The 2nd Sunday in Advent
December 8, 2019
St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church
Montello, WI
| St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church 313 East Montello St. Montello, WI 53949 Emmanuel Ev. Lutheran Church W1568 Evergreen Lane Montello, WI 53949 |
| Pastor Rick Zahn |
| XW E L C O M E T O O U R C H U R C H X We extend a warm welcome to everyone today, especially our visitors. In the bulletin you’ll find an outline of today’s service, a calendar of events and other bits of information. In the red hymn book you’ll find the songs we sing and the order of service that we follow. If you would like a large print hymnal or bulletin please ask one of our ushers and they will gladly assist you. Restrooms and nursery area are located in the parish hall at Emmanuel and in the lower level and link-way at St. John’s. It’s nice to have you visit today. “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more, as you see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25). Welcome to God’s house! May God bless our worship together. |
| 608.297.2866 www.stjohnsmontello.org Like us on Facebook |
| XG O D ’ S W O R D F O R T O D A Y X Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near! The forerunner prepares for the coming Christ by preaching repentance that brings renewal of life. The Root of Jesse will come in swift judgment on the unrepentant but in mercy and grace for God’s people. His coming will end the wickedness of the world and usher in a new age restored to the perfection with which God made it. John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, fixes our attention on the need for true preparation for the Lord’s coming. Such preparation means repenting—recognizing how our sins have offended God and trusting him for the forgiveness he gives us in Christ. Jesus, the only Savior, brings peace to a troubled heart. |
XP R E P A R A T I O N F O R W O R S H I P X
We prepare ourselves to worship the one Savior God by expressing our humble repentance, offering our fervent prayers and singing our thankful hymns of praise.
CHOIR SINGS Lead Us To Your Light
LIGHTING OF THE ADVENT CANDLES
Two Advent candles are lit.
OPENING HYMN 702 Prepare the Royal Highway
See below.
Please stand
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION hymnal page 26
When we confess to God that we have failed to live up to the perfect standards in his law, the pastor announces the perfect forgiveness of sins won for us by Jesus.
LORD, HAVE MERCY hymnal page 27
The Church brings her concerns and prayers to a loving Father in heaven, who has shown great mercy to us and promised to hear our ardent cries for help.
O LORD, OUR LORD hymnal page 28
This song of praise reminds us of the wonderful things God has done for us, not the least of which is the salvation he gives through Jesus Christ.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
M: Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to prepare the way for your only Son. By his coming give us strength in our conflicts and shed light on our path through the darkness of this world; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: ♫ Amen.
Please be seated for the day’s Scripture readings
XT H E W O R D X
The Lord Jesus speaks to us in Scripture reading, preaching and song.
FIRST LESSON Isaiah 11:1-10 (today’s sermon text)
Summary: The blessings of righteousness and peace
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him– the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD– and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest.
They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.
PSALM 130 hymnal page 114
Sung in unison.
SECOND LESSON Romans 15:4-13
Summary: The blessings of hope, joy, and peace
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written:
“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name.”
{2 Samuel 22:50; Psalm 18:49}
Again, it says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” {Deut. 32:43}
And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples.” {Psalm 117:1}
And again, Isaiah says, “The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.” {Isaiah 11:10}
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
VERSE OF THE DAY Luke 3: 4, 6
Alleluia. Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. All mankind will see God’s salvation. Alleluia.
C: ♫ Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! These words are written that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Please stand
GOSPEL LESSON Matthew 3:1-12
Summary: The blessings of repentance
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
“A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'”
John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
C: ♫ Praise be to you, O Christ!
Please be seated
HYMN OF THE DAY 16 On Jordan’s Bank the Baptist’s Cry
SERMON Isaiah 11: 1-1
“Behold, a Branch Is Growing”
1. Equipped with righteousness 2. To bless us with peace
Please stand
NICENE CREED hymnal page 31
Please be seated
X O F F E R I N G S O F G I F T S & P R A Y E R S X
THE OFFERING
The ushers now gather the “Thank-Offering.” Members of this congregation show their thanks to God for all he has done for them by returning a portion of their income to the Lord. Through these free will offerings, this congregation and its ministries are maintained. Guests need not feel obligated to contribute. Please also sign our Friendship Registers and greet one another.
Please stand
PRAYERS
The Offering Prayer, Advent Prayer and Intercessory Prayers are spoken by pastor. Please see announcements for those on our Intercessory Prayers list.
LORD’S PRAYER hymnal page32
XS E R V I C E O F T H E S A C R A M E N T X
In this service we celebrate the gift of Jesus’ redeeming love, we bear witness to the Christian fellowship we share, and we proclaim his death until he returns.
Please be seated for the distribution
At St. John’s and Emmanuel Ev. Lutheran Church we practice closed Communion. If you are a guest at worship today and interested in receiving the Lord’s Supper, please speak with the pastor prior to the service.
DISTRIBUTION HYMNS 27 O Jesus, Lamb of God, You Are
47: 1-3 Behold, a Branch Is Growing
Please stand
THANK THE LORD, CLOSING PRAYER & BLESSING hymnal page 36, 37
Please be seated
CLOSING HYMN 47: 4-5 Behold, a Branch Is Growing
As you leave today’s service, please give your completed Friendship Register sheet to an usher or pastor.
Announcements
Activities for the week of December 8 – December 14
| Sun. | 8:00 A.M. | Emmanuel Worship |
| 8:30 A.M. | St. John’s Sunday School | |
| 9:00 A.M. | St. John’s Adult Bible Study | |
| 10:00 A.M. | St. John’s Worship with communion | |
| 4:30 P.M. | Advent by Candlelight at Emmanuel | |
| Mon. | 6:00 P.M. | Hands In Prayer meeting at St. John’s |
| 6:30 P.M. | Choir at St. John’s | |
| 7:30 P.M. | Adult Bible Study at St. John’s | |
| Tues. | 8:30 A.M. | Elders meeting at St. John’s |
| Wed. | 8:00 A.M. | St. John’s School Chapel |
| 10:00 A.M. | Adult Bible Study at St. John’s | |
| 1:40 P.M. | St. John’s School/Little Lambs early release | |
| 2:15 P.M. | Public School Teen Confirmation at St. John’s | |
| 3:30 P.M. | Emmanuel Advent Devotion | |
| 6:30 P.M. | St. John’s Advent Devotion | |
| 7:30 P.M. | Bible Information Class at St. John’s | |
| Thurs. | 8:00 A.M. | St. John’s School Teen Confirmation |
| 10:00 A.M. | Montello Care Center Devotion | |
| 6:00 P.M. | School Board meeting at St. John’s | |
| 6:00 P.M. | Griefshare at St. John’s lower level (final session) | |
| Fri. | ||
| Sat. | 9:00 A.M. | St. John’s Sunday School Christmas Service practice |
| Theme for Next Sunday December 15 , 2019 Advent 3: “The Lord’s Coming Is Near” | ||
| 8:00 A.M. | Emmanuel Worship | |
| 8:30 A.M. | St. John’s Sunday School | |
| 9:00 A.M. | St. John’s Adult Bible Study | |
| 10:00 A.M. | St. John’s Worship | |
INTERCESSORY PRAYERS – For those hospitalized, ill, shut-in and facing trials: Wyatt Beahm (William and Alyssa Beahm’s infant son), Liola Crown & son Terry, Agnes Dassow, Don Ebert, Reinold Eckelberg, Harold Fandrey, Lilah Farrell, Xzander Jahr, Melvin Johnson (Beth’s son), Oliver Knoch (Kenon & Mary Smith’s grandson), Chris Krause (Gordy and Linda’s son), Robert Lederer (Jackie and Jeanne Buchholz’ father), Delvin Mittelsteadt, Mark and Peggy Russell (Elsa’s son and daughter in-law), Kathryn Sigrist (Pastor Gary & Orlene Johnson’s daughter), Doris Smith, Jennifer Strauss – (added this week: )
– For Natasha Rebecca Jahr, the daughter of Andrew and Rebecca Jahr, who was baptized yesterday (12/7) at St. John’s
– For our communicants at St. John’s
ADVENT HAS BEGUN! It’s the season that anticipates the coming of the Savior. We prepare for this coming in many ways. But one way is by decorating and beautifying our homes and churches. We use a circle of artificial greens around our Advent candles in the front of the church, with each candle lit in order on Sundays in Advent, and each candle symbolizing an important event on the way to the Savior’s birth—the last candle is the Christ Candle. But another way is to hang Christmas wreaths on the church doors as a sign of welcome. Once again—anyone interested in donating toward the purchase of wreaths for the front doors at St. John’s is encouraged to contact LuAnn Zieman at 608-297-2422 or email zieman@bugnet.net or by mail at W1440 State Rd 23, Montello, WI 53949.
ADVENT BY CANDLELIGHT WOMEN’S PROGRAM hosted by Emmanuel and supported by a Thrivent Action Team Project will be held today, Sunday Dec. 8 at 4:30pm at Emmanuel Parish Hall. We are looking forward to hosting all who have signed up for this special evening. If you have any questions, call Sue Stelter (608)297-2761.
EMMANUEL CHRISTMAS SERVICE Monday, Dec. 23 at 6:30pm. All are invited after the service for refreshments and fellowship in the Parish Hall. If you have an extra plate of cookies, please bring them to share.
CHOIR Are any members of Emmanuel and St. John’s interested in being part of the choir for the Christmas Eve Services? If so, practices will be on Monday evenings in Dec., 6:30pm at St. John’s. Any questions, please call Lynn Sellnow 616-826-0816.
MEMBERS OF ST. JOHNS AND SCHOOL FAMILIES This past summer the St. Johns council authorized the borrowing of $10,000 from the church’s line of credit to replace and refurbish the school boilers. As some may be aware, there have been a number of issues from the last couple years keeping the boilers running and the school heated and it could no longer be repaired. This project was completed late last fall. This also means that the church officially is borrowing money from its line of credit. If you wish to donate to help paying off the loan, please go ahead and do so. Any amount would be greatly appreciated. Look to the information room for where this project is at with regards to being paid off and where the other projects on the board are at with funding.
CHRISTIAN ONE-LINERS (from a WELS pastor): “The best mathematical equation I have ever seen: 1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given.”
UPDATE on CARDS FOR PRISON MINISTRY Thanks to all who picked up packs of cards to write for the prison ministry. All the cards are out. Please return completed cards by Thanksgiving Day, November 28, to the collection box in the linkway or to the church office.
SUNDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY A “Sneak Peek at the Gospel” for the day is the topic of the Sunday morning Bible study every week. It’s from 9:00-9:45am – come anytime. We meet in the church. All are welcomed. All are encouraged to attend.
ACH What is ACH? Automated Clearing House. Interested in having your church offering automatically deposited? Stop by the office or Information Room and fill out your application today.
MEDITATIONS & FORWARD IN CHRIST New “Meditations” and “Forward in Christ” WELS daily devotional booklets and WELS monthly devotional magazine are available in the church entry (many thanks to our generous members for donating!)
WELS NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON LUTHERAN LEADERSHIP WELS Congregational Services will host the first WELS National Conference on Lutheran Leadership at the Sheraton Grand in Chicago, Ill., Jan. 21-23. The conference will have five keynote presentations that deal with major cultural challenges before every WELS congregation. Twenty-five breakout sessions will deal with issues specific to certain congregations, including overcoming a consumer mentality in church, Christian apologetics, increasing volunteerism, retaining and gaining young members, fully utilizing the gifts of women in ministry, equipping members for personal evangelism, having a “high-expectations” church, strategic planning, using social media for outreach, operating a financially sustainable elementary school, and more. Learn more at register at lutheranleadership.com.
CHRISTIAN ONE-LINERS (from a WELS pastor): “We don’t change the message, the
message changes us.”
| Attendance | Emmanuel | St. John’s |
| 12-1 12-4 | 65 44 | 110 36 |
| St. John’s Altar Committee December 2019 | Diane Eisermann & Delores Cotte |
| Emm/Usher Schedule |
| Emmanuel & St. John’s Holiday Worship 2019 |
December 8
Emm Don Stelter, Noah Buchholz, Joe Heller
SJ (comm) James Wachholz; Chief, Kenny Wojtalewicz, Zeb Zuehls,
Mark Emond, Ben Emond
December 11 Advent
Emm Wayne Stelter, Don Stelter, Joe Heller
SJ James Wachholz, Chief, Ben Emond, Kevin Kaul, Corey Kaul, Ken Borzick
December 15
Emm Darrell Buchholz, Bruce Stelter, Gary Wegner
SJ Don Smith; Chief, Matt Borzick, Haiden Van Treeck,
Paul Van Treeck, Nolan Van Treeck
December 18 Advent
Emm Wayne Stelter, Don Stelter, Joe Heller
SJ Kenon Smith; Chief, Martin Schmanke, Aaron Kendall, Chuck Boetcher, Jim Eisermann
December 22
Emm DuWayne Sommerfeld, Paul Wuerch, Paul Dahlke
SJ (comm) James Wachholz; Chief, Jerre Duerr, Robin Smith, Joe Zauner Sr.,
Joe Zauner Jr.
December 23 Emm ?
December 24 SJ James Wachholz; Chief, Jon Vote, Jesse Schable,
Gordon Krause, Gerhardt Voigt
December 25
Emm ?
December 29
Emm Wayne Stelter, Glenn Buccholz, Joe Heller
SJ Don Smith; Chief, Ben Jaster, Jacob Jaster, Jeff Reimer, Jeremy Breiwa
December 31
SJ (comm) Kenon Smith; Chief, Richard Freitag, Mitch Simon, Glen Bubolz,
Al Rosenthal
| December 11 3:30pm Emmanuel – Advent Devotion 6:30pm St. John’s – Advent Devotion December 18 3:30pm Emmanuel – Advent Devotion 6:30pm St. John’s – Advent Devotion December 22 10:00am St. John’s Sunday School Christmas Worship December 23 6:30pm Emmanuel – Children’s Christmas Worship December 24 4:00pm St. John’s – St. John’s School & Little Lambs Christmas Eve Worship December 25 9:00am Emmanuel – Christmas Day Worship NO ST. JOHN’S 6:30PM SERVICE December 31 7:00pm St. John’s – New Year’s Eve Memorial Worship with communion January 1 9:00am Emmanuel – New Year’s Day Memorial Worship with communion NO ST. JOHN’S 6:30PM SERVICE |
| Emmanuel & St. John’s Holiday Worship 2019 |
| ●●● Welcome To Our Visitors! Please Sign Our Guest Register Find & Like us on Facebook Visit our website link: www.stjohnsmontello.org Pastor Peter Zietlow: (608) 408-7830 E-mail: zietlowPL6@hotmail.com Little Lambs Director & Teacher Mrs. Lynn Sellnow: 616-826-0816 K, 1st & 2nd Grade Teacher Ms. Shelley Myers: 920-285-7554 3rd-5th Grade Teacher Ms. Rachel Naumann: (847) 913-2135 Principal & 6th – 8th Grade Teacher Mr. Larry Sellnow: 616-822-6689 Church & School Secretary Ciara Neuhauser: (608) 297-2866 Altar Ladies: Elaine Kelm: (920) 344-0025 & Carolyn Rosenthal: 589-5036 Church & School Address/Mail: 313 E Montello St, Montello, WI 53949 Church & School E-mail: scsecretary@stjohnsmontello.org ●●● |