Mt. Olive Ev. Lutheran Church

A Praying Church

 

1460 Almond Avenue

St. Paul, Minnesota  55108

 

651.645.2575

 

www.mtolive-wels.net

 

Carl R. Henkel, pastor

651.631.8625

carl.henkel@juno.com

 

 

 

 

The Second Sunday of Easter

 

April 15, 2007    9:00am

 

Thank You for sharing this time of worship with us.  We're glad you're here!  Please sign the Friendship Register. Do come again!  If you do not have a local church home, we invite you to make your home with us.  Here you will find Christian love, opportunities for spiritual growth, warm friendships, and a feeling of being part of the family of God.

 

The Lord's Supper is being celebrated today. This special meal, instituted by Christ, unites us with Him and our brothers and sisters in the faith. This sacrament is intended for those who are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; trust in Jesus Christ as the only way to heaven; and believe that the true body and blood of Jesus are present with the bread and wine of Holy Communion.  Guests who share this faith are invited to speak with the pastor before joining us in this holy meal.

 

 

 

 

Assisting Us In Worship This Morning

 

Liberty and Grier Belter, greeters  ~  Jerry Holen, head usher

Angela Young, organ & Clavinova  ~  Joel Meier, communion assistant

 

 

 

 

We Gather To Worship The Lord

 

Order of Service:   Service of Word and Sacrament, page 26 in front of the hymnal

Hymns:                154       165       265       162

Special Music:      “Lord, I Lift Your Name on High(Liberty Belter, flute, Margaret Meier, keyboard)

Message:             John 20:28

                           “Believing Thomas

 

THE FIRST LESSON:  Acts 5:12,17-32

 

The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon's Colonnade. 

Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy.  They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.  But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out.  "Go, stand in the temple courts," he said, "and tell the people the full message of this new life."

At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people. When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin-- the full assembly of the elders of Israel-- and sent to the jail for the apostles.  But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, "We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside."

On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were puzzled, wondering what would come of this.  Then someone came and said, "Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people."  At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them.

Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest.  "We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name," he said. "Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood."

Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men!  The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead-- whom you had killed by hanging Him on a tree.  God exalted Him to His own right hand as Prince and Savior that He might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.  We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him."

 

 

 

THE SECOND LESSON:  Revelation 1:4-18

 

John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father-- to Him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen.

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."

I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.  On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea."

I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone "like a Son of Man," dressed in a robe reaching down to His feet and with a golden sash around his chest.  His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like blazing fire.  His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of rushing waters.  In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. Then He placed His right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.  I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades."

 

 

 

THE GOSPEL LESSON:  John 20:19-31

 

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"  After He said this, He showed them His hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent Me, I am sending you."  And with that He breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.  So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe it."

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"  Then He said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe."

Thomas said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"

Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not recorded in this book.  But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.

 

 

 

This Week At Mt. Olive

 

Today:                   8:45am        Prayer Time in the Fireside Room

                         9:00am        Family Worship with Holy Communion (at the front pew)

                             10:00am        Fellowship Hour

                             10:30am        Education Hour

                             11:45am        Outreach Committee Meeting

                               2:00pm        LWMS Spring Rally at Trinity, Osceola, WI

                               7:00pm        Coordinating Council

Monday:           11:30am        Mt. Olive Worship Service on Cable Channel 14

                               2:00pm        Worship Service at Lyngblomsten

                               4:00pm        “Cross-Eyed Warriors” Bible Study

                               5:30pm        NO Confirmation Class

                               6:30pm        Mt. Olive Worship Service on Cable Channel 14

                               7:00pm        “Beautiful Feet” Bible Study

Tuesday:               7:00pm        NO Senior Choir

Wednesday:          7:00pm        Sunday School Teachers’ Meeting

Thursday:            10:00am        “Explorers of the Word” Bible Class

Saturday:              9:00am        Planning for the Future

Next Sunday:       9:00am        “Time of Grace” on WUCW, Channel 23

                               9:00am        Family Worship

                             10:30am        Education Hour (Antigua Presentation)

 

 

The WELS Minnesota District Spring Pastoral Conference is being held in Rochester Monday evening through Wednesday of this week.  Pastor & Linda Henkel will be attending.

 

 

It’s Been 10 Years since Mt. Olive participated in the parish assistance program.  Now it is time to look at where we are today, where we want to be in the future, and how we might get there. To this end, the Coordinating Council invites every member of the congregation to a brainstorming session this Saturday, April 21st, beginning at 9:00am.  The session will be led by Dr. Scott Gostchock.  He is a gifted and respected visionary, and we are privileged to have him.  This will be an opportunity for every member of the congregation to give input into the congregation’s direction over the next years.  Come with your plans, your ideas, and your dreams.  Share them with your fellow members. We are planning to have the noon meal delivered to the church so you can go home well fed! Because of God’s promises and blessings, we can plan boldly and confidently as Mt. Olive moves into the future.

 

 

The Congregation Is cordially invited to attend

the wedding service of Trisha Wright and Ryan Jacobs

on Saturday, May 5, 2007 at 3:00 p.m. at Mt. Olive.

 

 

St. Croix Lutheran High School has an opening for a grounds keeper beginning May 1 until the end of September. Forty hours/week. Lawn mowing, trimming, trash clean up, various other duties.  Applications are available at the high school - 1200 Oakdale Avenue, West St. Paul.

 

 

Can You Help?  The Petersens and Folkens will be in Peru from April 22 through May 9, visiting Pastor Terry and Mary Schultz.  Mary would like for them to bring some "Risk" games. They use them in her women's prison ministry. This is a very worthwhile endeavor. Most of these women are not Peruvian, and are hoping to someday gain their freedom and return to their home countries. Apparently these Risk games are very important in their teaching/learning. If any of you have old games that you would be willing to part with, please notify Linda today.  Thanks!

 

 

Whenever We Have The Opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. (Gal 6:10 NLT)  And the opportunity is available for many here at Mt Olive. Every time we gather to worship people are needed to assist other members and visitors before and during the worship. The normal title is usher but actually they are “doing good…especially to those in the family of faith.” The opportunity is available to young or old, families or individuals. There is a sign up sheet on the bulletin board in entryway of the church.