Pastor Wesley Menke
Accompanist: Tatiana Thibodeaux
Producer: Chris Geach
Director : Sergio Porto
Editor: Teruni Evans
[ * Denotes Standing as you are able]
Prelude –
Apostolic Greeting
In the name of the Father, and of the +Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And also with you.
Kyrie and Cantle of Praise
In peace, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.
For the peace from above, and for our salvation,
let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.
For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God,
and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.
For this holy house, and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.
Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord. Amen.
Glory to God in the highest, and peace to God’s people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Prayer of the Day*
Gracious God, out of your love and mercy you breathed into dust the breath of life, creating us to serve you and our neighbors. Call forth our prayers and acts of kindness, and strengthen us to face our mortality with confidence in the mercy of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Children Sermon
First Reading: Joel 2:1-2, 12-17
1Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming, it is near— 2a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness spread upon the mountains a great and powerful army comes; their like has never been from of old, nor will be again after them in ages to come. 12Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; 13rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing. 14Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord, your God? 15Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly; 16gather the people. Sanctify the congregation; assemble the aged; gather the children, even infants at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her canopy. 17Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep. Let them say, “Spare your people, O Lord, and do not make your heritage a mockery, a byword among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’ ”
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Psalm: Psalm 51:1-17
1Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; in your great compassion blot out my offenses. 2Wash me through and through from my wickedness, and cleanse me from my sin 3For I know my offenses, and my sin is ev- er before me. 4Against you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are justified when you speak and right in your judgment. R 5Indeed, I was born steeped in wickedness, a sinner from my mother’s womb. 6Indeed, you delight in truth deep within me, and would have me know wisdom deep within. 7Remove my sins with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be pur- er than snow. 8Let me hear joy and gladness; that the body you have broken may rejoice. R 9Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my wickedness. 10Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spir- it within me. 11Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spir- it from me. 12Restore to me the joy of your salvation and sustain me with your boun- tiful Spirit. R 13Let me teach your ways to offenders, and sinners shall be re- stored to you. 14Rescue me from bloodshed, O God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing of your righteousness. 15O Lord, o- pen my lips, and my mouth shall pro- claim your praise 16For you take no delight in sacrifice, or I would give it. You are not pleased with burnt offering. 17The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit; a troubled and broken heart, O God, you will not despise.
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:20b–6:10
20bWe entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
6:1As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. 2For he says,
“At an acceptable time I have listened to you,
and on a day of salvation I have helped you.”
See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! 3We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, 7truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see—we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; 10as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation*
Gospel: Saint Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
Glory to you Oh Lord.
[Jesus said to the disciples:] 1“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2“So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
5“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
16“And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; 20but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
The Gospel of the Lord ,Praise to you Oh Christ.
Sermon – Wesley Menke
Hymn of the Day Be Thou My Vision
INVITATION TO LENT
CONFESSION OF SIN
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.
Most holy and merciful God,
we confess to you and to one another,
and before the whole company of heaven,
that we have sinned by our fault,
by our own fault,
by our own most grievous fault,
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart, and mind, and strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have not forgiven others as we have been forgiven. Have mercy on us, O God.
We have shut our ears to your call to serve as Christ served us. We have not been true to the mind of Christ. We have grieved your Holy Spirit. Have mercy on us, O God.
Our past unfaithfulness, the pride, envy, hypocrisy, and apathy that have infected our lives, we confess to you. Have mercy on us, O God.
Our self-indulgent appetites and ways, and our exploitation of other people, we confess to you. Have mercy on us, O God.
Our negligence in prayer and worship, and our failure to share the faith that is in us, we confess to you. Have mercy on us, O God.
Our neglect of human need and suffering, and our indifference to injustice and cruelty, we confess to you. Have mercy on us, O God.
Our false judgments, our uncharitable thoughts toward our neighbors, and our prejudice and contempt toward those who differ from us, we confess to you. Have mercy on us, O God.
Our waste and pollution of your creation, and our lack of concern for those who come after us, we confess to you. Have mercy on us, O God.
Restore us, O God, and let your anger depart from us. Hear us, O God, for your mercy is great.
IMPOSITION OF ASHES
People may come forward and stand to receive the ashes. Ministers sprinkle ashes over the head of each person saying:
Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
After those who desire ashes have received them, all may kneel or sit, and the minister continues.
Accomplish in us, O God, the work of your salvation,
that we may show forth your glory in the world.
By the cross and passion of your Son, our Savior,
bring us with all your saints to the joy of his resurrection.
Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life.
Amen.
Prayers of Intercession*
Relying on the promises of God, we pray boldly for the church, the world, and all in need.
A brief silence.
O God, you call your church to be ministers of reconciliation throughout the world. Inspire your church in its proclamation of the gospel and guide its ministries to build up the body of Christ. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
O God, you created the earth and all its inhabitants and you declared that it is good. Protect mountains and valleys, animals and plants, and direct us to be good stewards of all you have made. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
O God, you desire peace. Direct governments and leaders to work for the well-being of all people and raise up advocates to speak and serve on behalf of the downtrodden. Lord, in your mercy.
hear our prayer.
Please keep the following people in your prayers:
Don May, Martha Marquez, Karen Crum, Marty Olson, Barbara Dinger ,Paul Zimmer, Mary Ann Messick,Alan Mittlehauser for his eyes to heal. Ursula sister of Ingrid for well being. Andrea who was in a car accident, and all struggling with Covid.
For healing, strength, and successful cancer treatment: Sally Carlson, Henry, Andrew Collard, Karen Diffenbacher, Allen Hoke, Jackie DeVogler, Rene Paulson
For continued strength & healing: Ron Martinez, Alicia Roberts,
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into your hands, gracious God, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.
Offertory:
**You may make your offering or donation through our website HERE.
Offering Hymn “Create in Me a Clean Heart” ELW 186
Offering Prayer*
God our provider, you have not fed us with bread alone, but with words of grace and life. Bless us and these your gifts, which we receive from your bounty, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Eucharistic 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 thosewho 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.
Blessing*
You are what God made you to be: created in Christ Jesus for good works, chosen as holy and beloved, freed to serve your neighbor.
God bless you ☩ that you may be a blessing, in the name of the holy and life-giving Trinity. Amen
Announcements
- Grocery Store Gift Cards Available today
- Toy donation available this Sunday
- Christian Education 6:30pm Tuesday via Zoom
- New Member Class & Church Council 7:00pm Tuesday via Zoom
- Worship and Website Wednesday Meeting Wednesday 10:30am via Zoom
- Verbo de Dios Spanish Bible Study Wednesday 1:00pm YouTube live
- Ash Wednesday 6:00pm Drive Thru, 7:00pm Outdoor Service
- Theology Thursday Bible Study 10:30am via Zoom (available to watch later)
- Central City Lutheran Mission monthly volunteer opportunity
- Please Check Friday Email
Dismissal
Go in peace share the good news. Thanks be to God.
Thank you for posting the service readings.