The Third Sunday after Pentecost 6/9/24
THE THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
JUNE 9, 2024
IN THE NAME OF JESUS, WELCOME TO ST. PAUL’S!
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THE ENTRANCE RITE
PRELUDE Setting:
WELCOME
ENTRANCE HYMN “Away from Us!” the Demon Cried LSB 541
1 “Away from us!” the demon cried
When Christ, the Lord, drew near.
“Our dark, disordered world is lost
When You, the Light, appear!”
2 But Jesus spoke with God’s own pow’r;
“Come forth!” was His command;
For evil cannot bear the Light
Nor sin the Truth withstand.
3 O risen Christ, God’s living Word,
To us, we pray, draw near.
Come, speak the truth that cleanses sin
With love that conquers fear.
4 Drive out the doubt that cripples faith;
Expel our pride and greed
That we, from pow’rs that threaten us,
May, by Your grace, be freed.
5 Then help us, Lord, to greet each day
With hearts and wills made new
And, when You call us forth to serve,
To rise and follow You.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION LSB 203
In the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
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.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
Almighty God, merciful Father, in Holy Baptism You declared us to be Your children and gathered us into Your one, holy Church, in which You daily and richly forgive us our sins and grant us new life through Your Spirit. Be in our midst, enliven our faith, and graciously receive our prayer and praise; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
KYRIE LSB 204
Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
HYMN OF PRAISE – “Gloria in Excelsis” LSB 204
1 To God on high be glory
And peace to all the earth;
Goodwill from God in heaven
Proclaimed at Jesus’ birth!
We praise and bless You, Father;
Your holy name, we sing—
Our thanks for Your great glory,
Lord God, our heav’nly King.
2 To You, O sole-begotten,
The Father’s Son, we pray;
O Lamb of God, our Savior,
You take our sins away.
Have mercy on us, Jesus;
Receive our heartfelt cry,
Where You in pow’r are seated
At God’s right hand on high—
3 For You alone are holy;
You only are the Lord.
Forever and forever,
Be worshiped and adored;
You with the Holy Spirit
Alone are Lord Most High,
In God the Father’s glory.
“Amen!” our glad reply.
THE PRAYER OF THE DAY
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray. Almighty and eternal God,
Your Son Jesus triumphed over the prince of demons and freed us from bondage to sin. Help us to stand firm against every assault of Satan, and enable us always to do Your will; through Jesus Christ, 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) Genesis 3:8-15
They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
The Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all livestock
and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM 130 (Sung responsively)
Out of the depths
I cry to you, O Lord!
O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleas for mercy!
If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.
O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption.
And he will redeem Israel
from all his iniquities.
SECOND LESSON 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1
Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
For we know that if the tent, which is our earthly home, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
10:30 CHILDREN’S SERMON
ALLELUIA VERSE (Stand) LSB 205
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL Mark 3:20-35
The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the 3rd chapter.
Glory to You, O Lord.
Then [Jesus] went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”
And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.
“Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”
And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”
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:
As we just heard in the Gospel reading, Jesus’ family was at one point very concerned about him. They were concerned because he was doing new and usual things like casting out demons.
In the same way, some families today get concerned when one of their own does the new and unusual thing of going to church! Sadly, this happens more than you might think.
Jesus’ family became even more concerned when he was condemned by the established religious leaders. But Jesus assured them that he was just fine. He was battling evil, with the power of the Holy Spirit, and this was bound to cause some consternation.
Jesus then used the occasion to warn people about making too much out of their families. For as he said, true family is found when people do the will of God.
About that, Jesus forms true family through his teachings. And the visible embodiment of this family is his church – the ones he has called, gifted and sent into the world as his witnesses. Jesus empowers this family with the same Spirit he has and intercedes for it in prayer. Those of us who have been baptized into his name and continue to confess our faith in him can be assured that we belong to this wonderful family and will be blessed by it.
Having said this, however, we also need to remember that like his biological family in today’s reading, Jesus’ church family sometimes gets things wrong.
That was definitely the case with the church in Corinth. Today is the second of six Sundays in which we are reading from the book of Second Corinthians. And as we mentioned last week, the church of Corinth had many issues.
All churches have their issues – ours included. Churches are made up of sinners and will always have struggles. But the church in Corinth seemed to have more struggles than most. Some just do.
To help this church Paul visited and wrote letters. Two of his letters have survived – the ones we know as First and Second Corinthians. Two other letters, which are mentioned in these, are now lost. These letters were probably more situational and without the same depth of teaching, which would explain why they weren’t circulated.
Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians addresses a number of very specific issues. In it he gives instructions on topics such as communion practice, lawsuits among believers, marriage issues, divisions in the church, and other topics as well.
In his second letter, Paul addresses issues surrounding his apostleship and elaborates a bit on an offering he wants the church to give. But mostly he speaks in a more general way about how Christians can deal with issues themselves. The letter gives lots of encouragement. Above all, it encourages the people to be reconciled to God and to one another.
Last Sunday we heard Paul speak about the challenge of facing opposition from others. He used himself and his fellow leaders as examples – sharing how they were opposed by some who questioned their leadership. Paul’s point on the matter was that Christ’s followers can face their opposition without fear because they carry within themselves the great treasure of the Gospel.
But Paul also explained that this treasure was held by them in jars of clay. And this image was used to remind them that their lives were ordinary and fragile. He did this to keep them humble and to explain that they would experience suffering in their lives.
Paul then summarized the Christian life by saying: “we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” In other words, Christ’s followers may suffer, but they have inside them a treasure that is immensely powerful. And this power is more than enough to sustain them.
Today’s reading immediately follows these words from last Sunday and builds on them with further encouragement. Perhaps the line that stands out the most is the statement: “we do not lose heart.”
Years ago, driving through what I believe may have been Pennsylvania, I saw a billboard ad for a hospital featuring a young woman bent down in a runner’s crouch getting ready to start a race. What was unique about the image was that one of the woman’s legs was clearly prosthetic. The writing on the billboard said: “Lost leg. Not heart.”
As we know, life’s losses present us with great challenges. And all of us have had plenty of losses over the years.
Some of these losses aren’t really that traumatic, or at least shouldn’t be. Like the loss of a game. I say that as one who needs to be reminded of this from time to time!
But other losses are greatly significant. We lose friends. We lose jobs. We lose our abilities. We lose our confidence. We lose family – sometimes to moves; sometimes to conflict; sometimes to death.
In today’s text, Paul mentions our “outer self wasting away.” This is clearly a reference to the loss of ability which comes with age. And this is a loss which is sad to think about but one that we all know comes in due time.
When losses compound, people face the threat of losing heart. And losing heart is the greatest loss of all. Paul certainly knew this. For he speaks against it twice in this chapter.
How is it that, then, that one can keep from losing heart?
The woman on the billboard had doctors and a hospital to help get her back on her feet. Such help makes a great difference, of course. But keeping one’s heart takes more than this.
What is it that allows people to go forward with a joyful spirit? What is it that helps us pursue meaningful goals? What is it that moves us to keep faith when life’s challenges threaten to drag us down?
According to Paul, these are all accomplished by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. Today’s verses tell of having a “spirit of faith.” And this spirit comes from what was shared in verses immediately before these – the life and death of Jesus “manifested in our mortal flesh.”
This faith, says Paul, is like the one expressed in Psalm 116. Paul quotes a short bit of it here, saying: “I believed, and so I spoke.” Paul uses these words to note how faith moves people to give witness to others even amidst their suffering, just as he was doing.
The full psalm verse speaks to another side of this. It emphasizes the benefits of such faith to us. The full quote is: “I believed, even when I said: ‘I am greatly afflicted.’” In other words, God’s Spirit allows us to have faith even in those times when we cry out about our affliction.
Let’s face it, our afflictions often move us to speak out in negative ways. Think of the times we miss the nail and hit our thumbs instead. Or the times someone criticizes us. We’re usually quick to speak out in angry protest. Or to at least formulate those thoughts.
Faith can overcome our woeful cries. For faith tells us that we’re going to be okay. It assures us that God is helping us with his great strength.
I will remind you that such overcoming will happen more quickly and more naturally when we have practiced giving voice to our faith. The practice we receive in prayer and worship helps our thoughts of faith to prevail.
When we have faith, we can speak about our afflictions as Paul does. Notice what he calls them. He calls them “light and momentary.”
We don’t usually think of our pains and losses as light and momentary. But perhaps we should. As Paul points out, they are definitely light and momentary in comparison to the “weight of glory” which is to come.
Paul’s words here aren’t meant to minimize our hurt. Paul experienced plenty of hurt himself, so he knows of the great pains people endure.
Instead, his words are meant to give us some perspective. As we know, our perspective often needs to be adjusted.
When Psalm 116 speaks of maintaining faith during affliction, it does so with the idea of God’s salvation in mind – a salvation that overcomes even death. Of the many great lines on the subject in the psalm, perhaps the most direct is: “For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living” (v. 8,9). I love that verse from the psalm – especially its last words – and am always moved by them.
Notice that Paul’s letter goes in the same direction. The spirit of faith knows that “he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.” It is the resurrection of Jesus, and the path it shows, which gives the eternal glory outweighing all our troubles.
In these words we see how certain Paul is of his resurrection. His certainty comes because Jesus was resurrected first.
And this is the faith that is commended to us. Since Jesus rose from the dead, so can we. Living in this faith keeps us from losing heart.
In the last verse of today’s text – which is the first verse of next Sunday’s text – Paul describes our death as losing “the tent that is our earthly home.” Losing one’s home is a big loss; perhaps one of the worst. But losing a tent isn’t so bad – especially when our new home will be a much greater building; one built by God.
Someday, when we are resurrected to life, we will exchange our tent for a wonderful new building. We will have a new home and be a new creation. We will live in a new creation too.
And lest we think that the life to come is our only hope, Paul reminds us too that Christ’s message of salvation is making things new even now. He does this when he explains: “For this is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.”
When thanksgiving increases, so do blessings such as peace and joy. That’s because thankful hearts are content, and thankful hearts can share. Thankful hearts give glory to God, and all of this multiplies as grace is extended to more and more people.
As you probably know, the church in this country is declining as a percentage of the population. And it’s declining in visible power and societal prestige as well. But the church also continues to grow – here and around the world – as it extends grace to more and more people. In fact, wherever we see an increase of thanksgiving, we see the spirit of faith at work.
Paul reminds us that this growth won’t always be seen. That’s why he urges us to “look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.” “The things that are seen,” he explains, “are transient. But the things that are unseen are eternal.”
We won’t always see growth, just like we won’t always see God and the things God does. But we live by faith. In fact, we have the spirit of faith. And because of this we do not lose heart.
Our afflictions won’t always seem light and momentary. They may in fact be very heavy and go on for years. But they will come to an end someday. And while we wait for this, the Lord God helps us to shoulder our afflictions. He does this as our inner self is renewed day by day.
Of this inner renewal, Luther said in the catechism: “Baptism indicates that the Old Adam in us should, by daily contrition and repentance, be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.” His words here relay both instruction and promise. They instruct us to repent, and they point out God’s promise to restore.
Luther’s thoughts on this, by the way, come from Second Corinthians. Chapter five says: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.”
In Christ, God promises to renew us in faith and lead us through our afflictions. Knowing of this great promise, we do not lose heart.
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
HYMN OF THE DAY (Stand) Rise! To Arms! With Prayer Employ You LSB 668
1 Rise! To arms! With prayer employ you,
O Christians, lest the foe destroy you;
For Satan has designed your fall.
Wield God’s Word, the weapon glorious;
Against all foes be thus victorious,
For God protects you from them all.
Fear not the hordes of hell,
Here is Emmanuel.
Hail the Savior!
The strong foes yield
To Christ, our shield,
And we, the victors, hold the field.
2 Cast afar this world’s vain pleasure
And boldly strive for heav’nly treasure.
Be steadfast in the Savior’s might.
Trust the Lord, who stands beside you,
For Jesus from all harm will hide you.
By faith you conquer in the fight.
Take courage, weary soul!
Look forward to the goal!
Joy awaits you.
The race well run,
Your long war won,
Your crown shines splendid as the sun.
3 Wisely fight, for time is fleeting;
The hours of grace are fast retreating;
Short, short is this our earthly way.
When the Lord the dead will waken
And sinners all by fear are shaken,
The saints with joy will greet that day.
Praise God, our triumph’s sure.
We need not long endure
Scorn and trial.
Our Savior King
His own will bring
To that great glory which we sing.
APOSTLES’ CREED Hymnal, back cover
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.
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
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Merciful God, You have sent the promised Offspring to crush Satan’s head forever by the death of Christ, our Savior. As You gave comfort to Adam and Eve, receiving their meager confessions for the sake of Your grace and promising deliverance from sin and its curse, so comfort us by the forgiveness of sins and give us hope in the promise of eternal life in Your new creation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Christ has made us His brothers by His incarnation and suffering, and with him we are fellow heirs of Your undivided kingdom. Give boldness to those who preach, strength to those who work, generosity to those who give, and patience to those who suffer in Your Church, that we may do your will and be true and faithful members of your household. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Give courage to Your Church, O Lord, that as we believe, so we also would speak of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the confident hope we have in Him. Embolden us by Your Spirit to confess this Christian faith from a lively conscience, that for Christ’s sake, grace may extend to more and more people and increase thanksgiving to Your glory. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, no kingdom divided against itself can stand, and a house divided must fall. Graciously preserve our nation and its governance. Frustrate the work of Satan and the seeds of destruction he would sow were he not stayed by Your gracious hand. Unite our leaders and our people for the common good. And lead us to hope above all in that eternal kingdom which is not of this world. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Eternal Lord, hear our prayers for Your servants who suffer in this earthly tent, especially the Smith family, all who mourn, those on our prayer list, and those we name before you at this time… Do not let them lose heart but fix their eyes beyond what is transient to the things unseen. By their slight momentary afflictions, prepare them for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, when at last You will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with You into His presence. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Lord, as Satan once overcame our first parents through the eating of the tree’s fruit, so overcome him now by the fruit of Your Son’s cross, given in his Holy Supper. Bless all who commune with repentance and faith, that in the comfort of the Gospel they may be cleansed and prepared for eternal life with You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, what was lost in Paradise has been regained by the conquering wounds of Your Son, crucified and raised again. In Him, we are restored as Your children and made bold to ask for every need. Hear us for His sake and in His name, even Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
OFFERTORY Let the Vineyards Be Fruitful (LSB 955)
Let the vineyards be fruitful, Lord,
And fill to the brim our cup of blessing.
Gather a harvest from the seeds that were sown,
That we may be fed with the bread of life.
Gather the hopes and the dreams of all;
Unite them with the prayers we offer now.
Grace our table with Your presence, and give us
A foretaste of the feast to come.
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SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT
PREFACE (Stand) LSB 208-210
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 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
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!
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
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.
THE WORDS OF OUR LORD
PAX DOMINI
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
Amen.
AGNUS DEI LSB 210
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.
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 The Tree of Life LSB 561
1 What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Ev’rything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit;
Oh, what needless pain we bear—
All because we do not carry
Ev’rything to God in prayer!
2 Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our ev’ry weakness—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
3 Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee;
Thou wilt find a solace there.
NUNC DIMITTIS LSB 211
1 O Lord, now let Your servant
Depart in heav’nly peace,
For I have seen the glory
Of Your redeeming grace:
A light to lead the Gentiles
Unto Your holy hill,
The glory of Your people,
Your chosen Israel.
2 All glory to the Father,
All glory to the Son,
All glory to the Spirit,
Forever Three in One;
For as in the beginning,
Is now, shall ever be,
God’s triune name resounding.
PRAYER (Stand)
BENEDICTION
SENDING HYMN Go, My Children with My Blessing LSB 922
1 Awake, O sleeper, rise from death,
And Christ shall give you light;
So learn His love, its length and breadth,
Its fullness, depth, and height.
2 To us on earth He came to bring
From sin and fear release,
To give the Spirit’s unity,
The very bond of peace.
3 Then walk in love as Christ has loved,
Who died that He might save;
With kind and gentle hearts forgive
As God in Christ forgave.
4 For us Christ lived, for us He died,
And conquered in the strife;
Awake, arise, go forth in faith,
And Christ shall give you life.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
DISMISSAL
Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE Go, My Children with My Blessing Setting: William H. Bates
FLOWERS In loving memory of Albert Stephen Zambone (1931-2020). By Jennifer Zambone
FELLOWSHIP: Council Officers
Those serving:
8:00 a.m.:
Greeter: Jim Easterly
Comm. assist: Judy Koucky
Reader: Anne Kauzlarich
10:30 a.m.:
Greeter: Jason Starck
Comm. assist: Dan Buuck
Reader: Michael Chamberlain
Acolyte: William Dennis
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.
955 Let the Vineyards Be Fruitful Text: John W. Arthur, 1922–80 Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326
541 “Away from Us!” the Demon Cried Text: Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007
Tune: African American spiritual; adapt. Harry T. Burleigh, 1866–1949 Text: © 2000 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326 Tune: Public domain
668 Rise! To Arms! With Prayer Employ You Text: Wilhelm Erasmus Arends, 1677–1721; tr. John M. Sloan, 1835–after 1890, alt. Tune: Philipp Nicolai, 1556–1608 Text and tune: Public domain
561 The Tree of Life Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955 Tune: Bruce W. Becker, 1952 Text: © 1993 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326 Tune: © 1995 Bruce W. Becker. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326
922 Go, My Children, with My Blessing Text: Jaroslav J. Vajda, 1919–2008 Tune: Welsh, 18th cent. Text: © 1983 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326 Tune: Public domain
