Twelfth Sunday a. Pentecost 8/10-11
Pentecost 12 8.10-11.24. PDF Alt Set
TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
AUGUST 10/11, 2024
IN THE NAME OF JESUS, WELCOME TO ST. PAUL’S!
✠ ✠ ✠
THE ENTRANCE RITE
PRELUDE Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation Setting: Robert Hobby
WELCOME
ENTRANCE HYMN Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation LSB 909
1 Christ is made the sure foundation,
Christ, our head and cornerstone,
Chosen of the Lord and precious,
Binding all the Church in one;
Holy Zion’s help forever
And our confidence alone.
2 To this temple, where we call You,
Come, O Lord of hosts, and stay;
Come with all Your loving-kindness,
Hear Your people as they pray;
And Your fullest benediction
Shed within these walls today.
3 Grant, we pray, to all Your faithful
All the gifts they ask to gain;
What they gain from You, forever
With the blessèd to retain;
And hereafter in Your glory
Evermore with You to reign.
4 Praise and honor to the Father,
Praise and honor to the Son,
Praise and honor to the Spirit,
Ever three and ever one:
One in might and one in glory
While unending ages run!
INVOCATION
In the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
God of all mercy and consolation, come to the aid of your people, turning us from our sin to live for you alone. Give us the power of your Holy Spirit that, attentive to your Word, we may confess our sins, receive your forgiveness, and grow into the fullness of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.
Kneel. Silence is observed for reflection and self-examination.
Gracious God,
have mercy upon us. In your compassion, forgive us our sins, known and unknown, things done and left undone. Uphold us by your Spirit so that we may live and serve you in newness of life, to the honor and glory of your holy name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life.
Amen.
KYRIE (Stand) LSB 944
For the peace from above and for our salvation; and for the peace of the whole world and the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord:
Kyrie Eleison; Christe Eleison; Kyrie Eleison.
For the well-being of the Church of God; and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord:
Kyrie Eleison; Christe Eleison; Kyrie Eleison.
Help, save, comfort and defend us, gracious Lord.
Kyrie Eleison; Christe Eleison; Kyrie Eleison.
GLORIA IN EXCELSIS Splendor and Honor LSB 950
1 Splendor and honor, majesty and power
Are Yours, O Lord God, fount of ev’ry blessing,
For by Your bidding was the whole creation
Called into being.
2 Praised be the true Lamb, slain for our redemption,
By whose self-off’ring we are made God’s people:
A priestly kingdom, from all tongues and nations,
Called to God’s service.
3 To the Almighty, throned in heav’nly splendor,
And to the Savior, Christ our Lamb and Shepherd,
Be adoration, praise, and glory given,
Now and forever.
THE PRAYER OF THE DAY
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray. Gracious Father,
Your blessed Son came down from heaven to be the true bread that gives life to the world. Grant that Christ, the bread of life, may live in us and we in Him, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
✠ ✠ ✠
THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
FIRST LESSON (Be seated) 1 Kings 19:1-8
Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM 34:1-8 (Spoken responsively)
I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together!
I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him,
and delivers them.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessèd is the man who takes refuge in him!
SECOND LESSON Ephesians 4:17-5:2
This I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
(10:00) CHILDREN’S SERMON
ALLELUIA VERSE (Stand) LSB 952
Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia, alleluia!
GOSPEL John 6:35-51
The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the 6th chapter.
Glory to You, O Lord.
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
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:
The Gospel lesson just read begins with the same verse that ended our reading last week. This is the verse where Jesus first calls himself “the bread of life.” As the reading progresses, Jesus repeats this description and adds a slightly different version too – calling himself the “living bread that came down from heaven.”
This image of Jesus as bread conveys a number of messages. Most obviously, it tells us that Jesus is someone who fills, satisfies and sustains us – just like bread does.
And because “bread” is a symbol for what we need – as in the prayer petition “give us this day our daily bread” – it tells us, by inference, that Jesus is also essential to our well-being. We need Jesus, just as the body needs food. Jesus is that important; we can’t live without him.
The image may also lead us to conclude – and rightfully so – that Jesus gives this life while appearing rather ordinary and plain. Bread is commonly known as one of those good, healthy staples that isn’t fancy or gourmet. And this makes for a very good comparison to Jesus who appeared before us as just an ordinary person.
But Jesus was not ordinary, of course. He was God made flesh. And perhaps the bread comparison hints at this special nature of his too. For bread, as we know, can also be a delicious treat.
These teachings from the bread image speak easily to people of all times. And they certainly connected with Jesus’ first hearers even more. That’s because the image took them back to the days of their forefathers.
They all knew the story of how God had cared for Elijah during his time of hiding from evil rulers – the story we read as our first reading today – where God sent an angel and a cake of bread and a jar of water to sustain him. And the people knew, too, how God had provided food for Israel during its trek through the wilderness following its escape from slavery. God had sustained them by miraculously sending bread each morning – bread from heaven, which they called “manna.”
This connection, between Israel’s past and the image of Jesus as bread, led to a good discussion between Jesus and the people. The connection helped them understand Jesus as one who stood in continuity with their past while also giving them something new and essential from God.
In examining last week’s portion of this discussion, we focused mostly upon how Jesus was sharing things about his identity. Jesus revealed to the people that he was sent by the Father and that God had set his seal upon him. Jesus called himself the “true” bread from heaven and explained that he gives life to the world.
Today’s portion moves us to address two other considerations. The first of these deals with the people’s struggle to believe this. We hear Jesus say to them: “But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.” Furthermore, we note that the people “grumbled” because of the things Jesus was saying.
The use of that word “grumble” – used two times here – is very significant. For when the people’s forefathers had travelled through the wilderness, they grumbled quite vocally. And their grumbling became an issue.
Their first grumblings were understandable. Food was hard to come by in the desert and it looked like they might starve. God responded to their grumbling by providing help. He said to Moses: “I have heard the grumbling of the people. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning, you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.’”
But the people persisted in their grumbling – next complaining that they didn’t like their food. God tolerated this grumbling for a while, for he is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. But eventually he had enough. The people’s continual grumbling showed that they would not be satisfied, so God punished them as a consequence.
With Jesus, the people grumbled because his teachings were new and difficult. Jesus was making claims about himself that were not easy to believe.
What’s more, the people had trouble seeing him as special and unique because he was so familiar to them. “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?” they said. “How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
Jesus responded by giving them lessons on faith – two lessons, that anticipate important questions people of all time have about believing. Those questions are: 1) why do some come to faith and others don’t? And 2) what, if anything, does God do about this?
Regarding the first question, Jesus points to the “drawing” by God that must happen for faith to occur. He says: “No one can come to me unless the Father draws him.” Later in the conversation, he would make this point again – but in a slightly different way, saying: “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
Jesus teaches here that God must enable our faith. And this is a teaching echoed by St. Paul when he says to the Corinthians: “no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:3). Luther includes this teaching in his Catechism where he leads us to say: “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.”
This teaching speaks to the passive nature of faith, making clear that our faith must be given to us. And this understanding is important, because it keeps us from giving ourselves undue credit.
Still, we must remember that faith has an active component as well. In his teaching to the people that day Jesus used the words “come” and “believe” – words that are active, not passive. He said: “Whoever comes to me shall not hunger and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” He also used the active word “look,” saying: “everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life.” These words indicate the participation of our will.
As you may know, the church has forever debated amongst itself the level and priority of the active and passive components of faith. And such debates have their place. Hearing Jesus today, we do well to simply recognize God’s action in faith as essential and thank him for the drawing and granting he does.
This drawing and granting about which Jesus teaches also addresses the second question we asked – the one regarding what God does about those who don’t come to faith. The scriptures tell us, in other places, that there is an ultimate judgment upon people’s works and that faith in Jesus as Savior will see people through that judgment.
Here in this text, Jesus simply reminds us that God continues to teach. “It is written in the Prophets,” he says: “‘And they will all be taught by God.’”
In quoting this prophecy from Isaiah, Jesus is saying that the God who acts powerfully to make his teachings known will do so most powerfully when the Messiah comes. Through the Messiah God will draw his people and grant them his greatest gifts.
Jesus then goes on to say: “Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me.” Jesus was fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy through his own teachings. And his teachings were leading people to faith in him as the way of salvation.
Reflecting on these words of Jesus, the great theologian St. Augustine makes a point about God drawing people that I found to be particularly profound. He says: “Do not think that you are drawn against your will. The soul is drawn also by love. And in case someone says to us, “How can I believe with the will if I am drawn?” I say that it is not enough to be drawn by the will; you are drawn even by delight. What is it to be drawn by delight? ‘Delight yourself in the Lord, and he shall give you the desires of your heart’ (Psalm 37:4). There is a certain craving of the heart to which that bread of heaven is sweet. If the poet could say: ‘Every person is drawn by his own pleasure’ (not necessity but pleasure; not obligation but delight) how much more boldly ought we to say that a person is drawn to Christ when he delights in the truth, when he delights in blessedness, delights in righteousness, delights in everlasting life. Do not the bodily senses have their pleasures and the soul its? Give me one who loves, who longs, who burns, who sighs for the source of his being and his eternal home, and he will know what I mean.”
Beautifully said. And it speaks also to that famous invitation given in today’s psalm – Psalm 34 – which says: “taste and see that the Lord is good.”
Earlier in the sermon, I noted that today’s portion of John 6 moves us to address two particular topics. The first of these was the challenge of belief. The second of these is the additional blessings which Jesus gives us as the bread of life.
We have already learned that Jesus gives nourishment to our souls and that he is essential to our true well-being. He is the bread of life. What Jesus now makes clear is that this life endures forever.
Last week’s portion of John 6 already hinted at this teaching. It did so as Jesus encouraged the people to work for “food that endures to eternal life” and as he mentioned that whoever came to him would “never hunger or thirst.” But in today’s section he speaks more directly, saying: “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
Here Jesus makes abundantly clear that the life he gives goes beyond the grave. And he does this by telling of the resurrection. Jesus will raise up those who have believed in him, on the last day, when he returns to end this world. At that time he will give them life forever in his new creation.
Jesus then repeats this message by saying to the people: “Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. [What I give] is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.”
Jesus had earlier mentioned this teaching to Nicodemus and to the woman at the well. And he had taught it also to some who engaged him in Jerusalem after he had healed an invalid. Now he began to teach it to the crowds.
Jesus would repeat this message many times during his ministry. But here we should note that his message also begs one further question. And that is the question of how such a gift could be bestowed upon sinful man. Those who sin deserve punishment, not life. How can Jesus uphold justice and at the same time promise eternal life?
To this question, Jesus supplies an answer in the final words of today’s reading. There he says: “And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
With these words Jesus clearly points ahead to his death on the cross. There on the cross he will give his flesh – meaning his life – as an offering. And this offering will give life by paying the price of human sin.
According to the world’s curse, sin leads to death. The only way for death to be overcome is by an atonement for that sin.
Jesus’ death accomplishes the needed atonement. It pays the price of all sin, for all people, including you and me, and thus gives life to the world.
This is the good news of salvation that we lift up every Sunday. And this is the good news that can sustain us each day. This is the news that will lead us in overcoming death; and the news which also leads us in overcoming despair.
Speaking of bread, this is the news we also remember in the Lord’s Supper – the meal where we receive the bread of life in the closest and most meaningful of ways today. Jesus later said: “Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.” Certainly, these words point to the supper he would later institute, where we abide with him, remember him, and rejoice.
To conclude, bread is indeed a powerful image, for it speaks to us so easily and conveys much meaning. But even more, it is our Lord Jesus himself who is truly powerful. He forgives sin; and abides with us in miraculous ways.
And for the sharing of his power with us, we give thanks.
May the power of Christ Jesus, then, continue to work good things within you. And may you continue to see his powerful blessings with the eyes of faith.
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
HYMN OF THE DAY (Stand) Lord, Enthroned in Heavenly Splendor LSB 534
1 Lord, enthroned in heav’nly splendor,
First-begotten from the dead,
You alone, our strong defender,
Lifting up Your people’s head.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Jesus, true and living bread!
Jesus, true and living bread!
2 Though the lowliest form now veil You
As of old in Bethlehem,
Here as there Your angels hail You,
Branch and flow’r of Jesse’s stem.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
We in worship join with them;
We in worship join with them.
3 Paschal Lamb, Your off’ring, finished
Once for all when You were slain,
In its fullness undiminished
Shall forevermore remain,
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Cleansing souls from ev’ry stain;
Cleansing souls from ev’ry stain.
4 Life-imparting heav’nly manna,
Stricken rock with streaming side,
Heav’n and earth with loud hosanna
Worship You, the Lamb who died,
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Ris’n, ascended, glorified!
Ris’n, ascended, glorified!
APOSTLES’ CREED LSB, 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
In peace, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For the whole Church on earth, that by the Spirit’s power all the baptized may become imitators of God as beloved children and walk in love, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For pastors and those who assist them, especially those suffering from conflict, burnout or depression, that our Lord would give them strength and courage through the example of Elijah and the prophets and apostles as well as comfort through the forgiveness of sins, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For this congregation, that we may be given grace to believe that we belong to one another through Christ and so put away all falsehood and malice, speaking His truth in love, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For all families and homes, that one generation may tell to the next the wonderful works of God in Christ, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For the nation, that all may live in harmony, neither suffering from want nor fearing danger, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For the sick and for those who mourn, including those on our prayer list and those whom we name in our hearts at this time… that they would never doubt that God knows their needs and hears their prayers; and for all others who suffer from any kind of hardship, that the Lord would relieve their pain and provide for them, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For all who receive Christ’s body and blood this day, that reconciled to each other they may rejoice to receive the Lord’s forgiveness through this precious gift, be strengthened in times of doubt, and be nourished in body and soul, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
Almighty God, heavenly Father, You sent Your Son to be the bread of life. Together with all the faithful who have gone before us, we give You thanks and praise. Keep us steadfast in the faith, so that when our last hour comes, we may rejoice with them at the marriage feast in His kingdom, which has no end. Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
OFFERTORY Create in Me (LSB 956)
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Thy presence;
and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation;
and uphold me with Thy free spirit. Amen.
✠ ✠ ✠
SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT
PREFACE (Stand)
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, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ our Lord…
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 961)
Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
heav’n and earth are full of Your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessèd, blessèd, blessèd is He
who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Blessed are you, Lord of heaven and earth. In mercy for our fallen world you gave your only Son, that all those who believe in him should not perish but have eternal life. We give thanks to you for the salvation you have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Send now your Holy Spirit into our hearts, that we may receive our Lord with a living faith as he comes to us in his holy supper.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
THE WORDS OF OUR LORD
THE 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 peace of the Lord be with you always.
Amen.
AGNUS DEI (LSB 962)
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 Your peace,
grant us Your peace,
grant us Your 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 What Is This Bread LSB 629
1 What is this bread?
Christ’s body risen from the dead:
This bread we break,
This life we take,
Was crushed to pay for our release.
O taste and see—the Lord is peace.
2 What is this wine?
The blood of Jesus shed for mine;
The cup of grace
Brings His embrace
Of life and love until I sing!
O taste and see—the Lord is King.
3 So who am I,
That I should live and He should die
Under the rod?
My God, my God,
Why have You not forsaken me?
O taste and see—the Lord is free.
4 Yet is God here?
Oh, yes! By Word and promise clear,
In mouth and soul
He makes us whole—
Christ, truly present in this meal.
O taste and see—the Lord is real.
5 Is this for me?
I am forgiven and set free!
I do believe
That I receive
His very body and His blood.
O taste and see—the Lord is good.
NUNC DIMITTIS (LSB 937)
1 Lord, bid Your servant go in peace,
Your word is now fulfilled.
These eyes have seen salvation’s dawn,
This child so long foretold.
2 This is the Savior of the world,
The Gentiles’ promised light,
God’s glory dwelling in our midst,
The joy of Israel.
3 With saints of old, with saints to come,
To You we lift our voice;
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest
Be honor, love, and praise.
PRAYER (Stand)
BENEDICTION
SENDING HYMN Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee LSB 803
1 Joyful, joyful we adore Thee,
God of glory, Lord of love!
Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee,
Praising Thee, their sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness,
Drive the gloom of doubt away.
Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day.
2 All Thy works with joy surround Thee,
Earth and heav’n reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee,
Center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flow’ry meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird, and flowing fountain
Call us to rejoice in Thee.
3 Thou art giving and forgiving,
Ever blessing, ever blest,
Wellspring of the joy of living,
Ocean-depth of happy rest!
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Fountainhead of love divine:
Joyful, we Thy heav’n inherit!
Joyful, we by grace are Thine!
ANNOUNCEMENTS (Be seated)
DISMISSAL
Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE Lord, Enthroned in Heavenly Splendor Walter Pelz
FELLOWSHIP CONTRIBUTORS: Christian Family
Those serving:
Organist: Lois Lehrer
Saturday, 5:00 p.m.:
Greeter: Steve Janssen
Comm. Assist.: Jill Hecht
Reader: Bill Muller
Sunday, 10:00 a.m.:
Greeter: Aaron Siebrass
Comm. assist: Holly Siebrass
Reader: Komal Christian
Acolyte: Elise Yashar
AV Assistants: 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. LSB Hymn License no. 110005326
909 Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation Text: Latin, c. 8th cent.; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt. Tune: Henry Purcell, 1659–95, adapt. Text and tune: Public domain
534 Lord, Enthroned in Heavenly Splendor Text: George H. Bourne, 1840–1925, alt. Tune: William Owen, 1813–93 Text and tune: Public domain
629 What Is This Bread Text: Frederic W. Baue, 1946 Tune: Jean Neuhauser Baue, 1951 Text and tune: © 1991 Fred and Jean Baue. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326
803 Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee Text: Henry Van Dyke, 1852–1933, alt. Tune: Ludwig van Beethoven, 1770–1827; adapt. Edward Hodges, 1796–1867 Text and tune: Public domain
