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 Third Sunday After The Epiphany

 

January 21, 2007    9:00am

 

 

God's Blessings To All Who Worship With Us Today!  Lord, help us to make Your house a home where those who are here will want to remain, where those who visit will want to return, and where those who have left will want to come back.  May God's Spirit fill your hearts with joy and peace through the knowledge of His love for you in Jesus.  Visitors, we want you to feel at home in our midst.  Please know that you are welcome! 

 

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

 

Nicole & Steve Burkhardt, Tim, Alex, & Ted Wiedmann, greeters

Jerry Holen, head usher

Linda Henkel, organist

Ryan Jacobs, communion assistant

 

 

 

 

We Gather To Worship The Lord

 

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

Hymns:                     54          *            371        82 stanzas 3 and 5

Message:                  Luke 4:14-21

                                The Gentle Healer

 

 

* The Gentle Healer came into our town today
He touched blind eyes and the darkness left to stay
But more than the blindness, He took their sins away
The Gentle Healer came into our town today

The Gentle Healer came into our town today
He spoke one word that was all He had to say
And the one who had died just rose up straight away
The Gentle Healer came into our town today

Oh, He seems like just an ordinary man
With dirty feet and rough but gentle hands
But the words He says are hard to understand
And, yet, He seems like just an ordinary man

The Gentle Healer, He left our town today
I just looked around and found He'd gone away
Some folks from town had followed Him, they say
That the Gentle Healer is the Truth, the Life, the Way

Yes the Gentle Healer is the Truth, the Life, the Way

 

 

OLD TESTAMENT LESSON                  Isaiah 61:1-6

 

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.

They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. Aliens will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.  And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast.

 

 

EPISTLE LESSON         I Corinthians 12:12-21, 26-27

 

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body-- whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free-- and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?

But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!"

If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

 

GOSPEL                                                                                                                Luke 4:14-21

 

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through the whole countryside. He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised Him.

He went to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day He went into the synagogue, as was His custom. And He stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. Unrolling it, He found the place where it is written: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Then He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on Him, and He began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

 

 

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.

 

 

 

This Week At Mt. Olive

 

Today:                   8:45am        Prayer Time (Fireside Room)

                       10:00am        Fellowship Hour

                             10:30am        Education Hour

                               4:00pm        Christian Life Ministries Annual Dinner/SCLHS

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

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

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

                               7:00pm        “Beautiful Feet” Bible Study

Tuesday:               7:00pm        “More Than Rubies” Bible Study

                               7:00pm        Choir Rehearsal

Wednesday:          7:00pm        English Tea Planning Meeting

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

Saturday:              5:30pm        Progressive Dinner

Next Sunday:       9:00am        Family Worship Service

                             10:00am        Fellowship Hour and Limb Leaders’ Meeting

                             10:30am        Education Hour

                               4:30pm        Kingdom Workers Concert & Dinner/Bloomington LC

 

 

 

All Are Invited to support the work of Christian Life Ministries by attending the Annual Fellowship Dinner at St. Croix Lutheran High School beginning at 4:00pm this afternoon (see insert). A freewill offering will be taken. If you cannot attend this special event and would still like to support the work of Christian Life Ministries in the Twin Cities area, you may give an offering to Marcella Voss.  Please make checks payable to Christian Life Ministries.

 

 

 

Our Annual Progressive Dinner is set for this Saturday, January 27th, starting at 5:30pm. A British Isles theme has been chosen for this year's dinner menu. We will be meeting at two or three houses for appetizers, the main course, desserts, and fun! This is always an evening of good food and great fellowship! As usual we are planning to have a “White Elephant” gift event, so please bring a white elephant gift with you.  Please sign up on the bulletin board in the back of church today!  If you have any questions speak with Nicole Burkhardt.

 

 

You Are Cordially Invited to attend the Installation Service for Pastor Jeffrey S. Mittelstadt at Christ Ev. Lutheran Church, 2475 17th Avenue E in North St. Paul, Minnesota. The service will be held next Sunday, January 28th, at 4:00pm. Pastor Mittelstadt is a 1993 graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and comes to us after serving for 13 years at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Maumee, Ohio. Following the 4:00pm Installation Service, a reception and dinner will be served. Please join us as we rejoice and welcome this new shepherd of God's flock.

 

 

Calling All Men, Women, and Families:  We are currently looking for ushers for 2007. The usher schedule is put together as a rotating schedule with five groups serving on the corresponding four or five Sundays of the month (the group that serves for the fifth Sunday also ushers for holiday and Lenten services). All members of Mt. Olive are welcome. If you have not served as an usher before please consider it. Sign up today on the narthex bulletin board!

 

 

 

Jack Pearson, Minnesota Musician/Storyteller, will be performing for children of all ages at St. John Lutheran Church, 765 Margaret St, St. Paul, on Wednesday, January 31st at 10:00am in the Fellowship Hall of church.  Jack is well-know in schools, churches and camps in the Upper Midwest and around the country and his recordings for kids have won national awards.  Those of you who may have heard Jack will remember his engaging style of music and storytelling, and first-timers are in for a real treat!  His fiddle, banjo and guitar will have the children all tapping and singing along in no time.  Rumor has it that he’s even promised to bring his legendary…amplified toy box lid!  Don’t let your children miss this special time of faith, fun and fellowship!  Dear members of Mount Olive, you are all welcome to join us on Wednesday, January 31st at 10:00am.  There is no charge!  If you plan to join us, please park in the back parking lot of church and enter through those doors.  If you have any questions, please call the school office at 651.776.8861 and speak with Ellen Mueller.