Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
A
Stephen Ministry Congregation
Our vision is to be
an expanding community of faith,
growing in the Holy Spirit,
and practicing before the world a
Christ centered life.
Missionaries:
All the people of God
Pastor: Ron
Schornhorst
Vicar:
Neil
Wehmas
Director of Music:
Office Assistant: Darlene Zenami
Aids for hearing, children’s
“activity bulletins,”
and large print bulletins are
available from the ushers.
A nursery room
for mothers and their
infants is available.
Also, child care for older
children
is available
Attendants – NONE
Please ask an usher for
assistance.
(A good preparation for Holy Communion
is found on pages 329-330 in our
Lutheran Service Book.)
During the Call to Worship and Welcome,
the person seated closest to the center aisle is asked
to take
the Record of Fellowship book, sign it, and
pass it to others in the row.
The last person to sign is asked to pass the book
back.
Call to Worship
Welcome
The Peace
P: The peace of the Lord be
with you always.
C: And also with you.
(You are invited to wish those around you God’s peace.
And then remain standing for the hymn.)
Hymn: “Alleluia! Let Praises Ring,” bulletin page 12
(To sing harmony, turn to page 822 in the Lutheran Service Book.)
Invocation
P: In
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
Confession
and Absolution
P: If we say we have no sin,
we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
C: But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just,
will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(Silence for
meditation and reflection)
P: Most merciful God,
C: we
confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against you in thought, word,
and deed. We have not loved you with our
whole heart. We have not loved our
neighbors as ourselves. We justly
deserve your present and eternal punishment.
For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we
may delight in your will and walk in your ways – to the glory of your holy
name. Amen.
P: Upon this,
your confession, I, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the
grace of God to all of you. And in the stead and by the command of our Lord
Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C:
Amen. Thanks be to God.
Prayer of the Day
P: The Lord be
with you.
C: And also with you.
P: We pray
together:
C: O merciful Lord, you did not spare your only Son
but delivered him up for us all. Grant
us courage and strength to take up the cross and follow him, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
First
Lesson – Deuteronomy
30:15-20
Second Lesson – Philemon 1-21
Alleluia Verse (Please stand to sing)
Al – le – lu – ia. Lord, to whom
shall we go? You
have the
words of e –ter –nal
life. Al –le –lu
–ia, al –le
–lu - ia.
The Holy Gospel – Luke 14:25-33
P:
The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the 14th chapter.
C:
Glory to you, O Lord.
Now large crowds were traveling with Jesus; and he turned and
said to them, ‘Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife
and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my
disciple. Whoever
does not take up his own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to
build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he
has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a
foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule
him, saying, “This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.” Or what king, going out to wage
war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is
able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand?
If he
cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks
for the terms of peace. So therefore, whoever
of you does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
P: This is the Gospel of the
Lord.
C: Praise to you, O Christ.
Choir Anthem
Sermon
Confession of Faith – The Nicene Creed
P: We confess together the
faith we hold and the faith we share:
C:
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all
things visible and invisible.
And
in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father
before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten,
not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by
the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man; and was crucified also for
us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and
was buried. And the third day he rose
again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the
right hand of the Father. And he will
come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will
have no end.
And
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the
Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and
glorified, who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church, I acknowledge
one Baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the
dead and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
The Prayers
P:
Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus and for all people
according to their needs.
(After the worship leader ends each
petition with, “Lord, in your mercy,” the congregation responds with, “Hear our
prayer.”)
P:
Into your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your
mercy; through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C: Amen.
The Offering
Hymn: “For the Fruits of His Creation,”
bulletin page 13
(To sing harmony, turn to page 897 in the Lutheran Service Book.)
We invite to the Lord’s Supper all Christians who are
baptized, who have communed in a Christian church, and who share our Lutheran
understanding that, along with the bread and wine, we receive the body and
blood of our living Lord Jesus – for the strengthening of our faith and
witness. Children who do not commune are
invited to come for a blessing. Pastor
asks that they fold their hands to show that they are not communing.
The Sacrament of Holy Communion
P: The Lord be
with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up
your hearts.
C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give
thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give him thanks and praise.
P: It
is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all
places give thanks to you, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through
Jesus Christ our Lord, who on this day overcame death and the grave, and by his
glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life. Therefore
with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and
magnify your glorious name, evermore praising you and singing:
Ho -
ly, ho - ly,
ho - ly!
All the saints
a - dore
Thee,
Cast – ing down
their gold–en crowns a - round the glass -y sea;
Which wert
and art and ev
- er -
more shalt be.
Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye made blind by sin Thy
glory may not see,
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside
Thee,
Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy name in
earth and sky and sea.
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!
P:
We pray together:
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 Words of Institution
P:
In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread and gave
thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is
my body, given for you. Do this for the
remembrance of me. Again, after supper,
he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is
the new covenant in my blood, shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this for the remembrance of me.
The Distribution
(The glasses in the very center of each tray contain
grape juice for those who are not able to drink wine.)
Post Communion Prayer
P:
We pray together:
C: We give thanks to you, almighty God, that you
have refreshed us through this salutary gift.
And we implore you that, of your mercy, you would strengthen us through
the same in faith toward you and in fervent love toward one another; through
Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.
Announcements
The Benediction
(Numbers
P:
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious
to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you
peace.
C:
Amen.
Hymn: “Oh, That the Lord,” bulletin page 14
(To sing harmony, turn to page 707 in the Lutheran Service Book.)
The
Sending Forth
P: Go in peace and serve the
Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Post-service Music
+
+ +
The FLOWERS are given today by Rod &
Donna Hansen in celebration of their anniversary!
GOD’S
BLESSINGS to those celebrating birthdays this week: Ivan
Bagby and Dave Ringer on Monday, Andrew Robinson and Evan
Hitchcock on Wednesday and Linda Horst on Friday. A belated birthday wish goes to Vicar Neil
Wehmas, who celebrated his birthday two days before his installation at
LOLC. And blessings to those celebrating
anniversaries: Davis & Ann
Mortensen and Ken & Connie Piepenbrink on Friday.
A community SING-ALONG will be held here this
Thursday, September 9th, at 7 p.m.
Some fun, secular tunes will be included, along with good, old-time
gospel songs and some popular praise music.
Hosted by
Please
UPDATE YOUR DIRECTORIES to reflect
these additions: Vicar Neil Wehmas
– 104 Sweet Magnolia Lane, Apt. # 4308, Eatonton, GA 31024, WehmasN@csl.edu and
Lilli Echols – 1249A Sparta Hwy., Eatonton, GA 31024, 706-623-1000, lilliphoenix@yahoo.com.
Please
note a CHANGE IN THE CALENDAR: The Council will be meeting on September 26th
(not the 19th). Thank you!
LADIES, you are invited to join
the Lake Oconee Community Bible Study (CBS) for a 30 week study on “The
Servants of God,” covering the books of Joshua through II Samuel. This
study began on Thursday morning, September 2nd, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.,
held at
I would like
to THANK EVERYONE for the wondrous reception following the church
service on Sunday, August 29th.
It was a real pleasure to meet everyone, and the food was a good
bonus! I look forward to working with
everyone in service of God's Kingdom. In
Christ, Vicar Neil Wehmas
Vicar Neil
Wehmas will be
leading a HIGH SCHOOL BIBLE STUDY at 9 every Sunday morning, beginning
on September 12th. The first
week will be an introductory meeting and will take place in Classroom E. The
class will be for anyone in high school.
If you have questions, feel free to ask Vicar Neil (706-485-4600
or WehmasN@csl.edu).
All church
women are invited to attend our Friday, September 10th, WOMEN'S
FELLOWSHIP MEETING at the home of Connie Piepenbrink. (Pleases
note the change in venue.) We will meet
from 10-12
STEPHEN MINISTRY – Feel the Warmth: Sometimes it takes more than a parka or a
blanket to keep another person warm.
Sometimes it takes the presence of a caring Christian friend. Stephen Ministers share the warmth of God's
love with those who need it most: the
lonely, the depressed, the grieving. Is God calling you to reach out to those
who are hurting? Consider serving as a
Stephen Minister. For more information,
contact
WEEKLY CALENDAR:
Tuesday
– Quilt Guild, 9:30 a.m.
Exercise Group, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday
– Community Sing-A-Long with
Saturday – Men's Breakfast, 8 a.m.
Sunday School (adult
& youth), 9 a.m.
Church Service, 10:30
a.m.
Board
of Christian Outreach Meeting, after service
Free Blood Pressure Check, after service
Hymn: “Alleluia! Let Praises Ring”
Text and Tune: Public domain
Hymn: “For
the Fruits of His Creation”
Text:
© 1970 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License .NET, number
100010599.
Music:
Public domain
Hymn: “Oh, That the Lord”
Text
and Music: Public domain
OUR
VALUES AS A CONGREGATION
Word and Sacrament –
…believing in and making faithful and frequent use of the
Bible, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper as the means by which God gives and
sustains faith, and empowers and strengthens us for Christian living.
Christian Education –
…providing quality, Bible based instruction to foster
greater understanding of God’s Word and better equipping members for their
discipleship in Jesus Christ.
Evangelism –
…reaching out to others, by word and deed, to join in the
sharing of God’s blessings and grace, which is free to all believers.
Stewardship –
…fully utilizing our time, talents, and resources to serve
and love the Lord, furthering our commission of discipleship.
Fellowship –
…caring for and sharing with our church family, fostering
greater love, understanding, and concern for the well being (physical and
spiritual) of all brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ.
The window behind the altar is our EASTER