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Because of the highly transmissable spread of the omicron variant, we will not be sharing communion this Sunday and will refrain from congregational singing. We will continue to take every precaution to keep everyone safe. We will continue to wear masks and ask that they remain over both nose and mouth. We will again be asking folks to distance and sit every other pew. The service will be shortened to lessen the amount of time spent together. But because of the virulent nature of this variant, we know we cannot remove every risk, and any in-person meeting carries significant risk of spreading the virus. Therefore we urge you to make use of our live-stream and YouTube channel and to consider worshiping from home if possible. We livestream worship each week at 9:30 am, and the service is available to view anytime afterwards. You may access the link to Sunday Worship in a variety of ways:

Prelude

Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God, who creates us, redeems us, and calls us by name.

As we approach the mystery of God, let us come in confession, trusting the love of Christ crucified and risen.

God who searches us and knows us,

Beloved of God, you have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, poured out for you in the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. Receive the promise of baptism: You are God’s child; ☩ your sins are forgiven.

Rejoice and be glad, for yours is the reign of heaven.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.       

Let us pray. Blessed Lord God, you have caused the holy scriptures to be written for the nourishment of your people. Grant that we may hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that, comforted by your promises, we may embrace and forever hold fast to the hope of eternal life, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

¹The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the sky proclaims its maker’s handiwork.

²One day tells its tale to another,

and one night imparts knowledge to another.

³Although they have no words or language,

and their voices are not heard,

⁴their sound has gone out into all lands, and their message to the ends of the world,

where God has pitched a tent for the sun.

⁵It comes forth like a bridegroom out of his chamber;

it rejoices like a champion to run its course.

⁶It goes forth from the uttermost edge of the heavens and runs about to the end of it again;

nothing is hidden from its burning heat. 

⁷The teaching of the Lord is perfect and revives the soul;

the testimony of the Lord is sure and gives wisdom to the simple.

⁸The statutes of the Lord are just and rejoice the heart;

the commandment of the Lord is clear and gives light to the eyes.

⁹The fear of the Lord is clean and endures forever;

the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

¹⁰More to be desired are they than gold, more than much fine gold,

sweeter far than honey, than honey in the comb. 

¹¹By them also is your ser vant enlightened,

and in keeping them there is great reward.

¹²Who can detect one’s own offenses?

Cleanse me from my secret faults.

¹³Above all, keep your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not get dominion over me;

then shall I be whole and sound, and innocent of a great offense.

¹⁴Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight,

O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. 

Second Reading               1 Corinthians 12:12-31a

¹²For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

 ¹⁴Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. ¹⁵If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁶And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. ¹⁹If all were a single member, where would the body be? ²⁰As it is, there are many members, yet one body. ²¹The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” ²²On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; ²⁴whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, ²⁵that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. ²⁶If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.

 ²⁷Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. ²⁸And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. ²⁹Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? ^31aBut strive for the greater gifts.

Word of God. Word of life.

Gospel  Luke 4:14-21

The Holy Gospel according to Luke

¹⁴Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. ¹⁵He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

 ¹⁶When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, ¹⁷and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

¹⁸“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to let the oppressed go free,

¹⁹to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

²⁰And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. ²¹Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

       God of grace,

… let us pray as Jesus taught us:

Go in peace. Christ is with you.

“My Neighbor Is Muslim, Exploring the Muslim Faith” is a seven-week course provided by Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota. It serves as a resource to help learn the basic tenets of Islam and understand our neighbors. The intention is simply that this resource will open doors, minds, and hearts and dispel stereotypes and myths about our Muslim neighbor just enough to start more conversations.

Because of the spread of Covid, the Adult Sunday School will meet Sunday mornings at 10:30 on Zoom until further notice. Contact Kathy Bannon if you have any questions.

Meeting ID: 847 7837 2738

Passcode: 435368

Join us on Sunday, January 30, 2022 at noon for Immanuel's Annual Congregational Meeting, via Zoom. The report has been send out by email. If you would like a hard copy, they are located in the church office. Your attendance is very important to Immanuel's mission Celebrate - Grow - Serve.

Meeting ID: 842 4377 1106

Passcode: 830698

Wholehearted Faith, by Rachel Held Evans

Tune into Zoom and join in the discussion as we read and discuss together Rachel Held Evans/ most recent book, Wholehearted Faith, Mondays January 31, February 7, and 14, at 7pm.

Rachel was working on this book about wholeheartedness at the time of her death. Author Jeff Chu, Rachel’s close friend, has worked to put together this collection of unpublished pieces that address questions about our faith, ourselves, and our world. The jacket describes the book as being for “the doubter and the dreamer, the seeker and the sojourner, those who long for a sense of spiritual wholeness, as well as those who have been hurt by the church but can’t seem to let go of the story of Jesus… An unforgettable, moving, and intimate book.”

Wholehearted Faith is available through most booksellers, or contact Pastor Joanne if have trouble finding a copy. We will begin on January 31 with pages 1-78. Please contact Pastor Joanne if you have any questions. Mark your calendars for these spirit-filled, honest, and wholehearted reflections on what it is to be called “Christian.”

Meeting ID: 846 0884 8228

Passcode: 073473

Wednesday mornings are for conversation, questions, growing in our faith journey, and digging into God’s story of hope and love! Join the fun at 9:00 on Zoom as we study the lessons for the upcoming Sunday. No previous knowledge or experience is necessary! Come and share in God’s wonder and promise! The Zoom info is:

Meeting ID: 854 6566 1417

Passcode: 987872