elementary School size Crayola Brand Crayons 24 count box Wet Wipes 12
Crayola Brand Wide Tip Markers Packs of 8 Crayola Brand Fine Tip Markers Packs of 10 Wooden rulers Spiral Notebooks Wide lined Child Scissors Beveled Erasers Glue Sticks Elmers or Scotch Brand You may choose a school supply or supplies from the list and return it at any time. The children will be putting together the school supplies into individual bags during Bible School. The bags will then be distributed to area schools. We also have on-line registration for those that prefer to register in that manner. The on-line registration can be done at: https://vbsmate.com/ebenezerlutheranporthudson Paper registration forms are also available on the table at the back of Church. T-Shirts are Coming Ebenezer Lutheran Ladies Aid have ordered T-Shirts that are personalized with our Church s name with a cross and a logo I Love My Church. A picture is on the back bulletin board. We will be taking orders after our initial order is received. The prices will be between $8.00 and $12.00 depending on the size: child through adult 5x. They are navy blue. RADA Cutlery: Our Ladies Aid has received a number of RADA Cutlery catalogs for you to look at. If you would like to look at the catalog, please take one. You can place your order using the forms in the catalog and then give it to Nancy Quinn or Margaret Zastrow. These make excellent gifts. Stewardship Thoughts Luke 11:11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent? A generous, giving spirit comes from knowing that you have a generous, giving Father. He will care for our needs we are therefore free to reflect His generosity in our 13
lives. We can be generous in raising our children, supporting the Church, and serving our neighbor in the community. In these three areas (home, Church, and society) the Lord has called us to show His grace and generosity to those around us. Lutheran Hour Ministries - Lutheran Hour Ministries began at the grassroots level as the Lutheran Laymen s League, a group of 12 laypeople who came together to support the church in word and deed. What began with 12 has become a movement of tens of thousands of volunteers and supporters around the globe. In 1930, There is a God were the first words spoken on The Lutheran Hour radio program broadcast over the airwaves to thousands of listeners. Today the Gospel message reaches over 51 million people on a weekly basis through ministry efforts such as Bible Correspondence Courses, Outreach Training, Bible Studies, Daily Devotions and, of course, The Lutheran Hour. Our first Ministry Center opened its doors in the Philippines in 1940; today we are able to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to over 50 countries through our 34 ministry centers on 6 continents. With our unique missionary model of employing only indigenous staff, Lutheran Hour Ministries is able to work within the language and culture to communicate the Gospel in the context of the local region. For nearly 100 years, God has used Lutheran Hour Ministries to bring the changeless Christ to a changing world. The communication methods have shifted, but the message has remained the same. PLEASE GO TO LHM.ORG to learn more about this vital ministry to the world. 14
Those Serving Today Organist Saturday Organist Sunday Head Usher Saturday Head Usher Sunday Altar Guild Acolytes Bell Ringer Laura Nichols Ruth Marschel Tracey Bade Marvin Kassebaum Margaret Zastrow and Joan Menke Tyler Kasmann Kayleigh Crego Cierra Donatti Corey Adams Offerings and Attendance Weekly Contributions $1,169.00 Plate 72.35 Sunday School 34.88 $1,276.23 Attendance: Saturday Worship 22 Sunday Worship 70 Sunday School: Children 10 Adults 20 This Week at Ebenezer Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Vacation Bible School 9:00 11:30 AM Adult Class 4:30PM Vacation Bible School 9:00 11:30 AM Vacation Bible School 9:00 11:30 AM Vacation Bible School 9:00-11:30 AM Vacation Bible School 9:00 11:30 AM VBS Closing Program 7:00 PM Worship 5:00 PM 15
You Are Invited Vacation Bible School July 25-29, 2016 9:00 a.m. 11:30 a.m. Ages 3 Grade 8 No Charge Free Will Offering Accepted Online Registration https://vbsmate.com/ebenezerlutheran PortHudson 16