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Scripture lessons, hymns, and a preview of Sunday's sermon |
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Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
February 5, 2012
Holy Communion at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m.
Prayer of the Day
Everlasting God, you give strength to the weak and power to the faint. Make us agents of your healing and wholeness, that your good news may be made known to the ends of your creation, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
The Scripture Readings
Isaiah 40:21–31
Psalm 147:1–11, 20c
1 Corinthians 9:16–23
Mark 1:29–39
In Isaiah it is the one God who sits above the earth and numbers the stars—it is that God who strengthens the powerless. So in Jesus' healing work we see the hand of the creator God, lifting up the sick woman to health and service (diakonia). Like Simon's mother-in-law, we are lifted up to health and diakonia. Following Jesus, we strengthen the powerless; like Jesus, we seek to renew our own strength in quiet times of prayer. When Jesus heals us, we are empowered to serve others. While at first glance it might seem that Jesus' healing of Peter's mother-in-law was self-serving, on further reflection we see the same result in nearly all of his signs and miracles. The object of Jesus' compassion now has new responsibilities. In the very next chapter a paralytic lowered through the ceiling is raised, only to become the center of a religious controversy (Mark 2:3-12), as was the man who lay by the pool of Beth-zatha for thirty-eight years (John 5:2-15). When Jesus calms the storm (Mark 4:35-41) the disciples have to row the rest of the way! Any meaningful encounter with Jesus will result in our being changed, which in turn alters the way we see our relationship to the needs of others and the world.
Sermon text: Mark 1:29-39
The Hymns
| Entrance Hymn | 652 WOV |
Arise! Your Light Has Come |
| Hymn of the Day | 431 LBW | Your Hand, O Lord, in Days of Old |
| Distribution Hymns | 232 LBW | Your Word, O Lord, Is Gentle Dew |
| 779 WOV | You Who Dwell in the Shelter of the Lord | |
| Sending Hymn | 543 LBW | Praise to the Lord, the Almighty |
Ministry Partners
In our prayers we remember
Bread for the World, a collective Christian voice urging our nation's decision makers to support policies that will end hunger at home and abroad. Grace participates in Bread for the World's annual Offering of Letters to Congress.
Sunday School and Confirmation
Check the schedule here.
Teen Talk meets with Pastor Faulstich in the Youth Room.
Adult Education
Details on Sunday's classes here.
GRACE CHURCH LIBRARY, near the Division Street entrance, has a wealth of resources for the adult education program and for other areas of interest. The library is staffed Sundays from 8:15 to 12:30 and is open for self-service during the week.
