St Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
313 4th St, Manistee, MI 49660-2901
website: stpaulsmanistee.com
facebook.com/SPLCManistee
Telephone: 810-252-5821
November 5, 2023 Pentecost 23 God calls us to be holy.
May the holy LORD God bless your worship
and encourage you with his Word and Sacrament.
WELCOME
HYMN 195 – please stand for last stanza
COMMON SERVICE - page 15
PRAYER OF THE DAY:
Merciful and gracious Lord, you cause your Word to be proclaimed in every generation. Stir up our hearts and minds by your Holy Spirit that we may receive this proclamation with humility and finally be exalted at the coming of your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
(Sing) Amen.
FIRST LESSON: Leviticus 19:1,2,15-18
God expects his people to be holy and to do his will perfectly.
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2“Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.
15 ‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly. 16 Do not go about spreading slander among your people Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the LORD.17 Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt. 18 Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.’”
PSALM 90, page 99
In every age O LORD, you have been our refuge.
SECOND LESSON: 1 Thessalonians 1:4-10
Be imitators of fellow Christians as they imitate the Lord as you serve the living and true God.
4For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You
know how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 The Lord’s mes-sage rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore,
we do not need to say anything about it, 9for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.
VERSE OF THE DAY:
Alleluia. Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Alleluia.
(Sing) Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Gospel: Matthew 22:34-40
The LORD gave 10 Commandments. Which one is the most important?
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’38 This is the first and greatest command-ment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
NICENE CREED – pages 18, 19
HYMN 497
SERMON: 1 Thessalonians 1:4-10
Be a Model Christian: Imitate - Serve - Wait
PRAYERS & LORD’S PRAYER
COMMUNION LITURGY – pages 21-23
DISTRIBUTION
SONG OF SIMEON – pages 24
PRAYER – page 25
BLESSING
(Sing) Amen. Amen. Amen.
HYMN 584
ANNOUNCEMENTS & REFRESHMENTS
THANKOFFERING BASKET BY DOOR
The members of St Paul's have joined together to do the Lord’s work in this area and around the world. Our guests may but are not expected to participate in this offering which supports our church’s ministry.
Guests, please sign our Guest Book in the entryway.
THANK YOU to all of you who helped distribute candy and items this past Tuesday for Trick or-Treat.
FALL FEST FELLOWSHIP EVENT IN HART
Our Savior Lutheran Church in Hart invites you to join them for their Fall Potluck and Silent Auction. It will be on Saturday, November 11th, at 5:00pm. Supper starts around 5:30. The auction of the white elephant items will benefit Our Savior’s Women’s Circle.
It’s an evening of good fellowship and food. You do not need to bring any dish to pass. If you’d like to anyway, you certainly may, but you do not need to bring anything. The church in Hart would just like to enjoy your company. All are welcome!
SERVING YOU TODAY:
• Pastor Dennis Himm
• Organist Nancy Skory
Service of the Word © 1993 Northwestern Publishing House. All rights reserved.
All Scripture readings are from the NIV 2011. Used by permission.