WELCOME to each of you gathered for worship this morning. Please take a moment to complete the attendance sheet and place it in the offering plate when it is passed.
| OUR MISSION STATEMENT “Sharing God’s love and His promise for tomorrowEngaging with God’s children to carry the light ofJesus Christ from the altar through the door.” Louis Sanders – Council PresidentBruce Soltis – Vice-PresidentDr. Eric Hahn – SecretaryAnni Hahn – Treasurer |
Love Lutheran Church
3730 MacArthur Blvd.
New Orleans, La 70114
504-362-1967
Love Lutheran e-mail addresses: lovelutheran68@gmail.com
Love Lutheran Website: www.lovelutheran.org
Love Lutheran is a Member of the ELCA
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America website at: www.elca.org
Gulf Coast Synod website at: www.gulfcoastsynod.org
Follow us on Facebook: Love Lutheran Church New Orleans
+ + +
PRESIDING AT WORSHIP: Pastor Lisa Gaye
LECTOR: Amy Hilton
+ + +
IN OUR PRAYERS
| Congregation Prayers: Mary S. Melissa G. Sharon S. Dianne R. Lyn W. Robert O. Kevin T. Ken and Sandy F. Phillip B. Denise D. R. Jamie J. Hans H. Rick and Gabe L. Laurie S. Andrew D. Arlene O. Jean F. Trish F. Terrie and Willie C. | Wayne Prayers: Sarah S. Joyce B. Jodee J. Lu C. Janice B. Dixie A. Alex A. Adam A. Julien A. Alisha A. Loretta W. Ron P. Dixie Prayers: Sarah S. Joyce B. Jo Ellen Smith Nursing Home | Elaine Prayers: David and Kim T. Joshua and Savannah T. David T. Jr. Steven and Jackie T. Terri M. Jackie P. Shirley L. Louis M. Lane and Ronnie W. Landen T. Elaina C. and Children Diangelo Leya and Aaliyah Gwenn J. and Family Lisa and Claude M. Claude and Elaine J. Pastor Lisa Prayers: Community and World |
For those who work and live in nursing homes
Staff of United Churches of Algiers Emergency Fund
Our military serving here and abroad
We pray also for Love Lutheran Church and for all those in need of healing power of God’s love.
Ask and it will be given to you: Our Lord invites us to bring all our cares and concerns to him and trust in his mercy and grace. If you have prayer concerns please let Pastor Gaye know by noon on Wednesday so that your prayer request may be included in the prayers of the people at Sunday worship. Please inform Pastor Gaye if your prayer request needs to be extended longer than two weeks.
+ + +
| LOVE LUTHERAN CHURCH Interim Clergy: Rev. Lisa Gaye Adult Bible Study: 9:00 A.M. Office: 504-362-1967 Worship: 10:00 A.M. |
Third Sunday after Epiphany January 21, 2024
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
(Stand as you are able)
BRIEF ORDER FOR CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
P: In the name of the Father, and of the (+) Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
P: Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
P: Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and one another.
(Silence is kept for reflection)
P: Most merciful God,
C: We confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you 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; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. 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: In the mercy of Almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for you, and for his sake God forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained minister of the church of Christ and by his authority. I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all of your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the (+) Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
OPENING HYMN: #ELW 661 “I Love to Tell the Story”
(printed in the back of the worship bulletin)
THE GREETING
P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C: And also with you.
THE KYRIE
THE HYMN OF PRAISE: “Now the Feast and Celebration”
PRAYER OF THE DAY
P: Let us pray.
C: Almighty God, by grace alone you call us and accept us in your service. Strengthen us by your Spirit, and make us worthy of your call, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
(You may be seated)
First Reading: Jonah 3:1-5, 10
The book of Jonah is a comedy starring a reluctant prophet who is given a one sentence message. Ninevah will be destroyed in forty days. Much to Jonah’s dismay, the people of Ninevah repent. The point of the story is to get the reader to wrestle with the question “On whom should God have mercy?”
1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time, saying, 2 “Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk across. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s walk. And he cried out, “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5 And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth.
10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Psalm: Psalm 62: 5-12
God alone is my rock and my salvation. (Ps. 62:6)
5 For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him.
6 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
7 On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.
8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah
9 Those of low estate are but a breath, those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath.
10 Put no confidence in extortion, and set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart on them.
11 Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God,
12 and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord. For you repay to all according to their work.
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 7:29-31
Paul does not disapprove of marriage or other human social institutions. He does, however, want Christians to live in the present in fervent anticipation of God’s future, which even now has dawned through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
29 I mean, brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short; from now on, let even those who have wives be as though they had none, 30 and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no possessions, 31 and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
(Stand as you are able)
Gospel: Mark 1:14-20
The Holy Gospel according to Mark Glory to you, O Lord.
Before Jesus calls his first disciples, he proclaims a message that becomes know as “the gospel” or good news from God. God is ready to rule our lives. Those who realize this will respond with repentance and faith.
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” 16 As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea–for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
(You may be seated)
SERMON
(Stand as you are able)
HYMN OF THE DAY: #ELW 712 “Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service”
(printed in the back of the worship bulletin)
THE 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 into hell.
On the third day he rose again;
He ascended into heaven,
And 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 Christian church.
The communion of saints
The forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body,
And life everlasting. Amen.
(You may be seated)
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
A: As we celebrate Christ embodied in human form, we pray for God’s blessing on the church, the world, and all of creation.
(A brief silence)
A: God our rock and deliverance, do not let your church be shaken. We trust you never abandon your promises to the most vulnerable among us. Give your church wisdom and empathy in the varied ministries. God of grace,
C: receive our prayers.
A: God our hope and refuge, you placed the fish in the sea. Guide our care of oceans and all creatures that live in them. Hold us accountable for actions that endanger water sources and the people who depend on them. God of grace,
C: receive our prayers.
A: God who proclaims judgement and offers mercy, be a model to the leaders of our nation and the world. As they lead, may they follow in your way of justice and truth. God of grace,
C: receive our prayers.
A: God who cares for the suffering, care for survivors of assault and sexual abuse and sustain all who minister to them. Keep safe all who live under threat of violence, those living in poverty, and any among us who are ill or in pain (especially…). God of grace,
C: receive our prayers.
A: God of resurrection and new life, as the first disciples share the good news, empower us and this faith community to be open to your call. When we are uncertain of your call, assure us. When we strayed from your ways, redirect us. God of grace,
C: receive our prayers.
(Here other intercessions may be offered spoken aloud or in our hearts.)
(After each petition we respond:)
A: God of grace,
C: receive our prayers.
A: God who holds the saints against your tender bosom, we trust you welcome them into your care. Comfort those who grieve, even as we place our hope in your salvation. God of grace,
C: receive our prayers.
P: Knowing the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, we offer these prayers and the silent prayers of our hearts in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
C: Amen.
P: Lord Jesus, you said to your apostles: I leave you my peace, my peace I give you. Look not on the sins, but on the faith of your church, and grant us peace and unity of your kingdom where you live forever and ever.
C: Amen.
P: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C: And also with you.
(You may be seated)
THE OFFERING
(Stand as you are able)
THE OFFERTORY: “As the Grains of Wheat”
(printed on the following page)
THE OFFERTORY PRAYER
A: Let us pray, Merciful God,
C: everything in heaven and on earth belongs to you. We joyfully release what you have entrusted to us. May these gifts be signs of our whole lives returned to you, dedicated to the healing and unity of all creation, through Jesus Christ. Amen.
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 him thanks and praise.
THE EUCHARISTIC PRAYER
PROPER PREFACE
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, and now we praise you that You sent us Your only begotten Son and that in Him, being found in fashion as a Man, You manifested the fullness of Your glory.
Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
THE SANCTUS:
(printed on the following page)
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
P: “Our Lord Jesus Christ, the same night in which He was betrayed,
took bread and when He had given thanks,
He broke it and gave it to His disciples saying:
‘Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of Me.’
“In the same way also, He took the cup after supper, gave thanks,
and gave it to them saying: ‘Drink of it all of you;
this cup is the New Testament in My blood,
which is shed for you and for many, for the remission of sins.
Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
For as often as we eat of this bread and drink from this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
P: We say together
C: Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again. Amen
P: Let us pray:
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 COMMUNION
P: The gifts of God for the people of God, feed on them in your heart with thanksgiving.
C: Amen
(You may be seated)
The Communion follows:
the congregation sings “Lamb of God”
(printed on the following page)
(Stand as you are able)
COMMUNION HYMN: #ELW 547 “Sent Forth by God’s Blessing”
(printed in the back of the worship bulletin)
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
A: Let us pray.
Giver of every gift, Christ’s body is our food, and we are Christ’s body. Raise us to life by your power for the benefit of all and to your glory, now and forever.
C: Amen.
INSTALLATION OF LOVE LUTHERAN CHURCH COUNCIL MEMBERS
P: You have accepted the office to which you have been elected. Do you promise, with the Lord as your helper, to faithfully fulfill its duties?
R: I do, and I ask God to help me.
P: Pray for the faith and compassion of our Lord Jesus Christ, for the boldness of Peter, for the evangelistic zeal of Philip, for the administrative insight of Priscilla and Aquila, and for the wisdom of Paul.
R: Jethro counseled Moses that the task before him was enormous for him alone. We acknowledge the same. We ask for prayers, support, encouragement.
P: God has given each of us unique gifts and talents for the edification of the church and the work of ministry. Will you accept this church office in proportion to your faith; to minister, teach, exhort, give liberally, lead with diligence, and show mercy with cheerfulness?
R: We accept our offices with every intention to use our talents to lead God’s people according to our discernment of God’s will.
P: Do you covenant and promise that you will walk together in love for one another, and exercise affectionate watchfulness over all those given to your charge?
R: We will. We will pray for ourselves and others. We will maintain the high standards of our Offices, so that ministries of our church may be strengthened. We will humbly and earnestly seek to live to the glory of God, and to be directed by the Holy Spirit.
P: May God grant you grace to perform your duty to His glory, and the welfare of this congregation, His church. May you be inspired by our Lord’s ministry on earth. May God uphold you and direct you as you go forth!
All: Amen. Praise be to God!
THE BENEDICTION
P: God who names you, Christ who claims you, and the Holy Spirit who dwells in you, (+) bless you and remain with you always.
C: Amen.
SENDING HYMN: #ELW 376 “Thine Is the Glory”
(printed in the back of the worship bulletin)
DISMISSAL
P: Go in peace. You are God’s beloved.
C: Thanks be to God.
+ + +
Readings are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) Bible with Apocrypha.
Copyrighted elements of Revised Common Lectionary, liturgical texts, and liturgical music used by permission of Augsburg Fortress under license number SB144485. All music and portions of the liturgical music reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-705233. All rights reserved. Clipart and images as reprinted from Churchart.com license.
Scripture Next Sunday: Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
Deuteronomy 18:15-20;
Psalm 111;
1 Corinthians 8:1-13;
Mark 1:21-28
Hymns
(continued on the following page)
(continued on the following page)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
In the event of an emergency you may contact Pastor Gaye at the church office (504) 362-1967.
Cell Phones: We are requesting that members and visitors please silence your cell phones to “off” while in the sanctuary and we are in worship service.
| UPCOMING EVENTS: Sunday, 28 January 2024 – Guest Musician, Classical Guitarist, Brian King |
Please consider a donation to the Memorial Engelbracht Guest Musician Fund. Donation envelopes can be found in the rear of the church.
If you wish to help to aid in the recovery of victims of disaters, donations can be made through Lutheran Disaster Relief at LDR.com.
The Gulf Coast Synod seeks individuals from the Bayou Conference to serve on the Lutheran Disaster Relief Team. Let Pastor know if you are interested in serving on this team.
“Souper” Bowl of Caring– We are collecting soup cans and monetary donations from now until the Super Bowl for the United Churches of Algiers Emergency Fund Food Bank. Please consider picking up an extra soup can to donate when grocery shopping. The food bank would greatly appreciate all the donations our church can collect.
+ + +
Daily devotional website as suggested by Pastor Lisa Gaye
https://www.luthersem.edu/godpause/
Meditation on the Lessons – Take Home
Prayer:
O Blessed Lord, who caused all Holy Scripture to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest your word, that we may embrace and hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our savior Jesus Christ, Amen.
1. Identify a passage from scripture today that touches your life.
2. Pray for the Holy Spirit as you write: “From what I’ve heard and shared, what do I believe God wants me to do or be? Is God inviting me to change in any way?
Last modified: February 9, 2024
