The Sixth Sunday after Epiphany
Gathering
Prelude
“Help, O Lord, the Thrown Away”
Bob Russ & John Ylvisaker
Opening Hymn #243 (green hymnal)
“Lord, with Glowing Heart”
1 Lord, with glowing heart I’d praise thee
for the bliss thy love bestows,
for the pard’ning grace that saves me,
and the peace that from it flows.
Help, O God, my weak endeavor;
this dull soul to rapture raise;
thou must light the flame, or never
can my love be warmed to praise.
2 Praise, my soul, the God that sought thee,
wretched wand’rer, far astray;
found thee lost, and kindly brought thee
from the paths of death away.
Praise, with love’s devoutest feeling,
him who saw thy guilt-born fear
and, the light of hope revealing,
bade the bloodstained cross appear.
3 Lord, my spirit’s ardent feelings
vainly would my lips express.
Low before thy footstool kneeling,
deign thy suppliant’s prayer to bless;
let thy grace, my soul’s chief treasure,
love’s pure flame within me raise;
and, since words can never measure,
let my life show forth thy praise!
Confession and Forgiveness
P: Blessed be the Holy One of Israel, the Word made flesh, the Power of the Most High, ☩ one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
P: Gathered in the name of Jesus, let us confess our sin against God and our neighbor.
Silence for reflection and self-examination.
P: Gracious God,
C: in Christ Jesus you come among us as light shining in darkness. We confess our failure to welcome this light. Forgive us and renew our hope, so that we may live in the light of your grace, and welcome the truth of Christ the Lord. Amen.
P: I bring you good news of great joy for all people: To you is born a Savior, Christ the Lord. Your sins are forgiven in ☩ Jesus’ name.
C: Amen.
Prayer of the Day
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Let us pray. Living God, in Christ you make all things new. Transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace, and in the renewal of our lives make known your glory, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
C: Amen.
The Word
Blessing of the Lector
P: Let us pray. Gracious God, your word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Send your Holy Spirit upon John as he proclaims the word, so that all who receive it will no longer dwell in the shadows, but will have the light of life.
C: Amen.
First Reading: Jeremiah 17:5-10
5 Thus says the LORD:
Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals
and make mere flesh their strength,
whose hearts turn away from the LORD.
6 They shall be like a shrub in the desert,
and shall not see when relief comes.
They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness,
in an uninhabited salt land.
7 Blessed are those who trust in the LORD,
whose trust is the LORD.
8 They shall be like a tree planted by water,
sending out its roots by the stream.
It shall not fear when heat comes,
and its leaves shall stay green;
in the year of drought it is not anxious,
and it does not cease to bear fruit.
9 The heart is devious above all else;
it is perverse—
who can understand it?
10 I the LORD test the mind
and search the heart,
to give to all according to their ways,
according to the fruit of their doings.
The word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Psalmody: Psalm 1
“Blessed Are They”
Refrain
LEADER: Blessed are they
CONGREGATION: Blessed are they
LEADER: who delight in the Lord.
CONGREGATION: delight in the Lord.
LEADER: Blessed are they
CONGREGATION: Blessed are they
LEADER: who delight in the Lord.
CONGREGATION: delight in the Lord.
Verse 1
LEADER: They are like trees
CONGREGATION: They are like trees
LEADER: growing by the water.
CONGREGATION: growing by the water. Refrain
Verse 2
LEADER: They will bear fruit
CONGREGATION: They will bear fruit
LEADER: Gifts from God the Father.
CONGREGATION: Gifts from God the Father.
Ending Refrain
LEADER: Blessed are they
CONGREGATION: Blessed are they
LEADER: who delight in the Lord.
CONGREGATION: delight in the Lord.
LEADER: Blessed are they
CONGREGATION: Blessed are they
LEADER: who delight in the Lord.
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:12-20
12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ—whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. 17 If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have died in Christ have perished. 19 If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died.
The word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
The Holy Gospel: Luke 6:17-26
P: The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the 6th chapter.
C: Glory to you, O Lord.
17 Jesus came down with the twelve and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. 18 They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19 And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.
20 Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 “Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
“Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22 “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
24 “But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
25 “Woe to you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
“Woe to you who are laughing now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26 “Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.”
P: The Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to you, O Christ.
Children’s Sermon
Sermon
Silence for reflection and meditation
Hymn of the Day #764 (blue hymnal)
“Blest Are They”
1 Blest are they, the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom of God.
Blest are they, full of sorrow; they shall be consoled.
Refrain
Rejoice and be glad!
Blessed are you, holy are you!
Rejoice and be glad!
Yours is the kingdom of God!
2 Blest are they, the lowly ones; they shall inherit the earth.
Blest are they who hunger and thirst; they shall have their fill. Refrain
3 Blest are they who show mercy; mercy shall be theirs.
Blest are they, the pure of heart; they shall see God. Refrain
4 Blest are they who seek peace; they are the children of God.
Blest are they who suffer in faith; the glory of God is theirs. Refrain
5 Blest are you who suffer hate, all because of me.
Rejoice, be glad, yours is the kingdom; shine for all to see. Refrain
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again 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.
The Prayers of Intercession
A: Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, and for all people according to their needs.
After each petition:
A: Lord, in your mercy,
C: Hear our prayer.
After the last petition:
A: Into your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
The Peace
P: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C: And also with you.
Offering Prayer
A: Merciful God, receive the gifts we bring, our selves, our time, and our possessions. Through this meal unite us as your body, shining with the light of your justice and mercy; for the sake of him who gave himself for us, Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
The Meal
The Great Thanksgiving
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 our thanks and praise.
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 and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.
The Lord’s Prayer
P: Lord, remember us in your kingdom, and teach us to pray:
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.
Invitation to Communion
P: The True Light has come into the World. Come to his table and be filled with light and life.
The Body of Christ, broken for you.
The Blood of Christ, shed for you.
All eat bread and drink wine or juice at their seat.
Communion Hymn #766 (blue hymnal)
“We Come to the Hungry Feast”
1 We come to the hungry feast
hungry for a word of peace.
To hungry hearts unsatisfied
the love of God is not denied.
We come, we come to the hungry feast.
2 We come to the hungry feast
hungry for a world released
from hungry folk of ev’ry kind,
the poor in body, poor in mind.
We come, we come to the hungry feast.
3 We come to the hungry feast
hungry that the hunger cease,
and knowing, though we eat our fill,
the hunger will stay with us; still
we come, we come to the hungry feast.
Table Blessing
P: The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
C: Amen.
Prayer after Communion
A: O Morning Star, fair and bright, you have refreshed us again with heavenly food. You are our dearest treasure. Go with us now—today, tomorrow, every day—that we tell the story of your never-ending love and sing your praise both now and forever.
C: Amen.
Sending
Announcements for God’s Mission in the World
Blessing
P: God the creator strengthen you; Jesus the beloved fill you; and the Holy Spirit the comforter ☩ keep you in peace.
C: Amen.
Closing Hymn #196 (green hymnal)
“Praise the Lord, Rise Up Rejoicing”
1 Praise the Lord, rise up rejoicing,
worship, thanks, devotion voicing:
glory be to God on high!
Christ, your cross and passion sharing,
by this eucharist declaring
yours the final victory.
2 Scattered flock, one shepherd sharing,
lost and lonely, one voice hearing,
ears attentive to your word;
by your blood new life receiving,
in your body, firm believing,
we are yours, and you the Lord.
3 Sins forgiven, wrongs forgiving,
we go forth alert and living
in your Spirit, strong and free.
Partners in your new creation,
seeking peace in ev’ry nation,
may we faithful foll’wers be.
Dismissal
A: Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Postlude
Worship Leaders
The Rev. Emily Beckering, Pastor
Kris Keith, Music Director
Kate Wollenburg, Organist
Terry McDowell, Assisting Minister
John Cathcart, Reader
Upcoming Events
Sunday, February 13: Sixth Sunday after Epiphany
**No Sunday School / Adult Forum**
10:30 am Worship Service
After Worship: Evangelism Committee
Wednesday, February 16
7 pm Bell Choir rehearsal
Thursday, February 17
**No Bible study**
Friday, February 18
7 pm Faith & Film Fridays: The Chosen
Saturday, February 19
1 pm Gather Cincinnati Young Adults Group
Sunday, February 20: Seventh Sunday after Epiphany
**No Adult Forum**
9 am Sunday School
10:30 am Worship Service
Monday, February 21
**Epistle Articles Deadline**
Tuesday, February 22
5:30 pm Confirmation Class
Wednesday, February 23
7 pm Bell Choir rehearsal
Thursday, February 24
10:30 am Bible study (Sunday’s readings)
6 pm BSA Troop Meeting
Friday, February 25
7 pm Faith & Film Fridays: The Chosen
Saturday, February 26
5 pm Youth Group Talent Show
Copyright Notices
Help, O Lord, the Thrown Away: Text and music © 1970 by Augsburg Fortress.
Blessed Are They: Text and music by Stephen J. Pearson © 2003 Psalmistry Music.
Blest Are They: Text and music by David Haas © 1985 GIA Publications, Inc., 7404 S. Mason Ave., Chicago, IL 60638. www.giamusic.com. 800.442.3358.
We Come to the Hungry Feast: Text and music © 1982 Ray Makeever, admin. Augsburg Fortress.
Praise the Lord, Rise Up Rejoicing: Text © Oxford University Press.
Hymns/anthems: Music reprinted and streamed by permission under ONE LICENSE #A-726103 and CCLI Licenses #21045423 and #21045416. All rights reserved.
Liturgical texts and service music: From SundaysandSeasons.com. Copyright © 2021 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #SAS010308.