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

Fifth Sunday in Lent

Our Service can be found on your radio at 87.9 FM

March 22, 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

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 the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, 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

Entrance Hymn #543 What Wondrous Love Is This

Gloria in Excelsis – omitted during Lent LSB 204

Salutation and Collect of the Day

P The Lord be with you.

C And also with you.

P Let us pray.

Almighty God, by Your great goodness mercifully look upon Your people that we may be governed and preserved evermore in body and soul; 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 Ezekiel 37:1–14

1The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. 2And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. 3And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 4Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

7So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. 9Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” 10So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

11Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off.’ 12Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 14And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”

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 Romans 8:1–11

1There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

9You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

Sunday School Children Sing – “Glory be to Jesus”

Children’s Message

Please stand if you are able

Holy Gospel John 11:17–27, 38–53

P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the eleventh chapter.

C Glory to You, O Lord.

17When Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” . . .

38Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

45Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, 46but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the Council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” 49But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” 51He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.

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 – #430 My Song Is Love Unknown

Sermon – John 11:25-26 “Who is Jesus?”

Please stand if you are able

Prayer of the Church

Sit

Offering – Amazing Grace – Rob Mallon

Service of the Sacrament

If you are visiting and desire to receive Holy Communion, please see our

Communion statement on the front of our bulletin

Please stand if you are able

Preface LSB 208

P The Lord be with you.

C And also with you.

P Lift up your hearts.

C We lift them to the Lord.

P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.

P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:

Sanctus LSB 208

C Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth adored;

Heav’n and earth with full acclaim shout the glory of Your name.

Sing hosanna in the highest, sing hosanna to the Lord;

Truly blest is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

Text: Stephen P. Starke

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.

The Words of Our Lord

P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”

In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

Pax Domini

P The peace of the Lord be with you always.

C Amen.

Agnus Dei LSB 210

C 1 O Jesus Christ, true Lamb of God,

You take the sin of the world away;

O Jesus Christ, true Lamb of God,

Have mercy on us, Lord, we pray.

2 O Jesus Christ, true Lamb of God,

You take the sin of the world away;

Have mercy on us, Jesus Christ,

And grant us peace, O Lord, we pray.

Text: Stephen P. Starke

Sit

Distribution

Distribution Hymns

#741 Jesus Christ, My Sure Defense

#685 Let Us Ever Walk with Jesus

#686 Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Dismissal

Please stand if you are able

Post-Communion Collect

A Let us pray.

We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; 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 212

A Let us bless the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

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 #548 Thanks to Thee, O Christ, Victorious

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), 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

Asst. Elder: Darren Johanning & Carl Brewer

Ushers: Randy Jones & Brett Dunker

Acolyte: Elliot Koch

Altar Care: Pearl Braun/Rejona Reichert

Serving Wednesday March 25^th 7:00

Organist: Joan Ruwald

Acolyte: Kegan Schultheis

Altar Care: Pearl Braun/Rejona Reichert

Serving Next Sunday March 29^th 9:00

Organist: Connie Kostecki

Asst. Elder: Greg Reinhardt & Dwight Boehm

Ushers: Mike Fausz & John Fausz

Acolyte: Kelsey Crook

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

5:45 p.m Soup Supper

6:00 p.m. Choir Practice

7:00 p.m. Wednesday Lenten Service

Thursday 9:30 a.m. Quilting (Everyone is invited)

Sunday, March 29^th 9:00 a.m. Worship Service

10:00 a.m. Fellowship

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

Birthday

Carleen Baldwin Mar. 22 Mark Marlow Mar. 22

Cooper DeWilde Mar. 24 Catherine Cooper Mar. 24

Tiffany Schultheis Mar. 25 Carter Rednour Mar. 28

Anniversary

Collin & Megan Lascelles March 25, 2023

John & Karla Offermann March 26, 2005

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.

Our Good Friday German Service will be on April 3, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. We

Again, are going to be live on KFUO radio, 850 am.

Missing some items from church?

Please check the narthex for the LOST & FOUND items. There are some items collected that have been left behind in church.

Spring Rally and Prayer Service is on Saturday April 25^th from 8:30 -12:30 at Immanuel Lutheran Church – Waterloo. Everyone is invited. Please let Kathy Bollinger know by April 15^th 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.

Holy Cross Lutheran Church – Wartburg 3^rd Golf Tournament on

Friday May 29, 2026 at Acorns in downtown Wartburg Illinois. So, get those clubs and gather some friends to create a team and have a great day.

Golf information is on the Bulletin Board in Narthex with extra sheets to create a team.

For Those Interested: Hole Sponsors would be welcomed, $100 will purchase a hole that would have a sign presented a business, friends or in memory of a loved one you desire. 100% of this money will go to the church. If anyone is interested, please contact Alex Wolf – alexwolfe12@gmail.com

Checks should be made out to Holy Cross Wartburg.

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.