The livestream may be found here.
February 6, 2022
The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
Peter Koenig, Draft of Fishes
THE FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY
The color green, used for the paraments and
vestments on the Sundays after the Epiphany, symbolizes growth and life in the
Holy Spirit.
FIRST READING: ‘Holiness’
in the Old Testament can be a powerful force that destroys anything unclean –
and this is what Isaiah feels will happen when, in his vision, he encounters
the holy God in his majesty. But God does not annihilate Isaiah. He makes
Isaiah able to stand in his presence, and calls him to proclaim God’s word to
his people. However, this is not as straightforward a job as a certain popular but
saccharine hymn based on this text indicates. God’s Word spoken through Isaiah
is not a comforting word, but the word of judgment on God’s people Israel.
Should they fail to hear the message (and they will!) they will fall to their
enemies. God’s comforting word will come, but not to those who refuse to hear
the call to repent and strive for holy living.
SECOND
READING: Jesus’ death and resurrection is the central
proclamation of the Church, in which we must believe and through which we are saved.
Paul asserts that this is not simply his teaching, but the teaching of all the
apostles. His strong words on this subject are important because at least some
of the Corinthians deny that the dead are raised, about which more in the
readings for the following weeks.
GOSPEL: The miraculous catch of fish at Jesus’ command ‘tears
the veil’ for Peter. He realizes in that moment that he is in the presence of
the holy. In much the same way as Isaiah did, he becomes aware of his
unworthiness. But also like Isaiah, Peter in his encounter with the holy is called
to a new task – one of participating in Jesus’ mission to ‘catch people’ with
the message of the Kingdom of God.
Lord
Jesus Christ, Be Present Now
I. George Bohm
II. Paul Manz
Stand
BRIEF
ORDER FOR CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
In the name of the Father,
and of the X Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Almighty God, to whom all hearts
are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: 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
our Lord.
Amen
If we say we have no sin, we
deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God
who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Silence for reflection and
self-examination.
Most merciful God,
we confess that we are in
bondage to sin
and cannot free ourselves.
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.
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
Almighty God, in his mercy, has
given his Son to die for us and, for his
sake, forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained
minister of the
Church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare
to you the
entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the
Father,
and of the X Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
XHYMN
Lord Jesus Christ,
Be Present Now
Green LBW 253
our hearts in true
devotion bow.
Your Spirit send with
light divine,
and let your truth
within us shine.
2 Unseal our lips to
sing your praise
in endless hymns
through all our days;
increase our faith
and light our minds;
and set us free from
doubt that blinds.
3 Then shall we join the
hosts that cry,
"O holy, holy
Lord Most High!"
And in the light of
that blest place
we then shall see you
face to face.
4 All glory to the
Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit,
Three in One!
To you, O blessed
Trinity,
be praise throughout
eternity!
Text: attr. Wilhelm II, 1598-1662; tr.
Catherine Winkworth, 1827-1878, alt.
APOSTOLIC GREETING
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,
and the communion
of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.
HYMN OF
PRAISE
Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth.
Lord
God, heavenly king, almighty God and Father:
We worship you,
we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of
the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God:
You take away
the sin of the world; have mercy on us.
You are seated
at the right hand of the Father; receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are
the Most High,
Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen
PRAYER OF
THE DAY
The Lord be with you.
And also
with you.
the earth is filled with your glory,
and in your presence angels stand in awe.
Enlarge our vision,
that we may recognize your power at work in
your Son,
and join the apostles and prophets
as heralds of your saving word.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your
Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the
Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen
CALL TO THE WORD
The crowds were pressing on Jesus
to hear the Word of God,
and he taught them. Luke 5:1, 3
Let us hear the Word of the Lord.
FIRST READING Isaiah
6:1-13
1In the year that King Uzziah died,
I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe
filled the temple. 2Seraphs were in attendance above him; each
had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered
their feet, and with two they flew. 3And one called to another
and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his
glory.”
4The pivots on the thresholds shook
at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. 5And
I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among
a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
6Then one of the
seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with
a pair of tongs. 7The seraph touched my mouth with it and said:
“Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is
blotted out.” 8Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom
shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!” [9And
he said, “Go and say to this people:
‘Keep listening, but do not comprehend;
keep looking, but do not
understand.’
10Make the mind of
this people dull,
and stop their ears,
and shut their eyes,
so that they may not look with
their eyes,
and listen with their ears,
and comprehend with their minds,
and turn and be healed.”
11Then I said, “How
long, O Lord?” And he said:
“Until cities lie waste
without inhabitant,
and houses without people,
and the land is utterly
desolate;
12until the Lord sends everyone far away,
and vast is the emptiness in the
midst of the land.
13Even if a tenth part
remain in it,
it will be burned again,
like a terebinth or an oak
whose stump remains standing
when it is felled.”
The holy seed is its stump.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to
God.
PSALMODY
Sung by the Choir
I Will Praise You, O Lord — Text/ Psalm
138:1-3, 6-7: Music/ K. Lee Scott
I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart;
before the gods I will sing your praise.
I will bow down toward your holy hill
and praise your name for your kindness and truth;
for you have exalted your name and your word over all.
For the day I called you answered me and endued my soul with strength.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble you will revive me:
You will stretch forth your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your right hand
will save me.
I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart;
before the gods I will sing your praise.
I will bow down toward your holy hill
and praise your name for your kindness and truth;
for you have exalted your name and your word over all.
SECOND READING 1
Corinthians 15:1-11
1Now I would
remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you,
which you in turn received, in which also you stand, 2through
which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I
proclaimed to you—unless you have come to believe in vain.
3For I handed on
to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for
our sins in accordance with the scriptures, 4and that he was
buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the
scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the
twelve. 6Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers
and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have
died. 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the
apostles. 8Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared
also to me. 9For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be
called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10But
by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in
vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them—though it was not I,
but the grace of God that is with me. 11Whether then it was I
or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Stand
VERSE Sung by the choir
John 8:12 Setting by David Schack
Alleluia. Jesus said: I am the Light of the world; those who
follow me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. Alleluia.
Gospel Luke 5:1-11
The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke.
Glory to you, O
Lord.
1Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of
Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2he
saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of
them and were washing their nets. 3He got into one of the
boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the
shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4When
he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and
let down your nets for a catch.” 5Simon answered, “Master, we
have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will
let down the nets.” 6When they had done this, they caught so
many fish that their nets were beginning to break. 7So they
signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came
and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. 8But when
Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me,
Lord, for I am a sinful man!” 9For he and all who were with him
were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; 10and so
also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then
Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching
people.” 11When they had brought their boats to shore, they
left everything and followed him.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sit
SERMON
Stand
X Hymn of the DaY
We Worship You, O God of Might Green LBW 434
great
Lord of all, beyond our sight!
You
make your Word in heav’n and earth be heard.
Holy,
holy, holy is God Most High!
2 Your
faithful care your church protects
and
shields from harm, from sin’s effects
till
judgment day; your pow’r will be its stay.
Holy,
holy, holy is God Most High!
3 Your
will is that your church embrace
all
people, ev’ry land and race,
that
all may bring their praise to Christ and sing,
Holy,
holy, holy is God Most High!
4 All
peoples round your throne shall sing
at
last your kingdom’s vict’ry hymn,
while
cherubim respond to seraphim:
Holy,
holy, holy is God Most High!
Text: Johan Olof Wallin, 1779-1836; tr.
Joel W. Lundeen, 1918-1990, alt.
CONFESSION OF
FAITH Apostles’
Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He
was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was
crucified, died, and was buried.
He
descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again.
He
ascended into heaven,
and
is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He
will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the
holy catholic Church,
the
communion of saints,
the
forgiveness of sins,
the
resurrection of the body,
and
the life everlasting. Amen
Gracious
and loving Father, creator of all, hear the prayers we offer in the power of
the Spirit, that your Church may be strengthened, your world healed, and the
poor and needy be lifted up.
A brief silence
hear our
prayer.
Through
the ages your people have passed on the good news of Jesus’ resurrection.
Continue to bless the Church with pastors and evangelists. Strengthen him to
proclaim the message in which we stand. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our
prayer.
The
psalms foretell the time when all the kings of the earth shall praise you.
Support our rulers and those in positions of responsibility, and guide them
into faithful words and just actions. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
From your
seat of majesty, you regard the lowly. Make known your forgiveness to all who
struggle with guilt and despair. Be with all those in any need of body, mind,
or spirit, and hear our prayers for those we name before you now:
The pastor reads the names and situations submitted for
prayer.
The people may offer spoken or silent intercessions.
Lord, in
your mercy,
hear our prayer.
We look
in faith and hope for the time when, like Isaiah in the temple, we shall see
you in glory. Until then, we praise you with faltering lips and feeble hearts,
putting all our hope in your power to save. Bring us to that day when, with all
who have served you in the past, we shall sing your praise with angels and archangels,
with Isaiah, Peter, and all the saints. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
The pastor concludes the prayers:
Into your
hands, Father, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your steadfast love,
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
The peace of the Lord be with you
always.
And also with
you.
The people exchange a sign of peace
with the simple words, Peace be with you.
Sit
The Lord’s Table is prepared.
Stand
OFFERTORY Sung by the choir
Matthew 5:3, 5-6 Setting
by Barry L. Bobb
Blessed
are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the
meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst
for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Open the
heavens, Lord our God,
and send your transforming Spirit upon us and upon these gifts.
May we, who
are baptized into Christ,
be ready to share
his cup of suffering
and strengthened
to serve him forever.
GREAT THANKSGIVING
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.
(Isaiah 6:3, Matthew 21:9)
The pastor leads the people in praying the Eucharistic canon:
Holy, holy, holy LORD, God of power and might!
Heaven and earth
are full of your glory.
Hosanna
in the highest!
Blessed is
he who comes in the name of the LORD!
Hosanna in the highest!
You are indeed holy, almighty and merciful God;
you are most holy, and
great is the majesty of your glory.
You so loved the world that you gave your only Son,
that whoever
believes in him
may not perish but have
eternal life.
Having come into the world, he fulfilled for us your holy will
and accomplished
our salvation.
In the night in which he was betrayed,
our Lord
Jesus took bread, and gave thanks;
broke it,
and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take and
eat; this is my body, given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks,
and gave it
for all to drink, saying:
This cup is
the new covenant in my blood,
shed for
you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
Remembering, therefore, his salutary command,
his life-giving
Passion and death,
his glorious
resurrection and ascension,
and his promise to come again,
we give thanks to
you, Lord God Almighty,
not as we ought,
but as we are able;
and we implore you
mercifully
to accept our praise and
thanksgiving,
and, with your Word
and Holy Spirit,
to bless us, your servants,
and these your own
gifts of bread and wine;
that we and all who
share
in the body and blood of
your Son
may be filled with
heavenly peace and joy,
and, receiving the
forgiveness of sin,
may be sanctified in soul
and body,
and have our
portion with all your saints.
All honor and glory are yours, O God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
in your holy Church,
now and forever.
Amen
In the presence of Christ, we pray to his Father using
the words he gave us.
Christ is in our midst.
By the power of the Spirit,
we pray to his Father, saying:
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 Matthew 6:9-15
The Lord
has made good his purpose for us.
O Lord, your love endures
forever. Psalm 138:9
We adore Christ, present in bread and
wine.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; grant us peace.
Sit
DISTRIBUTION
Admission to the Sacrament is by
invitation of the Lord, presented through the Church to those who are baptized.
They may receive the
Lord’s Body and Blood who are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit, who commune in their home churches, and who believe
that Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, is truly present in, with, and under the
forms of bread and wine for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.
The
communicants will be invited forward one family unit at a time. Please do not
come forward until the pastor directs you to come forward, do not approach all
the way to the table until the pastor has retreated.
When the pastor says ‘The body of Christ,
given for you,’ eat the bread. When the pastor says, ‘The blood of Christ, shed
for you,’ drink the wine. Please take
the plate and the glass(es) and place them on the table that is indicated.
XDISTRIBUTION HYMNS
Choir You Have Come Down to the Lakeshore
Text and Music/ Cesareo Gabarain; arr. J. M.Strobel Clarinet/ Rob
Dawe; Percussion/ Mary Jane Snyder
Come, Let Us Eat Green
LBW 214
1 Come,
let us eat for now the feast is spread,
come,
let us eat for now the feast is spread.
Our
Lord’s body let us take together,
Our
Lord’s body let us take together.
2 Come,
let us drink for now the wine is poured,
Come,
let us drink for now the wine is poured.
Jesus’
blood poured let us drink together,
Jesus’
blood poured let us drink together.
3 In
his presence now we meet and rest,
In
his presence now we meet and rest.
In
the presence of our Lord we gather,
In
the presence of our Lord we gather.
4 Rise,
then, to spread abroad God’s mighty Word,
Rise,
then, to spread abroad God’s mighty Word.
Jesus
risen will bring in the Kingdom,
Jesus risen will bring in the Kingdom.
When all have received, the congregation stands at
the direction of the pastor.
The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ
strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
Amen
your word has been fulfilled.
My own eyes have seen the
salvation
which you have prepared in the
sight of every people:
A light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people
Israel.
Glory 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
Song of Simeon (Luke 2:29-32)
through the healing power of this gift of life; and we pray that in your mercy you would strengthen us through this gift, in faith toward you and fervent love toward one another; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
BENEDICTION
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor + and give you peace.
Amen
XCLOSING
HYMN
The Spirit Sends Us Forth to Serve Blue WOV 723
1 The Spirit sends us
forth to serve;
we go in Jesus' name
to bring glad tidings
to the poor,
God's favor to
proclaim.
2 We go to comfort those
who mourn
and set the burdened
free;
where hope is dim, to
share a dream
and help the blind to
see.
3 We go to be the hands
of Christ,
to scatter joy like
seed
and, all our days, to
cherish life,
to do the loving
deed.
4 Then let us go to serve
in peace,
the gospel to
proclaim.
God's Spirit has
empowered us;
we go in Jesus' name.
Text: Delores Dufner, OSB, b. 1939
DISMISSAL
Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
The “sound effects”
for the choir anthem are made by a
rainstick, a hollow piece of bamboo, with a top and bottom of drumhead
material, filled with squash seeds; product of Ecuador.
WITH WINTER WEATHER A POSSIBILITY, please review
our inclement weather policy for worship. We do not cancel services for a
weather forecast. In case of a forecast of inclement weather or actual adverse
conditions, use your best judgment in deciding whether you can safely come to
church. Pastor Frontz will endeavor to be at all scheduled worship services. If
you have any questions, please contact Pr. Frontz. Thank you!
PLEASE ALERT Pastor Frontz anytime you
are hospitalized by calling him on his cell: (570) 447-8758. Hospitals DO NOT contact the church.
MITIGATION
PROCEDURES FOR WORSHIP SERVICES
·
The
wearing of masks is required of all worshipers regardless of vaccination status.
Questions should be directed to Pr. Frontz.
·
Upon
entering and leaving the church, you should sanitize your hands or wash them
with soap and water.
·
Everyone
must sign in when entering the church. This way we can keep track of who was in
the church and when.
From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright
2022 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved.
Reprinted by permission under Augsburg
Fortress Liturgies Annual License #20540.
New Revised Standard Version Bible,
copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the
Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All
rights reserved.
Additional liturgical material from
Common Worship: Times and Seasons, copyright the Church of England.
Koenig,
Peter. Draft of Fishes, from Art
in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt
Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=58852 [retrieved February 1, 2022].
Original source: https://www.pwkoenig.co.uk/.
Agnus Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org
St Stephen Lutheran Church
55 Forsythe Road
Pittsburgh PA 15220
(412) 279-5868
office@ststephenpittsburgh.org
Saturday
Evening Worship – 6:30 pm
Sunday Morning
Worship – 10:30 am
