St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church, St. Clair, MI

CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

In the name of the Father,
and of the + 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.

Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.

Most merciful God,
we confess that we are captive 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.

God, who is rich in mercy,
loved us even when we were dead in sin,
and made us alive together with Christ.
By grace you have been saved.
In the name of + Jesus Christ,
your sins are forgiven.
Almighty God strengthen you with power through the Holy Spirit,
that Christ may live in your hearts through faith.
Amen.

GATHERING SONG: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross ELW 803

GREETING

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Let us pray.
Creator God, you prepare a new way in the wilderness, and your grace waters our desert. Open our hearts to be transformed by the new thing you are doing, that our lives may proclaim the extravagance of your love given to all through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

CHILDREN'S SERMON

FIRST READING: Isaiah 43:16–21

The prophet declares that long ago the Lord performed mighty deeds and delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage through the waters of the sea. Now, the Lord is about to do a new thing, bringing the exiles out of Babylon and through the wilderness in a new exodus.

16Thus says the LORD,
who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,
17who brings out chariot and horse,
army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:
18Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.
19I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
20The wild animals will honor me,
the jackals and the ostriches;
for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
21the people whom I formed for myself
so that they might declare my praise.

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

PSALM: Psalm 126

SECOND READING: Philippians 3:4b–14

Writing to Christians in Philippi, Paul admits that his heritage and reputation could give him more reason than most people to place confidence in his spiritual pedigree. But the overwhelming grace of God in Jesus calls Paul to a new set of values.

4b If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.
7Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. 8More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, 11if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
12Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Let Your Steadfast Love Come To Us, O Lord ELW p. 125

GOSPEL: John 12:1–8

The holy gospel according to John.
Glory to you, O Lord.

Judas willfully misinterprets as waste Mary's extravagant act of anointing Jesus' feet with costly perfume. Jesus recognizes that her lavish gift is both an expression of love and an anticipation of his burial.

Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor? 6(He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) 7Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me."

The gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.

SERMON

HYMN OF THE DAY: Beneath the Cross of Jesus ELW 338

NICENE CREED ELW p. 126

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

Gathered by the Spirit, let us return to the Lord our God and pray for the church, the world, and all who yearn for new life.

God who makes all things new, be with those seeking the life-giving water of baptism. Renew our faith, that we might prepare the way for others. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Awaken plants and animals from their winter rest, and bless the work of those who toil on land and sea. Grant us favorable weather and a spring season filled with the promise of an abundant harvest. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Raise up faithful leaders who will govern with wisdom. Defend those who are victims of war, poverty, or injustice. Show all nations the way of peace. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Bring wholeness to those who are broken, healing to those who are sick, hope to those who are despondent, and comfort to those who are afraid especially..... that they may know your loving care. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Create a spirit of hospitality within your church. Grant that we might welcome others as you have welcomed us. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Keep us mindful of the faithful witnesses who lived and died in you. Grant us grace always to trust in you, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, and life everlasting. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Almighty God, you have commanded us to pray, and you promise to hear us. Hear the prayers of your people and grant us all that we need, for the sake of the one in whose name we pray, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.

PEACE

OFFERING

OFFERING PRAYER

Let us pray.
God our provider,
you have not fed us with bread alone,
but with words of grace and life.
Bless us and these your gifts,
which we receive from your bounty,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

DIALOGUE ELW p. 129

PREFACE

HOLY, HOLY, HOLY ELW p. 130

THANKSGIVING AT THE TABLE

LORD'S PRAYER

INVITATION TO COMMUNION

COMMUNION SONG Lamb of God ELW p. 135

COMMUNION

SONG AFTER COMMUNION
Now, Lord, You Let Your Servant Go In Peace ELW p. 135

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

Let us pray.
Compassionate God,
you have fed us with the bread of heaven.
Sustain us in our Lenten pilgrimage:
may our fasting be hunger for justice;
our alms, a making of peace;
and our prayer, the song of grateful hearts,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.

BLESSING

SENDING SONG: Give to Our God Immortal Praise! ELW 848

DISMISSAL

SERVING TODAY

Greeter: Mary Rasschaert
Ushers: Ted Anderson & Bob Beier
Acolyte: Erika Lindsay
Lay Reader: Tom Duemling
Communion Assistant: Tom Duemling
Projectionist: Tim Evans

BIRTHDAY

3/21 Maryruth Phillips 81 years

ANNIVERSARIES

3/22 Margaret & William Danneels 58 years
3/25 Melissa & William Cunningham 4 years

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Our 9:30 a.m. worship service is now being taped and available on DVD upon request. Those who are unable to come to the worship services due to health issues may also request a copy of the service brought to their home. For more information, contact the church office.

We welcome those who are visiting with us. Please take time to sign the registration book or the guest register in the lobby and introduce yourself to Pastor Troike. We hope that you find our worship edifying and our congregation warm and receptive. We are glad that you are here!

We are working on raising money for a second house through Food for The Poor. So far over $400 dollars has been contributed. If you would like to contribute, make checks out to St. Peter’s and designate them to: “Food for the Poor House.” Thank you for your generosity.

Mid-week Lenten services continue on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The St. Peter’s Players will present The Voice of God, dialogues between God and key New Testament characters. This week the conversation is between God and the Mary. Portions of the beautiful Holden Evening Prayer will be used for the liturgy.

A sign-up sheet can be found in the lobby for the last mid-week Lenten Soup Dinners at 6 p.m. prior to the worship service. Please join us for soup and fellowship prior to the Wednesday evening Lenten service.

Holy Week begins next Sunday with the Passion of our Lord/Palm Sunday. A service of Absolution and Holy Communion will be offered on Maundy Thursday, April 1st at 7 p.m. and a Tenebrae Service will be offered on Good Friday at 7 p.m. Please plan to join us for these special worship services.

Christian sympathy is extended to the Rochelle MacLeod family on Rochelle’s death last week. A memorial service was held here at St. Peter’s on Saturday morning. May God comfort those who mourn with the hope of the Resurrection.

We will again be chartering a bus to take us to the July 23 Tiger baseball game at Comerica Park. The Tigers will be playing the Toronto Blue Jays. Tickets are $20, which covers the ticket and the bus. The bus will leave the church parking lot promptly at 5:00 pm. There is a sign up sheet in the lobby for those who would like to attend. You may also send an email to the church office and we will sign you up. Contact Tom Duemling if you have any questions (329-9031).

As of this week, our youth have collected $535.60 from the candy tube sales! The funds from the sale will be used to build a boys’ bathhouse at Stony Lake Camp. Thank you to Neiman’s Family Market who donated 35 candy tubes and to everyone who supported this project.

Our Sunday School students and youth will be hosting our annual Palm Sunday breakfast on March 28 from 10:30 -11:30 am in the fellowship hall. Tickets are $5.50 for adults age 15 and up, $4.50 for children 5-14, and $2.50 for children under 5. We will be selling tickets after the Sunday service and also at the door. We hope everyone will come to enjoy the delicious food prepared and served by our children and youth.

All Jr. and Sr. High youth are asked to come and help set up for the Palm Sunday breakfast on Saturday, March 27 at 10 am, and also to help on Sunday.
3rd-5th grade Sunday School students are asked to help serve at 10:15 am on Sunday, March 28th.

We have 13 individuals signed up from St. Martin’s and St. Peter’s to travel to Michi-Lu-Ca April 30 - May 2 to help open the camp. This is a work weekend but there will be lots of time to socialize and enjoy the beauty of Michi-Lu-Ca. The cost for food and lodging is $25 each but you get to sleep indoors, in a bed, and get fed which is pretty cheap for a weekend away in Northern Michigan. Contact Ted Anderson at 586- 292- 5233 or edward.anderson@trw.com if you have questions. There is a sign up sheet in the lobby.

All youth are invited to attend the JAM Ice Cream Social on Sunday, March 28 from 4-6 pm at St. Martin’s, Marine City. There will be prizes for the Best Looking and Best Tasting Banana Sundae and a Who Can Eat the Most Ice Cream? contest. Come and bring your friends for games and dessert!

The Attic and Bake Sale will be on May 13 &14. Clean, salable items are always appreciated and may be placed on or near the wooden table in the church basement. Please do not bring any computer equipment or large appliances. All items will be offered to the congregation to purchase in April. The Attic Angels are offering the following items to the congregation. The items will go on sale to the public in the May sale if there is no interest. The items are – 4 vinyl chairs previously used in the Fireside Room, 8 banquet tables, 14 folding chairs. Please notify the church office if you are interested. A donation would be very much appreciated.

WEEKLY CHURCH CALENDAR

Bible study Monday 6:30 pm
Hand chimes Tuesday 7:00 pm
Soup Supper Wednesday 6:00 pm
Confirmation Wednesday 6:30 pm
Lenten Worship Wednesday 7:00 pm
Choir Thursday 7:00 pm
Pastor’s day off Friday
Palm Sunday breakfast set up Saturday 10:00 am
Worship-Holy Communion Saturday 5:00 pm
Morning Worship Sunday 9:30 am
Palm Sunday Breakfast Sunday 10:30 am
JAM Ice Cream Social at St. Martin’s Sunday 4-6 pm

Attendance: Saturday 40
Sunday 98
Wednesday 32

IN NEED OF PRAYER

Linda Eggert Teagan Barth
Bob & Delores Cook Dennis Rocker
Larry Boden Mary Forys
Betty Richter John Folk Len & Mary Rose Mary Ellen Snider
Gale Meiselbaugh Ken Leverenz
Dee Moore