January 6, 2019The Epiphany of Our Lord

Zion Lutheran Church, 17927 Dice Road, Hemlock, MI 48626www.zionhemlock.org ~ Church Office 642-5909 ~ Pastor Cell 989-964-8722 email admin@zionhemlock.org

THE MYSTERY REVEALED

AS WE GATHERMystery means something hidden that is now revealed. While many “mysteries” surround the Epiphany of Our Lord, Paul reminds us of the central mystery of how Gentiles are fellow heirs of the promise and partakers in that promise in Christ Jesus. We are curious about who these Magi were or the nature of the star that led them to the Christ Child, but these fade into the profound revelation that Christ is come not for the few but for all—Jew and Gentile. Through the proclamation of the Gospel, the Lord calls all people into the light of Christ by faith. This was God’s eternal purpose, but it was hidden until the right moment when it was fully revealed in Christ Jesus, our Lord. So the Church rejoices with Peter that God shows no partiality but has provided salvation for all through Jesus Christ.

+ PREPARATION +

400 BRIGHTEST AND BEST OF THE STARS OF THE MORNING LSB 400 sts. 1, 3, 51 Brightest and best of the stars of the morning,

Dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid;Star of the East, the horizon adorning, Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.

3 Shall we not yield Him, in costly devotion, Fragrance of Edom and off’rings divine,Gems of the mountain and pearls of the ocean, Myrrh from the forest and gold from the mine?

5 Brightest and best of the stars of the morning, Dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid;Star of the East, the horizon adorning, Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.

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INVOCATIONP In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.C Amen.

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OPENING SENTENCES Based on Psalm 117:2; Isaiah 60:3P Great is the steadfast love of the Lord toward us, C and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.

P Nations will come to His light, C and kings to the brightness of His rising.

CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTIONP Let us confess our sins to God our Father.C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and

unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.

P According to God’s eternal purpose, the Lord Jesus Christ was incarnate of the Virgin Mary to suffer and die for you and to bring you into communion with the Father by the power of the Holy Spirit. In Christ, the mystery long hidden has been revealed for all to know that we might be brought to faith and life in Him. In the name of Christ and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

P Peace be with you.C And also with you.

+ WORD +

398 HAIL TO THE LORD'S ANOINTED LSB 3981 Hail to the Lord’s anointed,

Great David’s greater Son!Hail, in the time appointed, His reign on earth begun!He comes to break oppression, To set the captive free,To take away transgression And rule in equity.

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2 He comes with rescue speedy To those who suffer wrong,To help the poor and needy And bid the weak be strong;To give them songs for sighing, Their darkness turn to light,Whose souls, condemned and dying, Were precious in His sight.

3 He shall come down like showers Upon the fruitful earth;Love, joy, and hope, like flowers, Spring in His path to birth.Before Him on the mountains Shall peace, the herald, go;And righteousness in fountains From hill to valley flow.

4 Kings shall fall down before Him And gold and incense bring;All nations shall adore Him, His praise all people sing.To Him shall prayer unceasing And daily vows ascend;His kingdom still increasing, A kingdom without end.

5 O’er ev’ry foe victorious, He on His throne shall rest,From age to age more glorious, All blessing and all-blest.The tide of time shall never His covenant remove;His name shall stand forever— That name to us is Love.

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SALUTATIONP The Lord be with you.C And also with you.

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PRAYER OF THE DAYP Let us pray.

Almighty God, Your saving purpose was hidden in mystery through the ages and revealed in Your Son, Jesus Christ. As the Magi were brought into the light of His presence by the leading of a star, so bring us now into the light of Your presence by Your Word that we may know Your Son as Savior and Lord and make Him known to those still captive to the darkness of unbelief; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C Amen.

OLD TESTAMENT READING(Arise and shine for Your light has come.) Isaiah 60:1–6

1Arise, shine, for your light has come,and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.

2For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,and thick darkness the peoples;

but the LORD will arise upon you,and his glory will be seen upon you.

3And nations shall come to your light,and kings to the brightness of your rising.

4Lift up your eyes all around, and see;they all gather together, they come to you;

your sons shall come from afar,and your daughters shall be carried on the hip.

5Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and exult,because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,

the wealth of the nations shall come to you.6A multitude of camels shall cover you,

the young camels of Midian and Ephah;all those from Sheba shall come.

They shall bring gold and frankincense,and shall bring good news, the praises of the LORD.

L This is the Word of the Lord.C Thanks be to God.

EPISTLE (The mystery long hidden has been revealed in Jesus Christ.) Ephesians 3:1–12

1For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— 2assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. 4When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5which was not made known

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to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 6This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

7Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, 10so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.

L This is the Word of the Lord.C Thanks be to God.

HOLY GOSPEL Matthew 2:1–12(The star leads the Magi to Bethlehem, where Jesus Christ was born for all.) P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the second chapter.C Glory to You, O Lord.

1Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6“‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” 7Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

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P This is the Gospel of the Lord.C Praise to You, O Christ.

NICENE CREEDC I believe in one God,

the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried. And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end. And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church, I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life T of the world to come. Amen.

MEMORY VERSE “Now for a little while you may have had to suffer in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

1 Peter 6b-76

810 O GOD OF GOD, O LIGHT OF LIGHT LSB 8101 O God of God, O Light of Light,

O Prince of Peace and King of kings:To you in heaven’s glory bright The song of praise forever rings.To Him who sits upon the throne, The Lamb once slain but raised again,Be all the glory He has won, All thanks and praise! Amen, amen.

2 For deep in prophets’ sacred page, And grand in poets’ wingèd word,Slowly in type, from age to age The nations saw their coming Lord;Till through the deep Judean night Rang out the song, “Goodwill to men!”Sung once by firstborn sons of light, It echoes now, “Goodwill!” Amen.

3 That life of truth, those deeds of love, That death so steeped in hate and scorn—These all are past, and now above He reigns, our King once crowned with thorn.Lift up your heads, O mighty gates! So sang that host beyond our ken.Lift up your heads, your King awaits. We lift them up. Amen, amen.

4 Then raise to Christ a mighty song, And shout His name, His mercies tell!Sing, heav’nly host, your praise prolong, And all on earth, your anthem swell!All hail, O Lamb for sinners slain! Forever let the song ascend!Worthy the Lamb, enthroned to reign, All glory, pow’r! Amen, amen.

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SERMON "The Mystery Revealed" Ephesians 3:1-12

832 JESUS SHALL REIGN LSB 8321 Jesus shall reign where’er the sun

Does its successive journeys run;His kingdom stretch from shore to shoreTill moons shall wax and wane no more.

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2 To Him shall endless prayer be made,And endless praises crown His head;His name like sweet perfume shall riseWith ev’ry morning sacrifice.

3 People and realms of ev’ry tongueDwell on His love with sweetest song;And infant voices shall proclaimTheir early blessings on His name.

4 Blessings abound where’er He reigns:The pris’ners leap, unloose their chains,The weary find eternal rest,And all who suffer want are blest.

5 Let ev’ry creature rise and bringHonors peculiar to our King;Angels descend with songs again,And earth repeat the loud amen.

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INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS

PRAYER OF THE CHURCHP Bidden by the Spirit, let us approach the throne of light on behalf of all

who sit in darkness and the shadow of death and that the people of God may walk in the light.O blessed Lord, we give You thanks that the mystery once hidden has now been revealed and Jesus Christ is come for all people. Grant us boldness so that we may proclaim with confidence this saving Gospel and prepare the hearts of those who hear so that they may believe in Jesus Christ. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.P Mighty Lord, to You all nations are accountable and all who lead them.

Give to us and to all peoples good government and faithful leaders who will heed Your Word and do Your bidding. Bless all servicemen and servicewomen who protect us near and far and bless all civil servants who serve us for the common good. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.P Blessed Savior, You have made Your Church to be the home of all

people and bid us welcome the stranger in Your name. Bless our life together around Your Word and Table and bless those who serve us with this ministry on Your behalf. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

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P Gracious Savior, You shine upon us with the light of forgiveness and life. Lead us so that we may forgive one another as You have forgiven us and help us to walk in the way of life here on earth until we dwell in Your nearer presence on high. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.P Loving God, Your Son came to claim all our ills and to grant us

healing, comfort, and peace sufficient for all our needs. We cry to You on behalf of [names . . . and] those we name before You in our hearts, that their suffering be relieved, their sorrows find comfort, and their hearts know the fullness of Your peace. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.P O Lord of mercy, You have daily fed us with all that we need for this

body and life, and now You bid us come to feast upon the flesh and blood of Your Son. Grant us faith, a discerning heart, and repentance that we receive without hindrance all Your gifts in this blest communion. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.P Holy Lord, You have set us apart as Your own people by Baptism and

granted us faith to walk in Your ways. Keep us faithful so that we persevere in time of trial and temptation and remain in Christ until that day dawns when we shall be reunited with those who have gone before and dwell with You in the life death cannot overcome. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.P Grant to us all things needful and keep from us all things harmful, O

Lord, for we trust in Your goodness and in Your mercy, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

C Amen.

OFFERING

370 WHAT CHILD IS THIS LSB 370 st. 33 So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh;

Come, peasant, king, to own Him.The King of kings salvation brings; Let loving hearts enthrone Him.Raise, raise the song on high,The virgin sings her lullaby; Joy, joy, for Christ is born, The babe, the son of Mary!

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+ SACRAMENT +

PREFACEP The Lord be with you.

9C And also with you.P Lift up your hearts.C We lift them to the Lord.P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.

PROPER PREFACEP It is our good and pleasant duty to bring You praise and thanksgiving

now and always, in the name and for the sake of Him who is the light of the world and the full revelation of Your saving will and purpose. You have made Your Church one people, from many peoples and nations, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, in whom we join to sing the everlasting song of praise. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:

384 OF THE FATHER'S LOVE BEGOTTEN LSB 384 st. 55 Christ, to Thee, with God the Father,

And, O Holy Ghost, to TheeHymn and chant and high thanksgiving And unending praises be,Honor, glory, and dominion, And eternal victory Evermore and evermore. Amen.

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PRAYER OF THANKSGIVINGP Glorious Father, from You and to You are all things, and in You is light

and life. As once You made known the unfolding mystery of Your saving will and purpose, so now let us approach Your throne of grace with joy and thanksgiving for the sake of Christ, our Lord. Open to us the grace of Your Spirit that with faith we meet Him who comes to us here in His Holy Supper, fulfilling to us the promise of His Word and giving to us His very body and blood.

C Amen.

THE WORDS OF OUR LORDP Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took

bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”

10In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

PROCLAMATION OF CHRIST 1 Corinthians 11:26; Revelation 22:20P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the

Lord’s death until He comes.C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

P As the many grains of wheat become one bread and the many grapes become one cup, so bring into perfect unity all Your people, from every time and place, that we may confess the saving Gospel with one voice before the world. Hear us, Lord, as we pray in His name and as our Savior has taught us:

LORD'S PRAYERC 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.

PAX DOMINIP The peace of the Lord be with you always.C Amen.

11+ DISTRIBUTION HYMNS +

397 AS WITH GLADNESS MEN OF OLD LSB 3971 As with gladness men of old

Did the guiding star behold; As with joy they hailed its light, Leading onward, beaming bright;So, most gracious Lord, may weEvermore be led by Thee.

2 As with joyful steps they sped,Savior, to Thy lowly bed, There to bend the knee before Thee, whom heav’n and earth adore;So may we with willing feetEver seek Thy mercy seat.

3 As they offered gifts most rareAt Thy cradle, rude and bare, So may we with holy joy, Pure and free from sin’s alloy,All our costliest treasures bring,Christ, to Thee, our heav’nly King.

4 Holy Jesus, ev’ry dayKeep us in the narrow way; And when earthly things are past, Bring our ransomed souls at lastWhere they need no star to guide,Where no clouds Thy glory hide.

5 In the heav’nly country brightNeed they no created light; Thou its light, its joy, its crown, Thou its sun which goes not down;There forever may we singAlleluias to our King.

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399 THE STAR PROCLAIMS THE KING IS HERE LSB 3991 The star proclaims the King is here;

But, Herod, why this senseless fear?For He who offers heav’nly birthSeeks not the kingdoms of this earth.

122 The eastern sages saw from far

And followed on His guiding star;And, led by light, to light they trodAnd by their gifts confessed their God.

3 Within the Jordan’s sacred floodThe heav’nly Lamb in meekness stoodThat He, of whom no sin was known,Might cleanse His people from their own.

4 And oh, what miracle divine,When water reddened into wine!He spoke the word, and forth it flowedIn streams that nature ne’er bestowed.

5 For this Thy glad epiphanyAll glory, Jesus, be to Thee,Whom with the Father we adore,And Holy Spirit evermore.

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WE THREE KINGSWe three kings of Orient are Bearing gifts we traverse afar. Field and fountain, moor and mountain, Following yonder star

Refrain O star of wonder, star of night, Star with royal beauty bright, Westward leading, still proceeding, Guide us to Thy perfect Light.

Born a king on Bethlehem’s plain, Gold I bring to crown Him again, King forever, ceasing neverOver us all to reign. Refrain

Frankincense to offer have I. Incense owns a Deity nigh.Prayer and praising all men raising, Worship Him, God on high. Refrain

Myrrh is mine: it’s bitter perfumeBreathes a life of gathering gloom.Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,

Sealed in the stone-cold tomb. Refrain13

Glorious now behold Him arise,King and God and Sacrifice.Alleluia, alleluia!Sounds through the earth and skies. Refrain

POST-COMMUNION THANKSGIVINGP Let us pray.

In Your light, O Lord, do we see light. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we see clearly Jesus Christ and trust in Him only. Bring us with those of every generation and tongue to make our common confession of faith and to walk together as children of the light. Bless us with the many gifts of Your grace that we walk in Christ, who is our light and our life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

C Amen.

BENEDICTIONP The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.

C Amen.

411 I WANT TO WALK AS A CHILD OF THE LIGHT LSB 4111 I want to walk as a child of the light.

I want to follow Jesus.God set the stars to give light to the world.The star of my life is Jesus. Refrain

ref In Him there is no darkness at all.The night and the day are both alike.The Lamb is the light of the city of God.Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.

2 I want to see the brightness of God.I want to look at Jesus.Clear Sun of Righteousness, shine on my path,And show me the way to the Father. Refrain

3 I’m looking for the coming of Christ.I want to be with Jesus.When we have run with patience the race,We shall know the joy of Jesus. Refrain

© 1970, 1975 Celebration. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License .NET, no. 100011553.

14Creative Worship for the Lutheran Parish, Series C, Quarter 1. Copyright © 2018 Concordia Publishing House.All rights reserved. Used by permission.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSUnless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by

Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2006 Concordia Publishing House.

Pastor Paul Hauser Organist Carolyn LaurenzElders Paul Bohn & Frank Yell A/V Mark RichardsonGreeters Don & Bernice Beach Altar Guild Diane Schultz & Suzanne SchultzUshers Jerry Neuenfeldt, Joel Hutfilz, Dave Hutfilz

Our Measure of Love and GiftsAttendance last week – 55 New Year’s Eve 23 Needed for The Lord’s Work at Zion $4,128 ~ Received for the Lord’s Work $4,068 = Loose Plate $165, Envelopes $2,813, Mission $65, Maintenance $125; Parsonage Rent $900; Quilters $25..

Please pray for your fellow Christians on their birthday ~ Jan 13- Gary Kade; Jan 15- Joyce Neuenfeldt; Jan 16- Madison McLeod.

Resources for Rachel ~ Door offering today following the worship service supporting Rachel Meyer. Follow her on Face book “Missionary Meyer in Uganda”. Rachel’s email is Rachel.Meyer@LCMS.org if you would like to email her. To date we have sent $4,179 supporting her mission.

Christmas decorations will be taken down following the service this morning. Please stay and help out if you can.

Wednesday morning Bible Study will begin on January 9 at 10:30 am. Everyone welcome!

Zion’s Annual Turkey Dinner will be held on Wednesday, January 16 from 4:30-7 pm. Donations for turkey and other supplies can be given to Jack Armstrong. Signup sheets are in the narthex.

All newly elected as well as currently serving officers and board members will be installed during the service on this morning. Please come forward when invited.

Recycle your Christmas lights ~ Have old Christmas lights? Don’t throw them away! Lights can be dropped off at the Richland Township office in Hemlock through January 15, 2019. Proceeds benefit the CAN Council (Child Abuse and Neglect Council) of the Great Lakes Bay Region. Contact Mid Michigan Waste Authority with any questions at 989-781-9555.

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