Service outline for Sunday, January 23rd

                                      Welcome to worship at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church!

 PRELUDE       The Heaven’s Declare the Glory of God      Marcello

 * CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

All may make the sign of the cross, the sign that is marked at baptism, as the presiding minister begins.

 Blessed be the holy Trinity, + one God, who sends the word with angels, who is made flesh among all peoples, and who breathes peace on all the earth.

Amen.

In Christ, we are bold to name our sin and cry out for peace.

 Silence is kept for reflection.

 Holy God,

we confess our sin before you.

We replace compassion with competition.

We seek what is mighty while ignoring the meek.

We are quick to anger but slow to forgive.

We have not put on love in harmony with you.

Wrap us in the grace of your powerful Word.

Swaddle our hearts with your peace,

that all we do, in word or deed,

may reflect your love born among us.

Amen.

I bring you good news of great joy for all people: God has come among us in the child born of Mary, Christ the Lord. + In Christ your sins are forgiven and you are clothed in peace.

Amen.

 HYMN   Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness       #843 v. 1,3

GREETING

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

And also with you.

KYRIE

HYMN OF PRAISE     Rise, Shine, You People!          #665 v.1       

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Children's message

FIRST READING: Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10

 ¹All the people [of Israel] gathered together into the square before the Water Gate. They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had given to Israel. ²Accordingly, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding. This was on the first day of the seventh month. ³He read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. ⁵And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. ⁶Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, "Amen, Amen," lifting up their hands. Then they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. ⁸So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.

            ⁹And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep." For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. ¹⁰Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our LORD; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

 

PSALM: Psalm 19

¹The heavens declare the glo- ^| ry of God, and the sky proclaims its ^| maker's handiwork.

²One day tells its tale ^| to another, and one night imparts knowledge ^| to another.

³Although they have no ^| words or language, and their voices ^| are not heard,

⁴their sound has gone out into all lands, and their message to the ends ^| of the world,

   where God has pitched a tent ^| for the sun.

⁵It comes forth like a bridegroom out ^| of his chamber; it rejoices like a champion to ^| run its course.

⁶It goes forth from the uttermost edge of the heavens and runs about to the end of ^| it again;

   nothing is hidden from its ^| burning heat.  

⁷The teaching of the LORD is perfect and re- ^| vives the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure and gives wisdom ^| to the simple.

⁸The statutes of the LORD are just and re- ^| joice the heart; the commandment of the LORD is clear and gives light ^| to the eyes.

⁹The fear of the LORD is clean and en- ^| dures forever; the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous ^| altogether.

¹⁰More to be desired are they than gold, more than ^| much fine gold, sweeter far than honey, than honey ^| in the comb.  

¹¹By them also is your ser- ^| vant enlightened, and in keeping them there is ^| great reward.

¹²Who can detect one's ^| own offenses? Cleanse me from my ^| secret faults.

¹³Above all, keep your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not get dominion ^| over me;

            then shall I be whole and sound, and innocent of a ^| great offense.

¹⁴Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable ^| in your sight,

   O LORD, my strength and ^| my redeemer.   

 

SECOND READING: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a

 ¹²For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

            ¹⁴Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. ¹⁵If the foot would say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁶And if the ear would say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. ¹⁹If all were a single member, where would the body be? ²⁰As it is, there are many members, yet one body. ²¹The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." ²²On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; ²⁴whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, ²⁵that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. ²⁶If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.

            ²⁷Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. ²⁸And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. ²⁹Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? ^31aBut strive for the greater gifts.

 

 GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

 

GOSPEL: Luke 4:14-21

 ¹⁴Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. ¹⁵He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

            ¹⁶When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, ¹⁷and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

            ¹⁸"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

                        because he has anointed me

                                    to bring good news to the poor.

            He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

                        and recovery of sight to the blind,

                                    to let the oppressed go free,

                ¹⁹to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

²⁰And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. ²¹Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

 The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

 

SERMON

HYMN        Hail to the Lord’s Anointed       #311 v. 1,3

APOSTLES CREED

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

 

I believe in Jesus Christ, God's 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 to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

 

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.   Amen

PRAYERS

PEACE

OFFERING

COMMUNION PRAYER

LORD'S PRAYER

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

 

DISTRIBUTION OF COMMUNION

HYMN   (Due to the rising Covid cases there will be no communion hymn this week.)

POST COMMUNION PROCLAMATION

 POST COMMUNION PRAYER

 BLESSING

 HYMN   The Spirit Sends Us Forth to Serve              #551 v. 1,3,4

 

DISMISSAL

POSTLUDE     Open Your Ears, O Faithful People        Shields

Liturgy and hymns printed and streamed with permission through OneLicense. A-710659