The Bulletin is at: 02-09-2020 – Bulletin
The Service in PDF format is at: 02-09-2020 – Service
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FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY
February 9, 2020
AS WE GATHER: We consider today Jesus’ words “You are the light of the world.” Jesus tells His followers that their light should not be hidden, but rather it should help others to see. As we go about our daily lives, by God’s grace we walk in the light of Jesus. Warmed by His light, we share that light He has given us with others in how we act, in what we say, and especially in spreading the good news about Jesus’ forgiveness.
CHORAL OPENING: “Rising Up with the Sun” By: Pepper Choplin
Guest Musicians on percussion & bass from DTW
Come rising up with the sun, rising up.
Come, rising up with the sun, rising up.
From the rising up to the setting of the sun, from the break of day,
‘til the evenin’ work is done.
Let us lift a voice, lift a voice of praise
praise the Lord of love that will last forever.
Rising up with the sun, rising up. with the-
From the rising up to the setting of the sun, from the break of day,
‘til the evenin’ work is done. Let us lift a voice, lift a voice of praise
praise the Lord of love that will last forever.
Rising up with the sun, rising up with the Lord.
Lord is high above all nations.
Who is like the lord our God? His glory soars above the heavens,
God who reigns on high, our God who reigns on high.
From the rising up to the setting of the sun, from the break of day,
‘til the evenin’ work is done. Let us lift a voice, lift a voice of praise.
Praise the Lord of love that will last forever.
Come people, rise and praise the Lord, praise Him.
Praise the Lord of love forever.
Praise the Lord, O praise Him servants. Praise the Lord of love forever.
Praise from the rising up to the setting of the sun, from the break of day,
‘til the evenin’ work is done. Let us lift a voice, lift a voice of praise praise the Lord of love that will last forever. Lord of love that will last forever,
We praise your name on high.
L: In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
L: Jesus does call us the light of the world and tells us to let our light shine, but there have been times when we have hidden our light. There have been times when we could have shared our light with others, but we refused to do so for fear of rejection. Though we are the light of the world, we sometimes choose darkness instead of light. But we come before our heavenly Father to ask for His forgiveness.
Silence for reflection.
L: Heavenly Father,
C: we confess that we have not always walked in Your light. We have hidden Your light from others. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive our sins and our weakness. Illumine and energize us once again to shine Your light to the ends of the earth.
L: Even though we fail to act as the light of the world, Jesus never failed to shine His light. For our sins, Jesus, the light of the world was extinguished on the cross, yet He is risen from the dead never to die again. Because of His death and resurrection, darkness flees, and sins are forgiven. As a called and ordained servant of Christ and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen. We are the light of the world. We are forgiven in Christ.
X WORD X
HYMN OF PRAISE: “Praise to the Lord” TOSB 172
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation;
O my soul, praise him for he is thy health and salvation;
All ye who hear, Now to his temple draw near,
Joining in glad adoration.
Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under his wings, yea, so gently sustain eth:
Hast thou not see How thy desires have been
Granted in what he ordaineth?
Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper they work and defend thee;
Surely his goodness and mercy here daily attend thee:
Ponder a new What the Almighty can do
Who with his love doth befriend thee.
Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him!
All that hath life and breath come now with praises before him!
Let the amen Sound from his people a gain:
Gladly for ever adore him.
L: Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, You sent Your Son into this world of darkness and death to be our light and our life. Strengthen us so that we share and shine the light of Christ throughout the world; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Paul proclaims nothing but Christ crucified.
And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.
For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him— these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.
The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him? “But we have the mind of Christ.
L: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
L: The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the fifth chapter.
C: Glory to You, O Lord.
You are the light of the world. Let your light shine.
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
L: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to You, O Christ.
SERMON HYMN: “This Little Light of Mine” TOSB 235
This little light of mine, I’m going to let is shine;
This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine,
Let is shine, let it shine, let it shine.
Don’t you try to blow it out; I’m going to let it shine;
Don’t you try to blow it out; I’m going to let it shine;
Let is shine, let it shine, let it shine.
Hide it under a bushel? No! I’m going to let it shine;
Hide it under a bushel? No! I’m going to let it shine;
Let is shine, let it shine, let it shine.
All around the neighborhood; I’m going to let is shine;
All around the neighborhood; I’m going to let it shine,
Let is shine, let it shine, let it shine.
Hold it high so all can see; I’m going to let is shine;
Hold it high so all can see; I’m going to let it shine,
Let is shine, let it shine, let it shine.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
L: Dear heavenly Father, You sent Your Son to be the light of the world. Send out messengers and missionaries to share the light of Christ in every corner of the earth, that people from every tribe, nation, and language would follow Jesus. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
L: Lord, there are many in this world who live in the darkness of depression, anxiety, and mental illness. Help us to be light to those in dark places, to encourage them to seek medical assistance, and to accept them as Your beloved children. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
L: Lord, You called Your Church the Light of the World and a City on a Hill. Shine Your light down on the Churches in Philomath so that they may reflect it to the world. Today we lift up The Refuge. Let their lives and work be a bright light wherever there is darkness. Lord, in Your mercy
C: hear our prayer.
L: Lord, we pray for all children and those who care for them; but especially we pray for our ministry partner Zion Lutheran School. As they teach, nurture, and care for all their students, shine Your light through their work so that each student may know You through them. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
L: Lord, strengthen all those who are poor, homeless, hungry, oppressed, or in need in any way. Help us to see these people as Your creations in need of Your mercy and light, just as we are. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
L: Lord, look with favor upon all who are sick, injured, and recovering, [especially . . .]. Have mercy upon them and heal them according to Your good and gracious will. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
L: Lord, we commend all of these things to Your infinite mercies, which are new every morning. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer. Amen.
OFFERING
Molly Schulze
Linda Schuerman
Steve & Sue Rapetti
Mark & Charla Koeppe
Gary Curtis
Maggie McFadden
Lori Anderson
Gary Haynes
Joe & Caroline Cruz
Joyce Hall
Twyla Randall
Tim Ewing
Diane Schell
LORD’S PRAYER Matthew 6:9–13
C: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
CLOSING SONG: “Christ Be My Leader”
Christ be my leader by night as by day;
Safe through the darkness, for He is the way.
Gladly I follow, my future His care;
Darkness is daylight when Jesus is there.
Christ be my teacher in age as in youth,
Drifting or doubting, for He is the truth.
Grant me to trust Him; Though shifting as sand,
Doubt cannot daunt me; in Jesus I stand.
Christ be my savior in calm as in strife;
Death cannot hold me, for He is the life.
Nor darkness not doubting nor sin and its stain
Can touch my salvation: with Jesus I reign.
L: 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.
DISMISSAL