The Bulletin is at: 01-21-2018 – Bulletin
The Service in PDF format is at: 01-21-2018 – Epiphany 3 – Service
or the service is as follows:
THIRD SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY
January 21, 2018
AS WE GATHER: Peter, Andrew, James and John were fishermen by trade. Jesus invited them to follow Him, promising He would make them fishers of men. What could this possibly mean? The prophet Jonah may provide a clue. Swallowed, and then regurgitated by a great fish after running from God, Jonah was given another chance to cast a Gospel net for the people of Ninevah. With only the lure of Jonah’s brief, law-heavy sermon, “Yet forty days, and Ninevah shall be overthrown!,” God reeled in a bountiful Kingdom-catch, saving more than 120,000 people and animals in that city. Jesus’ own preaching announces the fullness of time, the presence of God’s reign, and invites repentance and faith in Good News from God, which He embodies and enacts. This message is the net by which the Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies people under God’s gracious reign.
RINGING OF THE BELL
After the ringing of the bell, we prepare our hearts and minds in silence for today’s worship.
P: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
CONFESSION/FORGIVENESS
P: God, whose Word establishes reality,
C: we admit that we have turned from the face-to-face relationships of love with You for which we have been created. “Sin infects us through and through.” Yet, we trust in Jesus alone whose life, death, and resurrection bring Your healing power to bear on our grave condition. Hear us, and heal us by Your love for Jesus’ sake.
P: “The Lord is good to all, and His mercy is over all that He has made.” Therefore, as a called and ordained servant of Jesus 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.
C: Amen.
SONG OF PRAISE “Morning Has Broken”
Morning has broken like the first morning,
Blackbird has spoken like the first bird.
Praise for the singing! Praise for the morning!
Praise for them, springing fresh from the Word!
Sweet the rain’s new fall sunlit from heaven,
Like the first dew-fall on the first grass.
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden,
Sprung in completeness where his feet pass.
Mine is the sunlight! Mine is the morning
Born of the one light Eden saw play!
Praise with elation, Praise ev’ry morning,
God’s recreation of the new day!
P: Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon us and stretch Your hand of majesty to heal and defend us. We pray this through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Old Testament Lesson: Jonah 3:1-5, 10
The people of Ninevah repent.
Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.
When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.
Epistle: I Corinthians 7:29-31
Time is short. Jesus claims our attention.
This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.
Jesus invites His followers to become fishers of men.
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.
SERMON Pastor Dudley Nolting
SERMON HYMN: “He Leadeth Me” LSB 501 (v. 1,3-4)
He leadeth me! O blessed thought! O words with heav’nly comfort fraught!
What-e’er I do, where’er I be, Still ‘tis God’s hand that leadeth me!
He leadeth me, He leadeth me, By His own hand He leadeth me:
His faithful foll’wer I would be, For by His hand He leadeth me.
Lord, I would clasp Thy hand in mine, Nor ever murmur nor repine,
Content, whatever lot I see, Since ’tis my God that leadeth me!
He leadeth me, He leadeth me, By His own hand He leadeth me:
His faithful foll’wer I would be, For by His hand He leadeth me.
And when my task on earth is done, When, by Thy grace, the vict’ry’s won,
E’en death’s cold wave I will not flee, Since God thru Jordan leadeth me!
He leadeth me, He leadeth me, By His own hand He leadeth me:
His faithful foll’wer I would be, For by His hand He leadeth me.
C: I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
And born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again,
He ascended into heaven,
And is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
The holy catholic church,
The communion of saints,
The forgiveness of sins,
The resurrection of the body
And the life everlasting. Amen.
OFFERINGS GATHERED
We give our offerings as a sign of our lives given to the Lord in humble service.
P: God, the center of our lives, help us to recollect the parts of ourselves from the compartments of isolation in which we hid, returning to You who are gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: God, the center of our lives, Jesus announced the presence of Your gracious reign among us here on earth. Turn our hearts of all people to You that we all may come to trust in Your mercy through Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: God, the center of our lives, bring healing and hope to all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, (especially…..). Grant them patience in every affliction and hearts that rest in Your unfailing love, trusting that underneath it all are Your everlasting arms. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: God, the center of our lives, as we return to the center of our life together around Table for Lamb’s high feast, remind us that Jesus is the center of everything. By Him all things were created, and in Him all things hold together, including every part of our lives and all our relationships. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: These and any other things You would have us ask of You, heavenly Father, grant to us for the sake of Your Son, Jesus, our Lord.
C: Amen
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
LORD’S PRAYER
DISTRIBUTION
“In His Time” TOSB 98
- In His time (in His time), in His time (in His time),
He makes all things beautiful, in His time (in His time).
Lord please show my ev’ry day as you’re teaching me your way,
That you do just what you say, in your time (in Your time).
- In Your time (in Your time), in Your time (in Your time),
you make all things beautiful in your time (in Your time),
Lord, my life to you I bring; May each song I have to sing.
Be to You a lovely thing, in Your time (in Your time).
“I Have the Joy” TOSB 150
I have the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart,
Down in my heart, down in my heart; I have the joy, joy,
Joy, joy, down in my heart, down in my heart to stay.
I have the peace that passes understanding, down in my heart,
Down in my heart, down in my heart; I have the peace that passes
Understanding, down in my heart, down in my heart to stay.
I have the love of Jesus, love of Jesus, down in my heart,
Down in my heart, down in my heart; I have the love of Jesus,
Love of Jesus, down in my heart, down in my heart to stay.
“Great is the Lord” TOSB 66
Great is the Lord,
He is holy and just,
By His power we trust In His love.
Great is the Lord, He is faithful and true,
By His mercy He proves He is love.
Great is the Lord, and worthy of glory,
Great is the Lord, and worthy of praise.
Great is the Lord, now lift up your voice,
Now lift up your voice:
Great is the Lord
Great is the Lord
Great is the Lord,
He is holy and just,
By His power we trust In His love.
Great is the Lord, He is faithful and true,
By His mercy He proves He is love
Great are you Lord,
And worthy of glory
Great are you Lord, and worthy of praise.
Great are you Lord,
I lift up my voice,
I lift up my voice:
Great are you Lord!
Great are you Lord!
P: 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.
C: Amen.
CLOSING SONG: “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” TOSB 227
Chorus: Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it Jesus, if you please;
Daily Walking close to Thee
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
I am weak but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, dear Lord, close to Thee.
Chorus
Thru this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.
Chorus
When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more;
On that bright eternal shore,
I will walk, dear Lord, close to Thee
Chorus
P: Go in peace! Serve the Lord!
C: Thanks be to God!