Processional Hymn - What a friend we have in Jesus #24

General Confession

The Absolution

The Lord’s Prayer

First Lesson - Ester 1:1-20 (LXX or Septuagint*)

and of Parian stone, and open-worked coverings variously flowered, having roses worked round about; 7 gold and silver cups, and a small cup of carbuncle set out of the value of thirty thousand talents, abundant and sweet wine, which the king himself drank. 8 And this banquet was not according to the appointed law; but so the king would have it: and he charged the stewards to perform his will and that of the company. 9 Also Astin the queen made a banquet for the women in the palace where king Artaxerxes dwelt. 10 Now on the seventh day the king, being merry, told Aman, and Bazan, and Tharrha, and Barazi, and Zatholtha, and Abataza, and Tharaba, the seven chamberlains, servants of king Artaxerxes, 11 to bring in the queen to him, to enthrone her, and crown her with the diadem, and to shew her to the princes, and her beauty to the nations: for she was beautiful. 12 But queen Astin hearkened not to him to come with the chamberlains: so the king was grieved and angered. 13 And he said to his friends, Thus hast Astin spoken: pronounce therefore upon this case law and judgment. 14 So Arkesaeus, and Sarsathaeus, and Malisear, the princes of the Persians and Medes, who were near the king, who sat chief in rank by the king, drew near to him, 15 and reported to him according to the laws how it was proper to do to queen Astin, because she had not done the things commanded of the king by the chamberlains. 16 And Muchaeus said to the king and to the princes, Queen Astin has not wronged the king only, but also all the king’s rulers and princes: 17 for he has told them the words of the queen, and how she disobeyed the king. As then, said he, she refused to obey king Artaxerxes, 18 so this day shall the other ladies of the chiefs of the Persians and Medes, having heard what she said to the king, dare in the same way to dishonour their husbands. 19 If then it seem good to the king, let him make a royal decree, and let it be written according to the laws of the Medes and Persians, and let him not alter it: and let not the queen come in to him any more; and let the king give her royalty to a woman better than she. 20 And let the law of the king which he shall have made, be widely proclaimed, in his kingdom: and so shall all the women give honour to their husbands, from the poor even to the rich.

 

Hymn - Faith of our Fathers #20

Second Lesson - 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 (JMNT)

1 In short, it is reported, there is whoredom among you; and such whoredom as is not even named among the heathen, that a son should even take the wife of his father. 2 And ye are inflated, and have not rather sitten down in grief, that he who hath done this deed might be separated from you. 3 And I, while distant from you in body but present with you in spirit, have already, as if present, judged him who perpetrateth this deed; 4 that ye all assemble together, in the name of our Lord Jesus Messiah, and I with you in spirit, together with the energy of our Lord Jesus Messiah; 5 and that ye deliver him over to Satan, for the destruction of the flesh, that in spirit he may have life, in the day of our Lord Jesus Messiah. 6 Your glorying is not praiseworthy. Know ye not, that a little leaven leaveneth the whole mass? 7 Purge out from you the old leaven, that ye may be a new mass, as ye are unleavened. For our passover is the Messiah, who was slain for us. 8 Therefore let us celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of wickedness and bitterness, but with the leaven of purity and sanctity. 9 I wrote to you by letter, not to commingle with whoremongers. 10 But I say not, with the whoremongers who are in the world, nor [speak I] of the avaricious, or of the rapacious, or of the idol-worshippers, otherwise ye would be obliged to go out of the world. 11 But this is what I wrote to you, that ye commingle not, if any one is called a brother, and is a whoremonger, or avaricious, or an idol-worshipper, or a railer, or a drunkard, or rapacious, with him who is such, not even to eat bread. 12 For what business have I to judge them who are without? But those within the body, judge ye, 13 and those without, God judgeth; and remove ye the wickedness from among you.

Hymn - Old Rugged Cross #7

Reading of the Gospel - Luke 3:15-22

15 And while the people were in suspense and all were debating in their minds whether John might possibly be the Anointed One, 16 he answered the question by saying to them all, "As for me, I am baptizing you with water, but One mightier than I is coming, whose very sandal-strap I am not worthy to unfasten: He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17 His winnowing-shovel is in His hand to clear out His threshing-floor, and to gather the wheat into His storehouse; but the chaff He will burn up in fire unquenchable." 18 With many exhortations besides these he declared the Good News to the people. 19 But Herod the Tetrarch, being repeatedly rebuked by him about Herodias his brother's wife, and about all the wicked deeds that he had done, 20 now added this to crown all the rest, that he threw John into prison. 21 Now when all the people had been baptized, and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the sky opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit came down in bodily shape, like a dove, upon Him, and a voice came from Heaven, which said, "Thou art My Son, dearly loved: in Thee is My delight."

Offering

Doxology - #8

Sermon

Prayer

Recessional - I Am Standing On The Word of God # 12

Today’s Sunday School Lesson - Cleansing of the Temple

Coffee and Tea in the Alcove and Sunday School Room

Prayer List:

Also we pray for those who are sick or in poor health or away from home: Tommy Boutiette, Violet Turner, Gloria Achee, Harold Hoffman, Joanne Stevenson, Alice and Bill Mercer, Angela Jenkinson, Patty Snyder, Amanda Johnson, Wade Rist, Ruth Boyken, Tony Warrior, Barbara Johnson.

This last week we were sadly parted from one we loved and held dear to us as our heavenly father called home to be at his side one of his own, Derek Allen, Hoffman Sr. died tragically on Dec. 30, 2006 at the age of 24. And although Derek will be greatly missed by all of us, we are comforted not only with the cherished memories of all the joy and excitement he brought to our lives but also with the knowledge that he will be waiting for each of us, to greet us with his wide and wonderful smile, when we someday join him in our eternal home.

Derek was a loving son to his own father Tim Rist and mother Kim Hoffman, a wonderful husband to his Fiancée Janel Torres who he loved and cherished for the last seven years, and above all a great father to a beautiful son, Derek Jr, who he and Janel had lovingly begotten.

Derek loved many things, from working on cars to just being outdoors with his best friends, he was an avid sports fan, and always a hard worker. But most of all he was a family man and he loved his family. Derek was never far from his family and friends and they could always count on him to pull them through in tough times and to be there to celebrate with us when times were good. Derek was always there to lend a hand and would go that extra mile for anyone who needed his help. He never thought of these things as a burden, it was just the way it was, and he always did more then his share for those around him, always wearing that big smile we all knew and loved.

Besides his Fiancée Janel Torres and Son Derek Jr. of Blue Earth, MN. Derek leaves his mother Kim Hoffman of St. Paul, MN and father Tim Rist of Las Vegas NV; sisters, Seazun, Holiday, and Kayla ; nephew Isaac: great grandparents Juanita and Harold,; grandparents, Diana and Jerry; grandma Jane; aunts Amy, Nadine, Terri Cindy, and Kristy; uncles, Kevin, Wade, Mark, Robert, John, and Jerry; cousins Matthew, Andrew, Arianna, James, Kaitlyn, Joshua, Skyler, David, Jessica, Mandi, Dustin, and Joey; extended family, Rachel, John and Reuben, Joe, Woody, Jamie, and Bailey