St Paul’s
Evangelical Lutheran Church
313 4th Street, Manistee, MI 49660
www.StPaulsManistee.com
facebook.com/SPLCManistee
Pastor Dennis Himm (810) 252-5821
November 24, 2024
Christ the King Sunday
Thankful Throughout the Year
Charles Dickens said that we are somewhat mixed up here in America. Instead of having just one Thanksgiving Day each year, we should have 364. He suggested that we should “Use that one day just for complaining and griping,” he said. “Use the other 364 days to thank God each day for the many blessings he has showered upon you.”
WELCOME
HYMN 250 “From All that Dwell below the Skies”
M: We give thanks to God in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. C: Amen.
CONFESSION OF SINS & ABSOLUTION
M: If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. C: If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteous-ness.
M: Let us confess our sins to the Lord.
C: Holy God, gracious Father, I am sinful by nature and have sinned against you in my thoughts, words, and actions. I have not loved you with my whole heart; I have not loved others as I should. I deserve your punishment both now and forever. But Jesus, my Savior, paid for my sins with his innocent suffering and death. Trusting in him, I pray: God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Silence for meditation and reflection
M: Our gracious Father in heaven has been merciful to us. He sent his only Son, Jesus Christ, who gave his life as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. 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.
C: Amen.
Be Thankful during the ADVENT SEASON
for HIS GIFT OF HOPE
HYMN 23 (1,4) “Oh, Come, Oh, Come, Emmanuel
Luke 1:26-38
26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin pledged in marriage to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.” 9 But she was greatly troubled by the statement and was wondering what kind of greeting this could be. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, because you have found favor with God. 31 Listen, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”35 The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Listen, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age even though she was called barren, and this is her sixth month. 37 For nothing will be impossible for God.” 38 Then Mary said, “See, I am the Lord’s servant. May it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
Be Thankful during the CHRISTMAS SEASON
for HIS GIFT OF JOY
HYMN 62 (1,2) “Joy to the World”
Luke 2:1-20
1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3And everyone went to register, each to his own town. 4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the town of Nazareth, into Judea, to the town of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was from the house and family line of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, his wife,[a] who was pledged to him in marriage and was expecting a child. 6And so it was that while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son, wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 There were in the same country shepherds staying out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified! 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. For behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all people: 11 Today in the town of David, a Savior was born for you. He is Christ[b]the Lord. 12And this will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude from the heavenly army, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward mankind.” 15When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Now let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they told others the message they had been told about this child. 18And all who heard it were amazed by what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Be Thankful during the EPIPHANY SEASON
for MAKING HIMSELF KNOWN
HYMN 82 (1,2) “Songs of Thankfulness and Praise”
John 1:1-5,10-14
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him everything was made, and without him not one thing was made that has been made. 4In him waslife, and the life was the light of mankind. 5 The light is shining in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it….10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to what was his own, yet his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who did receive him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They were born, not of blood, or of the desire of the flesh, or of a husband’s will, but born of God.14 The Word became flesh and dwelled among us. We have seen his glory, the glory he has as the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Be Thankful during the LENTEN SEASON
for HIS PAYMENT OF SIN
HYMN 104 (1,3) “Go to Dark Gethsemane”
John 3:14-18
14 “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 The one who believes in him is not condemned, but the one who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.
Be Thankful during the EASTER SEASON
for OUR NEW BIRTH
HYMN 150 (1,4) “Christ the Lord is Risen Today”
1 Peter 1:3-9
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he gave us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4into an inheritance that is undying, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. 5 Through faith you are being protected by God’s power for the salvation that is ready to be revealed at the end of time. 6 Because of this you rejoice very much, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various kinds of trials 7so that the proven character of your faith— which is more valuable than gold, which passes away even though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not see him now, yet by believing in him, you are
filled with a joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Be Thankful ASCENSION
that HE RULES ALL THINGS FOREVER
HYMN 171 (1,2) “A Hymn of Glory Let us Sing”
Ephesians 1:17-23
17 I keep praying that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, will give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in knowing Christ fully. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope to which he has called you, just how rich his glorious inheritance among the saints is, 19 and just how surpassingly great his power is for us who believe. 20 It is as great as the working of his mighty strength, which God worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule, authority, power, and dominion, and above every name that is given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 God also placed all things under his feet and made him head over everything for the church. 23 The church is his body, the fullness of him[b] who fills everything in every way.
Be Thankful for PENTECOST
for the GIFT OF THE SPIRIT
HYMN 183 (1,2) “Holy Spirit, Light Divine”
Acts 2:38-42
38 Peter answered them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call.” 40 He testified solemnly with many other words and was appealing to them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added. 42 They continued to hold firmly to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of the bread, and to the prayers.
Be Thankful during the PENTECOST SEASON
for the GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT
HYMN 297 (1,3) “Baptized in Water”
Galatians 5:16-25
16What I am saying is this: Walk by the spirit, and you will not carry out what the sinful flesh desires. 17 For the sinful flesh desires what is contrary to the spirit, and the spirit what is contrary to the sinful flesh. In fact, these two continually oppose one another, so that you do not continue to do these things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the control of the law. 19 Now the works of the sinful flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, complete lack of restraint, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, discord, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders,[b]drunkenness, orgies, and things similar to these. I warn you, just as I also warned you before, that those who continue to do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the spirit, let us also walk in step with it.
PRAYERS & LORD’S PRAYER
CLOSING THOUGHTS
BLESSING
M: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C:Amen.
HYMN 341 (1,4) “Crown Him with Many Crowns”
ANNOUNCEMENT & REFRESHMENTS
THANKOFFERING BASKET BY DOOR
The members of St Paul's & the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) have joined together to do the Lord’s work here and around the world. Our guests may but are not expected to participate in this offering which supports our church’s ministry. The basket is located by the doors next to the water dispenser.
VISITORS, PLEASE SIGN OUR GUEST BOOK
It’s located in the entryway by the stairs going to the basement.
Please join us for our annual
Thanksgiving Worship Service this Wednesday at 2 pm.
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All Scripture readings are from the Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV). Used by permission.