05 Feb BULLETIN – FEBRUARY 5, 2023
WELCOME to MESSIAH & ST. PETER LUTHERAN CHURCHES
Reverend Nancy Brody, Pastor
Greta Wright, Music Director
Sunday, February 5, 2023
Fifth Sunday After Epiphany
GREETING and ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRELUDE
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS Page 56
ENTRANCE HYMN God, Whose Almighty Word #400
RITE of HOLY BATISM (10:00 AM)
PRESENTATION
In Holy Baptism our gracious heavenly Father liberates us from sin and death by joining us to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Once born children of fallen humanity; in the waters of Baptism we are reborn children of God who inherit eternal life. By water and God’s Holy Spirit we are made members of the Church, the body of Christ. As we live with God and among each other, we grow in faith, in love, and in obedience to all that God wills.
THANKSGIVING
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give him thanks and praise.
Holy God, mighty Lord, gracious Father: We give you thanks, for in the beginning your Spirit moved over the waters and you created heaven and earth. By the gift of water you nourish and sustain all living things. By flood waters you condemned the wicked, but saved those you chose, who believed in you, Noah and his family. You led Israel by a pillar of cloud and fire through the sea, out of slavery into freedom of the promised land. In waters of the Jordan your Son was baptized by John and anointed with the Spirit. By his death and resurrection your beloved Son set us free from bondage to sin and death, and opened the way to joy and freedom of everlasting life. He made water a sign of the kingdom, of cleansing and rebirth. In obedience to his command, we make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Pour out your Holy Spirit, so that the ones here baptized may be given new life. Wash away the sin of them who are cleansed by this water. Bring them forth as inheritors of your glorious kingdom. To you be praise, honor and worship through your Son, Jesus Christ, in unity with the Holy Spirit, now and forever.
Amen.
PROFESSION OF FAITH
Baptismal group and the congregation respond in unison.
I ask you to profess your faith in Christ Jesus, reject sin, and confess the faith of the church, the faith in which we baptize.
Do you renounce all the forces of evil, the devil, and all his empty promises?
I do.
Do you believe in God the Father?
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?
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 buried. He descended to the land of the dead and on the third day, he rose. Ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father. From there he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen
BAPTISM
ANOINTING
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we give you thanks for freeing your sons and daughters from the power of sin and for raising them up to new life through this holy sacrament. Pour your Holy Spirit upon these children: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord, the spirit of joy in your presence.
Amen.
Let us pray. O God, giver of all life, look with kindness upon the father and mother of these your children, their sponsors and relatives. Let their families ever rejoice in the gifts you have given them. Make them good teachers and examples of your righteousness. Help them recall and exercise the baptismal promises and gifts given to each of them so that everyone they love and those who love them may eternally share the joy of your salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
WELCOME
PEACE (10:00 AM)
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
And also with you.
Please offer each other a sign of peace.
KYRIE and HYMN OF PRAISE Pages 57-58
This Is the Feast… Pages 60-61
PRAYER of the DAY
Lord God, with endless mercy you receive the prayers of all who call upon you. By your Spirit show us the things we ought to do, and give us the grace and power to do them, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
FIRST READING ISIAIH 58:1-9a [9b-12]
Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments, they delight to draw near to God. “Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?” Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day, and oppress all your workers. Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to strike with a wicked fist. Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself? Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush, and to lie in sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail. Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.
PSALM 12:1-9 [10]
Hallelujah! Happy are they who fear the Lord and have great delight in God’s commandments!
Their descendants will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches will be in their house, and their righteousness will last forever.
Light shines in the darkness for the upright; the righteous are merciful and full of compassion.
It is good for them to be generous in lending and to man-age their affairs with justice.
For they will never be shaken; the righteous will be kept in everlasting remembrance.
They will not be afraid of any evil rumors; their heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
Their heart is established and will not shrink, until they see their desire upon their enemies.
They have given freely to the poor, and their righteousness stands fast forever; they will hold up their head with honor.
The wicked will see it and be angry; they will gnash their teeth and pine away; the desires of the wicked will perish.
SECOND READING 1 CORINTHIANS 2:1-12 [13-16]
When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God. Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God’s except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. [And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual. Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. Those who are spiritual discern all things, and they are themselves subject to no one else’s scrutiny. “For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.]
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION Page 63
GOSPEL MATTHEW 5:13-20
[Jesus said:] “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled underfoot. “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
SERMON
HYMN of the DAY Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service #423
PROFESSION of FAITH (8:30 AM) Page 65
APOSTLE’S CREED (8:30 AM) Page 65
PRAYERS of INTERCESSION
Called together to follow Jesus, we pray for the church, the world, and all in need. A brief silence.
Call members of churches and people everywhere to seek your wisdom and be brave enough to have difficult conversations, then act using good judgment. Help the church repent for ways it has tolerated and practiced injustice such as systemic racism, sanctioning of colonialism, protection of sexual abusers. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
Inspire our wonder at creation, from the light of dawn to the beauty of the dark night. Sustain the unseen depths of the ocean to the plants and animals we know well. Bring healing to lands and communities experiencing natural disasters. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
Instruct the powerful in your ways. Provide upright leadership in business and industry, so workers are not oppressed. Throughout the world, inspire civic involvement and raise up politicians to heed your call for nations to practice righteousness. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
Loosen the bonds of injustice in our midst. Grant peace to endless quarrels, put an end to hunger, and relieve burdens. Shelter all who flee abuse in their homes or violence in their communities. Satisfy those afflicted in any way (especially those on our prayer list). Merciful God, receive our prayer.
Shape our congregations to be salt for the earth. Give the newly baptized much delight in our company. Help us all delight in your call and command to be generous with those in need. Make us steadfast in our trust of you, and love for each other, ever-ready with tangible mercy and compassion. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
Through death and resurrection, you bring redemption from sin and death. We praise you for all whose unshaken faith in Christ shines forth as their witness. Keep them; especially Dale Lower; in our remembrance and bring us with them into the kingdom of heaven. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
Lord of pure light and utmost mercy, we bring you our needs and hopes, trusting in your wisdom and power as revealed through Christ crucified. All glory and honor is yours. Amen.
PEACE (8:30 AM)
OFFERING
OFFERTORY
Let the vineyards… Page 66
Blessed are You… Page 68
LITURGY of HOLY COMMUNION Pages 68-72
THE LORD’S PRAYER
POST-COMMUNION CANTICLE Pages 72-73
POST COMMUNION PRAYER Page 74
BENEDICTION Page 74
CLOSING HYMN Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee #551
BLESSING Page 74
DISMISSAL Page 74
POSTLUDE
Revised Common Lectionary copyright © 1992 Consultation on Common Texts. Used by permission. Prayers adapted from Sundays and Seasons, copyright © 2019, Augsburg Fortress. Used with permission. Psalm readings from Lutheran Book of Worship, copyright © 1978. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual Subscription #SB160715 Other quotations from Scripture from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989, National Council of Churches in Christ in the United States of America. Used with permission. All rights reserved
Altar flowers at St Peter have been presented by Ray and Helen Snyder in memory of Andrew and Sarah Yeager.
Altar flowers at Messiah have been presented by Darla and Rusty Smith in memory of Loved ones.