November 26, 2023 | Prince of Peace

Welcome to Prince of Peace Lutheran Church

November 26, 2023 The Last Sunday of the Church Year

Welcome Friends! - To the friends who know us, we renew our welcome, to the guests who worship with us, we extend our welcome most warmly. To those seeking a church home, we offer fellowship with a Living, Personal Savior, membership in His Church, and citizenship in His eternal Kingdom!

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Welcome

*Join us for Season 2 of The Chosen in the Fellowship Hall for Bible study.

*Please place your orders for poinsettias by November 26. You can sign up on the Ministry in Action wall or click here for the Sign-up Genius. Payment envelopes are on the usher’s stand. Each plant is $8. Thank you for helping to beautify the sanctuary for Christmas.

*All families with kids 18 and under are invited to join us on Sunday December 10th from 5-8pm for a Pajama Party at Prince of Peace! We will have a taco bar, hot chocolate and will be showing A Charlie Brown Christmas. Childcare provided.

*If you were unable to get portraits taken last week, please send a photo to the office for submission. We want to have all our families represented in the 2024 Directory.

*Giving Tree gift selections are available on Sign-Up Genius. Social Ministries is available between church services today to help with gift sign-up. Gifts need to be dropped off at church no later than Saturday December 9th. Please call/text Liesl Emrikian (not the church office) at 330-441-1316 if you have questions or need assistance with Sign-Up Genius.

Sharing of the Peace

P: The peace of the Lord be with you.

C: And also with you.

(Shake hands and/or give hugs and share God’s peace with one another)

Invocation

P: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen.

Opening Hymn: Christ, the Word of God Incarnate LSB# 540 V. 1–4

1 Christ, the Word of God incarnate,

Lord and Son of Abraham;

Christ, the radiance of the Father,

Perfect God, the great I AM;

Christ, the light, You shine unvanquished,

Light and life You bring to all;

Light our path with Your own presence,

Grant us grace to heed Your call.

2 Christ, the living bread from heaven,

Food for body, food for soul;

Christ, the manna daily given,

Nourish, strengthen, make us whole.

Feed us with the food of heaven,

Foretaste of the feast to be;

Quench our thirst with living water

Springing up eternally.

3 Christ, the shoot that springs triumphant

From the stump of Jesse’s tree;

Christ, true vine, You nurture branches

To bear fruit abundantly.

Graft us into You, O Savior;

Prune our hearts so we remain

Fruitful branches in Your vineyard

Till eternal life we gain.

4 Christ, our good and faithful shepherd,

Watching all Your lambs and sheep;

Christ, the gate that guards the sheepfold,

Never-failing vigil keep.

When we stray, Good Shepherd, seek us, Find us, lift us, bear us home;

Lamb of God, our shepherd, keep us;

Let us hear Your voice alone.

Confession and Absolution p. 213

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord,

C: who made heaven and earth.

P: If You, O Lord, Kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?

C: But with You there is forgiveness and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.

Silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination.

P: O almighty God, merciful Father,

C: I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserve Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter suffering and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.

(Sit)

Create in Me

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a right spirit within me.

Cash me no away from Thy presence,

and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy to Thy salvation,

and uphold me with Thy free spirit.

Amen.

Old Testament Reading: Ezekiel 34:11–15

11“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 12As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. 15I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God.

P: This is the Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

Epistle Reading – 1 Corinthians 15:20–28

20But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.

P: This is the Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

(stand)

Gospel Reading: Matthew 25:31–46

31[Jesus said:] “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ 41“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

P: This is the Gospel of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

(sit)

Kids Korner: Madeline Bartley

Sermon Hymn: Savior, like a Shepherd Lead Us LSB# 711

Savior, like a shepherd lead us;

Much we need Your tender care.

In Your pleasant pastures feed us,

For our use Your fold prepare.

Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,

You have bought us; we are Yours.

Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,

You have bought us; we are Yours.

We are Yours; in love befriend us,

Be the guardian of our way;

Keep Your flock, from sin defend us,

Seek us when we go astray.

Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,

Hear us children when we pray.

Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,

Hear us children when we pray.

You have promised to receive us,

Poor and sinful though we be;

You have mercy to relieve us,

Grace to cleanse, and pow’r to free.

Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,

Early let us turn to You.

Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,

Early let us turn to You.

Early let us seek Your favor,

Early let us do Your will;

Blessèd Lord and only Savior,

With Your love our spirits fill.

Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,

You have loved us, love us still.

Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,

You have loved us, love us still.

Text: Hymns for the Young, 1836, 4th ed., London, alt. Text: Public domain

Sermon: You want to be a superhero? Serve your neighbor!

Offertory: Have No Fear, Little Flock LSB# 735

1 Have no fear, little flock;

Have no fear, little flock,

For the Father has chosen

To give you the Kingdom;

Have no fear, little flock!

2 Have good cheer, little flock;

Have good cheer, little flock,

For the Father will keep you

In His love forever;

Have good cheer, little flock!

3 Praise the Lord high above;

Praise the Lord high above,

For He stoops down to heal you,

Uplift and restore you;

Praise the Lord high above!

4 Thankful hearts raise to God;

Thankful hearts raise to God,

For He stays close beside you,

In all things works with you;

Thankful hearts raise to God!

(stand)

Apostle’s Creed

C: I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth.

And 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 sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

From thence 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 of the Church

Lord’s Prayer

P: Let us pray together the prayer that Jesus taught us to 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.

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 + give you peace.

C: Amen.

Hymn to Depart: Come, Thou Almighty King LSB# 905

Come, Thou almighty King,

Help us Thy name to sing;

Help us to praise;

Father all-glorious,

O’er all victorious,

Come and reign over us,

Ancient of Days.

Come, Thou incarnate Word,

Gird on Thy mighty sword;

Our prayer attend.

Come and Thy people bless,

And give Thy Word success,

And let Thy righteousness

On us descend.

Come, holy Comforter,

Thy sacred witness bear

In this glad hour!

Thou, who almighty art,

Now rule in ev’ry heart,

And ne’er from us depart,

Spirit of pow’r.

To Thee, great One in Three,

Eternal praises be

Hence evermore!

Thy sov’reign majesty

May we in glory see,

And to eternity

Love and adore.

Text: English, before 1760, alt. Text: Public domain

Today’s altar flowers given by Dan and Diane Willhoite in celebration of November birthdays and wedding anniversary; and by Bill and Trudy Walker with thanksgiving.

Serving Today:

Rev. Jim Bretthauer

Interim Director of Children and Family Ministries: Madeline Bartley

Organist: Daniel Barber, D.M.