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Thursday, January 7, 2021

Weekly Newsletter

Glimpses of Glendale
Glendale Lutheran Church Newsletter
January 7, 2021
This week we witnessed something we never thought we would see, a mob attack on the congressional building. It was disgraceful. The word disgraceful needs to be explained. It means completely lacking grace. Physical violence is filled with rage, dissension, and ego instead. Mob violence is barbaric and the opposite of Christ who died by mob violence.

Of course it’s much worse when those who profess Christ are the mob. There were people waving the same Christian Flag that we have in our sanctuary. They were saying, “Jesus Christ is on our side and for our cause.” That is blasphemy. Christians should know better. Lutherans do know better. We’ve been taught about the two kingdoms. The government is not the church. The church is the only source of Grace. Christ has told us to go and make disciples through baptism and teaching. That is Christ’s cause.

Politics is not the source of grace. It is a place of law and disorder. If you put your ultimate hope in any party or leader they will draw you away from the Gospel. Many of you are saying that’s not going to happen to you. As your Pastor I’m telling you that we are seeing it happen to the church. 

The way of Grace is how we operate. Forgive your political enemies. Love those who are the opposite of you. Jesus could have called down the power of angels and overtook Rome. Instead, he forgave his persecutors and refused to condemn Pontius Pilate. Rome ultimately fell because the love of Christ through His death and resurrection captured the hearts of more and more people. The fruits of Christ’s spirit filled God’s people with gentleness, patience, kindness, goodness and self-control changed a nation.

If politics is filling you with jadedness, impatience, rudeness, vengeance and outbursts then you need to step back, repent and return to Christ. We all have to ask God to examine our heart and make changes. Jesus is filled with grace for us. Stay close to him. Follow the way of grace.
Please wear a mask during worship services.
Daily Bible Reading
GLC 2019-2020 Annual Report
Our new Annual Report is printed and available in the holder behind Pastor Scott’s printed sermons. If they are all taken, let a Council Member know and we will print more.
More Angel Tree Thank You's!
We have received several thank you notes from seminary families regarding the Angel Tree gifts. They are displayed on the kiosk. Thank you again for participating and enriching the holidays for these families.
2021 Flower Chart
The Flower Chart for 2021 is posted near the church office. Sign up or simply email Michelle your preferred dates for altar flowers and she will reserve those Sundays for you. Thank you!
Financial Update
Next Sunday's Bible Readings
1 Samuel 3:1-20; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20; John 1:43-51
Worship Leaders 1/10
Lector: Cathie Albers
Communion: Terry Buchholz
S/V: Tony Petzoldt
Bible Class S/V: Jerry Nicoalus
Usher: John Steele
Worship Leaders 1/17
Lector: Oliver LaMie
Communion: Steve Phelps
S/V: Andy Ortstadt
Bible Class S/V: Tony Petzoldt
Usher: Ken Clark
The Word Within the Word

Worship Bulletin


Welcome to Glendale Lutheran!

Pastor Scott Jonas would love to talk to you. You can contact him via cell 805-345-6658 or email scottjonas314@gmail.com.
Women’s Tuesday Morning Bible Study is studying Prophets and Kings. They meet weekly in FLC at 9:15. Women’s Thursday Evening Bible Study meets the first and third Thursday of each month at 7:00pm. All women are welcome!

Men’s Bible Study is currently studying Walking Where Jesus Walked, visiting Holy Land sites. We meet Mondays at 7:30am.
The Baptism of Our Lord
9:15am
Prelude

Greeting and Welcome

Lighting of the Candles

Hymn of Invocation – I Know That My Redeemer Lives (LSB 461)

I know that my Redeemer lives;
What comfort this sweet sentence gives!
He lives, He lives, who once was dead;
He lives, my ever-living head.

He lives triumphant from the grave;
He lives eternally to save;
He lives all-glorious in the sky;
He lives exalted there on high.

He lives to bless me with His love;
He lives to plead for me above;
He lives my hungry soul to feed;
He lives to help in time of need.

He lives to grant me rich supply;
He lives to guide me with His eye;
He lives to comfort me when faint;
He lives to hear my soul’s complaint.

+ Preparation +

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

Opening SentencesGenesis 1:1–2; Psalm 29:3–4
P:  In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
C:  And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
P:  And God said, “Let there be light.”
C:  The voice of the Lord is over the waters.
P:  The voice of the Lord is powerful.
C:  The voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
P:  The voice of the Lord reveals Jesus as His Son.
C:  The voice of the Lord reveals we are His children too.

Confession and Absolution
P:  In Holy Baptism, each of us was baptized into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. In Baptism, we were united with Christ. Yet, we have often lived as if we were entirely independent and autonomous. We have lived as if our identity were not in Jesus, but in our own selfish desires. Yet, our heavenly Father invites us to turn back to Him and ask for His forgiveness.

Silence for reflection.

P:  Heavenly Father,
C:  we confess that we are by nature sinful and have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed. On account of Jesus, forgive us, renew us, and unite us to Your name.
P:  Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die and rise for you. In Baptism, you were united to Christ in both His death and resurrection. You were buried with Him, but also raised to walk in newness of life. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C:  Amen. We are dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

+ Word +

First ReadingGenesis 1:1–5
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
 
P:  This is the Word of the Lord.
C:  Thanks be to God.

Epistle Romans 6:1–11
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

P:  This is the Word of the Lord.
C:  Thanks be to God.

Holy Gospel – Mark 3:1-12
P: The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the third chapter.
C: Glory to You, O Lord.

Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.
Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him. And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him, for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him. And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.

P: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to You, O Christ.                                                                                                  

Children’s HymnFather Welcomes (LSB 605)

Refrain:  Father welcomes all His children
To His fam’ly through His Son.
Father giving His salvation,
Life forever has been won.

Little children, come to me,
For My kingdom is of these.
Life and love I have to give,
Mercy for your sin. Refrain

In the water, in the Word,
In His promise be assured:
Those who are baptized and believe,
Shall be born again. Refrain

Children’s Sermon

Hymn of the Day – As with Gladness Men of Old (LSB 397)

As with gladness men of old
Did the guiding star behold;
As with joy they hailed its light,
Leading onward, beaming bright;
So, most gracious Lord, may we
Evermore be led by Thee.

As with joyful steps they sped,
Savior, to Thy lowly bed,
There to bend the knee before
Thee, whom heav’n and earth adore;
So may we with willing feet
Ever seek Thy mercy seat.

As they offered gifts most rare
At Thy cradle, rude and bare,
So may we with holy joy,
Pure and free from sin’s alloy,
All our costliest treasures bring,
Christ, to Thee, our heav’nly King.
 
Sermon

Apostles' 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

+ Celebrating birthdays this week: 10 – Norma Bentzinger, David Williams; 11 – Avery Schloeman; 12 – Dan Brugere; 13 – Arwyn Schumacher; 14 – Dennis Dowell, Terry Young; 15 – Jennifer Grossenheider, Cyndi Moore

Special Celebrations and Needs:
+ Church family members: family and friends of Jack Rutter upon his death; Ken Kight, in need of healing; Pat Steele, recovering from Covid; Jim & Judy Thielker upon the death of their son, David
+ Friends of our congregation: Jameson, son of CCLS-Glendale teacher Kelsey, who is being tested for hip issues and starting physical therapy; Gary Brugere, for healing from hip surgery; Donna, friend of the Brugere family, experiencing vascular health issues
+ Those who are homebound or in nursing facilities: Mary Guion, Corinne Gutzler, Anne Hammann, Bettie Welch, Joan Winkler, Ruth Wussler

Offertory 
Offering
We are excited to announce a new option for electronic giving using your mobile device. Please scan the following QR code or visit https://tithe.ly/give?c=815174 to make a donation.
+ Sacrament +

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.”

Lord’s Prayer
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.

Pax Domini
P:  The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C:  And also with you.

Distribution

Blessing

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.

Closing Hymn – I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light (LSB 411)

I want to walk as a child of the light.
I want to follow Jesus.
God set the stars to give light to the world.
The star of my life is Jesus.  Refrain

Refrain:  In Him there is no darkness at all.
              The night and the day are both alike.
              The Lamb is the light of the city of God.
              Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.

I want to see the brightness of God.
I want to look at Jesus.
Clear Sun of Righteousness, shine on my path,
And show me the way to the Father.  Refrain

I’m looking for the coming of Christ.
I want to be with Jesus.
When we have run with patience the race,
We shall know the joy of Jesus.  Refrain

Postlude

+ + +

+ WORSHIP LEADERS +
Preacher/Celebrant/Liturgist – Pastor Scott
Pianist/Organist – Jim Thielker
Communion – Terry Buchholz
Sound/Video – Tony Petzoldt
Lector – Cathie Albers
Usher – John Steele
Bible Class Sound/Video – Jerry Nicolaus

+ + +

Altar flowers this morning are given by Andy & Tracey Ortstadt
with thanksgiving for the blessings of birthdays, anniversaries and God’s faithfulness

Acknowledgments
Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.