Worship Notes for LWML Sunday, 2015

Thursday after Pentecost 18

October 1, 2015

The Lord be with you.

This coming Sunday (October 4) will be the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost. It is also the first Sunday in October. It is common in the LC-MS to observe the first Sunday in October as LWML Sunday, which we will do at Lamb of God. This will be most noticeable with the more visible role women will be filling in the service, the selection of hymns, the use of the LWML pledge, our prayers and (naturally) the sermon.

For our liturgy we will be using Matins (219). The readings from the lectionary are Psalm 128 (antiphon verse 1), Genesis 2:18-25, Hebrews 2:1-18, and Mark 10:2-16. While the contemporary practice of observing the first Sunday in October as LWML Sunday predates the adoption of our current three-year lectionary, it is a happy “accident” that the readings deal specifically with real “women’s issues,” that is, marriage. (Of course, marriage is also a “men’s issue.”)

While the sermon will deal with marriage, it will take a broad view, relating the readings to God’s overall plan of salvation. The actually text will be Hebrews 2:6. The sermon is titled, “What is Man (or Woman)?”

Our opening hymn will be “How Clear Is Our Vocation, Lord” (LSB 853). The sermon hymn will be “For All the Faithful Women” (LSB 855:1, 3-4). Our closing will be “Serve the Lord with Gladness!”. This is the official LWML hymn. You know the tune as it uses the same tune as “Onward Christian Soldiers.”

Below is a video of our closing hymn, “Serve the Lord with Gladness!” It is being sung at an LWML convention and the video focuses on four ladies who are signing the words in ASL.  

Next is another video by the LWML. It runs close to half an hour. It will give you a good idea of what missions they are currently supporting.

Our adult Bible class is over half-way finished with the study, Word: God Speaks to Us. Though you may have missed the first half, you are still encouraged to attend. What you learn will be a blessing. The Bible study hour begins at 9:00 am. Fill free to bring children. Class is provided for them as well.  

What follows is a synopsis of Sunday’s lessons, provided by the synod, then the lessons.  Following the readings are some additional notes.

Marriage Is a Sign that Manifests the Gospel of Christ and His Church

Humanity is created in the image and likeness of God. “It is not good that the man should be alone” (Gen. 2:18). For the Lord Himself is a perfect communion of three Persons — the Father, Son and Holy Spirit — in one God. Therefore, “the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs,” which “he made into a woman” and brought “to the man” (Gen. 2:21–22). It is for this reason that “a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Gen. 2:24; Mark 10:7). This great mystery of holy marriage signifies Christ Jesus, the incarnate Son of God, and His Bride, the Church. Divorce and all manner of adultery contradict and undermine this sign, and in doing so, they confess a false Christ and a false gospel. “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate” (Mark 10:9). In truth, Christ Jesus has atoned for all such sins, and He has perfected marriage in Himself “through suffering,” that He might bring “many sons to glory” in His resurrection (Heb. 2:8–10).

Psalm 128 (1)

            A Song of Ascents.

^128:1      Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,

                        who walks in his ways!

²           You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;

                        you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.

³           Your wife will be like a fruitful vine

                        within your house;

            your children will be like olive shoots

                        around your table.

⁴           Behold, thus shall the man be blessed

                        who fears the Lord.

⁵           The Lord bless you from Zion!

                        May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem

                        all the days of your life!

⁶           May you see your children's children!

                        Peace be upon Israel!

Genesis 2:18-25

¹⁸          Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” ¹⁹Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. ²⁰The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. ²¹So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. ²²And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. ²³Then the man said,

            “This at last is bone of my bones

                        and flesh of my flesh;

            she shall be called Woman,

                        because she was taken out of Man.”

²⁴          Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. ²⁵And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

Hebrews 2:1-18

^2:1         Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. ²For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, ³how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, ⁴while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

⁵           For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. ⁶It has been testified somewhere,

            “What is man, that you are mindful of him,

                        or the son of man, that you care for him?

⁷           You made him for a little while lower than the angels;

                        you have crowned him with glory and honor,

⁸                       putting everything in subjection under his feet.”

            Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. ⁹But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

¹⁰          For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. ¹¹For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, ¹²saying,

            “I will tell of your name to my brothers;

                        in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”

¹²          And again,

            “I will put my trust in him.”

¹³          And again,

            “Behold, I and the children God has given me.”

¹⁴          Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, ¹⁵and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. ¹⁶For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. ¹⁷Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. ¹⁸For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Mark 10:2-16

²           And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” ³He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” ⁴They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” ⁵And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. ⁶But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ⁷‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, ⁸and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. ⁹What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

¹⁰          And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. ¹¹And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, ¹²and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

¹³          And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. ¹⁵Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” ¹⁶And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

Some Additional Notes

• Rev. Bill Seaman, our District’s Area Mission and Ministry Facilitator, will meet with the congregation Monday, October 12, at 11:00 am. Pastor Seaman will assist us as we consider our future.

• The October newsletter has been posted on the blog (www.Lutheran-in-SC.blogspot.com) and will be available Sunday.

• Our Second Coat Drive is kicking off. We team with the Bethlehem Center, who distributes the coats to individuals in need. You can check out the post made earlier, and information has been placed on a bulletin board in the hallway. The final day to donate coats will be our Thanksgiving Eve service. A box for your donations will be in the narthex. The newsletter will have more information

• October 25 is Reformation Sunday this year. We will have a covered dish lunch after the service and we will play “Luther-Bingo.” The newsletter will have more information.

• Keep Praying for your Neighbors and Walking your Neighborhoods.

• Don’t forget to check out the other posts from earlier this week. They include several important communications from either district of synod. An easy way to review the titles is by looking at the left hand side of this blog. If a title catches your attention, just click on it and you will go to that post.

• Remember, you can link one or more of our blog posts to your facebook (or other social media) page. Find one you like and share it. Our blog actually have over 3,000 “hits” in September, a new high. Not only members of LOG are visiting, but people around the world.

Blessings in Christ,

Pastor Rickert