Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost

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

Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost

October 18, 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 #549 All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name

Please stand if you are able

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 121:1–4, 7–8; antiphon: v. 5

The Lord is your keeper;
    the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
I lift up my eyes to the hills.
    From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved;
    he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord will keep you from all evil;
    he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in
    from this time forth and forevermore.
The Lord is your keeper;
    the Lord is your shade on your right hand.

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 LSB 187

P Glory be to God on high:

C and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.

We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee,

we glorify Thee, we give thanks to Thee, for Thy great glory.

O Lord God, heav’nly King, God the Father Almighty.

O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ;

O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,

that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.

Thou that takest away the sin of the world, receive our prayer.

Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us.

For Thou only art holy; Thou only art the Lord.

Thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost,

art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Salutation and Collect of the Day

P The Lord be with you.

C And with thy spirit.

P Let us pray.

O God, the protector of all who trust in You, have mercy on us that with You as our ruler and guide we may so pass through things temporal that we lose not the things eternal; 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 45:1–7

1Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,
    whose right hand I have grasped,
to subdue nations before him
    and to loose the belts of kings,
to open doors before him
    that gates may not be closed:
2“I will go before you
    and level the exalted places,
I will break in pieces the doors of bronze
    and cut through the bars of iron,
3I will give you the treasures of darkness
    and the hoards in secret places,
that you may know that it is I, the Lord,
    the God of Israel, who call you by your name.
4For the sake of my servant Jacob,
    and Israel my chosen,
I call you by your name,
    I name you, though you do not know me.
5I am the Lord, and there is no other,
    besides me there is no God;
    I equip you, though you do not know me,
6that people may know, from the rising of the sun
    and from the west, that there is none besides me;
    I am the Lord, and there is no other.
7I form light and create darkness,
    I make well-being and create calamity,
    I am the Lord, who does all these things.”

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

Gradual Psalm 91:11; 103:1

He will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me, bless his holy name!

Epistle 1 Thessalonians 1:1–10

1Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace to you and peace.

2We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

Please stand if you are able

Alleluia LSB 190

C Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Holy Gospel Matthew 22:15–22

P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-second chapter.

C Glory be to Thee, O Lord.

15Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle [Jesus] in his talk. 16And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. 17Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.

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 #940 Holy God, We Praise Thy Name sts. 1–5

Sermon Matthew 22:15-22 “Our True Authority”

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

P 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.

C 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

P The Lord be with you.

C And with thy spirit.

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 #850 God of Grace and God of Glory

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.

OUR PRAYERS

For the sick and/or injured – Rich Brege (rehab), Bernell Buettner (recovering from home), Kristina Crook (recovering at home), Mike Fausz (undergoing treatment for leukemia), Linda Harbison (recovering at home), Howard Schmidt (cancer).

Tripp Dodson (leukemia – Myah Grossheim’s cousin), Donny Fausz (broken femur – Mike Fausz’s dad), LeeAnn Hauptfleisch (cancer – Debbie Nobbe’s cousin), Phyllis Haupfleisch (shoulder surgery – Deb Nobbe’s aunt), Cindy Kerr (cancer – Arlene Baum’s niece), Susan McFadden (cancer – friend of Pastor & Deb), 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 (recovery-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: Dwight Boehm & Greg May

Acolyte: Colton Glessner

Altar Care: Deb Ostlund and Leslie Reinhardt

Serving Next Sunday October 25, 2026

Organist: Connie Kostecki

Asst. Elder Carl Brewer & Dwight Boehm

Ushers: Spencer Kostecki & Tyler Kostecki

Acolyte: Tyler Johanning

Altar Care: Deb Ostlund and Leslie Reinhardt

This Week at Holy Cross

Today 9:00 a.m. Worship Service

10:00 a.m. Fellowship

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

Monday Pastor Day Off

6:00 p.m. Choir practice

Wednesday 5:00 p.m. Confirmation

Sunday Oct. 25^th 9:00 a.m. Worship Service

10:00 a.m. Fellowship

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

Birthday

Barb Boeder Oct. 18 Susan Hitchcock Oct. 19

Kurt Roschnafsky Oct. 21 Sheri Jones Oct. 22

Mark Buettner Oct. 22

Anniversary

Ken & Kim Meyer October 19, 1996

Stan & Leanne Roberts October 20, 2000

Greg & Christina May October 22, 2016

Our Service can be found on your radio at 87.9 FM

Trunk or Treat/Fall Fest! It will be held Saturday, Oct 24 from 5-7 pm here in the church parking lot. Please consider signing up to provide a trunk with treats. A sign-up sheet is located in the narthex. Mel’s famous chili, hot dogs, treats and drinks will be provided.

Please join us! All Ages are Welcome.

Any questions, contact Pastor at 618-301-6358 or Debbie at 618-201-4736.

Ladies Aid is again hosting a silent auction of quilts and throws. There will also be various filled baskets to bid on. All will be displayed for viewing and bidding for 3 Sundays beginning Oct. 18^th and ending Nov. 1, 2026.

Ladies Aid is collecting old or broken jewelry for an ingathering at the LWML Fall Workshop in Zion Belleville on November 14.

Any jewelry can be used – one earring, broken bracelet or necklace, etc. This project is to support Monarch4Freedom, whose mission

is to increase awareness, raise funds and encourage others to join the fight to end sex trafficking and child sexual exploitation.

Monarch Jewelry has partnered with Crisis Aid International and contribute all net profits to Crisis Aid’s US Safe initiative – a holistic

response to this horrendous issue. There will be a basket on the table in the vestibule for this collection.

2027 Lutheran Witness Subscription renewal rate will be $30.70. If you no longer wish to receive it or if you are not currently receiving and would like to receive it, please let Rhonda May (or email church office) know by November 29, 2026. We will be invoiced in 2027 based on the total numbers of members subscribing.

A history of Holy Cross, Wartburg, God’s Grace in a Country Place II, by Arlene Baum is available for $10.00. Check payable to Holy Cross Lutheran Church or cash.

Did you know that the present stone church building is the congregation’s third house of worship? We thank God for his grace through the years. Contact Arlene at 618-340-2471.

80th Annual Holy Cross Wurstmarkt & Country Store, at Renault,

IL on Sunday, October 25. dine in from noon – 4:00 pm, carry outs

from noon – 5:00 pm with handicap accessible dining. Our dine in or

carry outs include pork sausage, mashed potatoes, milk gravy,

sauerkraut, corn, green beans, cranberry sauce, applesauce, our

homemade apple butter, homemade pies, coffee & lemonade. It is $15

for adults; $7 for children 6 – 12 and children 5 and under are free (dine

in only). We do have a Country Store with fresh meat, our homemade

apple butter, home baked goods and crafts.

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