St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church & School
410 Hwy NN West, Mukwonago, WI 53149
Pastor’s Study: 262-363-8627 School: 363-4999 Fax: 363-7383
Kieth Bernard Kuschel, pastor Home: 363-9193
James Schneck, principal - Home: 363-8228
email: WELS53149@hotmail.com
CHRIST’S LOVE, OUR CALLING
Seeking GOD with my TIME
Greeting: Our worship today as the family of God focuses on the theme, Christ’s Love and Our Calling. May Christ’s overwhelming love renew our hearts in our relationship with Him and move us to reflect that same love to family, to brothers & sisters in Christ, and to all others our lives touch.
INVOCATION AND OPENING SENTENCES
M: In the name of our Father in heaven who adopts us as his own children
And of the Son who clothes us with his righteousness and calls himself our brother
And of the Holy Spirit who makes us God’s family through faith.
C: Amen
M: How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!
C: And that is what we are!
M: Jesus declares, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry,”
C: “he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”
M: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.”
C: “To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.
M: The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come;
C: Whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.
Hymn: “I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say” (CW 338) CONFESSION/ABSOLUTION
P: We have come into the presence of our God, who created us to be like him without sin and blemish. He supplied us with a world full of wonder and desired that we experience the fullness of his love and the joy of his presence. But, fellow prodigal children of God, we have turned our backs on him and sought our pleasure elsewhere. We have not identified with his love by loving him with our whole heart, soul, and mind as he had intended. In so many ways we have preferred to follow the thinking of the world and the cravings of our self-centered heart rather than to trust and obey him. We too often build our decisions and responses around our own pleasure rather than using them to glorify God and serve others. Each of us can recognize where that self-centered attitude shows in our lives and can identify with the pain we have brought into our world. Together, let us confess our sins and humbly seek God’s mercy.
C: Father, I have sinned against you and am no longer worthy to be called your child. Have mercy on me according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”
P: God has not abandoned us as his children. He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities, but sent his Son to be our brother to live the perfect life we could not live. Because of Christ’s love he died once for all to become the atoning sacrifice for all sin. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Therefore, as a called servant of Christ and by his authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son X and of the Holy Spirit.
Anthem: Better is One Day – sung by Joyful Noise
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Almighty God and Father, dwelling in majesty and mystery, filling and renewing all creation by your eternal Spirit, and revealing your saving grace through our Lord Jesus Christ: Fill our minds with wisdom to grasp the mysteries of your love. Open our eyes to see the joys you have prepared for us that are far greater than anything we have yet experienced. And pour into our hearts a love for you that fills our whole being; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
FIRST LESSON – Isaiah 55:1-12
1 "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. 2 Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. 3 Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. 4 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander of the peoples. 5 Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations that do not know you will hasten to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor."
6 Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. 8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. 9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. 12 You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
Anthem: Amazing Grace
GOSPEL – Luke 10:38-43
38As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. 40But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"
41"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
Sermon Hymn “Word of God, When All Was Silent” (CWS 751)
SERMON – Ephesians 3:14-21
14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Nicene Creed, front of hymnal, pg 31
Thankoffering & Friendship RegisterThe members of St. John have joined together to do the Lord’s work in this area & around the world. Visitors need not feel obligated to participate in this offering which supports our church’s ministry. However, please sign and fill in the information requested in the friendship register and pass the booklet to the end of the row.
Sing 489:2 as the offering is brought forward
Responsive Prayer, Front of hymnal, Page 32
Lord’s Prayer; Continue page 33 in front of hymnal
Distribution of Lord’s Supper to the members of St. John’s & other WELS or ELS congregations who by their membership have indicated they are qualified to examine themselves (1 Cor 11:27-29) & to express oneness in faith ( 1 Cor 10:17). If you are a guest today & haven’t yet had the chance to express your agreement with us & would like to receive the Lord’s Supper together with us in the future, please speak with Pastor after worship or during the week. We would be delighted to help you come to appreciate a “close” relationship with your Lord, with us and with our congregation.
“One Thing’s Needful” (CW 290) during distribution
Continue page 36
Closing Hymn “ Savior, I Follow On” (CW 473)
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