6th Sunday of Easter

Mt. Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church

320 Mt. Zion Dr., Ripon, WIwww.mtzionripon.org

Facebook: Mt. Zion Evangelical Lutheran ChurchPastor Michael Sheppard

Pastor’s Study: 920-748-9734E-mail: revmikesheppard@gmail.com

6th Sunday of Easter May 17, 2020 Welcome to Mt. Zion!

Hymns: 377 vs 1-4, 10, 332

Order of Service: Portions of Service of the Word on pg. 38 of Christian Worship First Lesson: Genesis 4: 1-16 (EHV) The man was intimate with Eve, his wife. She conceived and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have gotten a man with the LORD.” 2 She also gave birth to Cain’s brother Abel.Abel tended sheep, but Cain worked the ground. 3 As time passed, one day Cain brought an offering to the LORD from the fruit of the soil. 4 Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. The LORD looked favorably on Abel and his offering, 5 but he did not look favorably on Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry, and his face showed it.6 The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why do you have that angry look on your face? 7 If you do good, will you not be lifted up? If you do not do good, sin is crouching at the door. It has a strong desire for you, but you must rule over it.”8 Cain said to Abel, his brother, “Let’s go into the field.” When they were in the field, Cain attacked Abel, his brother, and killed him.9 The LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?”He said, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

10 The LORD said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the soil. 11 Now you are cursed and sent away from the soil which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the soil, it will no longer give its strength to you. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”13 Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is too great for me to bear. 14 Look, today you have driven me away from the soil. I will be hidden from your face, and I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth. And whoever finds me will kill me.”15 The LORD said to him, “No! If anyone kills Cain, he will face sevenfold revenge.” And the LORD appointed a sign for Cain, so that anyone who found him would not strike him down.16 Cain went out from the LORD’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Second Lesson & Sermon Text: I John 3: 11-18 (EHV)11 This is the message you have heard from the beginning: Love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the Evil One and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own works were evil, while those of his brother were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have crossed over from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him. 16 This is how we have come to know love: Jesus laid down his life for us. And we also should lay down our lives for our brothers. 17 Whoever has worldly wealth and sees his brother in need but closes his heart against him—how can God’s love remain in him? 18 Dear children, let us love not only with word or with our tongue, but also in action and truth.

Gospel Lesson John 14: 15-21 (EHV)15 “If you love me, hold on to my commands. 16 I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. 17 He is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive

because it does not see him or know him. You know him because he stays with you and will be in you.18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will see me no longer, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 The one who has my commands and holds on to them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I too will love him and show myself to him.”

The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.

377 Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice

1 Dear Christians, one and all, rejoice, With exultation springing,And, with united heart and voice And holy rapture singing,Proclaim the wonders God has done, How his right arm the vict’ry won.How dearly it has cost him!

2 Fast bound in Satan’s chains I lay; Death brooded darkly o’er me.Sin was my torment night and day; In sin my mother bore me.Yet deep and deeper still I fell; Life had become a living hell,So firmly sin possessed me.

3 My own good works availed me naught, No merit they attaining;My will against God’s judgment fought, No hope for me remaining.My fears increased till sheer despair Left naught but death to be my shareAnd hell to be my sentence.

4 But God beheld my wretched state Before the world’s foundation,And, mindful of his mercies great, He planned my soul’s salvation.A Father’s heart he turned to me, Sought my redemption fervently;He gave his dearest treasure.

10 “What I on earth have lived and taught Be all your life and teaching;So shall my kingdom’s work be wrought And honored in your preaching.Take care that no one’s man-made laws Should e’er destroy the gospel’s cause.This final word I leave you.”Text: Martin Luther, 1483–1546; tr. Richard Massie, 1800–87, alt.

Sermon Theme: “How Do We Know What Love Is?”

Please remember in your prayers: Janet Brooks, Elaine Schmudlach, Karen Reiser & Dick Zellmer

332 Go, My Children, with My Blessing

1 Go, my children, with my blessing, Never alone.Waking, sleeping, I am with you; You are my own.In my love’s baptismal river I have made you mine forever.Go, my children, with my blessing—You are my own.

2 Go, my children, sins forgiven, At peace and pure.Here you learned how much I love you, What I can cure.Here you heard my dear Son’s story; Here you touched him, saw his glory.Go, my children, sins forgiven, At peace and pure.

3 Go, my children, fed and nourished, Closer to me;Grow in love and love by serving, Joyful and free.Here my Spirit’s power filled you; Here his tender comfort stilled you.Go, my children, fed and nourished, Joyful and free.

4 I the Lord will bless and keep you And give you peace;I the Lord will smile upon you And give you peace;I the Lord will be your Father, Savior, Comforter, and Brother.Go, my children; I will keep you And give you peace.

Text: Jaroslav J. Vajda, 1919–2008. © 1983 Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

OneLicense.netLicense #A716381

Announcements

Church E-mail: The new address is mountzionripon@gmail.com.

If you have questions about suspension of church activities, or wish to have the Lord’s Supper, please contact Pastor Sheppard on his cell 920-745-0883, or by email revmikesheppard@gmail.com.

TEMPORARY OFFICE HOURS: Jo will be in the office Monday – Wednesday from 9-10 am.

The Helping Hands Ministry is ready to serve the needs of our members. Please contact one of the following if you or someone you know needs assistance: Joanne Gregor at 920-896-1518, Lisa Tremore at 920-229-1297 or Tammy Niemuth at 920-299-0240.