February 8, 2015 Bethany Lutheran Church This Week in Our Parish Today Sunday School Coffee Fellowship Ministers: Every Disciple Pastors: Steven A. Bruer James M. Halllaway Parish Website: www.firstenglishbethany.org Tuesday, 2/10 9:15:Bible Study-FE 4:30 WoW Bible Study Wednesday, 2/11 9:30 Men s Coffee- FE 12:30 Quilting 3:30 Confirmation 6:00 LYO Meeting Thursday, 2/12 9:00 Coffee & Goodies at Hub 71 Saturday, 2/14 Sweetheart Supper 6:00 PM-FE Sunday, 2/15 9:30 Sunday School 10:30 Worship Service & Holy Communion Worship Assistants Organist: Vickie Paurus Acolyte: Caleb Hasbargen Ushers: Robert Etter & Chad Hasbargen Reader: Lois Peterson Mission Statement Bethany Lutheran Church is a caring inclusive Christian Community, Dedicated to Word and Sacrament ministry; Growing in Christ; Sharing the faith; Serving neighbors; and Supporting each other.
Prayer upon entering church: God our Father, on this day open us to the power of your Spirit, that we too might hear what you would say to us and for us this day. AMEN PRELUDE WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS/INSTALLATION CALL TO WORSHIP Pastor: Come, rejoice and sing! God s love is showered over you this day. Open your hearts to God s love this day! People: We gather to praise God and celebrate God s presence with us. Pastor: God shows compassion to all who are weak and downtrodden. People: Jesus Christ offers healing mercies to our troubled souls. Pastor: Come and find hope and healing in God s love. People: God s mercy has been a shelter and strength to us. Pastor: Come, worship and celebrate. God is reaching out to you this day! All: Praise be to God who continually heals and forgives us. AMEN. PRAYER Powerful God, from the very beginning you blessed creation. You have loved and shielded your people through all joys and trials of life. We come to you this day, rejoicing in the many blessings you have given to us. Our newspapers, television newscasts, and media all report the troubled happenings in our world. War and strife seem to be the order of the day. And we are caught up in the midst of this chaos. Help us to focus on the love you have given to us in Jesus Christ. Remind us again that his healing mercies extend to us this day as surely as they did to the people of long ago. We have gathered on this day to hear your word, to be forgiven and healed, to find ways in which we may serve you in peace. We open our hearts again to hear your word for us and to gather strength and joy for service in your world. Be with us and bless us again, we pray. And together we all respond as one saying: AMEN * OPENING HYMN LBW # 75 Bright and Glorious Is the Sky PRAYERS OF CONFESSION Pastor: Knowing that whatever our intentions are, our actions often cause God grief and bring harm to our neighbor, let us turn to the One who can make our hearts new.
Silence for personal reflection and confession All: How can we look at this world and not sing of your praises, O God? The beauty and majesty of the world is overpowering! Yet we have a tendency to take all that you do for us for granted. We turn our backs on people in need, the weak and downtrodden go unnoticed in our midst. We always believe that someone else will care for those in need. How foolish we are, O God! How ignorant we have become! You have given to us all that we need. You have blessed us with the witness of Jesus Christ who came so that we might learn how you would have us live, in honor and peace. Forgive us. Heal our hearts and spirits. Make us fully aware of all our blessings and our responsibilities. Give us again a spirit of joy in serving you. Help us be agents of peace and hope to others. For we offer this prayer in Jesus Name. AMEN. Pastor: God hears our prayers, and for Jesus sake, forgives us where we have missed the mark. Jesus has come to heal our spirits and our souls. The demons of arrogance, indifference, and apathy are being cast out. New life is offered to you in Jesus Christ. Rejoice! Be Glad! For God s love is poured out to you this day. Amen * HYMN OF PRAISE LBW # 540 Praise the Lord! O Heavens * PRAYER OF THE DAY (unison) Everlasting God, you give strength to the weak and power to the faint. Make us agents of your healing and wholeness, that your good news may be known to the ends of your creation, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. FIRST LESSON Isaiah 40:21-31 Pew Bible page 763 SECOND LESSON 1 Corinthians 9:16-27 Pew Bible page 1217 * GOSPEL VERSE Alleluia. Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia, Alleluia! * GOSPEL Mark 1:29-39 Pew Bible page 1064 SERMON A Whole Faith HYMN OF THE DAY LBW # 439 What A Friend We Have In Jesus
* AFFIRMATION OF FAITH (unison) I believe in God, the Creator of all life, the source of all love, and the giver of every good and perfect gift. I believe Jesus Christ is God s only Son and that he is my King. Jesus was born of a virgin, and lived as no other man has lived. Jesus suffered and died for the sins of the world. I believe Jesus death and resurrection has given me new life and I will live with him for all eternity. I believe in the Holy Spirit-God with us. I have been called by the Spirit, enlightened by the Spirit, and gifted for service by the Spirit. God is at work today and the Holy Spirit is the means by which God continues to demonstrate love and concern for me. I believe I can know and experience God in prayer, forgiveness, the Sacraments, and the community of faith. AMEN OFFERING * OFFERTORY WOV # 732 Create In Me * PRAYERS/LORD S PRAYER * BENEDICTION Jesus comes to us, offering healing and hope, speaking and acting with authority. Listen to him. Go into this world, confident in God s love and healing power. Go in peace and may God s love and peace always be with you. Go in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. AMEN. * CLOSING HYMN LBW # 390 I Love to Tell the Story * DISMISSAL Pastor: Renewed and refreshed and filled with God s Spirit, go now with a smile on your face, God s peace in your heart, and serve the Lord. People: Thanks be to God! POSTLUDE LEAVE THIS SERVICE FILLED WITH GOD S PROMISES!!! GO & PROCLAIM WHAT HE HAS DONE!!!! * Please stand for these portions of the service if able.
Today s Announcements Today, during worship, we will have installation for all those who were recently elected or reelected to the First English Administrative Board. Next Sunday is Transfiguration Sunday, the day when the Lord Jesus is transfigured in front of his disciples. The liturgical color for this day is white. Also, it marks the last Sunday of Epiphany. The following Wednesday, February 18th, we begin the Lenten Season with Ash Wednesday. The Ash Wednesday service will be at Bethany starting at 7:00 p.m. with Holy Communion and the imposition of ashes. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 18 th. This year we will be including video fragments on different characters during Lent as presented by Pastor Jonathan Swenson from Paraphrase Theatre. You won t want to miss out how all these characters talk about their lives and how Jesus impacted them. Please join us for the midweek Lenten services each week! There will be no confirmation on Ash Wednesday but confirmation will resume the next Wednesday and will meet during Lent. We still have some Lutefisk for sale. We are selling the fish for $6.25/lb. If interested, please contact Jane Bruer. You are welcome to buy as much as you want, starting at 1 lb. packages. In case of stormy weather this winter, the radio stations to listen to for church related cancellations or postponements are: KRCQ DL 102.3 FM, KWAD Wadena 920 AM, KDKK Park Rapids 97.5 FM.V 2/1/15 General $660.00 Missions $ 7.00 $ 667.00 Remember in Prayer Daniel Gilbert Mike Strayer Agnes Lindroos Ordell Newgaard Jason Wilker Bertha Paulson Easton Petersoninfant son of Bryan Peterson & Nicole Berttunen Paul Schiotz Don Pauna Bruce Blanchard (Pastor Jim s Fatherin-law) Erica Drury Elvin Yrjo RaeAnn Mueller Spadgenske Dale Lubitz Craig Ahlin Thomas Thelen Gail Hawkins Maryann Lusti Trent & Katelyn Borneman Gladwin Walker Edwin Lund Linda Tjaden Terry Burkman Carol Alm Mary Ann Yliniemi Susan Gullekson Our Country & Military Our Churches, Pastors, Leaders, and Staff
Saturday, February 14 th, 2015 at First English Lutheran Church 1 Seating Only at 6:00 PM Adults: $11.00/Person, Children (12 & Under): $8.00 Served by the First English, Friends in Christ & Bethany Lutheran Churches LYO (Lutheran Youth Organization) Get your tickets from a LYO member or stop by the First English Office.