SANCTITY OF LIFE SUNDAY 3RD SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY JANUARY 24, 2021 - SAINT PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH - St. Paul Lutheran Church
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SANCTITY OF LIFE SUNDAY
3RD SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY
JANUARY 24, 2021
SAINT PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
4660 West 94th Street, Oak Lawn, Illinois 60453
(708) 423-1040 www.stpauloaklawn.org
Pastor John Moeller Director of Music Ruth Sievers
As We Gather
Our focus today is on the Epistle, which underscores the importance of each part of the body. It also
reminds us that the Church is the Body of Christ, so every life at every stage has value because it is given
by God, redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, and serves as the temple of the Holy Spirit. In today’s
worship we celebrate and give thanks for God’s gift of life, in this world and for eternity.
Prelude "The Lord, My God, Be Praised” G. Kaufmann
Opening Hymn Solo “The Lord, My God, Be Praised” #794
1 The Lord, my God, be praised, 3 The Lord, my God, be praised,
My light, my life from heaven; My hope, my life from heaven,
My maker, who to me The Spirit, whom the Son
Has soul and body given; In love to me has given.
My Father, who will shield His grace revives my heart
And keep me day by day And gives my spirit pow’r,
And make each moment yield Help, comfort, and support
New blessings on my way. In sorrow’s gloomy hour.
2 The Lord, my God, be praised, D 4 The Lord, my God, be praised,
My trust, my life from heaven, My God, the ever-living,
The Father’s own dear Son, To whom the heav’nly host
Whose life for me was given, Their laud and praise are giving.
Who for my sin atoned The Lord, my God, be praised,
With His most precious blood In whose great name I boast,
And gives to me by faith God Father, God the Son,
The highest heav’nly good. And God the Holy Ghost.
Text: Public domain
Invocation
P In the name of God the Father,
C Who creates every life.
P In the name of God the Son,
C Who redeemed every life.
P In the name of God the Holy Spirit,
C Who calls every life to be His own.
P In the name of our Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
C Amen.
Confession and Absolution
P God tells us to “lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely” (Hebrews 12:1). Sin can
weigh so heavily upon us and cling so closely that it seems impossible to lay it aside. Sin can make
us feel so faithless. But we depend upon God’s faithfulness, not ours! He is faithful and just and
promises that when we confess our sins, He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
Let us then confess our sins to Him.C Father, we confess our sinful nature clings closely to us. It manifests itself in so many ways. It
causes us to doubt the value of our lives. It causes us to doubt the value of other lives. It causes
us to value life for the wrong reasons. It so often makes us indifferent when we see life being
devalued all around us. We fail to protect and defend life. We fail to proclaim the great value
You give to life. Father, have mercy on us and forgive us for Jesus’ sake.
P God has had mercy upon us! Jesus, “for the joy that was set before him endured the cross”
(Hebrews 12:2). The hands of God that created you stretched out in love upon the cross to pay
the price for all your sins. Therefore, as a called and ordained servant of our Lord Jesus and by His
authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
T WORD T
Introit Psalm 68:4-6, 19-20
P Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
C lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts; his name is the Lord; exult before him!
P Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.
C God settles the solitary in a home; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
P but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.
C Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up;
P God is our salvation; our God is a God of salvation,
C and to God the Lord belongs deliverance from death.
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.
Prayer of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray together...
C Heavenly Father, who gives value to every life, give us, Your people, the wisdom to see the value
You give to life and the love to reflect that value in our living, through Jesus Christ our Lord who
lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Old Testament Reading T David Anointed King T 1 Samuel 16:4–13
4
Samuel did what the LORD commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet
him trembling and said, “Do you come peaceably?” 5And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice
to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he consecrated Jesse and
his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. 6When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely
the LORD’s anointed is before him.” 7But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on
the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on
the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” 8Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him
pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” 9Then Jesse made Shammah
pass by. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” 10And Jesse made seven of his sons pass
before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these.” 11Then Samuel said to Jesse,
“Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping thesheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12And
he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome.
And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” 13Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed
him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward.
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Hymn of Praise Solo “Lead Me, Guide Me” #721
ref Lead me, guide me, along the way; 2 Help me tread in the paths of
For if You lead me, I cannot stray. righteousness,
Lord, let me walk each day with Thee. Be my aid when Satan and sin oppress.
Lead me, O Lord, lead me. I am putting all my trust in Thee.
Lead me, O Lord, lead me. Refrain
1 I am weak and I need Thy strength and
pow’r 3 I am lost if You take Your hand from me,
To help me over my weakest hour. I am blind without Thy light to see.
Help me through the darkness Thy face Lord, always let me Thy servant be.
to see. Lead me, O Lord, lead me. Refrain
Lead me, O Lord, lead me. Refrain Text: © 1953 Doris M. Akers, admin. Chappell & Co. Used
by permission: onelicense.net no. 9465
Epistle T One Body with Many Members T 1 Corinthians 12:12-16
12
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many,
are one body, so it is with Christ. 13For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks,
slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 14For the body does not consist of one member
but of many. 15If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would
not make it any less a part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not
belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17If the whole body were an
eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense
of smell? 18But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19If all
were a single member, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 21The
eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of
you.”
22
On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and on those
parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable
parts are treated with greater modesty, 24which our more presentable parts do not require. But God
has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25that there may be no
division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26If one member
suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Holy Gospel T Three Parables T Matthew 13:31-34, 44
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the 13th chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.31
[Jesus] put (a) parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed
that a man took and sowed in his field. 32It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger
than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its
branches.” 33He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took
and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”
34
All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a
parable. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables; I will
utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”
[Then Jesus said,] “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and
covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Confession of Faith T The First Article of the Apostles’ Creed T
P We confess our Christian faith together:
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
P What does this mean?
C I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes,
ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also
gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, spouse and children, land,
animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body
and life. He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil. All this He
does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me.
For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true.
Sermon Hymn Solo “Lord of All Nations, Grant Me Grace” #844 sts. 1, 2 & 5
1 Lord of all nations, grant me grace
To love all people, ev’ry race; 5 With Thine own love may I be filled
And in each person may I see And by Thy Holy Spirit willed,
My kindred, loved, redeemed by Thee. That all I touch, where’er I be,
May be divinely touched by Thee.
2 Break down the wall that would divide
Text: © 1969 Concordia Publishing House. Used by
Thy children, Lord, on ev’ry side. permission: onelicense.net no. 9465
My neighbor’s good let me pursue;
Let Christian love bind warm and true.
Sermon 1 Corinthians 12:22
Prayer of the Church
P Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
In peace, let us pray to the Lord,
C Lord, have mercy.Offering—may be left in the offering plates near the doors as you leave. Those worshipping at home
may continue to mail or drop off offerings at the church office, and on-line giving always available
on our website. For those worshipping with us at home, we pray God’s blessing and look forward to
the day when we will all be able to worship together again here in God’s house.
Offertory Meditation
T SACRAMENT T
Preface
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.
Proper Preface
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Words of Our Lord
Proclamation of Christ 1 Corinthians 11:26; Revelation 22:20
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father…
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven…
Closing Prayer
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
P Go in peace, serve the Lord.
C Amen.T DISTRIBUTION of the SACRAMENT T
Closing Hymn Solo “Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness” #849
1 Praise the One who breaks the darkness Praise the One who brings cool water
With a liberating light; To the desert’s burning sand;
Praise the One who frees the pris’ners, From this Well comes living water,
Turning blindness into sight. Quenching thirst in ev’ry land.
Praise the One who preached the Gospel,
Healing ev’ry dread disease, 3 Let us praise the Word Incarnate,
Calming storms, and feeding thousands Christ, who suffered in our place.
With the very Bread of peace. Jesus died and rose victorious
That we may know God by grace.
2 Praise the One who blessed the children Let us sing for joy and gladness,
With a strong, yet gentle, word; Seeing what our God has done;
Praise the One who drove out demons Let us praise the true Redeemer,
With the piercing, two-edged sword. Praise the One who makes us one.
Text: © 1987 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission:
onelicense.net no. 9465
Postlude "Lord Jesus Christ, We Humbly Pray” G. Bohm
***********************************************************************************
Acknowledgments and Thanks
Vocalist: Jan Gensch
Today’s reader is Marilyn Bitner
Altar Care: Cathy Kumke
Creative Worship for the Lutheran Parish, Series B, Quarter 1. Copyright © 2020 Concordia Publishing House.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®),
copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights
reserved. Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2020 Concordia Publishing House.Please pray for these members of our St. Paul Please pray for these friends and family of
family: our members:
Gloria Crook Joann Wilke Mike Horan Skip Sorensen
Debbie Will Laverne Abraham Sue Sortino Barb Potter
Rich Hagberg Julie & Larry Gurga Denise DeLaurentis Cutie Kemp
Janice Przybycien Kevin Hickey Dorothy Kroll Anthony Krcelic, Jr.
Mary Ann Colander Art Hornburg Bob Hessert Georgiana Easton
Melva Smith Del Purdy Jackie Plichta Susan M. Volk
Carol Small Mike Degidio Patricia Paulsen Clare Donovan
David Kandel Karen Martinez Ken Kruckow Janet Trierweiler
The Anderson Family Birdie Onken Alan Hecke Christopher Bruck
Roy Hodgeman Lenore Curran Edgar Hill Jimmy Kennedy, Jr.
Delphine Cherry Ron Klingensmith Matt Favero Sandra Wilson
Louis Frank Deb Skopec Rev. Bob Mitchell Al Silinski
Herta Iversen Loretta Frank Pam Palhegyi Carol Milazzo
Jane & Freddie Giacobbe Marge Rochlitz Rich Huscher The Lamberth Family
Ron Hickey Shirley Smulkis Booker Cooper Doreen Holford
Ingrid Lesko Katherine Hice Jerry Gross Ed Kristof
Gloria Meyer Jan Briede Gloria Folsom Autumn Kesling
Delores Stegemann Connie Braun Elizabeth Hoefler Mike Mavraganes
Kurt Seehofer Beverly Sellers Ron Lunt The Tom Stiso Family
Norma Silinski The Polezoes Family Sandy Plath Iris McCoy
Connie Outman Charley Heitz
For those who work to defend God’s gift of life. Shirley Demyres Raquel Rameriz
Nick & Bridget DeAngelo Jorene Pierzga
Learn more about Southside Pregnancy Center at Sue Hardin Justin & Ashley Fasel
southsidepregnancy.org and Lutherans for Life at Kim & Shawn Skelton, Sr. Kyle Hughes
lutheransforlife.org Elaine Hoffstetter Fred Raddatz
Allyson Seehofer Dana Kahn
Bernadette & Rich Trusk John Carmichael
Donald Hakanson Lisa Thomas
Patrick Pasqua, Sr. Donna Campbell
Carl Hoppe Bernie Nawrot
Roberta Owens Judy Collins
Paul Noffke Edward Wirtschoreck
Please let the church office know when your need
for our congregational prayers is over (708) 423-
1040.You can also read
