What Is the Purpose of Misery?

Peace Lutheran Church 2090 Commerce Drive

North Mankato, MN 56003

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Peace Lutheran Church Evangelical Lutheran Synod

“Serving Christ with united hearts and hands and voices”

Pastor Timothy Hartwig Jesus Lambs’ at Peace Preschool Church Office: 507-385-1386 Teacher/Director: Joslyn Moldstad

Cell Phone: 507-382-6826 Phone: 507-385-7752 Email: pastorhartwig@gmail.com

Divine Service Sunday – 9:00 AM & Wednesday – 6:30 PM

June 29, 2014 Third Sunday after Pentecost

Welcome to Peace! – The purpose of our congregation is to worship God, who gives life through Word and Sacrament; to serve one another in love and fellowship; and to proclaim forgiveness and salvation to all through Jesus Christ alone.

Before Worship As you prepare to worship your Lord today, spend a few quiet minutes in prayer before the service. Review the lessons, the service notes, and pray this prayer:

Prayer of the Day

O God, the strength of all who trust in You, mercifully hear our prayers. Be gracious to us in our weakness and give us strength to keep Your commandments in all we say and do; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

For the Children

A Cry-Room is available if your little ones need a moment. It is the first room on the left as you walk into the church building. Sound and video are piped into the room to enable you to hear and see the service.

Facilities

Restrooms are located down the hall and on the right side.

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The Divine Service Rite 1, p. 41

Opening Prayer

P: O Lord, our Maker, Redeemer, and Comforter, we are assembled in Your presence to hear Your holy Word. We pray You to open our hearts by Your Holy Spirit, that through the preaching of Your Word we may be taught to repent of our sins, to believe on Jesus in life and death, and to grow day by day in grace and holiness. Hear us for Christ’s sake. Amen.

Hymn #20, “Holy Ghost, Dispel Our Sadness”

The Confession of Sin

P: Let us bow before the Lord and confess our sins. Almighty God, our Maker and Redeemer, we poor sinners confess unto You that we

are by nature sinful and unclean, and that we have sinned against You by thought, word and deed. Therefore we flee for refuge to Your infinite mercy, seeking and imploring Your grace, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.

C: O most merciful God, You have given Your only-begotten Son to die for us: have mercy upon us, and for His sake grant us remission of all our sins; and by Your Holy Spirit increase in us a true knowledge of You, and of Your will and true obedience to Your Word, to the end that by Your grace we may come to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

The Kyrie Eleison (Lord, have mercy)

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The Absolution

P: Lift up your hearts unto God! Almighty God, our heavenly Father, has had mercy upon us, and has given His only

Son to die for us, and for His sake forgives us all our sins. To all who believe on His name He gives power to become the children of God, and has promised them His Holy Spirit. He who believes and is baptized will be saved. Grant this, Lord, unto us all. Amen.

The Gloria in Excelsis Deo (Glory to God in the Highest) P: Glory be to God in the highest.

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The Salutation

The Collect

P: Let us pray…one God, now and forever.

The Lesson – Hosea 5:15-6:6 15Then I will go back to my place until they admit their guilt. And they will seek my face; in their misery they will earnestly seek me." 6:1"Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. 2After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. 3Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains,

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like the spring rains that water the earth." 4"What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears. 5Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets, I killed you with the words of my mouth; my judgments flashed like lightning upon you. 6For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.

The Epistle – Romans 4:18-25 18Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many

nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 19Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead-- since he was about a hundred years old-- and that Sarah's womb was also dead. 20Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." 23The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, 24but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness-- for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

The Holy Gospel – Matthew 9:9-13

P: The Holy Gospel for the Third Sunday after Pentecost is written in the 9th chapter of the Gospel according to St. Matthew, beginning at the 9th verse.

9As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

10While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"

12On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

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The Creed

P: Let us confess our holy faith in the words of the Apostles’ Creed:

C: I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And 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 shall 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.

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Hymn #258:1-4, “Lord Jesus Christ, My Savior Blest”

The Sermon – Hosea 5:15- 6:6 What Is the Purpose of Misery?

P: The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto everlasting life. Amen.

The Prayer of the Church

P: Everlasting and merciful God, we beseech You in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ:

C: To have mercy upon us and to hear our prayer.

P: Look in mercy upon Your Church. Protect it and sanctify it by Your truth. May Your Word be taught in its purity and Your Sacraments be rightly administered. Grant unto Your Church faithful pastors who shall declare Your truth with power and shall live according to Your will. Send forth laborers into Your harvest and open the door of faith unto all unbelievers and unto the people of Israel. In mercy remember the enemies of Your Church and grant to them repentance unto life.

C: O God, in the multitude of Your mercy, hear us in the truth of Your salvation.

P: Let Your protecting hand be over our country and over all who travel. Prosper what is good among us and bring to naught every evil counsel and purpose. Protect and bless Your servants, the President of the United States, the Governor of this state, our judges and magistrates and all in authority. Fit them for their high calling by the gift of Your Spirit of wisdom and fear, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

C: Hear, O Lord, and have mercy! Lord be our helper.

P: According to Your promise, O God, be the defender of the widow and the father of the orphan. Relieve and comfort the sick and the sorrowful (especially our brother/sister ________ who is ill/grieving). Graciously help those who are assaulted by the devil and who are in peril of death. Be the strength of those who are suffering for the sake of Christ’s holy name. Grant that we may live together in peace and prosperity. Bestow upon us good and seasonable weather; and bless us with upright Christian counsel in all that we undertake.

C: O Lord, be with all in trouble. Hear their prayers to the honor of Your Name.

P: We especially commend to Your care and keeping this Your congregation which You have bought with a great price. Keep from us all offenses and bind us together in the unity of Your holy love. Grant that the little ones who are baptized in Your name may be brought up in Your fear. At Your table give to those who there commune with You peace and life everlasting.

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C: Let all rejoice who trust in You; let them shout for joy because You defend them.

P: Be merciful, O God, to all, according to Your great love in Christ Jesus, our Lord. When our final hour shall come, grant us a blessed departure from this world, and on the last day, a resurrection to Your glory.

C: Amen. Grant us Your peace, O Lord!

The Lord’s Prayer

C: 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.

The Apostolic Benediction

P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

The Offering

The members of Peace Lutheran Congregation have joined together to do the Lord’s work in this community and around the world. Visitors need not feel obligated to participate in this offering which supports our ministry.

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use,

it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:38 NIV) Please fill out the Friendship Register.

Hymn #258:5-7, “Lord Jesus Christ, My Savior Blest”

The Collect

P: Let us give thanks and pray:

We thank You, Lord God the Father, that You have given Your only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. We thank You, Lord Jesus Christ, that You have borne in Your sacred body all our sins, and by Your blood have blotted out all our transgressions. We thank You, Lord, the Holy Spirit, that You have created in our hearts true faith, that we know of nothing to trust for our salvation, except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. O God, grant us Your grace, that we may perfectly believe that all our sins are forgiven for the sake of the passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ, and so enlighten us by Your Holy Spirit, that, in the power of our Redeemer’s death, we may day by day put off sin, and

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never forsake the Lord Jesus Christ, until we see Him face to face in life eternal. We ask it all in Christ’s name.

The Benediction

P: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.

The Closing Hymn #595, “Peace to Soothe Our Bitter Woes”

The Closing Prayer

P: O Lord, we render unto You our heartfelt thanks that You have taught us what You would have us believe and do. Help us, O God, by Your Holy Spirit, for the sake of Jesus Christ, to keep Your Word in pure hearts, that we thereby may be strengthened in faith, perfected in holiness, and comforted in life and death. Amen.

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Thank you to those who served in our service today: Organist: Amanda Madson; The ushers; Cover artwork: Don Moldstad.

To God be the Glory!

Announcements Annual Voters Meeting is next Sunday, June 29, after the worship service. Voters please plan on attending. Church budget, election of church officers and membership ratification are some of the items to be discussed.

Softball season is here! They play a double-header tomorrow evening at Caswell Park, North Mankato, on field 3 @ 6:15pm & 7:15pm. They won last week and their record now is 7-1. GO TEAM! There are copies of the NEW REVISED season’s softball schedule on the bulletin board if you would like to

have one. Please come, cheer on our team, and enjoy a fun fellowship opportunity!

Are you unable to care for your feet? Your church home is offering a service to help you care for your feet and toenails. By appointment, a registered nurse, using sanitary equipment, will soak and wash your feet, trim toenails, and finish with a lotion foot massage. If the nurse feels

further medical attention is needed, she may suggest an appointment with your health care provider. This service is free; however, donations will be accepted to go to a church cause. For more information, or to set up an appointment, please call Amy Jo Reiner at 507-340-2061.

To watch our worship services live Sunday mornings at 9:00am (summer), go to: www.els.name/streaming or www.facebook.com/peacemankato. The service will start automatically when it is live. For recorded worship services or just the recorded sermons, go to: www.vimeo.com/peacemankato and you can choose which service you wish to watch. Last week at Peace: Divine Worship 170

"I Don't Know What to Say!" - Encouraging & Engaging Those with Emotional & Mental Struggles. A special summer study series is being put on by Mt. Olive Lutheran Church. Held at 11am on the 2nd & 4th Sundays of June, July, & August, these workshops are designed to provide Scriptural & practical help for those who are hurting & for those seeking to help the hurting. There will be special guest speakers & participants who are experts in the field - Refreshments will be provided - Child care will also be provided so parents of young children can attend! Please Join Us! Invite & Encourage Others to Join Us as Well!