Epiphany 5 – Week of February 9, 2025 - St. Stephens Evangelical Lutheran Church and School | Beaver Dam, WI

Welcome to our Church! We welcome you in our Risen and Living Savior, Jesus!

A Morning Prayer Thank you, dear Savior, for nourishing my faith with the Sacrament of your body and blood. Lift my heart with your forgiveness, renew my confidence in your grace, empower my love for others, and lead me to long for the eternal banquet of heaven. Amen.

Sunday School & Bible Class continues this week with adults meeting in the church basement and children in the school at 9:10am. For our Sunday Morning Bible Class, we will be studying the same lessons as the children are studying in Sunday School, but with adult study questions. This is a great opportunity to review the basic Bible stories and see their applications to our lives of faith. This week’s story is: A Weather Wonder – Jesus calms a storm. Next Sunday’s story: A life restored – Jairus’ Daughter
Please make plans to join us!

Monday/Wednesday Bible Class will be meeting this week and will continue the study from Luther’s Catechism – The Lord’s Prayer. Please make plans to join us!

Radio Service: 9:30am on WBEV 95.3 FM
Sunday, February 9, 2025
Sermon: Chasing Jesus Down
Hymns: 706, 504, 721, 811
Sunday, February 16, 2025
Sermon: God Reveals the Simple Truth
Hymns: 522, 578, 583, 560

Serving the Lord and Us this Week:
Preacher: Pastor Runke
Organist: Kristie Estervig

Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty CW 483

1 Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessèd Trinity!

2 Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,
casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
which wert and art and evermore shalt be.

3 Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee,
though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see,
only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.

4 Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name in earth and sky and sea.
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessèd Trinity!

Text: Reginald Heber, 1783–1826, alt.
Text: Public domain

(Stand)

Invocation

In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Confession CW 172

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just
and will forgive us our sins
and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Let us confess our sins to the Lord.

Holy God, gracious Father,
    I am sinful by nature
        and have sinned against you in my thoughts, words, and actions.
    I have not loved you with my whole heart;
    I have not loved others as I should.
        I deserve your punishment both now and forever.
    But Jesus, my Savior, paid for my sins
        with his innocent suffering and death.
    Trusting in him, I pray: God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

(Silence for meditation and reflection)

Absolution CW 172

Our gracious Father in heaven has been merciful to us. He sent his only Son, Jesus Christ, who gave his life as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Therefore, as a called servant of Christ and by his authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Lord, Have Mercy CW 174

In peace let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

For the peace from above and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

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.

Lord, have mercy.

Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.

Amen.

Glory to God in the Highest CW 176

Refrain: 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. Refrain

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. Refrain

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. Amen. Refrain

THE WORD

Salutation

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Prayer of the Day

Let us pray.

Gracious Lord, you call and appoint us to proclaim the good news of your Son despite our sins and weaknesses. Purify us by your grace, remove our uncertainties, and work through us to fill the nets of your kingdom with those lost in the darkness of death; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

(Be seated)

First Reading Isaiah 6:1–8

1In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2Above him stood the seraphim. Each one had six wings. With two they covered their faces. With two they covered their feet. With two they flew. 3One called to another and said,

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Armies!
The whole earth is full of his glory!

4The foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of the one who called, and the temple was filled with smoke.

5Then I said, “I am doomed! I am ruined, because I am a man with unclean lips, and I dwell among a people with unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Armies!”

6Then one of the seraphim flew to me, carrying a glowing coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. 7He touched my mouth with the coal and said, “Look, this has touched your lips, so your guilt is taken away, and your sin is forgiven.”

8Then I heard the Lord’s voice, saying, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”

Then I said, “Here I am. Send me!”

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Let the Peoples Praise You Psalm 67A

Refrain

Let the peoples praise you, O God, let all the peoples praise you.

May God be gracious to us and / bless us
and make his face / shine on us—
so that your ways may be / known on earth,
your salvation among all / nations.

May the peoples / praise you, God;
may all the peoples / praise you.
May the nations be glad and / sing for joy,
for you rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations / of the earth. Refrain

The land yields its / harvest;
God, our God, / blesses us.
May God / bless us still,
so that all the ends of the earth will / fear him.

Glory be to the Father and / to the Son
    and to the Holy / Spirit,
        as it was in the be- / ginning,
            is now, and will be forever. / Amen.    Refrain

Second Reading Romans 10:12–17

12So there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord is Lord of all, who gives generously to all who call on him. 13Yes, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

14So then, how can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one about whom they have not heard?15And how can they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news of peace, who preach the gospel of good things!”

16But not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who believed our message?” 17So then, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through the word of Christ.

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

(Stand)

Gospel Acclamation Psalm 71:15

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus is the light of the world;
In him we have the light of life

of your saving acts all day long.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Luke 5:1–11

1One time, while the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. 2He saw two boats there along the lakeshore. The fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3Jesus got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the shore. He sat down and began teaching 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 him, “Master, we worked hard all through the night and caught nothing. But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets were about to tear apart. 7They signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. 8When Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, because I am a sinful man, Lord.” 9For Peter and all those with him were amazed at the number of fish they had caught, 10and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.

Jesus said to Simon, “Have no fear. From now on you will be catching people.”

11After they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise be to you, O Christ!

(Be seated)

Hark, the Voice of Jesus Crying CW 745

1 Hark, the voice of Jesus crying,
“Who will go and work today?
Fields are ripe and harvests waiting;
who will bear the sheaves away?”
Loud and long the Master calleth;
rich reward he offers thee.
Who will answer, gladly saying,
“Here am I, send me, send me”?

2 If you cannot speak like angels,
if you cannot preach like Paul,
you can tell the love of Jesus,
you can say he died for all.
If you cannot rouse the wicked
with the judgment’s dread alarms,
you can lead the little children
to the Savior’s waiting arms.

3 If you cannot be a watchman,
standing high on Zion’s wall,
pointing out the path to heaven,
off’ring life and peace to all,
with your prayers and with your off’rings
you can do what God demands;
you can be like faithful Aaron,
holding up the prophet’s hands.

4 Let none hear you idly saying,
“There is nothing I can do,”
while the multitudes are dying,
and the Master calls for you.
Take the task he gives you gladly,
let his work your pleasure be;
answer quickly when he calleth,
“Here am I, send me, send me!”

Text: (st. 3) unknown, alt.; (sts. 1–2, 4): Daniel March, 1816–1909, sts. 1,2,4, abr., alt
Text: Public domain

Sermon

(Stand)

Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became truly human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

(Be seated)

Prayer of the Church

God, be gracious to us and bless us and make your face shine on us. Shine through us that the ends of the earth may fear you.