Bulletin

Holy Cross Lutheran Church of Wartburg

5765 Maeystown Road – Waterloo, IL 62298

Pastor Dan Ostlund

Office: 618-939-7094 – cell 618-301-6358

Office: hcwartb@htc.net, Pastor: wartburg.pastor@gmail.com

Website: www.holycrosswartburg.com

Third Sunday after the Epiphany

Our Service can be found on your radio at 87.9 FM

January 25, 2026

Guests Welcome! We are delighted that you are with us for worship this morning. Consider us your church home– at least for today. We hope we will see you again soon!

We celebrate Holy Communion: In this Supper of our Lord we receive the true body and blood of Jesus Christ under the earthly forms of bread and wine for the forgiveness of our sins and the strengthening of our faith. Since this Holy Communion is also a sign of how we commonly confess the Christian faith, we welcome to the Lord’s Table those who are confirmed members of congregations of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. If this is your first time communing with us, please speak with the pastor or an usher before the service begins. If you are a guest who has not been instructed concerning the Lord’s Supper and our church’s teaching, and desire to commune with us, we invite you to first attend our instructional classes.

Divine Service Setting 4 – page 203

Ringing of the Bell

Opening Hymn #412 The People That in Darkness Sat

Confession and Absolution

Please stand if you are able

The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.

P In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

P Our help is in the name of the Lord,

C who made heaven and earth.

P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?

C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.

P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive his forgiveness, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying: God, be merciful to me, a sinner.

C Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.

P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

Service of the Word

Introit – sing responsively Psalm 22:27–31; antiphon: v. 22

I will tell of your name to my | brothers;*
    in the midst of the congregation I will | praise you.
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn | to the Lord,*
    and all the families of the nations shall worship be- | fore you.
For kingship belongs | to the Lord,*
    and he rules over the | nations.
All the prosperous of the earth eat and | worship;*
    before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep him- | self alive.
Posterity shall | serve him;*
    it shall be told of the Lord to the coming gener- | ation;
they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people | yet unborn,*
    that he has | done it.
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.
I will tell of your name to my | brothers;*
    in the midst of the congregation I will | praise you.

Kyrie LSB 204

C Lord, have mercy;

Christ, have mercy;

Lord, have mercy.

Gloria in Excelsis LSB 204

C 1 To God on high be glory

And peace to all the earth;

Goodwill from God in heaven

Proclaimed at Jesus’ birth!

We praise and bless You, Father;

Your holy name, we sing—

Our thanks for Your great glory,

Lord God, our heav’nly King.

2 To You, O sole-begotten,

The Father’s Son, we pray;

O Lamb of God, our Savior,

You take our sins away.

Have mercy on us, Jesus;

Receive our heartfelt cry,

Where You in pow’r are seated

At God’s right hand on high—

3 For You alone are holy;

You only are the Lord.

Forever and forever,

Be worshiped and adored;

You with the Holy Spirit

Alone are Lord Most High,

In God the Father’s glory.

“Amen!” our glad reply.

Text: Stephen P. Starke

Salutation and Collect of the Day

P The Lord be with you.

C And also with you.

P Let us pray.

Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities and stretch forth the hand of Your majesty to heal and defend us; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C Amen.

Sit

Old Testament Reading Isaiah 9:1–4

1 There will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

2 The people who walked in darkness
    have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
    on them has light shined.
3You have multiplied the nation;
    you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
    as with joy at the harvest,
    as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
4For the yoke of his burden,
    and the staff for his shoulder,
    the rod of his oppressor,
    you have broken as on the day of Midian.

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

Gradual Psalm 117:1–2a; 96:8

Epistle 1 Corinthians 1:10–18

10I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 12What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. 16(I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

18For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

Please stand if you are able

Alleluia and Verse

C Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

C These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

C Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Holy Gospel Matthew 4:12–25

P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the fourth chapter.

C Glory to You, O Lord.

12When [Jesus] heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. 13And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

15“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
    the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
16the people dwelling in darkness
    have seen a great light,
and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,
    on them a light has dawned.”

17From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

18While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

23And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. 24So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them. 25And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

P This is the Gospel of the Lord.

C Praise to You, O Christ.

Nicene Creed

C I believe in one God,

the Father Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth

and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,

the only-begotten Son of God,

begotten of His Father before all worlds,

God of God, Light of Light,

very God of very God,

begotten, not made,

being of one substance with the Father,

by whom all things were made;

who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven

and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary

and was made man;

and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.

He suffered and was buried.

And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures

and ascended into heaven

and sits at the right hand of the Father.

And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,

whose kingdom will have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the Lord and giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father and the Son,

who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,

who spoke by the prophets.

And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,

I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,

and I look for the resurrection of the dead

and the life + of the world to come. Amen.

Sit

Hymn of the Day #839 O Christ, Our True and Only Light

Sermon Matthew 4: 12-25 “A Light Has Dawned”

Please stand if you are able

Prayer of the Church

Lord’s Prayer

C Our Father who art in heaven,

hallowed be Thy name,

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done on earth

as it is in heaven;

give us this day our daily bread;

and forgive us our trespasses

as we forgive those

who trespass against us;

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom

and the power and the glory

forever and ever. Amen.

Concluding Collect

Benediction

P The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.

The Lord look upon you with favor and + give you peace.

C Amen.

Closing Hymn #643 Sent Forth by God’s Blessing

Acknowledgments

Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations 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.

OUR PRAYERS

For the sick and/or injured – Rich Brege (hospitalized), Jeanette Johanning (back problems), Howard Schmidt (cancer), Tiffany Schultheis (recovery from shoulder surgery).

Karen Brewer (health concerns – Carl Brewer’s sister-in-law), Tom Brewer (recovering from surgery- Carl Brewer’s brother), Bill Keel (hospice – brother-in-law of Arlene Baum and Howard & Mike Schmidt), Jodie Lexa (colon cancer – Bob Lunk’s niece), Susan McFadden (cancer – friend of Pastor & Deb), Dave Moore (cancer- Ron Braun’s niece’s husband), Alycia Otten – (pregnancy complications – Randy & Sheri’s daughter), Herb Phillips – (stroke- cousin of Connie Kostecki), Tanna Schablowsky (cancer – mother of Becky Mudd’s friend), Susie Stenger (hospitalized, cancer Tiffany Schultheis’ mother), Debbie Strickland (cancer – cousin of Sharon Brewer), Leo David Trost (many health challenges/born with scoliosis – grandson of Kathy Bollinger), Beth Vincent (ALS – friend of Kenny & Radar)

For those in Nursing Homes, the home bound, and those unable to be

with us in worship.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Serving Today

Serving Next Sunday Jan 25^th 9:00

Organist: Joan Ruwald

Elder Asst: Darren Johanning & Dwight Boehm

Ushers: Darren Johanning & Kenny Glaenzer

Acolyte: Jacob Mudd

Altar Care: Pearl Braun/Rejona Reichert

Serving Next Sunday Feb 1^st 9:00

Organist: Connie Kostecki

Ushers: Alex Wolfe & Josh Busby

Acolyte: Elliot Koch

Altar Care: Pearl Braun/Rejona Reichert

This Week at Holy Cross

Today 9:00 a.m. Worship Service

10:00 a.m. Fellowship

10:15 a.m. Bible Study/Sunday School

Monday Pastor Day Off

Wednesday 5:00 p.m. Confirmation Class

6:30 p.m. Choir Practice

Thursday 9:30 a.m. Quilting

Sunday, Feb. 1^st 9:00 a.m. Worship Service

10:00 a.m. Fellowship

10:15 a.m. Sunday School/Bible Class

Birthday

Carolyn Ponder Jan. 25 Cassie Rednour Jan. 27

Madison Dougherty Jan. 29 Andrew Cotter Jan. 31

Please pick up your 2025 giving reports from the narthex. If you have
any questions, please contact Kathy Reifschneider 618-444-2188 or
kreifschneider4@gmail.com

Youth Group Study on Courage will be on February 1, 2026 10:15 am

Other options to donate to church is to use the QR code to make a

donation to support Holy Cross Lutheran Church of Wartburg.

Thank you!

If you have any questions, contact Kathy Reifschneider 618-444-2188

Or kreifschneider4@gmail.com

Other ways to gift to Holy Cross Lutheran Church of Wartburg

Donate stock

You can make a meaningful difference in furthering a cause. Donating your stock to church can be financially motivated, but one of the greatest benefits is knowing that your money can help others.
You can avoid capital gains tax. You don’t pay capital gains tax on stock donations that would otherwise be owed if you sold the stock yourself. This also means donating stock to church can be more advantageous to the organization and you than donating cash.
It provides tax-efficient benefits. When an appreciated security, such as a stock, is held for at least one year and is donated to church, the fair market value of the stock may be itemized as an income tax deduction. So, donating stock to church not only saves you from paying capital gains, it can potentially reduce your taxable income.

How to donate stock to Holy Cross Lutheran Church of Wartburg in 3 simple steps:

1. Holy Cross Lutheran Church of Wartburg has a brokerage account set up with Edward Jones. Our financial advisor is Adam Brewer 618-939-7153.

2. Our brokerage account number is xxx-xx148. Provide this information to your broker to initiate the transfer. Keep in mind that brokerage firms tend to be extremely busy with tax donations and other end-of-year items every December, so it’s wise to get started before then, if possible. It’s also important to remember to report your stock donation, which is considered a non-cash charitable contribution, to the IRS with Form 8283.

3. You should report the donation for the tax year in which it was made.

Read more about charitable giving in this article from Thrivent.