The Texts for the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

 

The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

Prelude, Welcome, and Information Hymn #520  Dearest Jesus, At Your Word

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And also with you. Psalm: Psalm 15 O Lord, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill? Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart; who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach against their neighbors; in whose eyes the wicked are despised, but who honor those who fear the Lord; who stand by their oath even to their hurt; who do not lend money at interest, and do not take a bribe against the innocent. Those who do these things shall never be moved.

The Lord be with you.       And also with you. Let us pray. Holy God, you confound the world’s wisdom in giving your kingdom to the lowly and the pure in heart. Give us such a hunger and thirst for justice, and perseverance in striving for peace, that in our words and deeds the world may see the life of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Reading:  Micah 6:1-8

A reading from the prophet Micah

Hear what the Lord says: Rise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. Hear, you mountains, the controversy of the Lord, and you enduring foundations of the earth; for the Lord has a controversy with his people, and he will contend with Israel. “O my people, what have I done to you? In what have I wearied you? Answer me! For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and redeemed you from the house of slavery; and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised, what Balaam son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the saving acts of the Lord.”

“With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

The Word of the Lord

Reading:  1 Corinthians 1:18-31

A reading from the first letter to the Corinthians

For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

The Word of the Lord.

Gospel Verse: 

Alleluia! Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. Alleluia!  (Matt. 5:12)                               

Gospel Reading:  Matthew 5:1-12

A reading from the Gospel of Matthew

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,

  for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

  for they will be filled. 

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 

“Blessed are the peacemakers,

  for they will be called children of God. 

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,

  for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.   Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon (added at the end of the document)

Hymn #728  Blest Are They

Thanks and Offertory

Prayers of the Church:  

God of all nations and peoples, you call the poor in spirit blessed. Hear our prayers this day for the world, the church, and for all people according to their needs and grant us your blessing.

Comfort all who mourn and satisfy all who hunger and thirst for righteousness, we pray... Lord, in your mercy,   Hear our prayer.

Uphold the merciful and all who depend on you as all of us look to receiving your mercy, we pray... Lord, in your mercy,   Hear our prayer.

Bring your kingdom of peace and justice to its fullness, we pray... Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

Purify our hearts as we continue to follow Jesus, we pray... Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

You call all peacemakers blessed, so grant peace to Ukraine, Russia, Iran, and Afghanistan, and to all who suffer the terrors and dangers of war anywhere, we pray… Lord, in your mercy,   Hear our prayer.

Grant healing, peace, and grace to all those struggling with the COVID-19 virus, the seasonal “flu”, and the RSV virus and to all who work for healing in any way, we pray... Lord, in your mercy,   Hear our prayer.

We rejoice and are glad in our calling to follow Jesus. Continue to bless all who serve in the name of your Son, especially National Bishop Susan Johnson, the bishop's associates, and the ELCIC support staff, we pray... Lord, in your mercy,   Hear our prayer.

Hear the prayers of our hearts for those we care for and for those who have asked for our prayers … * … we pray…  Lord, in your mercy,   Hear our prayer.      {*Gail Mauer, Deb Kirschner, Rose Gotzmeister, Rick Cerna}

In all things, good God, help us to do justice, love kindness, and to walk humbly with you. Grant then what is best for us as we pray in the name of Jesus.     Amen.

Hymn #781  Children of the Heavenly Father

The Lord’s Prayer

Finally let us pray for all things as our Lord would have us ask:

Our Father, who art in heaven,

    hallowed be thy name,

    thy kingdom come,

    thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread;

    and forgive us our trespasses,

      as we forgive those who trespass against us;

    and lead us not into temptation,

       but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power,

         and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Closing prayer

O God of justice and love, we give thanks to you that you illumine our way through life with the words of your Son. Give us the light we need, awaken us to the needs of others, and at the end bring all the world to your feast; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory forever.  Amen.

Benediction & Sending

May the Lord bless us and keep us.

May the Lord’s face shine upon us with grace and mercy.

May the Lord look upon us with favor and X give us peace.

Amen.

Hymn #551  The Spirit Sends Us Forth to Serve

Go in peace. Serve the Lord.   Thanks be to God.

W

Upcoming Services for February:              (All services begin at 11:00am) February 5    Holy Communion at St. John’s (Epiphany V) February 12  YouTube (Epiphany VI) February 19  Holy Communion at St. John’s (Epiphany VII) February 22  YouTube (Ash Wednesday) February 26  YouTube (Lent I)

 

For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified

·        There are Sundays when there is a wealth of things to preach on, an embarrassment of riches as it were.… This, however, is Good news all around for us!

·        Look at what the prophet Micah says -- what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God. So much could be said about this.

·        Now take Paul’s letter -- For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. That sounds like a real basis for hope to me.

·        And then there’s Matthew’s Gospel and his telling of the Beatitudes -- Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Only Luke and Matthew have a telling of the Beatitudes given by Jesus and they are not exactly the same. They do tell us that the Gospel teachings of the Beatitudes contrast human nature with Christian principles. We know right off that what we call “the Beatitudes” are not how people often work and live.

·        All three readings turn everything upside-down. It is not strength or morality that saves, nor it is it ritual purity or proper worship. It is not human wisdom or wealth or power that saves. Any of these things might be good, yet any of these things could be corrupted. “Might makes right.” the human saying goes. Forming a “pure” nation could lead to the persecution, exile, or even the liquidation of any minority you might think of. We all know that this has happened in history, ancient and recent.

·        Wisdom and secret knowledge might lead to attitudes of entitlement and superiority. Such things can be a garden of elitism, leading to the dismissal of anyone not part of the “in group.” And that sort of group usually only gets smaller and even more exclusive.

·        Wisdom, signs, morality, knowledge, ritual purity, and power are all well and good. They mean a lot to human society. However, they are not grace. It is grace and the action of God that saves. Our cooperation is not a requirement for grace to be given to us. If grace requires our cooperation, it is not grace. Once grace is there, then we get on with the walking humbly with our God, with being poor in spirit, and with accepting the foolishness of God. All of that is based on grace.

·        The sign of God’s grace among us will always be the cross and Christ crucified. That sign turns everything upside-down. Because of that, it is the sign of God’s grace among us. Were we to depend on our own actions, they could lead to boasting or corruption. As Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians: For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast.  (Eph. 2:8-9)

·        What Jesus did in his crucifixion takes us beyond boasting, self-reliance, or self-sufficiency. All we are before God is a matter of grace. In that grace, there is no room for arrogance or corrupt motives. It is all a gift from God. It is grace that blesses the poor and the peacemaker. It is grace that lets us know what the Lord requires of us. It is grace that brings true wisdom out of foolishness and real strength out of weakness.

·        We are what we are by the grace of God. And even our actions to help others and raise them up, what can we say but “Thank

Church Calendar Updates & Information

 

Here are a number of updates to the Church calendar and further information, based on the Congregational Council meeting of 25 January.

• All in-person services will be celebrated in the Church sanctuary. The experiment of using Saxonia Hall for one service a month to accommodate those with mobility difficulties was a good one but it made no real difference in attendance.
• The Service for Ash Wednesday (22 February) will be a YouTube Service.
• The Service on 26 February will be a YouTube Service.
• No Services will be held for either Maundy Thursday (6 April) and the Vigil of Easter. (Saturday, 8 April) The Service for Easter Sunday will be celebrated at the usual time - 11:00am.

Upcoming Services for February: (All services begin at 11:00am)

  February 5    Holy Communion at St. John’s (Epiphany V)

  February 12  YouTube (Epiphany VI)

  February 19  Holy Communion at St. John’s (Epiphany VII)

  February 22  YouTube (Ash Wednesday)

   February 26  YouTube (Lent I)

The Invitation to Sunday's Service of Word & Prayer - 29 January 2023

 

Good Morning!

This Sunday, 29 January 2023, is the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany. A Service of Word & Prayer will be celebrated on YouTube at 11:00am that day.

Here is the link to that YouTube site: The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

I hope you will join this time of prayer.

Pr. John

Upcoming Services for February:

             (All services begin at 11:00am)

February 5    Holy Communion at St. John’s (Epiphany V)

February 12  YouTube (Epiphany VI)

February 19  Holy Communion at St. John’s (Epiphany VII)

February 22  Holy Communion at St. John’s (Ash Wednesday*)

        (* Time to be announced)

February 26   Holy Communion at St. John’s (Lent I)

The YouTube Video of Sunday's Service of Holy Communion

 

Good day!

The YouTube video of Sunday's service for the Third Sunday after Epiphany is up and posted.

Here is the Link: Epiphany III at St. John's

This coming Sunday - 29 January - will be a service on YouTube at 11:00am

Pastor John

The Third Sunday after Epiphany --- 22 January 2023

 

This Sunday, 22 January 2023, is the Third Sunday after Epiphany. We will celebrate a Service of Holy Communion that day in the church's sanctuary at 11:00am

I hope to see you there.

Pastor John

Upcoming Services for  January and February:

             (All services begin at 11:00am)

January 29   YouTube (Epiphany  IV)

February 5    Holy Communion at St. John’s (Epiphany V)

February 12  YouTube (Epiphany VI)

February 19  Holy Communion at St. John’s (Epiphany VII)

February 22  Holy Communion at St. John’s

          (Ash Wednesday - Time to be announced)

February 26   Holy Communion at St. John’s (Lent I)

The Text of Sunday's YouTube Service -- 15 January 2023

 

The Second Sunday after Epiphany

Prelude, Welcome, and Information Hymn #308  O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And also with you. Psalm: Psalm 40:1-11 I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord. Happy are those who make the Lord their trust, who do not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after false gods. You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you.  Were I to proclaim and tell of them, they would be more than can be counted. Sacrifice and offering you do not desire, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. Then I said, “Here I am; in the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; see, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O Lord. I have not hidden your saving help within my heart, I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation. Do not, O Lord, withhold your mercy from me; let your steadfast love and your faithfulness keep me safe forever.

The Lord be with you.       And also with you. Let us pray. Holy God, our strength and our redeemer by your Spirit hold us forever, that through your grace we may worship you and faithfully serve you, follow you and joyfully find you, through Jesus Christ our Lord, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Reading:  Isaiah 49:1-7

A reading from the prophet Isaiah

Listen to me, O coastlands, pay attention, you peoples from far away! The Lord called me before I was born, while I was in my mother’s womb he named me. He made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me away. And he said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” But I said, “I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my cause is with the Lord, and my reward with my God.” And now the Lord says, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honored in the sight of the Lord, and my God has become my strength— he says, “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, the slave of rulers, “Kings shall see and stand up, princes, and they shall prostrate themselves, because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

The Word of the Lord

Reading:  1 Corinthians 1:1-9

A reading from the first letter to the Corinthians

Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you— so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Word of the Lord.

Gospel Verse: 

Alleluia! In the Word was life, and the life was the light of all people. Alleluia!  (John 1:4)                               

Gospel Reading:  John 1:29-42

A reading from the Gospel of John

The next day (John) saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.” The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”

The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

This is the Gospel of the Lord.   Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon (added at the end of the document)

Hymn #311  Hail to the Lord’s Anointed

Thanks and Offertory

Prayers of the Church:  

Gracious God, when we are together, we always gather to “come and see.” Let us see your mercy and care as we pray for the world, the church, and for all people according to their needs.

As you sent Jesus to be the Lamb of God, help us to be your people in every way, we pray... Lord, in your mercy,   Hear our prayer.

As you sent Jesus to be the Son of God, increase our faith and help us to live that faith out in our actions, we pray... Lord, in your mercy,   Hear our prayer.

As you sent Jesus as our eternal rabbi, bless us with an understanding of what you have done for us through him, we pray... Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

As you sent Jesus to be the Messiah, anointed for your mission of salvation, help us to be grateful and willing to share what we have received from you, we pray... Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

As you sent Jesus to be the Prince of Peace, grant peace to Ukraine, Russia, Iran, and Afghanistan, and to all who suffer the terrors and dangers of war anywhere, we pray… Lord, in your mercy,   Hear our prayer.

As you sent Jesus to be our healer, grant healing to all those struggling with the COVID-19 virus, the seasonal “flu”, and the RSV virus as well as all who work for healing in any way, we pray... Lord, in your mercy,   Hear our prayer.

As you sent Jesus to call us all to "come and see", bless all who serve in the name of your Son, especially Peace Christian Church, a Lutheran Fellowship in Chatham, and their interim pastor, Pastor Paul Sodtke, we pray... Lord in your mercy,   Hear our prayer.

As you sent Jesus to be so much in all our lives, hear our silent prayers for those we care for and for those who have asked for our prayers … * … we pray…  Lord, in your mercy,   Hear our prayer.      {*Gail Mauer, Deb Kirschner, Rose Gotzmeister}

Gracious God, we know you hear our prayers. Grant what is best for us as we pray in the name of Jesus.     Amen.

Hymn #574  Here I Am, Lord

The Lord’s Prayer

Finally let us pray for all things as our Lord would have us ask:

Our Father, who art in heaven,

    hallowed be thy name,

    thy kingdom come,

    thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread;

    and forgive us our trespasses,

      as we forgive those who trespass against us;

    and lead us not into temptation,

       but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power,

         and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

Closing prayer

O God of justice and love, we give thanks to you that you illumine our way through life with the words of your Son. Give us the light we need, awaken us to the needs of others, and at the end bring all the world to your feast; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory forever.  Amen.

Benediction & Sending

May the Lord bless us and keep us.

May the Lord’s face shine upon us with grace and mercy.

May the Lord look upon us with favor and X give us peace.

Amen.

Hymn #715  Christ, Be Our Light

Go in peace. Serve the Lord.   Thanks be to God.

W

Upcoming Services for the rest of January and for February:              (All services begin at 11:00am) January 22   Holy Communion at St. John's  (Epiphany III) January 29   YouTube (Epiphany  IV) February 5    Holy Communion at St. John’s (Epiphany V) February 12  YouTube (Epiphany VI) February 19  Holy Communion at St. John’s (Epiphany VII) February 22  Holy Communion at St. John’s (Ash Wednesday*)         (* Time to be announced) February 26   Holy Communion at St. John’s (Lent I)

What are you looking for?... Come and see.

·        At this point in John’s Gospel, Jesus has just received John’s baptism in the Jordan River. From there on, the narrative is full of titles given to Jesus by either John or one or the other of the two disciples who follow him. Despite the human ‘wisdom’ on titles, in Scripture, titles are important. They carry weight and reveal a depth of meaning.

·        These titles include “Lamb of God”, “Son of God”, “Rabbi”, and “Messiah”. There are other titles such as “the Son of Man”. Calling Jesus “the Christ” is simply calling him “Messiah” since it’s the same word in two different languages.

·        John calls Jesus the “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” as Jesus comes toward him. He goes on to explain how he comes to use this title.

·        We all can remember the Paschal Lamb and the blood smeared on the door posts of the Hebrews at Passover to show the Angel of Death that the household should be “passed over.” The blood of that lamb says more than the blood of a lamb offered in sacrifice at the temple. The blood of the Lamb of God indicates the people of God and is tied to salvation and the freedom of the people from oppression and slavery. In Jesus’ case, the oppression and slavery come from sin and it is he who takes away the sin of the world.

·        John later calls Jesus the Son of God, telling all around him that the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.” This was not something John made up; it was revealed to him as part of his prophetic ministry and with what he had seen, he had to use this title.

·        Two of John’s disciples, one of whom was Andrew, began to follow Jesus as he walked on. Jesus asked them What are you looking for? They responded Rabbi… where you staying? This seems to be an odd answer, but with the use of the title “Rabbi”, it makes sense. What they are saying means they want to be where he is so they can learn from him as a teacher. A rabbi is more than a school teacher or instructor. A rabbi is a teacher of the Law, a scholar, and a religious leader, familiar with the ways of God. A rabbi’s teaching, while respected, are often disputed and rabbinical dialogues are known for subtlety and depth. (In the musical, “Fiddler on the Roof”, in the song “If I Were a Rich Man”, the main character speaks of the advice he’d give - if he were rich - to wisdom seekers “Posing problems that would cross a rabbi’s eyes!”) To call Jesus “rabbi” places him in a special place in Jewish society.

·        Lastly, Andrew tells his brother, Simon “We have found the Messiah” (“Messiah” is translated as “Christ” in Greek.) Andrew declares Jesus to be the one anointed by God for a special purpose. The coming of the Messiah was longed for by in the Jewish society of the time. In those days in a like manner, kings, prophets, and priests were anointed since they had a special place in the society. Andrew subsequently brings Simon to Jesus and Jesus changes the man’s name to ‘Peter.’ Peter’s life is now changed since a new name means a new life.

·        The titles of Jesus given here identify him and his mission without elevating him beyond everyone else and making him unapproachable. He says Come and see. All the disciples are invited to follow, to see, and to learn and the rest of the Gospel provides us with an ever deeper insight into who Jesus is if only we Come and see.