ST. JOHN’S & EMMANUEL LUTHERAN CHURCHES
5th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST – JULY 10, 2022
FOCUSED LOVE FINDS A NEIGHBOR RATHER THAN AVOIDING ONE
“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” Galatians 5:13
WELCOME! WE’RE GLAD YOU’RE HERE!
We pray that you find comfort, peace and motivation through
God’s Word today.
At St. John’s & Emmanuel Ev. Lutheran Church, we practice close
Communion. If you are a guest at worship today and interested in
receiving the Lord’s Supper, please speak with the pastor prior to
the service.
At St. John’s, the restrooms are located in the link way, out the church
entry way, to the left and down the stairs. At Emmanuel, they are
located in the lower level, out the church entry way and to the right.
You may also find a nursery changing station in the lower level of St. John’s.
In our worship bulletin, you will find an outline of today’s order of worship. The entire service can be found in the hymnal, up on the screen on Sunday at St. John’s and livestreamed www.stjohnsmontello.org.
TODAY’S THEME
Focused Love Finds a Neighbor Rather Than Avoiding One
We tend to think of distraction and focus as opposites. If someone is focused, they are not easily distracted by random events and encounters. If someone is focused, every decision about how to spend time and resources is calculated. Apart from Christ that type of focus spells disaster for our neighbor. We may dismiss the needs of our neighbor, thinking, “If I spend time helping him, that will distract me from other things I should be focused on.” Today, Jesus teaches us that he has set us free to live a life of such distractions. No matter the neighbor and no matter his need, we are free to act in ways that seem senseless. We are free to actively seek out a neighbor in need. We are free to bear any cost and go any distance to serve them as Christ would serve them.
ORDER OF SERVICE The Service Setting 1 with communion – pg. 154
HYMNS 922, 844, 673, 506
PSALM 25A
SERMON Ruth 1:1-19a “What God Ordains Is Always Good”
LESSONS
Ruth 1: 1-19a
In the days when the judges ruled,[a] there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. 2 The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.
3 Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband. 6 When Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. 7 With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah. 8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. 9 May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.” Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud 10 and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? 12 Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— 13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me!” 14 At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her. 15 “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.” 16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her. 19 So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem.
Galatians 5:1, 13-25
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b] 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. 16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Luke 10: 25-37
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
ACKNOWLEDMENTS
Setting One from Christian Worship – Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.TM Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. Software distributed in partnership with Northwestern Publishing House. Created by Christian Worship: Service Builder © 2022 Concordia Publishing House.
INTERCESSORY PRAYERS
– For the sick and others facing trials…Caryl Bassett, Gale “Blackie” Boyd, Ed Buchholz, Darlene Burrough (Judy Fandrey’s niece), Gene & Sharon Crook, Florence Dahlke, Vicki Davis (Marilyn Riemer’s sister), Reinold Eckelberg, Ken Elmer (Sally’s husband), Earl Ewert, Judy Freitag, Donna Gatzke, Kelleen Grucza (Judy Fandrey’s daughter), Hunter Habersat (Judy Fandrey’s grandson), Joe Heller, Jerry & Darlene Hunter (Bonnie Chapman’s parents), Geri Kerl (Sue Brown’s mother), Bob & Sandy Klapper, Robert Lederer (Jackie & Jeanne Buchholz’ father), Thomas Marcelain (Dawn’s son), Brian Ninneman, Barbara Petrick, Karen Radke, Wayne Riemer, Sierra Schmidt (Linda Lou Wacholtz’s grand-daughter), Wanda Sellnow (Principal Larry Sellnow’s mother), Pat Sommerfeld, Tom Stempniak (Carol’s husband), Dixie Wagner, Betty & James Weber, Stacy Weisensel – (added this week: Caryl Bassett)
– For vacation time
– For those serving in the armed forces
– For peace
Help us stay in touch!
Scan the code below using your smartphone camera and fill out the prompted information. Don’t have a smartphone? That’s ok! Fill out an attendance card located at the end of each pew and place it in the offering plate located at the entry of each church.
Welcome to our visitors!
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Visit our website: www.stjohnsmontello.org
Pastor Pete Zietlow: 608-408-7830, Email: zietlowPL6@hotmail.com
Principal & 6-8 Grade Teacher: Larry Sellnow: 616-822-6689,
Email: principal@stjohnsmontello.org
3-5 Grade Teacher: Katlynn Tindall: 262-352-7021
1-2 Grade Teacher: Shelley Myers: 920-285-7554
Kindergarten Teacher: Lynn Sellnow: 616-826-0816
Little Lambs Director: Barbara Stelter: 816-853-9029
Church/School Secretary/Office: Ciara Neuhauser: 608-297-2866
Church/School Address: 313 E Montello St. Montello, WI 53949
Church/School Email: scsecretary@inmarketsuccess_plx6m6
ANNOUNCEMENTS
TEACHER INSTALLATION FOR BARBARA STELTER, LITTLE LAMBS DIRECTOR SAVE THE DATE: August 21
Located in the link way at St. John’s and entry way of Emmanuel, you will find a gift box. If you would like to give a gift to Barbara, we will be collecting gas cards as she will be driving back and forth from Princeton.We will present these to her at her installation at St. John’s.
PLASTIC PILL BOTTLES FOR CENTRAL AFRICA MEDICAL MISSION ARE AGAIN BEING COLLECTED at both churches. by the Lutheran Women’s Missionary Society (LWMS). Collection containers can be found in the linkway at St. John’s and in the parish hall at Emmanuel. Please hand in ONLY bottles which: 1) have the labels removed. 2) have been washed, and 3) have any sticky residue from the labels removed completely (Goo Gone suggested).
REGISTER NOW AT CALA
FOR THE
2022-23 SCHOOL YEAR!
www.christalonelutheranacademy.org
608-297-2866
scsecretary@stjohnsmontello.org
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
