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
Fourth Sunday in Lent
Our Service can be found on your radio at 87.9 FM
March 15, 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!
Divine Service Setting 3 – page 184
Ringing of the Bell
Opening Hymn #396 Arise and Shine in Splendor
Confession and Absolution
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 Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
Silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I 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 Psalm 27:4–6; antiphon: Psalm 25:15
My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
for he will pluck my feet out of the net.
One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.
For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.
And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.
My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
for he will pluck my feet out of the net.
C Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Kyrie LSB 186
C Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Gloria in Excelsis – omitted during Lent LSB 187
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And with thy spirit.
P Let us pray.
Almighty God, our heavenly Father, Your mercies are new every morning; and though we deserve only punishment, You receive us as Your children and provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant that we may heartily acknowledge Your merciful goodness, give thanks for all Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience; 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 42:14–21
14For a long time I have held my peace;
I have kept still and restrained myself;
now I will cry out like a woman in labor;
I will gasp and pant.
15I will lay waste mountains and hills,
and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn the rivers into islands,
and dry up the pools.
16And I will lead the blind
in a way that they do not know,
in paths that they have not known
I will guide them.
I will turn the darkness before them into light,
the rough places into level ground.
These are the things I do,
and I do not forsake them.
17They are turned back and utterly put to shame,
who trust in carved idols,
who say to metal images,
“You are our gods.”
18Hear, you deaf,
and look, you blind, that you may see!
19Who is blind but my servant,
or deaf as my messenger whom I send?
Who is blind as my dedicated one,
or blind as the servant of the Lord?
20He sees many things, but does not observe them;
his ears are open, but he does not hear.
21The Lord was pleased, for his righteousness’ sake,
to magnify his law and make it glorious.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Gradual Hebrews 12:2
[O come, let us fix our eyes on] Jesus,
the founder and perfecter of our faith,
who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame,
and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Epistle Ephesians 5:8–14
8For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Please stand if you are able
Verse Psalm 36:9
With you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.
Holy Gospel John 9:1–7, 13–17, 34–39
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the ninth chapter.
C Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
1As [Jesus] passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6Having said these things, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud 7and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. . . .
13They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” 16Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them. 17So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.” . . .
34They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.
35Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” 38He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. 39Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise be to Thee, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life + everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day #744 Amazing Grace sts. 1–5
Sermon – John 9 “Opened Eyes”
P The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
C Amen.
Please stand if you are able
Offertory LSB 192
C Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and uphold me with Thy free spirit. Amen.
Sit
Offering
Please stand if you are able
Prayer of the Church
Lord’s Prayer LSB 196
A 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
A Let us pray.
Almighty God, grant to Your Church Your Holy Spirit and the wisdom that comes down from above, that Your Word may not be bound but have free course and be preached to the joy and edifying of Christ’s holy people, so that in steadfast faith we may serve You and, in the confession of Your name, abide unto the end; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus LSB 202
A Bless we the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction LSB 202
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and + give you peace.
C Amen, amen, amen.
Closing Hymn #873 Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three 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.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2026 Concordia Publishing House.
OUR PRAYERS
For the sick and/or injured – Rich Brege (hospitalized), Howard Schmidt (cancer), Jody Woodcock (recovering from surgery).
Cindy Kerr (cancer – Arlene Baum’s niece), Bill Keel (hospice – brother-in-law of Arlene Baum and Howard & Mike Schmidt), David Marler (cancer – Rejona Reichert’s brother-in-law), Susan McFadden (cancer – friend of Pastor & Deb), Dave Moore (cancer- Ron Braun’s niece’s husband), Herb Phillips – (stroke- cousin of Connie Kostecki), Leo David Trost (many health challenges/born with scoliosis – grandson of Kathy Bollinger), Beth Vincent (ALS – friend of Kenny & Radar), Janice Whelan (surgery-friend of Ron & Pearl Braun).
For those in Nursing Homes, the home bound, and those unable to be
with us in worship.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Serving Today
Organist: Connie Kostecki
Ushers: Kerry & Doug May
Acolyte: Jacob Mudd
Altar Care: Pearl Braun/Rejona Reichert
Serving Wednesday March 18th 7:00
Organist: Connie Kostecki
Acolyte: Tyler Johanning
Altar Care: Pearl Braun/Rejona Reichert
Serving Next Sunday March 22nd 9:00
Organist: Connie Kostecki
Asst. Elder: Darren Johanning & Carl Brewer
Ushers: Randy Jones & Brett Dunker
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
6:00 p.m. Choir Practice
7:00 p.m. Wednesday Lenten Service
Sunday, March 22nd 9:00 a.m. Worship Service
10:00 a.m. Fellowship
10:15 a.m. Bible Class/Sunday School
Birthday
Jody Woodcock March 16 Teddy Rohlfing March 17
Kaiden Marlow March 18 Haley Stiening March 19
Dwight Boehm March 20 Megan Busby March 21
Aaron Muskopf March 21
Join us during the season of Lent for our series entitled, “For Us.” Beginning on Ash Wednesday, through Lent, and on Easter we will focus on the hymn, “O Love, How Deep.” Our midweek Lent services are on Wednesdays at 7:00 pm.
“For us” is not simply a pithy line to use because it is easy to repeat. It is a confession of who God is and what He brings in giving us His Son. It helps us understand why God would send His Son to die for us.
The phrase “for us” also captures much of the Reformation’s theological emphasis—and Luther’s understanding of Scripture in particular.
Luther went from searching for a righteous God and finding only stern rebuke to seeing God in the form of a little baby and as the one who became one of us for us so that we might become like Him.
Our Lenten preaching series hymn “O Love, How Deep” (LSB 544) was originally a twenty-three-stanza poem written in the fifteenth century by an unknown author. In the nineteenth century, an Anglican cleric named Benjamin Webb translated the hymn into English and then chose six stanzas for use in English hymnody. The doxological stanza was added later.
Some hymns tell a story, others teach, and still others create pictures in our minds of the great works of God. Some hymns do all three, weaving together a tapestry that is beautiful yet simple, wondrous yet easy to understand. “O Love, How Deep” is that kind of hymn.
Although it does not appear in the first stanza, the most pointed and beautiful language in the hymn is expressed in the phrase “for us.” The phrase is reminiscent of the language of the Nicene Creed: “Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven.”
Did you know that our churches encourage the continuing use of private confession and absolution? The Augsburg Confession, Article 11 says, “Our churches teach that private absolution should be retained in the churches…” One may be asking, “Should I feel forced or compelled to confess my sins privately to the pastor?” By no means. This is one of the abuses taken out of confession and absolution during the Reformation. Never would we want to make law out of gospel. Never would we want to make mandatory something placed in the realm of Christian freedom. Privately confessing your sins simply allow the confessor to name the sin that is troubling him or her so that they may hear the pastor directly say to them, “Your sin is forgiven because of Jesus’ death.” Know also that whatever you confess before the pastor always remains completely confidential. Since Lent is a penitential season, I encourage you to stop by the church, or give me a call, to set up a time to avail yourself of this gift we have as Christians. Blessings in Christ, Pastor
Please join us on Wednesday, March 25 at 5:45 pm. for our Lenten Soup Supper. This will be the evening of our last Lenten service which will follow the supper at 7:00 p.m. If you would like to bring any of the following: soup, salad, bread/crackers, or dessert, that would be great! If unable to bring anything, please still join us. We always have plenty. Drinks will be provided. Please let Pastor or Debbie know if you intend to bring soup to ensure we have enough. Thank you in advance and hope to see you there! Any questions, text or call
Debbie at 618-201-4736.
2025 Choice Dollars
If you would like to direct any Choice Dollars you may have available to Holy Cross, you must direct by March 31 or they will be lost. Go to thrivent.com/thriventchoice or call 800-847-4836 to find out if you have any Dollars available to direct them.
Missing some items?
Please check the narthex for the LOST & FOUND items. There are some items collected that have been left behind in church. There is a small red checker jacket, 1 child’s cup, black glove and a Tiger cap.
Spring Rally and Prayer Service is on Saturday April 25th from 8:30 -12:30 at Immanuel Lutheran Church – Waterloo. Everyone is invited. Please let Kathy Bollinger know by April 15th if you like to attend.
LWML/Ladies Aid is asking if anyone is interested in joining our Ladies Aid committee. Our Ladies Aid meets on the first Thursday of the month from 9:30-12:00. Please contact Kathy B., Connie K. or
Arlene B. if you are interested.
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
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.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.