The Day of Pentecost
THE DAY OF PENTECOST
MAY 19, 2024
IN THE NAME OF JESUS, WELCOME TO ST. PAUL’S!
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THE ENTRANCE RITE
PRELUDE O Day Full of Grace Setting: Wilbur Held
WELCOME
ENTRANCE HYMN O Day Full of Grace LSB 503
1 O day full of grace that now we see
Appearing on earth’s horizon,
Bring light from our God that we may be
Replete in His joy this season.
God, shine for us now in this dark place;
Your name on our hearts emblazon.
2 O day full of grace, O blessèd time,
Our Lord on the earth arriving;
Then came to the world that light sublime,
Great joy for us all retrieving;
For Jesus all mortals did embrace,
All darkness and shame removing.
3 For Christ bore our sins, and not His own,
When He on the cross was hanging;
And then He arose and moved the stone
That we, unto Him belonging,
Might join with angelic hosts to raise
Our voices in endless singing.
4 God came to us then at Pentecost,
His Spirit new life revealing,
That we might no more from Him be lost,
All darkness for us dispelling.
His flame will the mark of sin efface
And bring to us all His healing.
5 When we on that final journey go
That Christ is for us preparing,
We’ll gather in song, our hearts aglow,
All joy of the heavens sharing,
And walk in the light of God’s own place,
With angels His name adoring.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION LSB 167
In the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
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.
Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
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.
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 T Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
KYRIE LSB 168
In peace let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the peace from above and for our salvation let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
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.
Lord, have mercy.
For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
Amen.
THIS IS THE FEAST LSB 171
This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia.
Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain, whose blood set us free to be
people of God.
Power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and blessing and
glory are His.
This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia.
Sing with all the people of God, and join in the hymn of all creation:
Blessing and honor and glory and might be to God and the Lamb forever.
Amen.
This is the feast of victory for our God, for the Lamb who was slain has
begun His reign.
Alleluia, alleluia.
THE PRAYER OF THE DAY
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray. O God,
on this day You once taught the hearts of Your faithful people by sending them the light of Your Holy Spirit. Grant us in our day by the same Spirit to have a right understanding in all things and evermore to rejoice in His holy consolation; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
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THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
FIRST LESSON (Be seated) Ezekiel 37:1-14
The 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. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And 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.”
So 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. And 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. Then 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.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
Then 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.’ Therefore 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. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And 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.”
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
8:00 PSALM 139:1-12 (Sung responsively)
10:30 ANTHEM Jubilation Choir Gracious Spirit, Dwell with Me
Text: Thomas Lynch Setting: K. Lee Scott
Gracious Spirit, dwell with me, I would gracious be;
Help me now thy grace to see, I would be like thee;
And, with words that help and heal, thy life would mine reveal;
And, with actions bold and meek, for Christ, my Savior speak.
Truthful Spirit, dwell with me, I would truthful be;
Help me now thy truth to see, I would be like thee;
And, with wisdom kind and clear, thy life in mine appear;
And, with actions brotherly, speak Christ’s sincerity.
Holy Spirit, dwell with me, I would holy be;
Show thy mercy tenderly, make me more like thee;
Separate from sin, I would and cherish all things good,
And whatever I can be give him who gave me thee.
Mighty Spirit, dwell with me, I would mighty be;
Help me now thy pow’r to see, I would be like thee;
“Gainst all weapons hell can wield, be thou my strength and shield;
Let thy word my weapon be, Lord, thine the victory.
Gracious Spirit, dwell with me, I would be like thee!
SECOND LESSON Acts 2:1-21
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’”
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
10:30 CHILDREN’S SERMON
ALLELUIA VERSE (Stand)
Alleluia. Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia.
GOSPEL John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15
The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the 15th and 16th chapters
Glory to You, O Lord.
[Jesus said:] “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to You, O Christ.
SERMON (Be seated)
Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus. Amen. Dear friends in Christ:
Today we are celebrating the giving of the Spirit at Pentecost. This is the giving that was promised to the disciples by Jesus, who said it would happen soon after his return to the Father.
When the Spirit came, ten days after the Ascension, the disciples were led into all truth and empowered to build the church. And this happened as they were moved by the Spirit to proclaim the message recorded at the end of today’s Acts reading. That message is: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
As we today think about this great giving of the Spirit, I’d like us to begin by focusing on the work of the Spirit described in our reading from Ezekiel. The church has paired this reading with the Pentecost story to help us draw out its meaning. Let’s give it a good look.
The reading describes a great vision given by God to Ezekiel. The prophet Ezekiel was given many great visions during his ministry, but this is certainly one of the most memorable.
In it God shows Ezekiel a valley full of dry bones. After questioning Ezekiel as to whether the bones might live, God gives him some instructions. When Ezekiel follows these, the bones come to life!
The vision is all the more memorable because of the way this coming to life is described – bone rattling against bone, sinews and flesh and skin suddenly appearing, and then life being breathed back in via the four winds, with the renewed bodies forming an exceedingly great army, standing upon their feet.
This vision certainly catches our attention. But the explanation which follows might confuse us.
In it, God clearly states that the dry bones signify the loss of hope among his people. But hope for what?
Certainly the story can apply to the loss of any hope. Loss of hope always puts us in a bad place, and God, through the sending of his Holy Spirit, can renew it. Such a change is in fact like going from death to life.
But what about the other things God says in this explanation? It seems here that he may be talking about more specific kinds of renewal too.
In one of his statements, God says that the bones are “the whole house of Israel.” By saying “whole house,” could he be referring to both those living in Israel itself and those who had been carried off to Babylon following the destruction of Jerusalem? Earlier in his prophecy, Ezekiel stated that he was living in Babylon with the exiles, but he also addresses the people living in Israel. Certainly God has a heart for all of them. Perhaps God is saying that the two groups will be united again.
At the same time, by using the name Israel instead of Judah, God might be saying that the northern and southern portions of the original kingdom will be united again, as they once were many years before. In fact, the very next prophecy of Ezekiel in this chapter specifically states that this reunion will take place.
When God says in today’s reading “I will bring you into the land of Israel,” this sounds like God has these restorations taking place in the actual, physical place where Israel once had its great kingdom. But is that what God really has in mind? Is God wanting to bring back the glory days? And is God only concerned about those certain people living in that certain place?
Christians understand this prophecy differently. According to the New Testament, the church is the new Israel. Paul, in Galatians chapter six (v.16), speaks of it as the “Israel of God.” Peter, in the second chapter of his first epistle, describes it using the Old Testament language of “holy nation” and “kingdom of priests.” And the writer of the Book of Hebrews tells how the church is the result of the new covenant with the house of Israel that God had promised through many prophets.
If you read through the entire prophecy of Ezekiel, and for that matter Jeremiah and many of the other prophets as well, you discover that one of their main original purposes was to warn the people that there was no future for them as an independent kingdom. There was no going back. Rather, the past would serve only as a way to understand the future.
In the prophecy of Ezekial we’re considering today, God points ahead to this new Israel by describing how it will come about. He says: “behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people… And you shall know that I am the Lord.”
Here we not only have language that reflects the vision of dry bones returning to life, but also of people being raised from graves. And this language is also New Testament language – language which is in fact central to the New Testament’s message! This is the language of resurrection, and it certainly seems to be pointing ahead.
Furthermore, God also says through Ezekiel that he will “put his Spirit within them.” The Spirit had always been active – throughout the time of both Testaments. But this language and focus equates particularly well with the Pentecost event. For there we read that the disciples were “filled with the Holy Spirit.” The Spirit, we see, was not just around them but within them. And the Spirit was bringing new life.
Through his Son Jesus, God opens graves and puts his Spirit in people to renew them. And this makes clear to us that Jesus leads his church as the new Israel.
Even the words of Ezekiel which specifically say that God will bring the people into their own “land of Israel” can be understood as pointing to a new reality. For such wording doesn’t have to indicate a specific geography. Rather, it can be thought of as any place where people can know the Lord, worship freely, and be at peace.
With this understanding of God’s explanation of Ezekiel’s vision, we can then drill down on the action it recommends to us. And that action, in a word, is prophesy.
Here, to prophesy quite clearly means to preach. Ezekiel was to preach God’s message of hope and restoration to the people. God said: “Prophesy over these bones.” And when Ezekiel did, restoration and renewal began to happen.
This prophesying commended to Ezekiel and to us can be thought of as prayer as well. For God also told Ezekiel to “prophesy to the breath.” Here we note that “breath” is another form of the same word for spirit, as is the word “wind.” So God is essentially telling Ezekiel to “pray to the spirit.” And this prayer is not just an asking prayer but one that calls on the Spirit to act as God has promised. “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” The four winds represent the four directions, and this indicates the spirit’s presence in full.
As we can see, the prophecy of Ezekiel calls us to turn to the Lord for our strength and renewal. And this turning involves hearing the preached word of God and responding to it in our prayers.
This past Monday I preached at a District meeting in Richmond. It was a very moving experience for me since the meeting was held at my old church – the one I first served. I was also a little nervous because I was preaching to a group of preachers. But I proclaimed the word of God, shared a few recollections, and it all went well.
Then on Wednesday I preached to another group of preachers – this time for our local circuit gathering, which met this month at the Museum of the Bible in DC. That message seemed to connect as well.
At both of these meetings, the preaching was mostly meant to remind us of the importance of the task and to give us a little extra nourishment for the day. The preaching wasn’t the main even. And there were plenty of other items on our agenda which pertained to God’s word. But we also know that preaching is central to who we are.
That being said, I must admit that what seemed to refresh my spirit even more at these meetings was hearing about all the good things that are happening around the greater church. I learned that new churches are being planted, new pastors and church workers are being installed, and new ministry initiatives are being started. Here I was reminded that the Spirit is definitely active in our church and across this land.
As well, it was also inspiring to think about the presence of that museum dedicated to the Bible in our land’s capital, and see again the high quality of its exhibits, and note the large numbers of people who are being blessed by it. We know that the Spirit works through the word. How wonderful to have a museum that tells the story of the word and its impact so very, very well.
Those two gatherings this week were times of renewal for me. And so is today’s gathering, here at St. Paul’s.
The preaching of the word is meant to revive and renew us. Let’s face it, our inner being – the bones of our faith and spirit – becomes dry quite easily. God addresses this condition by sending the Spirit through his preached word.
Most of you have heard plenty of sermons in your life. And today, perhaps you’ve only learned one or two new things, or perhaps only received a reminder of things you already know.
But you’re still receiving a message from God. And it is a message telling you that your hope is being renewed, your calling is being confirmed, and your sins have been forgiven. The Spirit is being poured out upon you today – just as it was at that first Pentecost, and just as it was at your baptism.
The Spirit comes through the proclaimed word. And the Spirit, as we’ve heard, is in the restoration business – restoring hope and faith.
Notice that Ezekiel, however, in today’s story, had to preach twice to the bones for them to become living again. Complete restoration didn’t happen right away.
So also with us. We need to hear the preached message of Jesus again and again. For without it we revert back to dryness and death. Hearing the word of God will restore us little by little, bit by bit, helping us grow and improve.
We will in fact need to have that message preached to us throughout our lives. And that’s because our complete restoration will only come about when Christ comes again and we are raised from this earth to the new creation in the new age.
At the same time, however, when we know Jesus Christ as our Lord and trust in him for our salvation, our restoration is also complete in that it is sufficient. For as we die to sin and rise to new life each day, our restoration is sufficiently complete to rest in God’s grace.
As followers of Christ, our prayer is always “Come, Holy Spirit,” because we want to be restored and renewed as much as possible, for the sake of our faith and for the sake of others. When we find that our lives are restored bit by bit, we see that those relationships we thought we might lose are instead deepened, and the hours we spend in prayer and study of God’s Word are given back to us as the Spirit is able to multiply our time and help redirect our priorities to the most needful things.
The Spirit uses the preached Word to come to us and breathe into us new life. The final product is a life that has meaning, and one worth living.
“O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord” (v 4). Celebrate the Holy Spirit, the great restorer, who restored dry bones in the days of Ezekiel, who enlivened the disciples at Pentecost, and is here present even now, making all things new.
Can these bones live? Yes, in Jesus Christ they can. We have God’s promise, given through the Spirit.
May God then bless us in this Spirit-filled life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!
HYMN OF THE DAY (Stand) Come Down, O Love Divine LSB 501
1 Come down, O Love divine;
Seek Thou this soul of mine,
And visit it with Thine own ardor glowing;
O Comforter, draw near;
Within my heart appear,
And kindle it, Thy holy flame bestowing.
2 O let it freely burn,
Till worldly passions turn
To dust and ashes in its heat consuming;
And let Thy glorious light
Shine ever on my sight,
And clothe me round, the while my path illuming.
3 Let holy charity
Mine outward vesture be
And lowliness become mine inner clothing—
True lowliness of heart,
Which takes the humbler part,
And o’er its own shortcomings weeps with loathing.
4 And so the yearning strong,
With which the soul will long,
Shall far outpass the pow’r of human telling;
No soul can guess His grace
Till it become the place
Wherein the Holy Spirit makes His dwelling.
NICENE CREED Hymnal, back cover
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.
OFFERING
Offerings support the church’s mission work – both here and through our many partners. Offerings may be placed in the box at the sanctuary entrance or sent to the church through our website or the mail. Fellowship Cards help us welcome new people and track participation. Please fill one out and place it in the offering box following the service.
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH
Gracious Lord, Your Spirit fills the world and gladdens Your Church with the remembrance of all Christ Jesus has spoken. Glorify His name among us in every word and deed. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, guide the Church into all truth by Your Holy Spirit, that we may be guarded from all error and false doctrine, and live joyfully according to your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of comfort, give hope to Your people in the midst of this world of death and despair. Put Your Spirit within us to believe, to live and to serve according to Your promises and commands. And lead us to confess Your power to raise the dead — now and at the Last Day. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, be near to those You have set in place to govern our land. Do not let the ruler of this world govern them and their decisions to our harm but give us the benefits of good government, especially justice and peace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We call on Your name, O Lord, praying in Your Spirit to help and save all those on our prayer list and all those we name in our hearts at this time… Renew them, look with favor on them, and fill all the hearts of Your faithful, kindling in them the fire of Your love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, send Your Holy Spirit upon Your faithful people that they may receive the blessings of Christ declared in this Supper – namely the forgiveness of sins and the strengthening of faith. Unite us by Your Spirit of truth and comfort us with your holy presence. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, comfort those who grieve. Assure them that since Christ has gone away to the cross and has risen victorious over death, so those who go away from us in this life will rise also to everlasting life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, through Your Son You promised Your Holy Spirit, who would convict the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. Enlighten our hearts, that we would confess our sins; obtain everlasting righteousness through faith in Christ; and through every trial and temptation, abide in the consolation that Christ is Lord; through the same Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
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SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT
OFFERTORY through AGNUS DEI (Stand) LSB 176-180
OFFERTORY LSB 176
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.
PREFACE LSB 177
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
It is truly good right and salutary…evermore praising You and saying:
SANCTUS LSB 178
Holy, holy, holy Lord, Lord God of pow’r and might:
Heav’n and earth are full of Your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING LSB 178
THE WORDS OF OUR LORD LSB 179
PROCLAMATION OF CHRIST
LORD’S PRAYER
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.
PAX DOMINI LSB 180
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
Amen.
AGNUS DEI LSB 180
Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world; grant us peace.
THE COMMUNION (Be seated)
Those wishing to commune at the foot of the steps should come forward first. Those wishing to commune at the altar rail should come forward after these, front rows first, from both sides of the aisle. After receiving, all should return to their seats. A common dismissal will be given at the end.
DISTRIBUTION HYMN To God the Holy Spirit Let Us Pray LSB 768
1 To God the Holy Spirit let us pray
For the true faith needed on our way
That He may defend us when life is ending
And from exile home we are wending.
Lord, have mercy!
2 O sweetest Love, Your grace on us bestow;
Set our hearts with sacred fire aglow
That with hearts united we love each other,
Ev’ry stranger, sister, and brother.
Lord, have mercy!
3 Transcendent Comfort in our ev’ry need,
Help us neither scorn nor death to heed
That we may not falter nor courage fail us
When the foe shall taunt and assail us.
Lord, have mercy!
4 Shine in our hearts, O Spirit, precious light;
Teach us Jesus Christ to know aright
That we may abide in the Lord who bought us,
Till to our true home He has brought us.
Lord, have mercy!
PRAYER (Stand)
BENEDICTION
SENDING HYMN Holy Spirit, Ever Dwelling LSB 650
1 Holy Spirit, ever dwelling
In the holiest realms of light;
Holy Spirit, ever brooding
O’er a world of gloom and night;
Holy Spirit, ever raising
Those of earth to thrones on high;
Living, life-imparting Spirit,
You we praise and magnify.
2 Holy Spirit, ever living
As the Church’s very life;
Holy Spirit, ever striving
Through us in a ceaseless strife;
Holy Spirit, ever forming
In the Church the mind of Christ:
You we praise with endless worship
For Your gifts and fruits unpriced.
3 Holy Spirit, ever working
Through the Church’s ministry;
Quick’ning, strength’ning, and absolving,
Setting captive sinners free;
Holy Spirit, ever binding
Age to age and soul to soul
In communion never ending,
You we worship and extol.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
DISMISSAL
Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE Holy Spirit, Ever Dwelling Setting: Paul D. Weber
FLOWERS: ” O God the Holy Spirit, You are the Third Person in the ever Blessed and most adorable Trinity, distinct from the Father and the Son, and eternally proceeding from them both. Have mercy upon me a miserable sinner. Sanctify and renew my corrupt nature and restore it to its primitive perfection and dignity. Fill me with You blessed fruits: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance, that I living in Your Spirit, may walk in it, O Father, O Son, and O Holy Spirit, Three Persons but one God blessed forever. Amen.” (A Prayer to the Holy Spirit, authorship attributed to Johann Gerhard) By Jennifier Zambone
FELLOWSHIP: Leisure Group
Those serving:
8:00 a.m.:
Greeter: Steve Janssen
Comm. assist: Jim Easterly
Reader: Anne Kauzlarich
10:30 a.m.:
Greeter: Aaron Siebrass
Comm. assist: Holly Siebrass
Reader: Janice Sebring
Acolyte: Daniel Wang
AV Assist: Hannes Buuck, Andreas Buuck
Acknowledgments
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 © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
503 O Day Full of Grace Text: Scandinavian, c. 1450; tr. Gerald Thorson, 1921–2001 Tune: Christoph E. F. Weyse, 1774–1842 Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326 Tune: Public domain
501 Come Down, O Love Divine Text: Bianco da Siena, c. 1350–1434; tr. Richard F. Littledale, 1833–90 Tune: Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1872–1958 Text and tune: Public domain
768 To God the Holy Spirit Let Us Pray Text: tr. Worship Supplement, 1969, alt.; (st. 1): German, c. 13th cent.; (sts. 2–4): Martin Luther, 1483–1546 Tune: Geystliche gesangk Buchleyn, 1524, Wittenberg, ed. Johann Walter Text: © 1969 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326 Tune: Public domain
650 Holy Spirit, Ever Dwelling Text: Timothy Rees, 1874–1939, alt.
Tune: Oude en Nieuwe Hollantse . . . Contradanseu, c. 1710, Amsterdam Text and tune: Public domain
