Reformation Day (Observed) – October 27, 2024
Prayer before worship: Almighty, everlasting, merciful God and Father of our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: we see and sense the condition of Your Church in this life, what sort of fortune she has and the various ways she is afflicted by the devil and the world. We therefore beseech You for the sake of the same, Your only begotten Son, firstly to comfort and strengthen our hearts with Your Holy Spirit, that we may not be defeated or cast down by many great dangers; and secondly, that You would not only hinder the counsels and endeavors of the enemy, but with Your faithful and wonderful help also show, declare, and demonstrate to the world that You nurture, govern, protect, preserve, and deliver Your Church; for You live and reign with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one eternal God, forever and ever. Amen.
|
Our Savior |
St. John’s |
Order of Service |
LSB 184 – Communion |
LSB 184 – Communion |
Hymns |
909, 657, 556, 625, 708, 578 |
909, 657, 556, 578 |
Welcome! We ask all of you, both visitors and members, to sign a Welcome card located in the pew rack. Please fill out this card, place it in the offering plate, or hand it to an usher as you leave the service.
Our Communion Practice: Lutherans believe that the Lord’s Supper demonstrates a oneness with Christ in faith, life, and worship among those who receive Communion. Reception of the Lord’s Supper by Christians not in fellowship with us would imply a oneness which does not yet exist. For this reason, we welcome those with whom we have “altar and pulpit fellowship” to the Lord’s Supper. This includes members of sister congregations of the LCMS, members of the American Association of Lutheran Churches, and Lutheran Church Canada; as well as members of partner churches throughout the World. If you would like to know more about this practice, please arrange a time to speak with our pastor.
Prayers – For the home-bound: St. John’s – Alfred Larson; Our Savior – Charlotte Scepaniak, Doris Vilhauer, Betty Zundel, Vi Schnaidt, Ken & Dorothy Maas, Loretta Podoll, Larry Nupen, Evelyn Grieben, Betty Meints, Verdena Dabbert, Lorraine Krage, Ray Schnabel, and Lloyd Jerde. For the children we sponsor through Mission Haiti: Michelet Voltaire, Michel Djoury, and Orgea Djouna; For Nathaniel Wendt, and Lloyd Dennert.
Introit Psalm 34:1–2, 11, 22; antiphon: Psalm 119:46
I will speak of your testimonies before kings, | [O Lord,]*
and shall not be | put to shame.
I will bless the Lord at | all times;*
his praise shall continually be | in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast | in the Lord;*
let the humble hear | and be glad.
Come, O children, lis- | ten to me;*
I will teach you the fear | of the Lord.
The Lord redeems the life of his | servants;*
none of those who take refuge in him will | be condemned.
Glory be to the Father and | to the Son*
and to the Holy | Spirit;
as it was in the be- | ginning,*
is now, and will be forever. | Amen.
I will speak of your testimonies before kings, | [O Lord,]*
and shall not be | put to shame.
Collect of the Day
Almighty and gracious Lord, pour out Your Holy Spirit on Your faithful people. Keep us steadfast in Your grace and truth, protect and deliver us in times of temptation, defend us against all enemies, and grant to Your Church Your saving peace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
First Reading Revelation 14:6–7
6Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. 7And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
Gradual Psalm 48:1a, 12–14a
Great is the Lord and greatly | to be praised*
in the city | of our God!
Walk about Zion, go around her, number her | towers,*
consider well her ramparts, go through her | citadels,
that you may tell the next gener- | ation*
that this is God, our God forever and | ever.
Epistle Romans 3:19–28
19Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
21But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
27Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
Holy Gospel John 8:31–36
31So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
34Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
Acknowledgments
The Introit, Collect, Gradual, and Verse are from Lutheran service Book: Altar Book, copyright 2006 CPH. All Scripture quotations, including those from Luthern Service Book, 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.
St. John’s
Organist: SOS
Ushers: Dean & Lorie Ringgenberg
Next Week: Roger & Sharon Zastrow
Last Week: Attendance – 38; Offering – $1,000
Our Savior
Organist: SOS
Elders: Douglas Klipfel & Don Hoops
Altar Guild: Karla Johnson & Cherise Johnson
Acolytes: Dalton Lee & Caden Gelling
Last Week: Attendance – 114; Sunday School – 23;
Offering: General Fund $3,499; Sunday School $14.52;
LCMS Joint Seminary Fund $537; Total $4,050.52
Schedule for the Week
Sunday St. John’s Divine Service with Communion – 8:15 am
Sunday School – 9:30 am
Bible Study at Our Savior – 9:45 am
Our Savior Divine Service with Communion – 10:45 am
Monday Mat Ladies – 1:00 pm
Deacons – 3:30 pm
Tuesday Coffee & Confessions – 6:30 am
Wednesday Catechism Class – 5:00 pm
Vespers – 6:00 pm
Bible Study – 6:30 pm
Friday Circuit Reformation Hymn Festival – 6:30 pm at St. Paul’s
Next Sunday St. John’s Divine Service with Communion – 8:15 am
Bible Study at St. John’s – after the service
Sunday School – 9:30 am
Our Savior Divine Service with Communion – 10:45 am
Daylight Saving Time ends at 2:00 am on Sunday, November 3rd, so don’t forget to change your clocks back one hour on Saturday night!
LCMS Joint Seminary Fund – The offering collected at the Installation Service on October 13th totaled $537. This will go to support the Joint Seminary Fund. Thank you for your generosity!
Aberdeen Circuit Reformation Hymn Festival – Friday, November 1st at 6:30pm at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Aberdeen:
The Aberdeen circuit will be celebrating our Hymnody, a great treasure of the reformation. We will be singing various hymns like “A Mighty Fortress” and “Wake, Awake for Night is Flying” along with several others. After the festival, we will have a pie social.
Our visiting organist, Rev. Tyler Poppen, is an accomplished organist. Rev. Poppen has been an active church organist for almost 20 years. He played organ with the South Dakota State University Symphony, has been the featured organist for festival services and numerous hymn festivals, and has a passion for passing on the organ to the next generation of church organists. He served as Pastor in our beloved South Dakota District LCMS as well as right here in our Aberdeen Circuit. Rev. Poppen and his wife Katie have four children. They make their home in Cole Camp, Missouri, where he serves as Pastor of St. John's and Holy Cross Lutheran Churches.
Join Us! Bring your voices and we will sing about our wonderful treasure and heritage!
Family Game Night – All are welcome to game night on Friday, Nov. 8th at 6:00-9:00 pm at Our Savior. Bring your favorite game and a snack to share. The Board of Social Ministry & Evangelism will provide hot cocoa, tea, lemonade, and popcorn.
Saturday Bible Study will be November 9th at 9:00-11:00 am at Our Savior. The topic is yet to be determined.
Calendars – The youth group is taking orders for God’s Creation calendars. There is a sign-up sheet in the fellowship hall through Dec. 4th. Calendars are $10 each, and should arrive before Christmas.
We are looking for volunteers to host Sunday morning Bible study and fellowship. This involves bringing a snack, filling some coffee pots, and cleaning up afterward (wiping tables, emptying and rinsing the coffee machine, etc. Printed directions for use of the coffee machine are by the machine.) There is a sign-up sheet on the front kitchen counter. You can sign up on your own or in pairs or groups. Thank you!
Ushers – The ushers need help. Any men willing to help open the church, put hymn numbers on the boards, and usher during services, please call Eric Johnson 605-216-6701 or the church office 605-225-7106. We’d like to have enough helpers to have a rotating schedule so you don’t have to do it every week.
Greeters Needed! Sign up in the narthex to welcome people to church! You choose the date(s). You can sign up by yourself, with a friend, or with family. Greet people in the narthex at the door to the nave for about 10-15 minutes prior to the service.
LCMS Stewardship Ministry – Reformation Day (Observed)
Romans 3:20 – “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in His sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” The Law of God is good — it’s just that we sinners cannot save ourselves by the Law. Salvation is a free gift of God because that is the only way we could ever be saved. The Law shows us God’s holiness and thus our own sin. And now in Christ we can look at the Law and see it in a new light as well: as a guide for how to live a godly life in thanksgiving to God for His gracious forgiveness in Christ.
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The pastors of the South Dakota District of the LCMS stood together, at the October 7-9, 2024, South Dakota District Pastors' Conference, in a life-affirming acclamation, against Amendment G.
Because you potentially serve your neighbor by way of ballot measures, your vote on November 5 is important. Especially important, when it comes to affirming God's gift of life, is your vote concerning Article VI of the Constitution of the State of South Dakota: the vote on Amendment G.
Make no mistake: This is an abortion amendment, hiding in highly deceptive "women's health" language. If passed, the amendment would allow for late term abortions even after viability, even up to the time of birth.
The State Constitution currently allows abortion only in the unfortunate circumstance when abortion is necessary to save the life of the mother. Our pastors believe that to pass Amendment G would be to open codify the law so that it falls far short of expressing God's clear will and His limitless compassion for the unborn and their mothers.
Please vote on November 5. And with our District's pastors, please vote No on G.
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The Son of God Has Set Us Free from Sin and Death by His Grace
“Wisdom is justified by her deeds” (Matt. 11:19), and the true Wisdom of God, Christ Jesus, the incarnate Son, has justified us by His deeds. He prepares His way by the preaching of repentance, but He has suffered the violence of the Law and voluntarily handed Himself over to violent men, that we might eat and drink with Him in His Kingdom and
“remain in the house forever” (John 8:35). He is
“a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Matt. 11:18–19), and He has rescued us by His grace from the slavery of sin and death. By the proclamation of His eternal Gospel
“to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people” (Rev. 14:6),
“the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law” (Rom. 3:21),
“that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26). And by the hearing of that Gospel of Christ Jesus,
“whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith” (Rom. 3:25),
“you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31–32).
Main Street Living – 10:00 AM- This Is the Life –
“The Sexton” – A pastor and a sexton (church caretaker) with magical powers fight an eerie duel in a church. 10:30 AM- Rev. Richard Snow, Nebraska District LCMS President in Seward, NE, presents the message
“Free Indeed,” based on John 8:31-36. Watch Main Street Living on Sunday mornings on KDLT NBC TV. The worship segment also airs on Saturdays at 5:00 pm. Past shows are archived at
www.mainstreetliving.com.
The Lutheran Hour – It's been said, everyone you meet is fighting an unseen battle. God calls us to enter the struggle of those around us because, in Jesus, God has entered our struggle. Speaker Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler delivers the message
"God-Struggles,” based on Genesis 38:28. Listen to The Lutheran Hour on Sunday mornings at 9:00 on KAWZ 88.1 FM, or on Sirius-XM Family Talk 131 at 9:00 am. Sermons are also archived on the website
www.lutheranhour.org.
PATHS TO LUTHERANISM SERIES…
Issues, Etc. is a radio talk show and podcast produced by Lutheran Public Radio in Collinsville, IL and hosted by LCMS Pastor Todd Wilken. You can listen to stories of guests who have come to Lutheranism from Islam, Mormonism, Atheism, Agnosticism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, Pentecostalism and more. You’ll find the series at
issuesetc.org/pathstolutheranism.