Author: Jim Norton

Transfiguration of our Lord 8th Sunday after Epiphany
February 27, 2022

BEAUTIFUL SAVIOR LUTHERAN CHURCH
West Des Moines, IA Sunday, February 27, 2022
WELCOME TO WORSHIP Welcome and thank you for joining us for worship today! In our service we gather before our almighty and saving God to oﬀer him our worship and praise. We also assemble to hear God’s holy and powerful word and celebrate his life-‐giving sacraments. Through these means, God strengthens our faith and walks us ever closer to our eternal home with him. We pray that this hour of worship fills you with the peace of God that transcends all understanding through our Lord Jesus Christ. If you are a visitor and have any questions, please speak to an usher, pastor, or any of our members. Thank you, and we hope you enjoy your time here at Beautiful Savior! We invite you to worship with us again soon!
TRUE WORSHIP True worship is more than the speaking or singing of words from a printed page. It takes place in the heart of each believer as we hear the Bible read, explained, and applied to our lives, and as we respond in grateful adoration to God for His great love and mercy in Jesus Christ. It is helpful to arrive early to look over the service and to spend time in prayer. While worship may take various forms, the use of standardized orders of worship (“liturgies”) dates back to the early Church, as a means of reinforcing Biblical beliefs and actively involving the congregation in worship.
THE SACRAMENT (2ND AND LAST SUNDAY) In this Sacrament, Christ not only gives us bread and wine, but His holy body and blood, for the forgiveness of those who believe this (Matthew 26:26-28), but to the judgment of those who do not so believe. (1 Corinthians 11:27-31). Nothing is more sacred. Scripture requires that Pastors, as “stewards of the mysteries of Christ” (1 Corinthians 4:1), commune only those who are spiritually prepared and in full doctrinal agreement. (1 Corinthians 10:16-17, Romans 10:17, Hebrews 13:17, James 3:1, 1 Timothy 4:11-16, 2 Timothy 4:1-5). We therefore ask that you please speak with the pastor before you receive the Lord’s Supper at Beautiful Savior for the first time. Thank you.

SERIES THEME UNCOVERED We are in the season of the Church called Epiphany, a Greek word that means "to appear." Salvation has appeared in the person of Jesus Christ. In Epiphany, the Church explores everything that Christ makes apparent about God. You see, we need God to appear to us and make himself known to us. For not only is God beyond our understanding, his works and his ways are contrary to mankind's natural assumptions about him. In other words, the truth about God cannot possibly be discovered by us. Rather, it needs to be uncovered for us. That's what the Spirit is doing for us during this season of Epiphany. Week after week, surprising truths about Jesus our King and life in his kingdom will be uncovered.
THEME OF THE DAY
WHEN IT IS MOST HIDDEN, IT IS MOST ON DISPLAY
Throughout Epiphany, we have seen that God must uncover for us the truths that could not be discovered by us. As this season ends, we are presented with a twist. For God's glory to be revealed, it actually must be covered. God's glory needed to be hidden in Christ. It is hidden in the gospel. This is how God enables sinful human beings to see his glory and, rather than turning away in fear, stare at it in wonder for as long as they want. The truth God uncovers for us today: when his glory is hidden, it is most on display.
ORDER OF SERVICE SERVICE OF WORD AND SACRAMENT —Page 26
SERVING TODAY

Lay Liturgist	Andrew Wagner
Accompanist	Teresa Ennen
Streaming	Zach Bacon
Ushers
Bible Study	Chris Ragner

HYMN Lord Jesus Christ, Be Present Now 230
STAND
M: The grace of our Lord (+) Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you.
And also with you.
CONFESSION OF SINS
M: God invites us to come into his presence and worship him with humble and penitent hearts. Therefore, let us acknowledge our sinfulness and ask him to forgive us.
Holy and merciful Father, I confess that I am by nature sinful, and that I have disobeyed you in my thoughts, words, and actions. I have done what is evil and failed to do what is good. For this I deserve your punishment both now and in eternity. But I am truly sorry for my sins, and trusting in my Savior Jesus Christ, I pray: Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.
M: God, our heavenly Father, has been merciful to us and has given his only Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Therefore, as a called servant of Christ 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.
Amen.
PRAYER AND PRAISE
LORD, HAVE MERCY Kyrie
M: For all that we need in life and for the wisdom to use all your gifts with gratitude and joy, hear our prayer, O Lord.
M: For the steadfast assurance that nothing can separate us from your love and for the courage to stand firm against the assaults of Satan and every evil, hear our prayer, O Christ.
M: For the well-being of your holy Church in all the world and for those who offer here their worship and praise, hear our prayer, O Lord.
M: Merciful God, maker and preserver of life, uphold us by your power and keep us in your tender care:
The works of the Lord are great and glorious; his name is worthy of praise.
O LORD, OUR LORD
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Let us pray.
O God, in the glorious transfiguration of your only begotten Son, you confirmed the mysteries of the faith by the testimony of Moses and Elijah, and in the voice that came from the bright cloud you foreshadowed our adoption as your sons. In your mercy, make us co-heirs of glory with Jesus our King and bring us at last to heaven; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
BE SEATED
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
M: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
BE SEATED
DISTRIBUTION HYMNS How Good, Lord, to Be Here 95
Soul, Adorn Yourself with Gladness 311
O Lord, We Praise You 317
THANKSGIVING
STAND
THANK THE LORD
Hear the prayer of your people, O Lord, that the lips which have praised you here may glorify you in the world, that the eyes which have seen the coming of your Son may long for his coming again, and that all who have received in his true body and blood the pledge of your forgiveness may be restored to live a new and holy life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Brothers and sisters, go in peace. Live in harmony with one another.
Serve the Lord with gladness.
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look on you with favor and (+) give you peace.
BE SEATED
CLOSING HYMN Farewell to Alleluia (tune of 122)
Next page
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THE WORD
FIRST LESSON Exodus 34:29-35 (NIV84)
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. 30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. 32 Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai. 33 When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. 34 But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, 35 they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord.
PSALM OF THE DAY Psalm 2 p. 65
SECOND LESSON 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 (NIV84)
Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 9 If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! 10 For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. 11 And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts! 12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. 14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
VERSE OF THE DAY
STAND
GOSPEL Luke 9:28-36 (NIV84)
About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, 31 appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.) 34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” 36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen.
BE SEATED
HYMN OF THE DAY Down from the Mount of Glory 97
SERMON Glory Uncovered Luke 9:28-36
STAND
CONFESSION OF FAITH - NICENE CREED
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made,
of one being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and became fully human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
BE SEATED
GOOD NEWS FOR KIDS
OFFERING
STAND
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
M: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God and Mary’s son, in the fullness of time you came into
our world to save us from sin and death:
C: You ushered in the day of grace so long foretold.
M: Beloved Son of the Father, revered by the Magi, baptized by John, you came preaching and teaching, healing and comforting, forgiving and encouraging:
C: You brought the light of life to those walking in darkness, and the joy of salvation to those doomed to death.
M: Prince of Peace, shine like a beacon for us and the people of our world. Let the good news of salvation be heard in the remotest corners of the earth. Open our own lips to speak your name to those around us who still live without faith or hope:
C: Arouse us and our missionaries to flood the world with the light of your gospel.
M: Lord of the Church, let your peace rule our hearts that we may use our gifts to serve you and each other in willing gratitude and joy. Watch over our loved ones near and far, that they may remember your love and rejoice in your salvation.
Strengthen the faith of the sick and the disheartened. Give hope to those in despair and comfort those who mourn:
C: Be gracious to all and lead us to reflect your love in everything we say and do.
(Special prayers and intercessions may follow.)
M: Hear us, Lord, as we bring you our private petitions.
(Silent prayer.)
M: Finally, bring us and all your believers to the heavenly home where we will stand in the full light of your glory and with all your saints and angels sing the everlasting song of triumph.
C: Amen.
© 1999 Northwestern Publishing House. Reprinted by permission.
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 SACRAMENT
Our Lord Jesus has given us a holy supper in which we receive his true body and blood for the forgiveness of sins and the strengthening of our faith. In this supper we celebrate the gift of his redemption, we bear witness to the fellowship we share as confessors of the truth, and we proclaim his death until he returns.
The Lord be with you.
Lift up your hearts.
M: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
M: Praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In love he has blessed us with every spiritual blessing.
In the past he spoke to us through the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, who is the radiance of his glory.
Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ. To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and thanks and honor and glory forever and ever.
HOLY, HOLY, HOLY Sanctus
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
M: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
O CHRIST, LAMB OF GOD Angus Dei
BE SEATED
DISTRIBUTION
The ushers will guide you to receive Communion at the rail.
How Good, Lord, to Be Here 95
Jesus Christ, Our Blessed Savior 313
THANKSGIVING
STAND
THANK THE LORD
Hear the prayer of your people, O Lord, that the lips which have praised you here may glorify you in the world, that the eyes which have seen the coming of your Son may long for his coming again, and that all who have received in his true body and blood the pledge of your forgiveness may be restored to live a new and holy life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Brothers and sisters, go in peace. Live in harmony with one another.
Serve the Lord with gladness. The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look on you with favor and (+) give you peace.
CLOSING HYMN Beautiful Savior 369
All materials reprinted under OneLicense.net A-722518

BE SEATED

God’s Word for This Week:	Jesus is Our Glorious Savior

Scripture says that Jesus only shone with glory once before his resurrection. That was on a high hill, where Peter, James, and John had a terrifying look at Jesus’ perfect glory. One reason Jesus did it was to give his disciples a glimpse at what the future holds for all believers. The Twelve were about to enter a difficult time. They would see their Messiah crucified, but in the end, they would also see that Jesus is our glorious Savior. First Lesson – Exodus 34:29-35 What had happened to Moses’ face when he went to receive the two tablets of the Testimony on Mt. Sinai? How did the people react? What did Moses do to help relieve their anxiety? Second Lesson – 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 Just as Moses covered his face with a veil, what problem did people of Paul’s day often face? (See 3:14-15.) How did being ministers of God’s new covenant make Paul and his companions feel? (See 4:1-2.) Gospel – Luke 9:28-36 Who met Jesus and his disciples when they climbed this high mountain?
What happened to Jesus when they arrived?
What suggestion did Peter make in verse 33?

God’s Word for This Week: Answers from last Sunday First Lesson – Genesis 45:3-8a,15 What were Joseph’s reasons for his brothers not to be distressed over the evil they had done to him years earlier (45:5,7,8a)? Joseph’s brothers were not to be distressed because God had sent Joseph down to Egypt. He had done so to save many lives, including Joseph’s own brothers’ lives. What did Joseph do to show his love and forgiveness toward his brothers (45:15)? Joseph kissed all his brothers (after especially hugging his full brother, Benjamin, in 45:14) and wept over them. Second Lesson – Romans 12:14-21 If God had no part in the harm others cause us, how would that change our response to those people (12:16-18)? If God were not behind all that happens to us, we would lash out at God when others harmed us and try to get back at our enemies. But if God is behind all that seems to harm us and means it for our good, we trust that doing good to our enemies is also going to work out for the best. Why shouldn’t we take revenge when others mistreat us? (Wouldn’t that work better? Sometimes God seems so slow!) We must not take revenge against others because a) God says we must not, and b) because God promises he will do so. (God’s timing and his ways will often perplex us, but Evelyn Underhill is right: “If God were small enough to be understood, he wouldn’t be big enough to be worshiped.”) Gospel – Luke 6:27-38 What will it mean, practically, to love our enemies (6:27-30)? To love our enemies will mean, practically, that we will do good to them (6:28). We will say good and helpful things about them when they said harmful things about us (6:29a). We will pray for them (6:29b). We will be generous to people who are unlikely to return the favor, and we will not necessarily demand our enemies fix their unfair actions toward us (6:30). Wouldn’t it be enough to be nice to people who are nice to us (6:35-36)? It is not enough just to be nice to those who treat us well. Jesus tells us that even notoriously bad people do such things. If we want to be like our Father, we are to be kind to the ungrateful and the wicked (6:35). We are to be as merciful as our Father (6:36). God will judge us the way we judge others. What four directions does Jesus give us, in that case (6:37-38)? Jesus says, a) do not be judgmental or glad that others are guilty before God without urging them to turn to God; b) do not condemn others from a proud heart; c) forgive others, and d) be generous. Our Father promises to be generous to his generous children., what did Jesus receive? Having humbled himself to pay for the sins of the world, God the Father exalted Jesus once again to his rightful position as King of kings. He received authority, glory, and power. He receives the praise and worship that is his alone. His kingship and almighty power will never end. Second Lesson – Revelation 1:4b-8 According to verses five and six, what has Jesus our King done for us? Our King has freed us from sin by his blood. He has made us citizens of his heavenly kingdom. He has made us priests who have the right to approach him and serve him. To him be glory and power forever and ever! Verse seven tells us that our King is coming with the clouds and everyone will see him. What is he coming to do? He is coming to judge the living and the dead. Those who rejected him and continue to reject him will see him. He will send them to their eternal punishment in hell. He will then take us, his faithful subjects to be with him forever in his heavenly kingdom.
What does it mean that Jesus our King is the “Alpha and the Omega”? The letters Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Jesus, our King, is the beginning and the end. He is eternal.
Gospel – John 18:33-37 How is Jesus different from the kings of this world?
His kingdom is not of this world. Jesus is the king and ruler of all things in this world and the next. His kingdom will have no end. Geographical borders do not bind his subjects. Those on the side of truth, i.e., those that believe in Jesus are citizens of his kingdom. Jesus, our King, offered the ultimate sacrifice by dying on the cross in order to win for us salvation. As our King he offered his life in humble service.

This week at Beautiful Savior
Sunday February 27 9:00 AM Worship (also Zoom, YouTube)
10:15 AM Sunday School
10:15 AM Adult Bible Class
Wednesday March 2 5:30 PM Light Supper
6:30 PM Ash Wednesday Worship
Thursday March 3 4:35 PM Catechism Class
Sunday March 6 9:00 AM Worship (also Zoom, YouTube)
10:15 AM Sunday School
10:15 AM Adult Bible Class
Zoom: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/6801341226?pwd=aGJPYzlyK2FSaG5PZndpY0VuNEtDUT09

Mar 13 2:00 AM Spring Forward, Daylight Savings Time
Sunday Mar 13 tbd PM Church Council Meeting
6:00 PM Mission Board Congregational Meeting
Thursday Mar 31 6:30 PM 2022 Monthly Out-to-Dinner K-Group
April 10—17 Holy Week

Compelled by Christs love, the members of Beautiful Savior glorify God by
Growing in the faith, Gathering together as believers, and Going to our neighbors with the gospel
If you are new to the area or looking for a church to call your own, please accept our invitation to meet our pastor (after the service, or by appointment at your convenience). Please come and worship with us again.
Beautiful Savior is part of a group of more than 1300 churches congregations united by a common faith in Christ’s saving love, called the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod or WELS. The WELS is a world-wide church with congregations serving in all ﬁfty of the United States, as well as in Mexico & Canada. The WELS also serves over 26 foreign countries through world mission work.
We are united in faith and teaching with the other churches of the Wisconsin Synod as well as the churches of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS), and the broader Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference (CELC).
8051 EP True Pkwy, West Des Moines, IA 50266 (515) 225-4392
Vacancy Pastor
Pastor Mathew Pfeifer pastor@lhelc.org (515) 771-5111
https://wels.net/ https://els.org/ https://celc.info/
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture readings are from the Evangelical Heritage Version EHV

We, the WELS, stand ready to aid the ULC with relocation expenses, finding places outside of Ukraine to house their Pastors, and assist with food and fuel costs if necessary. Because of the instability of the banking system in Ukraine, Bishop told us to keep the money here, they would use up their emergency funds and we can reimburse those at a later date. That’s our plan, but as you know plans change quickly in times of war. We are asking for donations, and that the donations be sent to WELS Synod, World Missions, earmarked for Ukraine. All gifts that come into that fund will be used exclusively for Ukraine aid. Here is a quick link if you wish to give a gift. Please note, in the dropbox above the red “add gift” scroll down to Ukraine and click on Ukraine.
https://community.wels.net/page.aspx?pid=365 In the LORD's service, Pastor Roger Neumann
Perhaps the only update that I would give at this time is that all of their Pastors are alive, but most of them though are in areas of active fighting, bombings, missile attacks, etc. I have not heard of any laypeople who have died, many have left their homes traveling west. The border with Poland is terribly crowded with people trying to take refuge in Poland, as are all the roads leading to Poland. It’s certainly fearful times for the people, often chaotic in massive numbers of people fleeing where the fighting intense. But the fighting is spread through the entire country. Where can one go? Prayers and important and welcome. Thank you for your support.
In Christ,
Pastor Neumann

Board for Home Missions Congregational Meeting
Sunday, March 13th 6:00 pm
Rev. Steven Waldschmidt chairman of the Minnesota District Mission Board Rev. Mark Birkholz Minnesota District Mission Counselor
This is meant to be an open meeting to all congregational members.
The purpose is for them to meet us, talk through our analysis/plans in the Subsidy Request, and explain what is and is not involved in a mission "re-start" request.
We’ll have a simple meal available for Mark (SD) and Steve (MO) when they arrive before the meeting. If you'd like to help with this, please let Andrew Wagner know.

March Church Council Meeting
moved to Sunday March 13
time tbd late afternoon

LENT SERMON SERIES—BEGINS MARCH 6

When someone is devastated or defeated or despondent, we speak of him being “crushed.” It could be due to some agonizing loss or unrealized dreams. It could be due to carrying a crushingly heavy load of guilt over some past mistake. In a broken world, it is simply a matter of time before we feel crushed. This is why we need Lent. The word Lent comes from an Old English word for Spring: “lengten,” when the days grow longer. For 1,400 years, the Church has set aside the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter as a time of repentance and renewal. Believers humbly acknowledge that sin is the ultimate source of all the crushing moments within life. Our sin even crushed Christ. Yet on Easter Sunday morning, Jesus took up his life again. Our Savior crushed both death and the serpent’s head. Yes, Lent is a solemn season. But it is also a season of great hope. With the psalmist we say, “The Lord saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Ash Wednesday

Self-Righteousness Is Crushed by Repentance

When mankind fell into sin, God cursed. “Dust you are and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19). Sin brings death, and together they wreck everything. Sin is the source of all pain. Death robs us of everything and everyone we hold dear. Sinful man’s response is to try and minimize his sin. Sinful man tries to balance the scales. “I might sin, but look at how much good I do!” He tries comparing himself to others. “At least I’m not as sinful as my neighbor.” Such self-righteous thoughts lead to eternal death. We need the Spirit to give us a repentant heart. As we begin the season of Lent, we remember that because death will one day reduce us to ashes, our hearts need to be reduced to ashes in repentance now.
Rev. Lucas Callies | Good Shepherd Lutheran Church | North Liberty, IA
The Crucial Hours: A Part for the Whole? Luke 23:13-16

EVENING PRAYER
6:30 PM

March 2	Rev. Lucas Callies / Good Shepherd Lutheran / North Liberty, IA	Luke 23:13-16	The Crucial Hours: A Part for the Whole?
March 9	Rev. Roger Neumann / Grace Lutheran / Oskaloosa, IA	Luke 22:31-32	The Crucial Hours: Satan Has Asked to Sift All Of You
March 16	Rev. Christian Walz / Good Shepherd Lutheran / Indianola, IA	John 18:12	The Crucial Hours: They Bound Him
March 23	Rev. William King Good Shepherd Lutheran Cedar Rapids, IA	Matthew 27:3-4	The Crucial Hours: What to Remember When You are Seized With Remorse
March 30	Rev. Michael Smith Bethany Lutheran / Ames, IA	Matthew 26:18	The Crucial Hours: I Will Keep the Passover
April 6	Rev. Matt Pfeifer / Lincoln Heights Lutheran / Des Moines, IA	Luke 22:66	The Crucial Hours: The Semblance of Legality

Join us for a light supper at 5:30 pm.
Signup is available to provide the supper each week.
Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0945AEAE29A3FE3-lenten or contact Anna Christian at annaox505@gmail.com or

These are the readings for the Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany.
God’s Word for This Week
Joseph’s brothers were terrified out of their minds (Genesis 45:3) when they realized that Joseph, their brother was alive. He was the prime minister of Egypt! He could pay them back for all the evil they had done to him. But Joseph treated his undeserving brothers with love. How will we treat our enemies?
Supplemental First Lesson – Genesis 45:3-8a,15
What were Joseph’s reasons for his brothers not to be distressed over the evil they had done to him years earlier (45:5,7,8a)?
Joseph’s brothers were not to be distressed because God had sent Joseph down to Egypt. He had done so to save many lives, including Joseph’s own brothers’ lives.
What did Joseph do to show his love and forgiveness toward his brothers (45:15)?
Joseph kissed all his brothers (after especially hugging his full brother, Benjamin, in 45:14) and wept over them.
Second Lesson – 1 Corinthians 15:35-38a,42-49
When Jesus raises us bodily from the dead, will we look about the same as before (15:35-38)?
No, we will not be simply revived corpses or frightening zombies. We will have new bodies. We will be like plants. You sow a seed, and it comes up a new plant: something of the same stuff as the seed but also quite different from the seed.
Adam came first, at creation, and Jesus came after Adam, from Adam. How do they together teach us about our own resurrection (45-49)?
We belong to both Adam and Jesus, so we have been like Adam. He came from the ground. Our bodies will return, via decay, to the ground. But as surely as Jesus rose bodily, we will too.
Supplemental Second Lesson – Romans 12:14-21
If God had no part in the harm others cause us, how would that change our response to those people (12:16-18)?
If God were not behind all that happens to us, we would lash out at God when others harmed us and try to get back at our enemies. But if God is behind all that seems to harm us and means it for our good, we trust that doing good to our enemies is also going to work out for the best.
Why shouldn’t we take revenge when others mistreat us? (Wouldn’t that work better? Sometimes God seems so slow!)
We must not take revenge against others because a) God says we must not, and b) because God promises he will do so. (God’s timing and his ways will often perplex us, but Evelyn Underhill is right: “If God were small enough to be understood, he wouldn’t be big enough to be worshiped.”)
Gospel – Luke 6:27-38
What will it mean, practically, to love our enemies (6:27-30)?
To love our enemies will mean, practically, that we will do good to them (6:28). We will say good and helpful things about them when they said harmful things about us (6:29a). We will pray for them (6:29b). We will be generous to people who are unlikely to return the favor, and we will not necessarily demand our enemies fix their unfair actions toward us (6:30).
Wouldn’t it be enough to be nice to people who are nice to us (6:35-36)?
It is not enough just to be nice to those who treat us well. Jesus tells us that even notoriously bad people do such things. If we want to be like our Father, we are to be kind to the ungrateful and the wicked (6:35). We are to be as merciful as our Father (6:36).
God will judge us the way we judge others. What four directions does Jesus give us, in that case (6:37-38)?
Jesus says, a) do not be judgmental or glad that others are guilty before God without urging them to turn to God; b) do not condemn others from a proud heart; c) forgive others, and d) be generous. Our Father promises to be generous to his generous children.

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