Mt. Olive Ev. Lutheran Church

 

www.mtolive-wels.net

 

1460 Almond Avenue

St. Paul, Minnesota  55108

 

651.645.2575

 

A Praying Church

 

Carl R. Henkel, pastor

651.631.8625

carl.henkel@juno.com

 

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION SUNDAY
March 30, 2008    9:00am

 

Thank You for sharing this time of worship with us. Do come again!  If you do not have a local church home, we invite you to make your home with us.  You will find Christian love, opportunities for spiritual growth, warm friendships, and an appreciation of being part of God’s family. Visitors:  Please include your email address in the Friendship Register information.  Thanks!

 

Today’s Altar Flowers are given by Mildred Rilling in loving memory of her parents and in honor of her 80th birthday (today, March 30).  Happy Birthday, Mildred!  Mildred would also like you to join her for a piece of birthday cake after this morning’s worship service.  All welcome!

 

Please Don’t Rush Off After The Worship Service!  Stick around for some birthday cake and a little conversation.  Sunday School and Youth and Adult Education Hour begin at 10:30.  Don’t forget the Potluck Dinner at 11:45!  Then at 1:00pm, we begin the running of the Mt. Olive Minute!  We hope you are able to stay!

 

 

Assisting Us In Worship This Morning

 

John, Susan, & Karl Mueller, greeters

Nicole Burkhardt, organ and Clavinova

Marcia Schuyler, clarinet ~ Julian Plamann, soloist

Nicole Burkhardt, Josh Metcalfe, & Susan Mueller, guitars

 

 

We Gather To Worship The Lord

 

WORDS OF WELCOME

 

As we today observe Christian Education Sunday, we are reminded that whether you are a child or an adult, it is absolutely necessary that if we are to grow in our faith (which is worth more than gold!), we dare not separate ourselves from the Word of God.  In Christian Education, the Bible is not a “textbook” but our life source.  In the Bible we meet the Living Word, our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

FOCUSING ON OUR WORSHIP OF JESUS                                             “My Jesus, I Love Thee”

 

My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine;
For Thee all the follies of sin I resign.
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

 

I love Thee because Thou has first loved me,
And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree.
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

 

I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,
And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;
And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow,
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

 

FIXING OUR EYES ON JESUS                                                                   “You Are My All In All”

 

You are my strength when I am weak,
You are the treasure that I seek,
You are my all in all.
Seeking You as a precious jewel,
Lord to give up I'd be a fool,
You are my all in all.

 

Jesus, Lamb of God - worthy is Your name.
Jesus, Lamb of God - worthy is Your name.

 

Taking my sin, my cross, my shame,
Rising again, I bless Your name,
You are my all in all.
When I fall down, You pick me up,
When I am dry You fill my cup,
You are my all in all.

 

Jesus, Lamb of God - worthy is Your name.
(Repeat seven times.)

INVOCATION

 

Pastor:        In the name of the Father,

People:      who loves us with an unconditional love.

 

Pastor:        In the name of the Son,

People:      who gave His life on the cross and rose again from the dead that we might live.

 

Pastor:        In the name of the Holy Spirit,

People:      who brings us to faith and reveals to us in His Word the riches of Christ.

All:             Amen.

 

ANTHEM                                                                                          page 336, Praise Songbook

 

“The Word”

 

CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION

 

Pastor:        If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?

People:      But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.

 

Pastor:        Lord, have mercy on us.

People:      Christ, have mercy on us.

 

Pastor:        Lord, have mercy on us,

People:      and forgive all our sins.

 

Pastor:        God has had mercy on us, and for the sake of Jesus Christ, He has answered our prayer for mercy.  At the command and promise of our Lord Jesus Christ, I, as a called and ordained servant of the Word forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

People:      Thank You, Lord!  Amen.

 

FIRST LESSON                                                                                               Acts 2:14a, 22-32

 

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "...Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a Man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know. This Man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross. But God raised Him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him. David said about Him: "'I saw the Lord always before Me. Because He is at My right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore My heart is glad and My tongue rejoices; My body also will live in hope, because You will not abandon Me to the grave, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay. You have made known to Me the paths of life; You will fill Me with joy in Your presence.'

"Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that He would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was not abandoned to the grave, nor did His body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.

 

ANTHEM                                                                                                       “Lord of the Dance”

 

I danced in the morning when the world was begun,
And I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun,
And I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth,
At Bethlehem I had My birth.

 

Refrain

Dance, then, wherever you may be;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said He.
And I’ll lead you all wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said He.

 

I danced for the scribe and the Pharisee,
But they would not dance and they would not follow Me;
I danced for the fishermen, for James and John;
They came to Me and the dance went on.

Refrain

 

I danced on the Sabbath when I cured the lame,
The holy people said it was a shame;
They whipped and they stripped and they hung Me high;
And they left Me there on a cross to die.

Refrain

 

(solo) I danced on a Friday and the sky turned black;
It’s hard to dance with the devil on your back;
They buried My body and they thought I’d gone,
But I am the dance and I still go on.

Refrain

 

(solo) They cut Me down and I leapt up high,
I am the life that’ll never, never die;
I’ll live in you if you’ll live in Me;
I am the Lord of the Dance, said He.

Refrain

Refrain

 

 

EPISTLE LESSON                                                                                                  I Peter 1:3-9

 

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-- kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

 

CHILDREN’S ANTHEM                                                                       “Come, Holy Spirit, Come!”

 

 

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.

 

ANTHEM                                                                                      pages 12-13, Praise Songbook

“The Angel Rolled the Stone Away”

 

APOSTLES’ CREED

 

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

         maker of heaven and earth.

 

I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,

         who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

         born of the Virgin Mary,

         suffered under Pontius Pilate,

         was crucified, died and was buried.

      He descended into hell.

      The third day He rose again from the dead.

      He ascended into heaven

         and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.

      From there He will come to judge the living and the dead.

 

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

         the holy Christian Church - the communion of saints,

         the forgiveness of sins,

         the resurrection of the body,

         and the life everlasting. Amen.

 

ANTHEM                                                                                      pages 68-69, Praise Songbook

 

“Father Welcomes All His Children”

 

MESSAGE                                                                                                                 I Peter 1:7

“Of Greater Worth Than Gold”

 

GATHERING OF THE OFFERINGS

 

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

 

Pastor:        In peace let us pray to the Lord:

O Lord, we give You thanks that You have called us to faith in Christ Jesus by the Gospel.

People:      Continue to strengthen our faith by the working of Your Spirit. 

 

Pastor:        We confess, Almighty God, that too many times we try to understand You rather than trust in You.  For failing to trust You completely, we ask Your forgiveness. 

People:      Help us to trust You with child-like faith.  Help us to remember that You never asked us to understand You, but instead to trust You in all things.

 

Pastor:        Lord Jesus, You are the only way to the Father.  Give us lips and lives that proclaim You as the Way, the Truth, and the Life with others. 

People:      Use our voices to declare Your praises, who has called us out of darkness into Your marvelous light.

 

Pastor:        We pray today for those who are suffering in any way, those who are sick, in hospitals or nursing homes, and those terminally ill.  We ask that You would care for them as only You can.

People:      We don't understand why they are suffering, but instead - trust them to Your loving care.

 

Pastor:        We pray for our President and all who lead our country, our state, and our local governments.  Grant them wisdom to lead as You would have them to lead. 

People:      Be with them, heavenly Father, so their decisions might be pleasing in Your sight.

 

Pastor:        We ask that You would also be with those who serve in the Armed Forces.  Grant them a special measure of Your protection today as they defend our nation.

People:      We ask that You would be their shield and rear guard this day.

 

Pastor:        We also pray for those who lead our Synod - for President Schroeder, for our district president, and all who hold a synodical or district office.

People:      Give them Your Spirit to lead us in faithful and bold ways.

 

Pastor:        On this Christian Education Sunday, we pray that You would continue to bless our families as they eagerly study and share Your holy Word.

People:      Give us all a strong and courageous faith that boldly proclaims the truth and confidently stands on Your promises.

 

Pastor:        Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

People:      Amen.

 

LORD'S PRAYER

 

ANTHEM                                                                                    pages 34-35, Praise Songbook

 

Borning Cry”

 

CLOSING PRAYER AND BENEDICTION

 

CLOSING ANTHEM                                                                          page 213, Praise Songbook

 

“Now Let the Heavens Be Joyful”

 

 

 

 

Earthquake, angel, rolling stone;                        Mary stoops to look and hears

Guards in terror lying prone,                                Angels asking why her tears.

Daybreak, silence, rays of light;                          They have whisked my Lord away

Women walking into sight;                                  Where to find Him, can you say?”

Sent’nels leaving, have no choice;                       “Woman,” says a voice behind,

Brilliant vision, sudden voice:                               Sobs don’t mask what’s on her mind;

“Faithful women, do not fear,                               Gardner, tell me where to look

He is risen!  Look not here!                                 I will fetch whom you just took!”

See the place He laid His head,                          “Mary,” says the voice softly.

Now He lives, who once was dead!                      Quick she whirls, but can it be?

Tell His men and Peter, too,                                Yes, it’s Him, the once dead Lord!

Done is death for them and you.                          Thoughts and arms rush swiftly toward

Go from here to Galilee                                       Christ, her Teacher, who says, “No,

All will there His glory see!”                                 Don’t embrace me. I must go

Heav’nward.  Rather, loose your tongue

Tell disciples what God’s done!"

 

Dr. John Lawrenz, Hong Kong

 

 

 

This Week At Mt. Olive

 

Today:                 8:45am           Prayer Time in the Fireside Room – Everyone Invited!

                             9:00am           Family Worship – Christian Education Sunday

                           10:00am           Refreshments and Social Time

                           10:30am           Education Hour – Frank Peretti “The Chair”

                           11:45am           Potluck Dinner – All Welcome!

                             1:00pm           Mt. Olive Minute Pinewood Derby RaceCome and Cheer!

                             2:00pm           Mt. Olive Chinese Church Worship Service

                           3 & 7pm           Lent/Easter Concert at St. Croix Lutheran High School

Monday:              7:00pm           “Beautiful Feet” Bible Study

Wednesday:         5:30pm           Confirmation Class

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

                           12:00pm           Women’s Guild (Noon Meal Provided - Come and Enjoy!)

Friday:                 7:00pm           Movie Night

Next Sunday:      9:00am           Family Worship with Holy Communion

                             1:30pm           LWMS Spring Rally/Faith Lutheran, Prior Lake

                                                   (See Bulletin Board for Information)

 

 

April Senior Luncheon

DATE:       Tuesday, April 8th, 11:30am

WHERE:   St. John’s Lutheran Church

                 610 Broadway Street NE, Minneapolis

MENU:      Spring Brunch

COST:       Freewill Offering

Entertainment provided by Lori Ronchak playing the hammered dulcimer & piano.

 

You Are Invited to St. Croix’s 50th Anniversary Celebrate With Joy Worship Service on Sunday, April 13th at 3:00pm in the St. Croix Chapel.  Guest preacher is Rev. Mark Zarling, President of Martin Luther College.  Following the service you may choose to have refreshments in the commons or make reservations for the anniversary dinner in the gymnasium. Reservations can be made online at www.sclhs.org under 50th Anniversary Celebration Service (adults - $10; children 12 and under - $5) or call Pastor Bill Schaefer at 612-789-0100.

 

The SCLHS Drama Department presents Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic musical Oklahoma! Friday, April 25 – 7pm; Saturday, April 26 – 7pm; Sunday, April 27 – 2pm.  Reserved seating only. Tickets: $8 – adults; $6 – students/seniors.  Order tickets by calling 651-455-1521, x392, or stop in the school office.  This will be your last chance to see Senior Sarah Schuyler in a SCLHS production!