A Praying
Church
651.645.2575
www.mtolive-wels.net
Carl R. Henkel, pastor
651.631.8625
The Sixth Sunday After The Epiphany
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
Offering And The Friendship Register: The members of
Assisting Us In Worship This Morning
Mildred Rilling, greeter
Joel Meier, head usher
Linda Henkel, organist
Today we are again given the privilege to gather as the people of God to worship and honor Him. As we do so, we want to open our hearts to hear His Word, and we want to share what is on our hearts with Him in prayer. His Word will remind us that the one who trusts in the Lord is blessed but the one who trusts in himself or this world's strength is not walking in the Lord. When we trust in Him, we are truly blessed and the troubles and trials of this world cannot steal our heavenly joy. As we prepare for worship, let us spend a few moments in prayer. (You may use the “Worshiper’s Prayer” as a guide.)
WORSHIPER'S PRAYER
Pray to God the Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit
· Ask to be made conscious of
His presence
· Praise Him for a specific
attribute
·
Thank
Him for His forgiveness
·
Thank
Him for a specific blessing
·
Ask
to be led by the Spirit as you worship
· Ask for help to focus on
worshipping God
not on pleasing self
· Thank for opportunity to
gather for worship
…with others here
...with others in community
...with others in country
...with others throughout
world
...with angels
in heaven
· Ask for Word to be planted
in your heart
· Ask for Word to produce
fruit in your life
· Ask for awareness as you
sing the hymns
· Ask for a genuine amen to
the prayers
· Ask for the Spirit's
presence in the pastor
· Ask for the Spirit's
gifting of the organist
· Ask for the Spirit's moving
within the choir
· Ask for the Spirit's help
of each worshipper
May God answer your prayer so that He
may be glorified in you and
through you.
TIME FOR PRAYER
OPENING HYMN Hymn #475
"The Man Is Ever Blest"
Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
Pastor: Blessed are the poor in spirit, who hunger and thirst after righteousness, and who mourn their
sinful condition.
People: For they will possess the
Pastor: Merciful Father,
People: We come before You
knowing that we are sinners, unworthy to stand before You and serve You. We have sinned against You
and against each other with thoughts, words, and deeds that have betrayed Your
love and Your will. In the name of
Jesus, we plead for mercy, that forgiven of all our sins we may learn to please
You and do the good Your will desires. Take from us the evil of our hearts and
replace it with the faith that trusts in You above all
things and desires to serve You with all that we have and all that we are. Amen.
Pastor: Almighty God has had mercy upon you and
has given His only Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your
sins. As a called and ordained servant
of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore assure you of the forgiveness of
all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit. May He who began this good work
within you bring it to completion on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
People: Amen.
Pastor: The peace of the Lord be upon you and within you.
People: And also upon you and within you.
Pastor: O Lord, graciously hear the prayers of Your
people, that we who justly suffer the consequence of our sin, may be mercifully
delivered by Your goodness to the glory of Your holy name; through Jesus
Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
People: Amen.
OLD TESTAMENT Jeremiah 17:5-8
(Put your trust and hope in God.)
This is what the Lord says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.
"But blessed is the man who trusts in
the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree
planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear
when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of
drought and never fails to bear fruit."
Pastor: This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God!
PSALM Psalm 1, page 64
EPISTLE LESSON I Corinthians 15:12,16-20
(Our hope for now and forever is in Jesus Christ.)
But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?… For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
Pastor: This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God!
GOSPEL LESSON Luke 6:12-26
(Jesus describes the hope and blessedness
which flows from His grace,
and the emptiness of those who base their happiness on the things of this life.)
One of those days Jesus went out to a
mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, He
called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also designated
apostles: Simon (whom He named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip,
Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus,
Simon who was called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who
became a traitor.
Jesus went down with them and stood on a
level place. A large crowd of His disciples was there and a great number of
people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to
hear Him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil spirits
were cured, and the people all tried to touch Him, because power was coming
from Him and healing them all.
Looking at His disciples, He said:
"Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the
"Rejoice in that day and leap for joy,
because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated
the prophets.
"But woe to you who
are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe
to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you
when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false
prophets.”
Pastor: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to You, O Christ.
CONFESSION OF FAITH from Luther’s
Second Article of the Apostles’ Creed
I believe that Jesus Christ,
true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the
virgin Mary, is my Lord.
He has redeemed me, a lost and
condemned creature, purchased and won me from all sins, from death and from the
power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood
and with His innocent suffering and death.
All this He did that I should
be His own, and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting
righteousness, innocence and blessedness, just as He has risen from death and
lives and rules eternally.
This is most certainly true.
HYMN (sung to the tune of Hymn #416)
When Jesus our Lord on the mountain did preach, Disciples He lovingly
lessons did teach.
He gave them a foretaste of what was to be For
them a great journey o'er land and the sea.
O blessèd are those who in spirit are poor, For theirs is the
Those mourners are blest, for in comfort they lie, Whose
trust is in Jesus they cannot deny.
Inheritance promised for those who are meek. Yea, blessèd
those hungry and thirsty who seek
The life of the righteous it gives great reward, For
they can rely on their bountiful Lord.
And those who are merciful mercy receive. The pure in heart their God
they surely shall see.
Those who make sweet peace with each other are blest For
sons of our God they shall be manifest.
Yea, blessèd are those who are harmed for
Christ's sake, As nothing can faith in their Lord ever
break.
For home they will make in God's heaven above, Where
they'll be enwrapped in His wonderful love.
When others revile you and persecute you And
say evil things that are cruel, untrue,
All this because you confess faith in your Lord, Rejoice and be glad,
for great is your reward.
May we follow You, Lord, through perils of life For
we will be subject to trouble and strife.
O Jesus, may we always live in Your love Forever in heaven, our blest
home above.
Text:
Don Petering, (c) 2006. Used by
permission.
Pastor: O Lord, those who trust in You are
blessed, no matter what trouble or trial comes their way; lead us to know this
blessedness with faith that we may be sustained amid all the struggles of this
life. Lord, in Your
mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Help us to trust not in ourselves or the
things of this life, but in Your abundant and
life-giving grace, that we may discover the joy of Your kingdom. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Help us amid things we cannot understand,
yet to cling to Your mercy and to serve the holy
purpose of Your Kingdom, for which we have been set apart in Baptism. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Lead us to hunger and thirst after
righteousness and fill us with Your Holy Spirit, that we may honor You with lives of faithfulness and obedience all our days.
Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Knowing the poverty of life apart from You, inspire us to proclaim with energy the good news of
Jesus Christ, that all people may know You, love You, and serve You. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Make wise and honorable those who lead our
nation, our world, and our church, that they may be guided by Your wisdom and supported by our prayers, so that the poor may
be uplifted, the weak protected, and the cause of virtue honored among us.
Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Show to the sick Your
healing grace, to the suffering Your comfort, and to the dying Your peace. Be
with those we now name before You in our hearts… Lord,
in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: We pray for the continued safety of all Your faithful workers scattered throughout the world, and for all whom they are sharing the precious Word of God, especially those known personally to us: E. John & Alex and their family in Antigua, Terry & Mary in Peru, Karuna in India, our Cameroonian pastors and their families, and the Friends of China teachers. Be with all of them and keep them safely in Your tender care. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: We pray for
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Dearest Lord Jesus, teach us to pray! Teach us to pray daily for Your
healing touch; for power still comes
from Your merciful hands. Teach us to
humble ourselves in fervent prayer before You, for we
are spiritually poor, spiritually hungry, we cry tears of repentance, and we
desire that Your name be honored and glorified through us. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Replace sorrow with the joy of Your
Kingdom and release us from our captivity to fear and doubt. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Knowing the blessedness of Your grace, we are made bold to commend ourselves and all
for whom we pray to Your care, trusting in Your mercy for the sake of Jesus
Christ, Your Son, our Lord, in whose name we pray:
LORD'S PRAYER
HYMN Hymn #548
"O
Lord, in Prayer You Spent the Night”
CLOSING PRAYER
BENEDICTION
CLOSING HYMN Hymn #478
"With the Lord Begin Your Task"
Today: 8:45am Prayer Time (Fireside Room)
10:00am Fellowship
Hour
10:30am Education
Hour
11:45am Worship
Committee Meeting
Monday: 11:30am Mt.
Olive Worship Service on Cable Channel 14
Tuesday: 9:00am Pastoral Conference/Cambridge, MN
Thursday: 10:00am “Explorers
of the Word” Bible Class
Saturday: 10:00am Address
Invitations to English Tea/Lunch Following
10:00am
Next Sunday: 6:30am “Time of Grace” on KMSP, Channel 9
9:00am Family Worship Service with Holy
Communion
Lent Begins One Week From Wednesday.
February 21st is Ash Wednesday. The evening begins at
Christian
Education Sunday is only two weeks away! On Sunday, February 25th, Pastor
Aaron Robinson from
It’s That Time Again!
Those Mission Box offerings for Lutheran Women’s Missionary Society that
you have been filling with change are due.
Please give to Mae Schmidt, LWMS Reporter before the end of March to
ensure being counted before the Spring Rally.
New boxes are available in the narthex.