GLIMPSES OF GLENDALE: 2025-01-19

Thursday, January 23, 2025

Weekly Newsletter

Glimpses of Glendale

Glendale Lutheran Church Newsletter

January 23, 2024

Father Figure - article by Joel Hempel

Last year, standing in line at Walgreens on the Monday before Father’s Day, I heard a public service announcement over the intercom: “Don’t forget your father figure on Sunday.” Conflicting thoughts bounced around in my mind:

My father has long since passed . . . I miss him. But, I do have a heavenly Father. I also know some of my friends and colleagues object to God being called Father.

Many of you may not be aware that referring to God as Father is offensive to a sizable portion of the Christian church. Growing up, some people have had to endure a severely abusive father. Thus, embracing God as Father is a challenge at best, and at worst, too painful to trust. In addition, they point out that Scripture was written at a time when a paternal reference to God was ordinary and expected since women were not valued as highly as men. Thus, it is believed that God inspired the writers of Scripture to use language that would resonate with readers at that time in human history. But now is now, and our views of women have drastically changed. So, referring to God as Father is no longer necessary or helpful.

In a previous article, I mentioned that my father and I did not have a close relationship until later in life. But I am grateful to God that we reconciled, could hug each other, and say I love you. But if I wanted an intimate and vulnerable conversation, I went to Mom. She was my Abba.* So, I get it when friends and colleagues have told me they have an easier time thinking of God as Mother (see Luke 13:34).

I don’t understand how God – who is Spirit – can have a gender, but I can’t break from Scripture’s references to God as Father. So, who is our Abba Father?

He is One with Jesus (John 14:9-11).
The One to whom we pray (Matthew 6:9).
God the Father is extravagant, as seen in His creation and the way He loves us: See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are (1 John 3:1 NIV).
He is the one who adopted us through the redemptive work of Jesus, and thus, as His Son returned to heaven, so also we will join him as brothers and sisters in Christ (Romans 8:14-16).
Our Father disciplines us out of love so that we may grow in faith and faithfulness (Hebrews 12:4-11).
The Father has revealed His will for us, supplies our needs, forgives us, leads us away from temptation, and delivers us from evil (Matt. 6:10-13).
And so much more!

I guess people have to believe what they believe about God and how God represents God’s Self, and I respect them for it. I also ask my beloved friends and colleagues to respect those of us who confidently trust and pray to our Father in Heaven.

*In Scripture, abba expressed warmth and intimacy – see Mark 14:35-36; Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6-7.

Special Voters' Meeting

The Leadership Council will call a Special Voters’ Meeting immediately following service on Sunday, February 16, 2025, to request the congregation’s approval to use bequest funds to provide financial assistance to our neighbor on Glen Elm Drive whose home was destroyed in a natural gas explosion on January 3, 2025. Recent reports indicate Kirkwood and Glendale Fire Chief Jim Silvernail determined the blast and resulting fire left the home "uninhabitable." Additionally, we will be providing our quarterly update on the congregation’s finances. We look forward to seeing everyone!

Choir Rehearsals

Come join the choir as we begin preparation for the Lenten and Easter seasons. Tuesday evenings at 7:00 we rehearse in the sanctuary. See you then!

Baseball Darts

You are invited to play Baseball Darts on the following dates at 7:00 p.m. in the Youth Room:

January 29

February 12

February 26

Finance Update

Next Sunday's Bible Readings

Jeremiah 1:4-10; 1 Corinthians 12:31b—13:13; Luke 4:31-44

Worship Leaders

This Sunday - 1/26

Lector: Ann Jonas

Children's Message: Stephanie Chapa

Communion: Steve Phelps & Sem Student

Greeters: Bob & Debbie Jacobson

Sound/Video: John Steele

Ushers: Becci Sasser, Sandy Barbercheck, Jack Hurley, Rodger Lubben

Next Sunday - 2/2

Lector: Greg Frimel

Children's Message: Jon Chapa

Communion: Mike Toney & Sem Student

Greeters:

Sound/Video: Paul Barbercheck

Ushers: Ken Clark, Ron Froesel, Judy George, Jeanne Lipinski

The Word Within the Word

Online Calendar

Glendale Lutheran Church

Monday-Thursday 8:00 am-4:30 pm

(314) 966-3220

glendalelutheranchurch@gmail.com

Connect With Us:

Worship Bulletin

Welcome to Glendale Lutheran!

2025 Altar Flowers – The physical flower chart has returned! Sign up on the kiosk to reserve your dates. For those of you who prefer to sign up online, our Sign-up Genius remains active. Michelle will keep the kiosk list and the online sign-up synchronized to ensure that both lists are complete. Please call or email Michelle in the church office with any questions!

The Third Sunday after the Epiphany

January 26, 2025

9:15am

Divine Service III

Prelude

Greeting and Welcome

Lighting of the Candles

Hymn of Invocation – Alleluia! Sing to Jesus (LSB 821)

Alleluia! Sing to Jesus;

His the scepter, His the throne;

Alleluia! His the triumph,

His the victory alone.

Hark! The songs of peaceful Zion

Thunder like a mighty flood:

“Jesus out of ev’ry nation

Has redeemed us by His blood.”

Alleluia! Not as orphans

Are we left in sorrow now;

Alleluia! He is near us;

Faith believes, nor questions how.

Though the cloud from sight received Him

When the forty days were o’er,

Shall our hearts forget His promise:

“I am with you evermore”?

Alleluia! Bread of heaven,

Here on earth our food, our stay;

Alleluia! Here the sinful

Flee to You from day to day.

Intercessor, Friend of sinners,

Earth’s Redeemer, hear our plea

Where the songs of all the sinless

Sweep across the crystal sea.

Alleluia! King eternal,

Lord omnipotent we own;

Alleluia! Born of Mary,

Earth Your footstool, heav’n Your throne.

As within the veil You entered,

Robed in flesh, our great High Priest,

Here on earth both priest and victim

In the eucharistic feast.

Alleluia! Sing to Jesus;

His the scepter, His the throne;

Alleluia! His the triumph,

His the victory alone.

Hark! The songs of peaceful Zion

Thunder like a mighty flood:

“Jesus out of ev’ry nation

Has redeemed us by His blood.”

+ Preparation +

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

C: Amen.

P: Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.

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

C: who made heaven and earth.

P: I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,

C: 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 deserved 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 sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.

P: Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen.

+ Word +

Introit

P: You will arise and have pity on Zion; it is the time to favor her; the appointed time has come.

C: Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD:

P: that he looked down from his holy height; from heaven the LORD looked at the earth,

C: to hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die,

P: that they may declare in Zion the name of the LORD, and in Jerusalem his praise,

C: when peoples gather together, and kingdoms, to worship the LORD.

All: 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

P: You will arise and have pity on Zion; it is the time to favor her; the appointed time has come.

Kyrie

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Gloria in Excelsis

Glory be to God on High,

and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.

We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee.

we glorify Thee, we give thanks to Thee, for Thy great glory.

O Lord God, heav'nly King, God the Father Almighty.

O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ;

O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,

that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.

Thou that takest away the sin of the world, receive our prayer.

Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us.

For Thou only art holy; Thou only art the Lord.

Thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost,

art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Salutation and Collect of the Day

P: The Lord be with you.

C: And with thy spirit.

P: Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities and stretch forth the hand of Your majesty to heal and defend us; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: Amen.

First Reading – Nehemiah 8:1–3, 5–6, 8–10

All the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the LORD had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.

And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

P: This is the Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

Epistle – 1 Corinthians 12:12–31

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. For 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.

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If 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. And 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. If 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? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

The 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.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and 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, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts.

And I will show you a still more excellent way.

P: This is the Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

Alleluia

Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Holy Gospel – Mark 2:1-18

P: The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the second chapter.

C: Glory be to Thee, O Lord.

And when [Jesus] returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “My son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

[Jesus] went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”

P: This is the Gospel of the Lord.

C: Praise be to Thee, O Christ.

Nicene Creed

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried. And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church, I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life + of the world to come. Amen.

Children’s Hymn – God Is So Good (AGPS 107)

God is so good, God is so good,

God is so good, He’s so good to me.

He cares for me, He cares for me,

He cares for me, He’s so good to me.

He answers prayer, He answers prayer,

He answers prayer, He’s so good to me.

Children’s Message – Stephanie Chapa

Hymn of the Day – My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less (LSB 575)

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;

No merit of my own I claim

But wholly lean on Jesus’ name. Refrain

Refrain: On Christ, the solid rock, I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness veils His lovely face,

I rest on His unchanging grace;

In ev’ry high and stormy gale

My anchor holds within the veil. Refrain

His oath, His covenant and blood

Support me in the raging flood;

When ev’ry earthly prop gives way,

He then is all my hope and stay. Refrain

When He shall come with trumpet sound,

Oh, may I then in Him be found,

Clothed in His righteousness alone,

Redeemed to stand before His throne! Refrain

Sermon

Offertory

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from Thy presence,

and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation,

and uphold me with Thy free spirit. Amen.

Offering

Prayers

+ Celebrating birthdays this week: 28 – Dan DeFosset, Andy Ryan;

29 – Cyndi Smith

+ Wedding anniversaries: 28 – Gerry & Vicki Lucas

Special Celebrations and Needs:

+ Church family members: Jack Bentzinger, in rehab recovering from a fall; Cathie Albers, recovering from hip surgery; Carol Froesel, with back issues; Sue DeFosset, recovering from knee surgery; Paul Schultz, in hospice; Sherman Moore; Ken Kight

+ Friends of our congregation: Family of Roger Scheidt, neighbor of Jeff & Suk Wille, upon his death; Barbara Huggins, in rehab

+ Those who are homebound or in nursing facilities: Twylah Atwood, Mary Aufderheide, Jules Bush, Frank & Sharon Gaal, Mary Guion, Jane Keathley, Vicki Lucas, Cindy Smith, Shirley Williams

+ Sacrament +

Preface

P: The Lord be with you.

C: And with thy spirit.

P: Lift up your hearts.

C: We lift them up unto the Lord.

P: Let us give thanks unto the Lord our God.

C: It is meet and right so to do.

P: It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord; for what had been hidden from before the foundation of the world You have made known to the nations in Your Son. In Him, being found in the substance of our mortal nature, You have 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:

Sanctus

Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;

heaven and earth are full of Thy glory

Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is He, blessed is He,

blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.

Lord’s Prayer

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 Words of Our Lord

P: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My + body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.” In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He 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 for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

Pax Domini

P: The peace of the Lord be with you always.

C: Amen.

Agnus Dei

O Christ, Thou Lamb of God,

that takest away the sin of the world,

have mercy upon us.

O Christ, Thou Lamb of God,

that takest away the sin of the world,

have mercy upon us.

O Christ, Thou Lamb of God,

that takest away the sin of the world,

grant us Thy peace. Amen.

Distribution

Distribution Hymn – Just As I Am (LSB 570)

Just as I am, without one plea

But that Thy blood was shed for me

And that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee,