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 Fourth Sunday After The Epiphany

 

January 28, 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! 

 

 

 

Assisting Us In Worship This Morning

 

Lee & Linda Petersen, greeters

Kevin Marschel, head usher

Nicole Burkhardt, organist

 

 

 

We Gather To Worship The Lord

 

Order of Service:        Morning Praise, page 45, front of the hymnal

Hymns:                     *            490        498        495

Anthem:                    “The Gift of Love” (soloist, Liberty Belter)

Message:                  I Corinthians 12:27-13:13

                                The Most Excellent Way”

 

OLD TESTAMENT LESSON             Jeremiah 1:4-10

 

The word of the Lord came to me, saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

"Ah, Sovereign Lord," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child."  But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.  Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the Lord.

Then the Lord reached out His hand and touched my mouth and said to me, "Now, I have put My words in your mouth.  See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant."

 

EPISTLE LESSON              I Corinthians 12:27-13:13

 

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.  And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.  Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?  Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?  But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.  For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.  Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

 

GOSPEL                                                                                                                Luke 4:20-32

 

Then Jesus 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."  All spoke well of Him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from His lips. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked.

Jesus said to them, "Surely you will quote this proverb to Me: 'Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.'"

"I tell you the truth," He continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown.  I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land.  Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon.  And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed-- only Naaman the Syrian."

All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this.  They got up, drove Him out of the town, and took Him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw Him down the cliff.  But He walked right through the crowd and went on His way.  Then He went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people.  They were amazed at His teaching, because His message had authority.

 

 

 

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 & Limb Leaders’ Meeting

                             10:30am        Education Hour

                               4:00pm        Installation/Pastor Jeff Mittelstadt/Christ Lutheran, NSP

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

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        Choir Rehearsal

Wednesday:          5:30pm        Confirmation Class

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

                             12:00pm        Women’s Guild

Next Sunday:       9:00am        Family Worship Service

                             10:30am        Education Hour

                             11:45pm        Outreach Committee Meeting

                               2:30pm        Mid-Winter Band Concert/SCLHS

 

 

 

 

You Are Cordially Invited to attend the Installation Service for Pastor Jeffrey Mittelstadt this afternoon at Christ Lutheran Church in North St. Paul.  Following the 4:00pm Installation Service, a reception and dinner will be served.

 

Calling All Men, Women, and Families:  We are currently looking for ushers for 2007. 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, this Wednesday, January 31st at 10:00am in the Fellowship Hall of church.  Jack is well known in schools, churches and camps in the Upper Midwest and around the country and his recordings for kids have won national awards.  Don’t let your children miss this special time of faith, fun and fellowship!  There is no charge!  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.