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

Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

Our Service can be found on your radio at 87.9 FM

February 1, 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 1 – page 151

Ringing of the Bell

Opening Hymn #904 Blessed Jesus, at Your Word

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 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination.

P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.

C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. 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 1:1–5; antiphon: v. 6

For the Lord knows the way of the | righteous,*
    but the way of the wicked will | perish.
Blessèd is the man who walks not in the counsel of the | wicked,*
    nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of | scoffers;
but his delight is in the law | of the Lord,*
    and on his law he meditates | day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not | wither.*
    In all that he does, he | prospers.
The wicked | are not so,*
    but are like chaff that the wind | drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the | judgment,*
    nor sinners in the congregation of the | righteous.
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.
For the Lord knows the way of the | righteous,*
    but the way of the wicked will | perish.

Kyrie LSB 152

A In peace let us pray to the Lord.

C Lord, have mercy.

A For the peace from above and for our salvation let us pray to the Lord.

C Lord, have mercy.

A For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all let us pray to the Lord.

C Lord, have mercy.

A For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise let us pray to the Lord.

C Lord, have mercy.

A Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.

C Amen.

Gloria in Excelsis LSB 154

A Glory to God in the highest, and peace to His people on earth.

C Lord God, heavenly king, almighty God and Father:

We worship You, we give You thanks, we praise You for Your glory.

Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God:

You take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.

You are seated at the right hand of the Father; receive our prayer.

For You alone are the Holy One, You alone are the Lord,

You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,

in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Salutation and Collect of the Day

P The Lord be with you.

C And also with you.

P Let us pray.

Almighty God, You know we live in the midst of so many dangers that in our frailty we cannot stand upright. Grant strength and protection to support us in all dangers and carry us through all temptations; 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 Micah 6:1–8

1Hear what the Lord says:
Arise, plead your case before the mountains,
    and let the hills hear your voice.
2Hear, you mountains, the indictment of the Lord,
    and you enduring foundations of the earth,
for the Lord has an indictment against his people,
    and he will contend with Israel.
3“O my people, what have I done to you?
    How have I wearied you? Answer me!
4For I brought you up from the land of Egypt
    and redeemed you from the house of slavery,
and I sent before you Moses,
    Aaron, and Miriam.
5O my people, remember what Balak king of Moab devised,
    and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him,
and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal,
    that you may know the saving acts of the Lord.”

6“With what shall I come before the Lord,
    and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
    with calves a year old?
7Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
    with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
8He has told you, O man, what is good;
    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
    and to walk humbly with your God?

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

Gradual Psalm 117:1–2a; 96:8

Epistle 1 Corinthians 1:18–31

18The word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

20Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. 31Therefore, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

Please stand if you are able

Alleluia and Verse LSB 156

C Alleluia.

Lord, to whom shall we go?

You have the words of eternal life.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Holy Gospel Matthew 5:1–12

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

C Glory to You, O Lord.

1Seeing the crowds, [Jesus] went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

2And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

P This is the Gospel of the Lord.

C Praise to You, O Christ.

Sit

Hymn of the Day #842 Son of God, Eternal Savior

Sermon Matthew 5: 1-12 “Upon the Summit”

Please stand if you are able

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.

Welcoming of New Members

Prayer of the Church

Sit

Offering

Please stand if you are able

Offertory LSB 159

C What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits to me?

I will offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call on the name of the Lord.

I will take the cup of salvation and will call on the name of the Lord.

I will pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people,

in the courts of the Lord’s house, in the midst of you, O Jerusalem.

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

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.

Benediction LSB 166

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 #851 Lord of Glory, You Have Bought Us

Acknowledgments

Divine Service, Setting One 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), Jody Woodcock (upcoming 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

Organist: Connie Kostecki

Ushers: Alex Wolfe & Josh Busby

Acolyte: Elliot Koch

Altar Care: Pearl Braun/Rejona Reichert

Serving Next Sunday Feb 8th 9:00

Organist: Barb Boeder

Asst Elder: Greg Reinhardt & Rob Mallon

Ushers: Carl Brewer & Brett Dunker

Acolyte: Kegan Schultheis

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. Ladies Aid Meeting

Sunday, Feb. 8th 9:00 a.m. Worship Service

10:00 a.m. Fellowship

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

Birthday

Leslie Reinhardt Feb. 3 Lori Hermanson Feb. 4

Lynn Pelker Feb. 5 Caleb Glessner Feb. 5

Mikayla Kostecki Feb. 7

Anniversaries

Dan & Rachel Koch February 3, 2007

Dean & Linda Harbison February 6, 1993

Brian & Jennifer Schwartz February 7, 1998

We Welcome Mark & Procesa Buettner to our Church Family.

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 begin today 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.

From St. John’s Lutheran, Ruma

Due to the extreme winter weather, the Bible Presentations were canceled for Sunday, January 25, and Tuesday, January 27. These presentations will be rescheduled as follows: Pastor Anthony Troup will present on Sunday, February 8, at St. John’s Lutheran, Ruma, at 1:30 pm and Pastor John Lukomski will present on Tuesday, February 10, at St. Peter’s Lutheran, Evansville, at 6pm. We hope to see you there!

Thanks for helping us get the word out!