Author: Julie Raffa

Introit 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. For the Lord knows the way of the | righteous,* but the way of the wicked will | perish.
Collect of the Day
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.
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?
Gradual Psalm 117:1–2a; 96:8
Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts!
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.”
Holy Gospel Matthew 5:1–12
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.”
Announcements
The Voters meeting is scheduled for Sunday, February 5 at Noon. All confirmed members 18 and older are encouraged to attend. There are agenda’s available (on the table in the Narthex) for you to see what is going to be discussed at the meeting.
Email addresses: Please contact the office if you have recently changed or updated you email address. We would like to be able to contact our members if there are changes in services or we have to do remote services again. You may email the office at :
office@pilgrimlutheranwb.org or pilgrimsecretary63@gmail.com .
Lenten Dinners: The sign up sheet for the 2023 Lenten Dinners is available for you and your group to sign up. Please make sure to list your groups name and what will be served for the dinner.
CBI Presents: Christ in the Old Testament: What Does This Mean?
Jesus once said, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me” (John 5:39). At the center of Christianity is the belief that everything in the Scriptures—what we today call the Old Testament—bears witness to who Jesus is and what he has come to do. Martin Luther put it this way: “All of Scripture…is pure Christ, God’s and Mary’s Son.”
Come take a fresh look at some of the fascinating ways the Old Testament shows us the person and work of Christ with Dr. Brian German and Dr. Harald Tomesch, professors of theology at Concordia University Wisconsin—Ann Arbor, on Saturday, February 18, from 9am to 2:30pm at Pilgrim Lutheran Church, West Bend.
Register for this free seminar at 262-334-0375 Pilgrim Ev. Lutheran Church.
A light lunch will be provided.

Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
Divine Service
Lutheran Service Book: Page:
Liturgy: Setting 3 Apostles Creed 184
Hymns:
Blessed Jesus at Your Word 904
Son of God, Eternal Savior 842
Communion Hymns:
Jesus Thy Boundless Love to Me 683
Songs of Thankfulness and Praise 394
Sing Praise to God, The Highest 819
O God, My Faithful God 696
O God of God, O Light of Light 810
Scripture Readings:
Old Testament: Micah 6:1-8
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12
X X X
In our prayers, we remember:
X all who live under the flag of our nation,
X our government and judicial officials,
X law enforcement officers, military personnel, and their families,
X those struggling with health issues:
Michael Ferguson, Dorothy Kroll, Ella Wilkens, Rev. John Wille, Mary Margaret Hatfield, Phyllis Laabs-Darkow, Suzanne Stadelmayer, George Muth, Joyce Virchow, Rev Donald & Carolyn Bren, Jerry Sullivan, Richard Lewandowski, Mark Selzler, Ethan Tinlin, Sheryl Pajewski, Paul Lierman, Judy Clark, Louise Kreis, Betty Steely, Inez Schwoch, Ruth Mertz, Elaine Kuenzel, Diane Behrens
X pastors, missionaries, and those who serve God’s people with the gifts of Christ,
X Christians persecuted for the confession of the faith, and especially we remember
X all who have forsaken the faith, that they may be restored to gladness of heart and be made wise to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
Preacher: Rev. Joseph Fisher
Liturgist: Rev. Christopher Raffa
Elder: Dave F., Ron K., Jeff S.
Cantor: Samuel Boehlke
Organist: Ben Grosskreuz

Coming Up at Pilgrim
Sunday, January 29:
8:00 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Divine Service
9:15 a.m. Sunday School: Bible Studies
9:30 a.m. Adult Class: Small Catechism
12:30 p.m. Bible Study: 2nd Samuel
Monday, January 29:
10:30 a.m. Chapel @ Jackson Crossing
Tuesday, January 31:
2:00 p.m. Chapel @ Auxiliary Court
Wednesday, February 1:
4:00 p.m. Youth Catechesis
6:30 p.m. Adult Class: 1 & 2 Kings
Thursday, February 2:
9:00 a.m. Adult Class: 2nd Samuel
7:00 p.m. Divine Service
Friday, February 3: Office Closed
Saturday, February 4:
7:00 a.m. Men’s Breakfast & Bible Study
Sunday, February 5:
12:00 p.m. Voters Meeting
Saturday, February 18:
9:00 a.m. CBI presents
Christ in the Old Testament:
What does this mean?

Cable Worship Schedule Pilgrim’s Sunday 8:00 a.m. Divine Service is broadcast on WB 987 and AT&T Uverse 99 multiple times during the week: Sundays: 6:00 a.m. Mondays: 4:00 p.m. Tuesdays: 11:30 a.m. Wednesdays: 9:00 a.m. Wednesdays: 4:00 p.m. Bible Study, Thursdays: 4:00 p.m. This service is also live streamed and archived on the church’s YouTube channel:
Pilgrim Lutheran Church- West Bend, WI

Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
January 26 - 29, 2023
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.” Matthew 5:11-12
Welcome and blessings to you through our Lord Jesus Christ!
We welcome all who gather with us around the Altar and Pulpit to hear the Word of God. If you are visiting, we are happy that you could join us today. Please sign the guest book in the narthex and fill out one of the pew cards and place it in the offering plate to leave a record of your visit.
Communion Statement: By the design and specific warning of our Lord Jesus Christ in His Word, the precious gift of the Lord’s Body and Blood is to be shared with His blessing only with those prepared to take it rightly. (1 Cor 11:23-32) At the first communion our Lord did not commune all believers, but only those who had been instructed by Him daily for three years. The custom of our church is to offer the Sacrament only to confirmed members of The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. So that our pastors would faithfully fulfill their obligations, (1 Cor 4:1; Heb 13:17; 1 Cor 11:27), all first-time visitors should speak to one of the pastors prior to communing. Our pastors are eager and available to provide instruction leading to a right and salutary reception our Lord’s holy Body and Blood, so that in the future you may join us in the blessing of this sacrament.

Pilgrim Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession
The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
462 Meadowbrook Drive, West Bend, WI 53090
(262) 334-0375 www.pilgrimlutheran-westbend.org