First Sunday after Epiphany January 9, 2022

Today’s Theme for Worship: Anointing Uncovered: What the Eye Sees Differs from What God Decrees. Our sight tends to be the sense we trust most. We say we will believe something when we see it. That presents a problem when it comes to the work of God. So often what our eye sees differs from what God decrees. To assure his children, God connects his grace, power, and blessing to something we can see—a visible sign: the anointing of baptism.

Opening Hymn 736 All Christians Who Have Been Baptized

1 All Christians who have been baptized,

Who know the God of heaven,

And in whose daily life is prized

The name of Christ once given:

Consider now what God has done,

The gifts he gives to ev’ryone

Baptized into Christ Jesus!

2 You were before your day of birth,

Indeed, from your conception,

Condemned and lost with all the earth,

None good, without exception.

For like your parents’ flesh and blood,

Turned inward from the highest good,

You constantly denied him.

3 But all of that was washed away-

Immersed and drowned forever.

The water of your baptism day

Restored again whatever

Old Adam and his sin destroyed

And all our sinful selves employed

According to our nature.

4 In Baptism we now put on Christ-

Our shame is fully covered

With all that he once sacrificed

And freely for us suffered.

For here the flood of his own blood

Now makes us holy, right, and good

Before our heav’nly Father.

5 O Christian, firmly hold this gift

And give God thanks forever!

It gives the power to uplift

In all that you endeavor.

When nothing else revives your soul,

Your baptism stands and makes you whole

And then in death completes you.

6 So use it well! You are made new-

In Christ a new creation!

As faithful Christians live and do

Within your own vocation,

Until that day when you possess

His glorious robe of righteousness

Bestowed on you forever!

P: The grace of our Lord + Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you.

C: And also with you.

Confession of Sins

P: We have come into the presence of God, who created us to love and serve him as his dear children. But we have disobeyed him and deserve only his wrath and punishment. Therefore, let us confess our sins to him and plead for his mercy.

C: Merciful Father in heaven, I am altogether sinful from birth. In countless ways I have sinned against you and do not deserve to be called your child. But trusting in Jesus, my Savior, I pray: have mercy on me according to your unfailing love. Cleanse me from my sin, and take away my guilt.

P: God, our heavenly Father, has forgiven all your sins. By the perfect life and innocent death of our Lord Jesus Christ, he has removed your guilt forever. You are his own dear child. May God give you strength to live according to his will.

C: Amen.

P: In the peace of forgiveness, let us praise the Lord.

♬ Oh Taste And See

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.

Bless-ed are they who take re-fuge in him.

Your Word, O Lord, is e-ter-nal;

it stands firm in the heav-ens.

Your faith-ful-ness con-tin-ues for-ev-er.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.

Bless-ed are they who take re-fuge in him.

Prayer of the Day

P: Let us Pray.

Father in heaven, at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan, you proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit. Keep us who are baptized into Christ faithful in our calling as your children, and make us heirs with him of everlasting life; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: ♬ Amen

First Lesson: 1 Samuel 16:1-13

The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I see a king for myself among his sons.”

²Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.”

The Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ ³Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will let you know what you are to do. You are to anoint for me the person that I point out to you.”

⁴So Samuel did what the Lord had told him to do and went to Bethlehem. Trembling with fear, the elders of the city came to meet him. They said, “Do you come in peace?”

⁵He said, “Yes, in peace. I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” He consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

⁶When they had come, he looked at Eliab and said, “Certainly this is the Lord’s anointed.”

⁷But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at how tall he is, because I have rejected him. For the Lord does not look at things the way man does. For man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

⁸Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.”

⁹Then Jesse had Shammah pass by. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.”

¹⁰Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel. Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” ¹¹Samuel said to Jesse, “Is that all of the young men?”

Jesse said, “There still is the youngest, but he is tending the sheep.”

Samuel said to Jesse, “Send for him, for we cannot sit down to eat until he comes.”

¹²He sent for him and brought him in. David had red hair and striking eyes, and was good-looking. The Lord said, “Get up! Anoint him, because this is the one.”

¹³So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers. The Spirit of the Lord rushed on David with power from that day forward. After that Samuel set out and returned to Ramah.

Psalm of the Day Psalm 2

Refrain

Great are the works of the Lord. Alleluia! Alleluia!

Great are the works of the Lord.

Why do the nations conspire*

and the peoples plot in vain?

The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers

gather together against the LORD*

and against his Anointed One.

Refrain

Great are the works of the Lord. Alleluia! Alleluia!

Great are the works of the Lord.

The One enthroned in heaven laughs;*

the Lord scoffs at them.

Then he rebukes them in his anger

and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,*

“I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.”

I will proclaim the decree of the LORD:*

He said to me, “You are my Son;

today I have become your Father.”

Glory be to the Father and to the Son*

and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning,*

is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Refrain

Great are the works of the Lord. Alleluia! Alleluia!

Great are the works of the Lord.

Second Lesson: Titus 3:4-7

⁴But when the kindness and love of God our Savior toward mankind appeared, ⁵he saved us—not by righteous works that we did ourselves, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and the renewal by the Holy Spirit, ⁶whom he poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs in keeping with the hope of eternal life.

Verse:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

These words are written that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Gospel: Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

¹⁵The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John could be the Christ. ¹⁶John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But someone mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will thoroughly clean out his threshing floor. He will gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

²¹When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. While he was praying, heaven was opened, ²²and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love. I am well pleased with you.”

P: This the gospel of our Lord.

C: ♬ Praise be to you, O Christ!

Hymn of the Day: 89 To Jordan’s River Came Our Lord

1 To Jordan’s river came our Lord, The Christ, whom heav’nly hosts adored,

The God from God, the Light from Light, The Lord of glory, pow’r, and might.

2 The Savior came to be baptized-The Son of God in flesh disguised-

To stand beneath the Father’s will And all his promises fulfill.

3 As Jesus in the Jordan stood And John baptized the Lamb of God,

The Holy Spirit, heav’nly dove, Descended on him from above.

4 Then from God’s throne with thund’rous sound Came God’s own voice with words profound:

“This is my Son,” was his decree, “The one I love, who pleases me.”

5 The Father’s word, the Spirit’s flight Anointed Christ in glorious sight

As God’s own choice, from Adam’s fall To save the world and free us all.

6 Now rise, faint hearts: be resolute! This man is Christ, our substitute!

He was baptized in Jordan’s stream, Proclaimed Redeemer, Lord supreme.

Sermon

Apostles Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

I believe 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 is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there 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.

Offering

You can give your offerings from your smartphone with the new Vanco Mobile app, which can be downloaded for free at Google Play or the App Store. You can also give at holytrinitylutheranwyoming.com by clicking the Offerings link at the top of the page. If you have any questions about any of these options, please contact Dave Vogel at financialsecretary@holytrinity-wels.net or 616-808-6320.

Prayer of the Church

Hymn: 299 All Who Believe and Are Baptized

1 All who believe and are baptized

Shall see the Lord’s salvation;

Baptized into the death of Christ,

They are a new creation.

Through Christ’s redemption they shall stand

Among the glorious, heav’nly band

Of ev’ry tribe and nation.

2 With one accord, O God, we pray:

Grant us your Holy Spirit.

Help us in our infirmity

Through Jesus’ blood and merit.

Grant us to grow in grace each day

That by this sacrament we may

Eternal life inherit.

Text: Thomas H. Kingo, 1634-1703; tr. George A. T. Rygh, 1860-1942, alt.

Prayer and Blessing

P: Almighty God, we thank you for teaching us the things you want us to believe and do. Help us by your Holy Spirit to keep your Word in pure hearts that we may be strengthened in faith, guided in holiness, and comforted in life and in death, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: ♬ A-men.

P: 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.

C: ♬ A-men, A-men, A-men

Closing Hymn: 529 Built on the Rock

1 Built on the Rock the Church shall stand Even when steeples are falling.

Crumbled have spires in ev’ry land; Bells still are chiming and calling,

Calling the young and old to rest, But above all the soul distressed,

Longing for rest everlasting.

2 Surely in temples made with hands God, the Most High, is not dwelling;

High above earth his temple stands, All earthly temples excelling.

Yet he who dwells in heav’n above Chooses to live with us in love,

Making our bodies his temple.

3 We are God’s house of living stones, Built for his own habitation.

He through baptismal grace us owns Heirs of his wondrous salvation.

Were we but two his name to tell, Yet he would deign with us to dwell

With all his grace and his favor.

4 Here stands the font before our eyes, Telling how God did receive us.

Th’ altar recalls Christ’s sacrifice And what the sacrament gives us.

Here sound the Scriptures that proclaim Christ yesterday, today, the same,

And evermore, our Redeemer.

5 Grant then, O God, your will be done, That, when the church bells are ringing,

Many in saving faith may come Where Christ his message is bringing:

“I know my own; my own know me. You, not the world, my face shall see.

My peace I leave with you always.”

Text: Nikolai F. S. Grundtvig, 1783-1872, abr.; tr. Carl Döving, 1867-1937, alt.