The 11th Sunday after Pentecost
August 15 & 16, 2020
Emmanuel & St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Churches
Mecan & Montello, WI
✠P R E P A R A T I O N F O R W O R S H I P ✠
We prepare ourselves to worship the one Savior God by expressing our humble repentance, offering our fervent prayers and singing our thankfulness of praise.
Please note: Worship Service Restart Plans (Bulletin pages 12, 13) Worship f.) Due to the recent increase of COVID-19 virus cases testing positive in our area, worshipers are kindly asked to maintain social distancing, refrain from singing, and wear masks that cover both mouth and nose. Thank you for your consideration.
PASTOR’S WELCOME, ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND PRAYER BEFORE WORSHIP
O Lord – our Maker, Redeemer, and Comforter – we are assembled in your presence to hear your holy Word. We pray that you would open our hearts by your Holy Spirit, that through the preaching of your Word we may repent of our sins, believe in Jesus, and grow day by day in grace and holiness. Hear us for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
OPENING HYMN 339 Today Your Mercy Calls Us
*Sung by soloist.
Please stand.
INVOCATION
M: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION
M: We have come into the presence of God, who created us to love and serve him as his dear children. But we have disobeyed him and deserve only his wrath and punishment. Therefore, let us confess our sins to him and plead for his mercy.
C: Merciful Father in heaven, I am altogether sinful from birth. In countless ways I have sinned against you and do not deserve to be called your child. But trusting in Jesus, my Savior, I pray: Have mercy on me according to your unfailing love. Cleanse me from my sin, and take away my guilt.
M: God, our heavenly Father, has forgiven all your sins. By the perfect life and innocent death of our Lord, Jesus Christ, he has removed your guilt forever. You are his own dear child. May God give you strength to live according to his will.
C: Amen.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
M: O God, you reveal your mighty power chiefly in showing mercy and kindness. Grant us the full measure of your grace that we may obtain your promises and become partakers of your heavenly glory; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Be seated.
✠ T H E W O R D ✠
The Lord Jesus speaks to us in Scripture reading, preaching and song.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Isaiah 55:1-5
Summary: God satisfies our spiritual needs
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander of the peoples. Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations that do not know you will hasten to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor.”
PSALM OF THE DAY 42-43
*For your personal devotion at home.
Refrain
Blessed are they who hope, who hope in the Lord.
As the deer pants for streams of water,*
so my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.*
Where can I go and meet with God?
Why are you downcast, O my soul?*
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,*
for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
Refrain
Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me;*
let them bring me to the place where you dwell.
Then will I go to the altar of God, my joy and my delight.*
I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son*
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,*
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Refrain
SECOND LESSON Romans 8:35-39
Summary: God satisfies our eternal needs
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
VERSE OF THE DAY John 14: 23
M: Alleluia. Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” Alleluia.
Please stand.
GOSPEL LESSON Matthew 14:13-21
Summary: God satisfies our physical needs
When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”
Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
“We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
“Bring them here to me,” he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Please be seated.
HYMN 728 Jerusalem the Golden
*Sung by soloist.
SERMONETTE 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18
“Find Courage in the Facts”
Fact #1 Jesus’ Resurrection
Fact #2 Jesus’ Return
Fact #3 Our Forever
Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.
Please stand.
APOSTLES’ CREED
*For your personal devotion at home.
I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker or heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his 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. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there 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 the life everlasting. Amen.
PRAYER FOR GROWTH IN FAITH & CHRISTIAN LIVING & INTERCESSORY PRAYERS
*Intercessory prayers listed on page 11.
LORD’S PRAYER
*Spoken by congregation.
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.
CLOSING PRAYER
M: O Lord God, our heavenly Father, pour out the Holy Spirit on your faithful people. Keep us strong in your grace and truth, protect and comfort us in all temptation, and bestow on us your saving peace, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
BLESSING
M: Brothers and sisters, go in peace. Live in harmony with one another. Serve the Lord with gladness.
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.
Then Lord look on you with favor and + give you peace.
Amen.
Be seated.
CLOSING HYMN 332 Go, My Children, with My Blessing
*Sung by soloist.
Announcements
Next week’s theme:
August 23, 2020 11th Sunday after Pentecost
“God Overcomes our Doubts and Fears”
St. John’s Lutheran Church Montello & Emmanuel Lutheran Church Mecan
Updated Response to Worship Concerns Created by COVID-19
July 30, 2020
When will we worship? An outdoor Saturday service is being added to help members worship in a safe environment. This service will replace the Wednesday evening service.
- Saturdays @ 4:30 pm (Any St. John’s or Emmanuel members)-Beginning Saturday, August 15
- Sunday @ 8:00 am Emmanuel (Emmanuel members)
- Sunday @ 10:00 am St. John’s (St. John’s members 55 and older)
- Online worship services continue found at stjohnsmontello.org
Where will we worship? Groups should be 50 or less indoors. To provide safe worship experiences, the new Saturday worship service will be held outdoors when weather permits.
- Saturday @ 4:30 pm will be an outdoor service on the lawn behind the parking lot of St. John’s. In case of inclement weather, we will move to the sanctuary.
- Sunday @ 8:00 am at Emmanuel in the sanctuary
- Sunday @ 10:00 am at St. John’s in the sanctuary
How will we worship? Providing a safe worship experience is a high priority for the leaders in our congregations. Because the virus continues to spread, and because of the science regarding singing and speaking, the following policies will be continued and new ones enacted immediately:
- Please use the hand sanitizer upon arrival at the worship service.
- Masks will currently be optional at all services (see below**) Masks will be available.
- Designated seating will be provided indoors to provide for social distancing.
- Please bring lawn chairs for the outdoor service. Some seating and a canopy may be available.
- The congregation is asked to not sing for the time being.
- Services will be shortened to a length of approximately 40 minutes.
- A soloist will sing the hymns and any liturgical responses.
- Continuous communion will be practiced on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month. The Saturday before the 2nd and 4th Sundays will also include communion. Family units are encouraged to commune together.
- The congregations should exit the sanctuary from the back at the end of the service, taking all belongings including the bulletin along with them.
- The sanctuary will be cleaned and sanitized between services.
- **We will abide by any state or local mandates that may change any of these policies
As we hold firmly to the truths of scripture, we know that God continues to keep his promises to us. He has promised the wonderful spiritual blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation. He has not, however, promised that things will always remain the same. In the words of our synod president, Mark Schroeder, “we recommit ourselves–as individuals, as congregations, and as a synod–to the mission that God has called us to carry out, trusting that he will bless us in that work.” Let us work together as we move forward as a congregation. Let us help, support, and encourage each other as we gather around God’s Word.
Question or Concerns? Contact your Elders or pastor
Emmanuel Elders: Darrell Buchholz (608) 215-7871, Wayne Stelter (608) 369-1790
St. John’s Elders: Jerre Duerr (608) 697-8706, Jay Eisermann (608) 297-8171, James Wachholz (608) 369-4006 – Pastor Pete Zietlow (608) 408-7830
Our Savior Provides Food
For Both the Body and the Soul
The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost – A
God’s Word for Today
Our Savior is a God of mercy and kindness. Our very existence is testimony to that fact. Daily he provides us with all that we need to keep our body and life. He also grants protection from all earthly dangers. In addition, our Savior provides us with spiritual blessings—food for the soul. In his Word we receive the good news of sins forgiven and free salvation.
First Lesson (Isaiah 55:1-5)
- What satisfying sustenance does God promise to his people?
- What is the imitation bread in which some invest?
- To whom do verses 4-5 point?
Second Lesson (Romans 8:35-39)
- Suffering might cause us to question God’s love. But in the end, what capability does any suffering have?
- What makes us more than conquerors?
- Name anything that isn’t covered in Paul’s list of agents that “cannot separate us from the love of God…”
Gospel (Matthew 14:13-21)
- How does Jesus show his nature as provider of all things physical?
- Which attributes of Jesus shine through clearly in this miracle?
Answers:
- In his Word, Jesus promises to give us food and drink that is truly satisfying, for it will quench the hunger and thirst we feel because of our sin. This spiritual food and drink offer us forgiveness of sins and eternal life, a truly satisfying fare!
- The imitation bread might look appealing on the outside, but it offers no relief from hunger. Consider the many religious practices performed to make oneself right with God. But we can never know with certainty if we’ve offered enough; therefore, we are never truly satisfied—a most unsatisfactory fare!
- The Holy One of Israel must be pointing to our Savior, Jesus Christ.
- While Paul indicates that suffering has been around for ages and is generally something we can’t escape, he also states boldly that none of it is capable of separating us from God’s love for us in Christ.
- Christ’s victory on the cross makes us conquerors as well.
- Paul’s list of agents ends with “nor anything else in all creation.” The only being uncreated is God himself, and it is he who worked and won our salvation. It is therefore reaffirmed that absolutely nothing can come between us and God’s love for us!
- Jesus provides for this crowd of more than 10,000 people by miraculously stretching the bread and fish to fill all their stomachs. Compare Matthew 6:33 and Psalm 23:1.
- Obviously, as in all of his other miracles, Jesus shows his omnipotence, or almighty power. But note also that Jesus shows his compassion for the people (v14).
| Attendance | Emmanuel | St. John’s |
| 8-9 8-12 | 33 | 43 discontinued |
| St. John’s Altar CommitteeAugust 2020 | Susan Brown&Jennie Utke |