https://youtube.com/live/UQGnZV5hpbU?

ALL SAINTS’ DAY – November 5, 2023

We Worship with those who worship in the Eternal Joy of Heaven!

 ZION EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH – LCMS    700 Main St.  P.O. Box 220   Clyman, WI  53016

 Pastor Dan 1-(920)-341-2025 – shepherdatzion@gmail.com

 Bulletin Announcement email: zionclyman@gmail.com

AS WE GATHER – Today is bittersweet. Bitter, because some of us will be remembering someone we love who recently received their eternal crown of life, and we are still grieving.  Yet the day is sweet, because that loved one was also loved by God, redeemed by Jesus, and lives in that place Jesus went ahead to prepare for them.  We grieve, as Paul says, but not “as others do who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). We also hear the words of Jesus, where Jesus blesses people not usually considered blessed: the poor in spirit, the mourning, the meek, peacemakers, the persecuted.  The broken circumstances of your life do not define you entirely; Jesus defines you as blessed, because He has taken hold of you in love and mercy and will never let you go. Blessed are you in the grace of God.  Blessed are all who know Him as their Savior as they will live in heaven with all the saints.

Ringing of the Bell and Welcome

 Hymn  “For All the Saints”   vs1,2,3,7,8,ONLY     LSB 677

 Invocation – In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.    Amen

 Opening Sentences  Psalm 121:2, 7

Lord, on this All Saints’ Day, we gather in Your name to remember our loved ones in heaven and rejoice with them in  Your presence.      We remember the ones we love who now live with You—ones loved also by You and You gave them life.  We remember how You embraced them, showed them grace, and filled them with faith.       We remember with heavy hearts. We remember with thankful hearts.       We rejoice in the resurrection promised in and through Jesus the Risen Lord.  We rejoice that Jesus has overcome death forever.  We rejoice that You are the one true God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—who will never leave us nor forsake us.     Amen.

Confession and Absolution –  Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden, cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love You and worthily magnify Your holy name; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord.    Amen.         Humble yourselves before God, confess your sins to Him, and implore His forgiveness.      Almighty God, merciful Father, we acknowledge our sinful nature and repent of our sins—those we do not know that we have done and those we know we have done.  We do not always love You and other people as You ask us to.  We are often careless with Your gifts given to us.  O Lord we are sorry.  We want to live according to Your will.  We want to honor You in our lives in all that we say and do.  For the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord, grant us Your forgiveness so that, as Your redeemed people, we may be fit temples for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and serve You in time and in eternity.      God be gracious to you and strengthen your faith.  In the stead and by the command of our Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Be at peace as your sins are forgiven.      Amen.

A Response of Confidence and Faith Hebrews 12:1-3 –   Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,    let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.      Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Hymn of Praise –   This Is the Feast  LSB 171

Salutation – The Lord be with you.         And also with you.

 Prayer of the Day –   Lord God, You sustained those who have gone before us in faith, You showed them grace, and in their lives You have shown us examples of good works that are the fruit of faith in Christ. So sustain us in faith and grace, that we bear the fruit of faith with perseverance and joy; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.      Amen.

First Reading   Revelation 7:9–17 – (John catches a glimpse in a vision of God’s restoration of all creation.) 

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.  They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.  And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”  All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen!  Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever.  Amen!”  Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes–who are they, and where did they come from?”  I answered, “Sir, you know.”  And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.  Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.  Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.  For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

 Gradual        Revelation 7:14b; Psalm 84:5

 These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.     Blessed are those whose strength is in You,     in whose heart are the highways to Zion.

Epistle 1 John 3:1–3  (The Father loves us and calls us His children.) 

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known.  But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.  Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

Verse            Revelation 14:13      Alleluia.      Alleluia.     Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”       “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”     Alleluia.     Amen

Holy Gospel Matthew 5:1–12   (Jesus blesses some of the least likely people, teaching us that He is blessing us in the midst of all circumstances.)

The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the fifth chapter.       Glory to You, O Lord.

Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying:  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.  Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.  Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.   This is the Gospel of the Lord.   Praise to You, O Christ.

Nicene Creed –   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 X of the world to come.    Amen.

Hymn  “Jerusalem the Golden”                      LSB 672

Sermon

Prayers of the Church

The Lord’s Prayer –   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.

 We Gather our Tithes and Offerings

Commemoration of the Faithfully Departed  

Forasmuch as it has pleased Almighty God, in his wise providence, to take out of this world the souls of eleven pastors and one teacher, all beloved fellow workers in the kingdom, we honor their memory in this service and give thanks for their example of faith, their labors of love, and their years of service to Christ and His Church.  At the same time, we ask our Heavenly Father to continue to comfort their survivors and us with the sweet hope of a          blessed reunion in heaven.      We also pray that even as we remember and honor them that God would teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom, and that He would strengthen us in the confident hope of the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come, so that we too may finally be saved through our Lord Jesus            Christ.  Amen

We remember and honor:

David John Stueber          Earthly life-April 19, 1946    Received His crown of life- October 28, 2022

For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life,     and I will raise him up at the last day.  (John 6:40)

Carleen Kay Rettschlag    Earthly life- February 4, 1959   Received her crown of life- July 10, 2023

Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write:  Blessed      are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”      “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor,  for their deeds will follow them.”  (Revelation 14:13)

Daniel Paul Ruppel  Earthly Life-July 23, 1971   Received his crown of life- November 2, 2023

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not earthly things.  (Colossians 3:1-2)

We observe a moment of silence as We remember in our hearts those who were not members but were a special part of our lives and received their crown of life this past year.

I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;      and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.         (John 11:25-26)

 Service of the Sacrament

Preface   2 Timothy 4:22 –   The Lord be with you.       And also with you.      Lift up your hearts.       We lift them to the Lord.        Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.       It is right to give Him thanks and praise.

Proper Preface –    It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who blessed those who have gone before us, giving His life for theirs and rising in triumph over death.  Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and singing:

 Sanctus  LSB 178

 Prayer of Thanksgiving – Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior.  With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.        Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end.          Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.         Amen

 The Words of Our Lord – Consecration of the Elements

 Proclamation of Christ   1 Corinthians 11:26; Revelation 22:20 –   As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.      Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.     

Pax Domini LSB 180 – The peace of the Lord be with you always.       Amen.

Agnus Dei LSB 180

We Celebrate our Lord’s Supper

 Distribution Hymns:  “Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness”  LSB 563   “Children of the Heavenly Father”  LSB 725  “Alleluia!  Let Praises Ring”  LSB 822

Post-Communion Canticle –  Thank the Lord  LSB 181

Post-Communion Thanksgiving – Gracious God, our heavenly Father, You have given us a fore-taste of the feast to come in the Holy Supper of Your Son’s body and blood.  Keep us firm in the true faith throughout our days of pilgrimage that, on the day of His coming, we may, together with all Your saints, celebrate the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom which has no end.  We pray this through Jesus Christ, Your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit one God, now and forever.        Amen

Benediction      Numbers 6:24–26 – 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 X give you peace.       Amen.

Hymn “I am Jesus’ Little Lamb”                         LSB  740            

_____________________________________________

*Announcements*

From the Board of Stewardship and Evangelism:  Matthew 5:7 – “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” This is one of many Bible passages that remind us that we reap what we sow. Likewise, what God puts into us (His own love, mercy, kindness and generosity) — flows back out of us. It all starts with His self-giving.

The Pewpoint – THEME OF THE DAY – Saints Are Blessed in the Eternal Presence of Christ      “A great multitude … from all tribes and peoples and languages” cry out, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne” (Rev. 7:9–10). Faith-filled saints from every place and time with unified voices eternally magnify the Lamb of God. As His beloved children, we, too, “shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). Joined with the throng of angels and myriad saints, we shall “serve him day and night in his temple” (Rev. 7:15). In our earthly tension vacillating between saint and sinner, faith and doubt, sacred and profane, we earnestly seek Jesus to calm our fears, comfort our spirits and forgive our sins. The Holy Spirit, through faith in Christ, propels us forward to our eternal home, fortifying us in Word and Sacrament. In the midst of our constant struggle as believers, we need to be blessed. And so we are. The poor in spirit, the meek, the hungry, the thirsty, the merciful, the pure and the persecuted are all blessed, and we will most certainly inherit the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:1–12).

YES IN CHRIST  —  Saying Yes With Our Treasures –   Needed per week to make budget: $3,072

Sunday Envelopes $1,645  Plate $.10    Cemetery Memorial – Eli Dornfeld Fund $ 100

Attendance:  Sunday Service: 55   Communed:   51    Mid-Week Service: 5  Communed:  4        Bible Study   11

Brothers and sisters in Christ to lift up in prayer! 

1)    Jennifer and Dan’s family as he received his crown of life on Thursday.

2)  Felix Ortega who is in need of healing and Janet as she fell and reinjured the knee she recently had surgery on.

3)  Betty Hoeft who found out that she has a torn meniscus in her knee.

4)    Karen Fredricks who was hospitalized, but is home.

Wish these members a Blessed & Happy Birthday

Owen C	11/5
Joshua W	11/8
Paxton R	11/8
Caroline J	11/14
Beth B	11/16
Scott N	11/17
Felix O	11/20
Lillian J	11/22
Layla A	11/26
Jacob S	11/27
Dick W	11/27
Andrea H	11/30

A Blessed & Happy Anniversary to these couples

David & Pennie H	11/14
Chris & Dana L	11/21

The Chosen Bible Study meets at 6pm in church.  Mark your calendars as classes will also be held November 7th, 21st, December 5th, and 19th! Class will then take a break until the new year!

Dates to Remember:

TODAY   Semi Annual Meeting immediately after church

Nov. 8^th 6pm Voice Choir and Mid-week service following

Nov. 9^th – Quilting from 11am to 2pm.

Nov 12^th – Last day for Shoe boxes

TODAY – Chili Luncheon at Trinity Lutheran Church from 11:30 to 2pm – for more information please see poster on doors in the back or church and in the narthex.

We received a letter from Deanne on her continuing education in Africa.  Pick up a copy in the back of church or in the narthex.    Please pray for her continuing to inspire the many children she is working with.

November Lutheran Witness has arrived. Pick up a copy in the narthex or back of church.