12 Feb BULLETIN – SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2023
WELCOME to MESSIAH & ST. PETER LUTHERAN CHURCHES
Reverend Nancy Brody, Pastor
Rose Steinhauer, Organist
Sunday, February 12, 2023
Sixth Sunday After Epiphany
GREETING AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRELUDE
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS Page 56
ENTRANCE HYMN Let the Whole Creation Cry #242
KYRIE and HYMN OF PRAISE Pages 57-60
PRAYER of the DAY
O God, the strength of all who hope in you, because we are weak mortals we accomplish nothing good without you. Help us to see and understand the things we ought to do, and give us grace and power to do them, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
FIRST READING DEUTERONOMY 30:15-20
[Moses said to the people:] See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
PSALM 119:1-8
Happy are they whose way is blameless, who follow the teaching of the Lord!
Happy are they who observe your decrees and seek you with all their hearts,
who never do any wrong, but always walk in your ways.
You laid down your commandments, that we should fully keep them.
Oh, that my ways were made so direct that I might keep your statutes!
Then I should not be put to shame, when I regard all your commandments.
I will thank you with a true heart, when I have learned your righteous judgments.
I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me.
SECOND READING 1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-9
Brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations? For when one says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,” are you not merely human? What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building.
RECOGNIZING A SERVANT’S HEART
DIANE KEISTER, RAY RUMMEL (8:30 AM)
SUE DECKER (10:00 AM)
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION Page 63
GOSPEL MATTHEW 5:21-37
[Jesus said to the disciples:] “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell. “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
“Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’ But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.”
SERMON
HYMN of the DAY Holy Spirit Ever Dwelling #523
PROFESSION of FAITH/APOSTLE’S CREED Page 65
PRAYERS of INTERCESSION
Called together to follow Jesus, we pray for the church, the world, and all in need. A brief silence.
Inspire your church to be a sign of life throughout the world. Inspire everyone to explore faithful living by following your ways. Bless members and volunteers who in the past or present give of themselves unselfishly: to their families, church and community, especially Diane Keister, Ray Rummel, and Sue Decker. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
Restore creation to be a sign of life throughout the world. Accompany all who plant and water, feed and tend. Bless the work of farmers; provide for those facing drought, dealing with climate change or the effect of earthquakes. Guide the work of agricultural scientists toward sustainable ways to feed the world. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
Give growth where no hope for life seems to be. Throughout the world where reconciliation seems imposs-ible, empower peacemakers with your Spirit. Where death holds sway through violence, disease, and hunger, equip relief workers with resources and ways to persevere. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
Nurture all in need (especially those on our prayer list). Bring healing to all who experience adverse events. Stop trauma delivered by systems of injustice. Encourage relationships struggling to repent of harmful patterns. Increase understanding, compassion and restoration. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
Encourage this congregation and wider community. Let us find common purpose through hearts turned toward you. Guide our efforts so that choices made may be lifegiving for all. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
Thanks be to you for the lives of all who die in Christ. Teach us to follow them in your ways and gather us with them into the promise of eternal life with you. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
We bring to you our needs and hopes, O God, trusting your wisdom and power revealed in Christ crucified. Amen.
PEACE
OFFERING
OFFERTORY
Create in me… Page 75
THE LORD’S PRAYER
BENEDICTION Page 74
CLOSING HYMN Now Thank We All Our God #534
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 Jess and Madison Crum-Burger in memory of loved ones.