https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DI2YJLRMGM

The Third Sunday in Lent, March 23, 2025

ZION EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH – LCMS

700 Main St.  P.O. Box 220   Clyman, WI  53016  

Rev. Daniel L. Bohn & Church 1(920) 341-2025 – shepherdatzion@gmail.com

Worship Times: Sundays – 8:30am & Wednesdays – 7:00pm

To View Past Services & Other Information: Website – zionclyman.org or Facebook – zionclyman

Watch Live on Sunday @ 8:30am: YouTube – zionclyman

Music –  Dee Dee Wille      Elder Sunday and Wednesday– Dan Chaveriat

Bulletin Announcements: Email: zionclyman@gmail.com

Congregation Information: Neal Kohlhoff Email: neal.kohlhoff50@gmail.com

Altar Guild for March: Betsy Stuebe      Thank you.

Guests.  Welcome to Zion.  We are happy to have you worship with us.  Please sign our guestbook located in the Narthex.  About Holy Communion:  We welcome to the Lord’s Table all who have repented of their sins and seek to amend their sinful life; all who believe that Jesus is truly present in, with, and under the bread and the wine; and all who believe that through the words “given and shed for you” forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given.  If this is your confession and you are a member of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, then come with a thankful heart and join us.   If you are a visitor and would like to commune, please talk with Pastor Dan before the service.  To help in preparing to receive Holy Communion open the front cover of the Burgundy hymnal or turn to pages 329 & 330.  Gluten free wafers are available, please talk with an Elder or Pastor before the service if you would appreciate them.

As We Gather in today’s Readings, God uses the metaphor of eating and drinking to warn and encourage His people to avoid the temptations of the world and our own sin that leads us away from God and to rely constantly on the forgiveness and faith that God provides to enable us to lead godly lives.  In the Epistle, Paul has in mind how God provides for us in His Word and Sacraments.  We are to remember not only that we were baptized but that we are baptized, meaning God still provides us with saving, bold faith that relies on His mercy and grace because we belong to Him now.  The center of the Divine Service is the Sacrament of Christ’s body and blood, through which we are given forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation—all the benefits won for us by the cross and sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf.  Today we are encouraged to receive and rely on God’s gifts and provision constantly, that we may maintain a healthy and strong faith in the face of all adversities and challenges.

Ringing of the Bell and Welcome

Hymn “Renew Me, O Eternal Light”                           LSB 704

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

Opening Sentences Psalm 85:1-4 – Lord, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.  You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin.  You withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger.  Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us!

Confession and Absolution – All:  I have trusted in Your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.  The Lord lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked to the ground.  A time of silence to reflect on those sins weighing heavy on our hearts

All:  Almighty God, our Maker and Redeemer, we poor sinners confess unto You that we are by nature sinful and unclean and that we have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed.  We flee for refuge to Your infinite mercy, seeking and imploring Your grace for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.  O most merciful God, who has given Your only-begotten Son to die for us, have mercy upon us and for His sake grant us remission of all our sins; and by Your Holy Spirit increase in us true knowledge of You and of Your will and true obedience to Your Word, to the end that by Your grace we may come to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

Almighty God has had mercy upon you and has given His only Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. In the stead and by the command of our Lord Jesus Christ, I, a called and ordained servant of the Word, forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. He who began this good work within you will bring it to completion on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Kyrie – In peace let us pray to the Lord.   Lord, have mercy.   For the Peace from above and for our salvation.  For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all let us pray to the Lord.  Lord, have mercy.     For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise let us pray to the Lord.       Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.   Amen

Psalm of the Day – Psalm 85: antiphon vs 8 –   I will listen to what God the LORD says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants— but let them not turn to folly.  You, LORD, showed favor to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.  You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins.  You set aside all your wrath and turned from your fierce anger.  Restore us again, God our Savior, and put away your displeasure toward us.  Will you be angry with us forever?  Will you prolong your anger through all generations?  Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?  Show us your unfailing love, LORD, and grant us your salvation.  I will listen to what God the LORD says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants— but let them not turn to folly.  Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.  Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.  Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.  The LORD will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest.  Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps.      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.   I will listen to what God the LORD says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants— but let them not turn to folly.

Collect of the Day – O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy, be gracious to all who have gone astray from Your ways and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of Your Word; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen

Old Testament Reading – Ezekiel 33:7-20 – “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.  When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.  But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.  “Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them.  How then can we live?”’  Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.  Turn!  Turn from your evil ways!  Why will you die, people of Israel?’  “Therefore, son of man, say to your people, ‘If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation.  The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.’  If I tell a righteous person that they will surely live, but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered; they will die for the evil they have done.  And if I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ but they then turn away from their sin and do what is just and right—if they give back what they took in pledge for a loan, return what they have stolen, follow the decrees that give life, and do no evil—that person will surely live; they will not die.  None of the sins that a person has committed will be remembered against them.  They have done what is just and right; they will surely live.  “Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’  But it is their way that is not just.  If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, they will die for it.  And if a wicked person turns away from their wickedness and does what is just and right, they will live by doing so.  Yet you Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But I will judge each of you according to your own ways.”

Epistle or New Testament Reading – 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 –  For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea.  They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.  They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.  Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.  Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.  Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.”  We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.  We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes.  And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.  These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.  So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!  No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.  And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Gradual and Verse – O come, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.      The Lord is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Gospel Reading Luke 13:1-9 – The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the Thirteenth chapter.  Glory to you, O Lord.          Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.  Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?  I tell you, no!  But unless you repent, you too will all perish.  Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?  I tell you, no!  But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”  Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any.  So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any.  Cut it down!  Why should it use up the soil?’  “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it.  If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”    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 + of the world to come.    Amen.

Hymn**vs1-4**  “As Sure as I Live, God Said”  LSB 614

Sermon

Prayers of the Church

We gather our Tithes and Offerings

Service of the Sacrament

Preface – 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 overcame the assaults of the devil and gave His life as a ransom for many that with cleansed hearts we might be prepared joyfully to celebrate the paschal feast in sincerity and truth.  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 161

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, 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.  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 – As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.  Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.       All:  O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:

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.

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

Agnus Dei                                                              LSB 163

We Celebrate our Lord’s Supper

Distribution Hymns

“Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me”           LSB 761

“Jesus Sinners Doth Receive”        LSB 609

“O God My Faithful God”                LSB 696

Post Communion Collect –   O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good,     and His mercy endures forever.  Almighty and everlasting God, we thank and praise You for feeding us the life-giving body and blood of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Send us Your Holy Spirit that, having with our mouths received the Holy Sacrament, we may by faith obtain and eternally enjoy Your divine grace, the forgiveness of sins, unity with Christ, and life eternal; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

Benediction – The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and X give you peace.  Amen.

Hymn “Christ be My Leader”          LSB 861

ANNOUNCEMENTS

YES IN CHRIST Saying Yes With Our Treasures

Attendance/Communed: 3/12/2025 = 36 / 32      3/16/2025 = 55 / 49

Weekly Budget Giving: 3/16/2025: Envelopes = $755 Plate = $5 Needed: $3279
Memorial: General Fund $25 for Ray Lamp from Gary & Beth Baehmann
General Fund $25 for Carl Groskreutz from Gary & Beth Baehmann
General Fund $25 for Ray Lamp from Kris & Neal Kohlhoff

TODAY: Handbell Choir practice following the worship service

Wednesday March 26^th: Service @ 7pm – Forsaken!

Thursday March 27^th: Quilting from 11am to 2pm.

Tuesday April 1^st: Elder’s Meeting at 6pm.

Thursday April 3^rd: Council Meeting at 6pm.

The QUILTERS meet on Thursdays 11am to 2pm. If interested, contact Caroline Jeffers as they do not meet every Thursday. You do not have to know how to sew as there are many non-sewing tasks to be completed.

Lenten Soup Suppers – We will be having the final Lenten soup supper on Wednesday April 2nd at 6pm.  Come early and enjoy an hour of fellowship before worship.   The signup sheet for the Lenten soup supper is on white table behind the pews.

Please keep the following in your Special Prayers:

Nancy Basol as she recovers from her second cataract surgery.

Dawn Pint and Wayne Neuberger who are going through tests, & Karen Fredrick who is recovering after a hospital stay.

We keep all in our congregation who are in need of God’s comfort and healing.

Zion’s 2025 Lenten Journey to the Cross and Easter Celebration

The Words of our Lord which Last and Bless us Forever!

 Our WEDNESDAY midweek Lenten service schedule will be:

March 26^th: Service @ 7pm – Forsaken!

April 2^nd: Soup Supper @ 6pm  / Service @ 7pm – Thirst!

April 9^th: Service @ 7pm – Finished!

HOLY WEEK:     April 17^th: Maundy Thursday – 7pm

April 18^th: Good Friday – 1pm

Easter Sunrise service – 6:30am & Easter service – 8:30am

Breakfast in between Easter services

Donations/Memorials

Do you have a memorial/donation in honor of someone and are not sure what fund to donate to?  The church Council is recommending memorials/donations be directed toward ‘Current Trustee Projects’.  The current project they are working on is fixing the steeple.  There is a large list of other projects coming up, so the ‘Current Trustee Projects’ will be utilized for a while.   If you would rather give to something different, please contact our treasurer, Erica Goehl, for a different suggestion.

Easter Flowers

If you are interested in putting flowers on the altar for Easter, please purchase your own flowers, and make sure they are at church by the Saturday before Easter, to be arranged.     There will be a sheet on the white table behind the pews to complete the information for the bulletin, “In Memory” for those that have passed and “In Honor” for those that are living.

PLEASE REMEMBER…

If you are the last person leaving the church, please be sure to check that all lights are turned off, and don’t forget about the bathrooms. Also, make sure that all the doors are locked. Double check them by giving the door a good tug after they have closed to make sure the lock has latched.