Almighty, everlasting God, gracious maker of all things, I thank You that You have given me a sound body and graciously protected my tongue, ears, and other members from the evil foe; and I beseech You to grant me Your grace, that I may use my ears and tongue rightly, with my ears diligently hearing and marking Your Word, with my tongue praising and extolling Your grace, that no one may be caused to stumble by my tongue, but that everyone may be edified thereby. Amen.
Welcome! We ask all of you, both visitors and members, to sign a Welcome card located in the pew rack. Please fill out this card, place it in the offering plate, or hand it to an usher as you leave the service.
Our Communion Practice: Lutherans believe that the Lord’s Supper demonstrates a oneness with Christ in faith, life, and worship among those who receive Communion. Reception of the Lord’s Supper by Christians not in fellowship with us would imply a oneness which does not yet exist. For this reason, we welcome those with whom we have “altar and pulpit fellowship” to the Lord’s Supper. This includes members of sister congregations of the LCMS, members of the American Association of Lutheran Churches, and Lutheran Church Canada; as well as members of partner churches throughout the World. If you would like to know more about this practice, please arrange a time to speak with our pastor.
Prayers – For the home-bound:
St. John’s – Alfred Larson;
Our Savior – Charlotte Scepaniak, Doris Vilhauer, Betty Zundel, Vi Schnaidt, Ken & Dorothy Maas, Loretta Podoll, Larry Nupen, Evelyn Grieben, Betty Meints, Verdena Dabbert, Lorraine Krage, Ray Schnabel, and Lloyd Jerde. For the children we sponsor through Mission Haiti: Michelet Voltaire, Michel Djoury, and Orgea Djouna; For Logan Ringgenberg at Basic Training; and for Nathaniel Wendt.
Introit Psalm 28:1–2, 6–7; antiphon: v. 8
The Lord is the strength of his | people;*
he is the saving refuge of his a- | nointed.
To you, O Lord, I call; my rock, be not | deaf to me,*
lest, if you be silent to me, I become like those who go down | to the pit.
Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to | you for help,*
when I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctu- | ary.
Blessèd | be the Lord!*
For he has heard the voice of my pleas for | mercy.
The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and | I am helped;*
my heart exults, and with my song I give | thanks to 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.
The Lord is the strength of his | people;*
he is the saving refuge of his a- | nointed.
Collect of the Day
O Lord, let Your merciful ears be open to the prayers of Your humble servants and grant that what they ask may be in accord with Your gracious will; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 35:4–7a
4Say to those who have an anxious heart,
“Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God
will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
He will come and save you.”
5Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
6then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.
For waters break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
7the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water.
Gradual Psalm 34:9, 19, alt.
Fear the Lord, | you his saints,*
for those who fear him lack | nothing!
Many are the afflictions of the | righteous,*
but the Lord delivers him out | of them all.
Epistle James 2:1–10, 14–18
1My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.
2For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in,
3and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,”
4have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?
6But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?
7Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?
8If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.
9But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
10For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. . . .
14What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?
15If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,
16and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?
17So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
Holy Gospel Mark 7:31–37
31[Jesus] returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis.
32And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him.
33And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue.
34And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”
35And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.
36And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it.
37And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
Acknowledgments
The Introit, Collect, Gradual, and Verse are from Lutheran service Book: Altar Book, copyright 2006 CPH. All Scripture quotations, including those from Luthern Service Book, are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
St. John’s
Organist: SOS
Ushers: Tony & Amanda Bisbee
Next Week: Josh & Desa Larson
Last Week: Attendance – 21; Offering – $1,985
Our Savior
Organist: SOS
Elders: Russell Brandt & Brandon Christianson
Altar Guild: Sarah Rausch & Rebecca McHenry
Acolytes: Caleb Siebert & Teigan McKown
Last Week: Attendance – 90
Schedule for the Week
Sunday St. John’s Divine Service with Communion – 8:15 am
Sunday School – 9:30 am
Bible Study at Our Savior – 9:45 am
Our Savior Divine Service with Communion – 10:45 am
Teacher Installation
Nursery Circle after the service
Monday Mat Ladies – 1:00 pm
LWML – 3:30 pm
Deacons – 3:30 pm
Tuesday Coffee & Confessions – 6:30 am
Senior Potluck – 12:00 pm
Wednesday Staff Devotion – 9:00 am
Catechism Class – 5:00 pm
Vespers – 6:00 pm
Bible Study – 6:30 pm
Thursday Elders – 5:15 pm
Council – 6:30 pm
Saturday Bible Study – 9:00-11:00 am
Next Sunday St. John’s Service of the Word – 8:15 am
Bible Study at St. John’s – after the service
Sunday School – 9:30 am
Our Savior Divine Service with Communion – 10:45 am
Board of Education – after the service
Pastor Ludwig will be in the office during the morning on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Prayer – Please keep Rev. Chad Schopp and his family in your prayers as they begin the transition from Fort Wayne, IN to Aberdeen and Columbia, SD. An installation date has not been scheduled yet.
September Newsletters have been sent out, or are in the narthex for those who pick it up at church.
Lutheran Witness – The September issue of LW is available in the narthex. It still includes the insert about our SD District.
Teacher Installation will be during the service today.
Nursery Circle resumes its meetings on the second Sunday of each month, beginning today.
Senior Potlucks resume on Tuesday, September 10
th at noon, and will continue on the second Tuesday of each month through May.
Saturday Bible Study – September 14
th 9:00-11:00 am at Our Savior
Topic: “Who Are All These Lutherans?” The alphabet soup of Lutherans in America—LCMS, ELCA (formerly ALC, LCA), WELS, ELS, CLC, and other groups then and now—is a source of puzzlement to many. How did we get from the Reformation to where we are today? What are our differences? Do they even matter? Isn’t just labeling ourselves “Lutheran” enough? Why can’t we all just get together? This study will help decode the mass of letters and show how it isn’t just a matter of “liberal” and “conservative.”
Group Photos – All groups should take an updated photo for the new directory. Photos can be taken on a cell phone and emailed to the church office. (LWML, Mat Ladies, Nursery Circle, Board of Ed, Teachers, Confirmation and Sunday School groups, Altar Guild, etc.) Thank you!
Pictorial Directory – It’s time for a new directory! Photography will take place on Tuesday through Thursday, September 17, 18, and 19, at Our Savior. You must schedule an appointment. For online scheduling, go to
www.ucdir.com. Click “Photography Session Sign-up” on the right side. Enter our church code: sd126, and password: photos (all lower case). You can also call the church office 605-225-7106 to get signed up. Cherise is normally in the office 9:00am–2:00pm Mon-Fri. If she is not in, press 2 to leave her a message. Or catch her after church on Sunday.
We want to see everyone in the new directory!
Lost and Found – A black fleece jacket was left in the fellowship hall last weekend at one of the round tables. It is now hanging on the coat rack in the fellowship hall.
LWML Fall Christian Life Workshop
"Understanding Mass Media from a Christian Perspective"
Presenter: Rev. Dr. Jacob Bobby
October 12, 2024
St. John's Lutheran Church
1009 Jackson St, Yankton, SD
For more info, go to www.sdlwml.org
LCMS Stewardship Ministry – Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
James 2:2 – “For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in ...” God shows no partiality: rich and poor alike are called into the kingdom. And both rich and poor alike have something to contribute to the kingdom in accordance with the callings God has given them in their lives. This is why both the Old and New Testaments talk about proportional giving — that is, giving a proportion of our income to the Lord’s work. This makes it possible for rich and poor alike to have the honor of supporting God’s work.
Building Healthy Families: A research project conducted with college age students in the Midwest found that most of them reported having an important relationship with grandparents or significant elders who influenced their values, goals, and life choices and gave them a sense of self, roots, and tradition.
Grandparents and older members of our church family, do you know how important you are? Make sure the young adults in your family and congregation who have gone off to college or are returning to high school this month continue to hear from you. Now, more than ever, they need your love and support – even if they’re not asking for it!
Lutheran Family Service www.LutheranFamilyService.org
to comfort and encourage them with His presence. He comes not only with threats of
but with His gracious salvation (Is. 35:4). He opens
(Is. 35:5–6). Like water on thirsty ground, He speaks His life-giving Word to people of all nations. With His Word and the touch of His hand, He does
(Mark 7:31–37). You confess the truth of God in Christ to the glory of His holy name, and you call upon His name in every trouble, confident that He will hear and answer. As you pray and confess with your tongue, so also
(James 2:8). Show your faith
by loving without partiality. For God has
