03 Mar BULLETIN – SUNDAY, MARCH 5, 2023
WELCOME to MESSIAH & ST. PETER LUTHERAN CHURCHES
Reverend Nancy Brody, Pastor
Greta Wright, Music Director
Sunday March 5, 2023
Second Sunday in Lent
GREETING AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRELUDE
The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
Blessed be the holy Trinity, [+] one God, who journeys with us these forty days, and sustains us with the gift of grace.
Amen.
Let us acknowledge before God and one another our need for repentance and God’s mercy. Silence is kept for reflection.
Holy God, we confess our faults and failings. Too often we neglect and do not trust; we take instead of give, overindulge rather than practice discipline; without meaning to, we cause hurt. Our tendency is to become concerned for ourselves and forget com-passion for others. Forgive, renew, and heal us from within, for we truly seek to follow you. Amen.
Because of Jesus Christ, there’s no chasm or barrier between us and God. Forgiveness is a sign and promise that God is full of life, not death, about mercy, not imposing penalties. Jesus, too, was tempted, and overcame all things by trusting God’s mighty power to love. Be forgiven by all three persons of the Holy Trinity, [+] Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen.
ENTRANCE HYMN The Glory of These Forty Days WOV#657
RITE OF HOLY BAPTISM
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 a fallen humanity; in the waters of Baptism we are reborn children of God who inherit eternal life. By water and the Holy Spirit, we are made members of the Church, the body of Christ. As we live with him and among his people, we grow in faith, love, and obedience to God’s will.
Who presents this child to receive the Sacrament of Holy Baptism?
Listen closely. In Christian love you present this child for Holy Baptism. You should, therefore, faithfully bring her to services in God’s house; teach her the Lord’s Prayer, Creed, and Ten Commandments. As she grows, you should place the Holy Scriptures in her hands and provide instruction for her in the Christian faith, so that, living in the covenant of her Baptism and in communion with the Church, she may lead a godly life all her days. Do you promise to fulfill these obligations?
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 one here baptized may be given new life. Wash away the sin of she who is cleansed by this water. Bring her forth as an inheritor 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
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
Child of God, I baptize you in the name of the Father [+], and of the Son [+], and of the Holy Spirit [+].
Amen.
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 Daphne June: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, the spirit of joy in your presence.
Amen.
PEACE
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
And also with you.
Please offer each other a sign of peace.
HYMN OF PRAISE
This Is the Feast… Pages 60-61
PRAYER of the DAY
O God, our leader and guide, in the waters of baptism you bring us to new birth to live as your children. Strengthen our faith in your promises, that by your Spirit we may lift up your life to all the world through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
FIRST READING GENESIS 12:1-4a
The Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him.
PSALM 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills; from where is my help to come?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.
The Lord will not let your foot be moved nor will the one who watches over you fall asleep.
Behold, the keeper of Israel will neither slumber nor sleep;
the Lord watches over you; the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will preserve you from all evil and will keep your life.
The Lord will watch over your going out and your coming in, from this time forth forevermore.
SECOND READING ROMANS 4:1-5, 13-17
What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness. For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation. For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”)—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
LENTEN VERSE
Return to The Lord… Page 63
GOSPEL JOHN 3:1-17
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? “Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
SERMON
HYMN of the DAY Blessed Assurance WOV#699
PRAYERS of INTERCESSION
Sustained by God’s abundant mercy, let us pray for the church, the world, and all of creation. A brief silence.
God, make our church an expression of you. May we worship faithfully, represent you well and show the world how much you care. Bless all who wish to be called your children, especially the newly baptized. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
God, breathe new life into our planetary home. Guide the work of naturalists, researchers, scientists, and activists who increase our understanding and inspire care for the natural world. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
God, give the world wise, compassionate leaders who aim to balance economics with social needs. Don’t let things put in place for a good cause, end up causing harm. Strengthen movements that promote dignity, peace and harmony. Alleviate human suffering and help us address its root causes. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
God, you love people. Help everyone who struggles, who for reasons unexplainable cannot overcome weakness, propensity for sin or illness. Let each one of them feel your presence within and around them. Lead them and everyone on our prayer list toward healing and recovery. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
God, bless everyone in our midst and delight us in their company. Revive our joy, wonder, and curiosity. Equip us for lasting relationships and faithful discipleship. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
God, thank you for the communion of saints. Our ancestors in the faith were a blessing to us; inspire us by their example to be a blessing to those who follow us. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
We open our hearts, lift up our thoughts, and voice our prayers to you, O God, exactly because we trust your lovingkindness, know of your mercy, and believe your promise to renew all of creation through your Son and Holy Spirit: our ongoing teacher, redeemer and comforter. Amen.
OFFERING
OFFERTORY
Let the vineyards… Page 66
PRAYER
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 How Firm a Foundation #507
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 Nancy Matter in memory of Harry Matter.
Altar flowers at Messiah have been presented by Sally Piatak in memory of Claude and Sara Straw.