Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
Pentecost 4 6.24-25.23. PDF DS 4
FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
JUNE 24/25, 2023
IN THE NAME OF JESUS, WELCOME TO ST. PAUL’S!
Saturday – 5:00p.m.; Sunday – 10:00 a.m.
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THE ENTRANCE RITE
PRELUDE Father Most Holy Setting: Dennis W. Zimmer
WELCOME
ENTRANCE HYMN Father Most Holy LSB 504
1 Father most holy, merciful, and tender;
Jesus, our Savior, with the Father reigning;
Spirit of comfort, advocate, defender,
Light never waning;
2 Trinity blessèd, unity unshaken,
Goodness unbounded, very God of heaven,
Light of the angels, joy of those forsaken,
Hope of all living,
3 Maker of all things, all Thy creatures praise Thee;
All for Thy worship were and are created;
Now, as we also worship Thee devoutly,
Hear Thou our voices.
4 Lord God Almighty, unto Thee be glory,
One in three persons, over all exalted!
Glory we offer, praise Thee and adore Thee,
Now and forever.
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. O God,
because Your abiding presence always goes with us, keep us aware of Your daily mercies that we may live secure and content in Your eternal love; 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) Jeremiah 20:7-13
O Lord, you have deceived me,
and I was deceived;
you are stronger than I,
and you have prevailed.
I have become a laughingstock all the day;
everyone mocks me.
For whenever I speak, I cry out,
I shout, “Violence and destruction!”
For the word of the Lord has become for me
a reproach and derision all day long.
If I say, “I will not mention him,
or speak any more in his name,”
there is in my heart as it were a burning fire
shut up in my bones,
and I am weary with holding it in,
and I cannot.
For I hear many whispering.
Terror is on every side!
“Denounce him! Let us denounce him!”
say all my close friends,
watching for my fall.
“Perhaps he will be deceived;
then we can overcome him
and take our revenge on him.”
But the Lord is with me as a dread warrior;
therefore my persecutors will stumble;
they will not overcome me.
They will be greatly shamed,
for they will not succeed.
Their eternal dishonor
will never be forgotten.
O Lord of hosts, who tests the righteous,
who sees the heart and the mind,
let me see your vengeance upon them,
for to you have I committed my cause.
Sing to the Lord;
praise the Lord!
For he has delivered the life of the needy
from the hand of evildoers.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM 91 (Sung responsively)
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.
Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refuge—
no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”
SECOND LESSON Romans 6:12-23
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.
When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
(10:00) CHILDREN’S SERMON
ALLELUIA VERSE (Stand)
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL Matthew 10:5a, 21-33
The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the 10th chapter.
Glory to You, O Lord.
These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them,
“Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.
“So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”
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 is the second of three consecutive readings the church has assigned from Matthew chapter 10. This chapter is an extended teaching from Jesus on the subject of mission – one which starts with specific instructions to twelve chosen disciples as they head out on a time of training, and then moves to statements which probably come from later in Jesus’ ministry and are meant to speak to all of us. These additions compiled by Matthew shouldn’t surprise us, because Matthew often groups teachings together by thematic category rather than chronology.
In last Sunday’s portion of the chapter we saw Jesus giving the Twelve powerful authority in their mission. They were given authority to cast out evil and to proclaim the coming of God’s kingdom.
The scope of their mission, however, was limited. The disciples were only to reach out to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
When we read on in chapter 10, and arrive at verse 18, we hear Jesus say that his followers will be “dragged before governors and kings for his sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.” And these words point toward the wider scope the apostles would have after Jesus ascended to heaven and gave them the Spirit. The mission at that time would be to all nations.
Also in this section, which we did not read, are statements of Jesus expanding on his command that the Twelve should freely give because they had freely received. Jesus says that he doesn’t want the disciples to acquire any money or excess clothing, because this would weigh them down. The only thing they should receive is a meal, for as he said: “the laborer deserves his food.”
One additional item in these verses regards how the Twelve would be received by those they encountered. Some people would welcome them, but others wouldn’t.
For those who did welcome them, the Twelve were to let their peace come upon the person’s house. And to this I will add that when Luke conveys this teaching, he calls those who welcome the disciples “people of peace “(Luke 10). I share this to remind you that we have spoken about this concept and the people it describes in Bible classes about witnessing. When we look to share the Good News of Christ’s love with others, it’s good to identify those who are peaceful toward us.
Turning our attention to today’s part of chapter 10, we see that Jesus now says more about what happens when his message is spread. Because some people receive his message and
some don’t, conflict between them will often result. And this may lead to the persecution of those who receive it. Furthermore, persecution will especially be directed at those who deliver the message. Jesus says: “Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake.”
These are hard words for us to hear. Because at its core our Christian message is about uniting people. Those of us who have embraced the faith have seen with our own eyes how Christ’s message of love, forgiveness and reconciliation can lead people to put aside their differences and come together in unity. The Christian message works powerfully in this way.
But Jesus reminds us here that his message sometimes divides people too. And when division comes, some people will do ugly things.
In our first reading today we heard Jeremiah crying out to the Lord in anguish. He had proclaimed God’s word to his community, doing so at God’s command, and for his efforts had been beaten and thrown into prison.
As the prayer progresses, Jeremiah remembers that God will help him and vindicate him. His turning to God in prayer has helped him turn away from his feelings of hurt and anger, which is good. But it also makes us to wonder what might have happened had Jeremiah not turned to God in prayer.
Angry people will often do ugly things. Christians, too, may feel anger about others rejecting God’s love in Christ. The conflict that exists is upsetting.
But we can’t compel others to believe as we do. And we certainly aren’t to persecute them.
I wish I could say that Christians always understood this. Unfortunately, I can’t. Christians have behaved badly toward others too. And when we are those Christians – and sometimes we are – we must repent.
When some believe in the message of Jesus and others don’t, conflict will occur. Yet this doesn’t mean that believers can’t get along with unbelievers. We can find common cause in many aspects of life… our citizenship, our work efforts, our commitment to live decently and in good order. Christians are taught to do their part in getting along—to be patient and loving toward unbelievers, knowing that God wants the best for them. We are to hope and pray that someday these unbelievers will see the light. And we can take heart in knowing that many of them will.
In our life this side of heaven, the Gospel message will cause conflict. For the first Christians it caused conflict as they moved away from the teachings of their families. They were seen as rebels and as those led astray by the voice of temptation. Notice how Jesus references this accusation when he says: “If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household?” Beelzebul is a name that indicates the demonic.
Jesus was said to be of the Devil on more than one occasion, and this would be said of his disciples too.
This kind of conflict still happens today. Those who leave the faith of their families and turn to Christ are almost always questioned about this. And many will face persecution.
By the way, this is also true for those who leave a non-religious life to follow Christ. In fact, I’m guessing the persecution is greater for those who leave this kind of family than it is for those who leave another religion. We should be aware of this, because more and more in our country, these are the kinds of conversions that are taking place.
I’ve recently been reading a book about ancient Rome, and the author is definitely not a fan of Christianity. When describing the Roman persecutions of the Christians, he is careful to state that the lies told about the Christians and the horrific things done to them were unacceptable. At the same time, he also expresses a lot of sympathy for the feelings of anger people had towards them, because – according to him – these came as a result of watching a superior culture erode.
Does that attitude sound familiar?
Christians involved in the mission of Christ (which should be all Christians, of course) will face conflict and persecution. That’s just a fact we must accept. However, we should also be careful to differentiate between conflict and persecution.
Conflict is natural. Conflict just comes when there is disagreement. It doesn’t have to lead to hostility.
Persecution, on the other hand, is hostile.
Jesus said that his followers will face hostile persecution. They will be hated. They will be marginalized. And they will be attacked.
At the same time, we Christians must be careful not to claim persecution when that label is not warranted. We must not make ourselves the victim when in reality we’re not.
Not all conflict is persecution. Those who claim persecution too quickly are engaging in hostility themselves, for they are pronouncing a judgment that may not be true.
We’ve all seen how communities wrestle with the motivations and circumstances of the crimes that are committed in their midst. If a perpetrator is a different color than the victim, does that mean the act was racist? If there’s a difference in religion or ideology, does that mean the act was a hate crime? Can these determinations be made quickly and easily? In most cases, no.
But these labels get thrown out very liberally these days. People like to draw quick conclusions, and there’s hay to be made in either applying the labels or holding them back.
About this, we can be sympathetic to a point, knowing that labels work toward the need of identifying an answer to a question in a time of deep grief. People want an explanation. We’re troubled when we don’t have one.
However, drawing conclusions without certainty only spreads more feelings of hostility. And it cheapens the very real persecution that does exist. This happens with claims of religious persecution too.
Jesus told his disciples: “I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.” There are definitely those who love to attack Christians in our world. But we need to remember that not everyone who believes differently than we do is a wolf.
Jesus concluded his statement by saying: “so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” Being wise means not rushing to judgment. And being innocent means keeping silent when you don’t have all the facts.
To keep us from undue accusations, Jesus goes on in the text to share about his promised protection. “Have no fear of them,” he says. “Have no fear… for nothing is covered that will not be revealed or hidden that will not be known.” In other words, God will execute his perfect judgment in the end. Evil persecutors will not go unpunished. Jesus makes this clear by next saying: “do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
God loves his disciples and values them greatly. He sees their suffering and will not allow it to overwhelm them. He protects them and encourages them. God knows if a lowly sparrow falls to the ground. He even knows the number of hairs on our heads. He is in control. We do not need to fear.
Above all, God heals his people. “The Lord heals the broken-hearted, and binds up their wounds,” as the scripture says (Psalm 147:3). God does this most completely, and crucially, as he forgives our sins – doing this for the sake of Jesus who died on the cross to pay for those sins.
God has done everything necessary for our salvation. What he asks in return is that we acknowledge this. We are to acknowledge our savior Jesus not just in the privacy of our own faith, but also, as Jesus says, “before men.” We are to confess Jesus before those who do not share our belief; and we are to confess Jesus even before those who would persecute us for it.
June 25th is an important day in the history of the Church. On this day, in the year 1530, a group of reformers inspired by Dr. Martin Luther and his colleagues presented their confession of faith to an imperial hearing in the city of Augsburg Germany.
Luther, by that time, had already been excommunicated. So those who followed his teachings were opening themselves up not only to conflict but also to great persecution.
But these leaders believed in the reforms they were pushing. They believed the reforms were necessary for the good of the church. And above all, they believed that it was essential for the Gospel to be seen as a message of pure grace, apart from human works – a “free gift of God” as stated in today’s epistle reading (Romans 6:23).
They also believed, prompted by the promises of Jesus, that God’s truth would prevail. And so, when given the chance, they confessed their beliefs before the world.
The public reading of this document, known thereafter as the Augsburg Confession, was a watershed moment in the life of the church. It led to reasoned and sanctioned debate throughout the Christian church. And it led to great renewal.
Yes, the confession would also bring conflict. Unfortunately, there would be great hostility too. “Brother would deliver brother to death,” just as Jesus predicted.
And yet, the Reformation was a mighty movement of faith – one that changed the course of history for the better.
“Fear not,” said Jesus to his disciples as he prepared them for their time of mission. “Fear not.”
And ever since, men and women have heard those words of Jesus and joined him in his mission to the world. What about you?
Conflict and persecution will come. But God is watching over his people. God will uphold the innocent. God will forgive the penitent. God will strengthen the weak. And God will empower the faithful. The gates of hell will not prevail against that which God is doing.
The hymn that we will soon sing reminds us of these things. It is a prayer to God that he would protect us from persecution and assault while we do our work. Note, too, that its concluding petition is for God to give us peace in the midst of these threats. Yes, even in the midst of danger we can still have peace in our hearts.
So let us be people of mission, as God has called us. Let us reach out to all with the love of Christ – showing it in actions, expressing it in words, and doing so with confidence that God is with us. God has equipped us; and God will lead us.
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
HYMN OF THE DAY (Stand) Lord of Our Life LSB 659
1 Lord of our life and God of our salvation,
Star of our night and hope of ev’ry nation:
Hear and receive Your Church’s supplication,
Lord God Almighty.
2 See round Your ark the hungry billows curling;
See how Your foes their banners are unfurling
And with great spite their fiery darts are hurling,
O Lord, preserve us.
3 Lord, be our light when worldly darkness veils us;
Lord, be our shield when earthly armor fails us;
And in the day when hell itself assails us,
Grant us Your peace, Lord:
4 Peace in our hearts, where sinful thoughts are raging,
Peace in Your Church, our troubled souls assuaging,
Peace when the world its endless war is waging,
Peace in Your heaven.
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.
That sin would not reign in our mortal bodies nor make us obey its passions; and that we would instead present our bodies to God as instruments of righteousness, doing so as those brought from death into life, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For courage and fortitude, that God would lead us to boldly sing His praises, endure suffering for the name of Jesus, and continue by His grace to the end, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For the households of this congregation, that our Father in heaven would overcome divisions with unity of faith, give wisdom and peace where there is anger and strife, and bless parents with faithfulness to teach their children, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For the authorities of our nation, that God would bless them with wisdom to seek the common good, deliver them from temptations to oppose His will, and give them penitent hearts and confidence in His grace, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For a love of God’s Word, that though the world treats it with derision we would hold fast to its teachings and declare God’s praises, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For those persecuted for the name of Jesus, that God would look with favor upon them, be their strength in the fight against temptation, and make His mercy known to the world through their suffering, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For those who are struggling with illness, injury or threat, especially those on our prayer list and those we name in our hearts at this time… that they would be healed in body and soul and strengthened in faith to walk before God in the light of everlasting life, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For all who partake of Holy Communion this day, that they would present themselves as those brought out of death into life and receive in repentance the forgiveness of their sins, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
Be merciful to us, O Lord, and hear our prayers. Grant to us the grace of Your Holy Spirit, that we may be led into all truth and be steadfast in the confession of Christ; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
OFFERTORY Create in Me (LSB 956)
1 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.
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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)
The Communion Assistant will come forward to receive first, then those from the pulpit side – by order of pew, front to back. Communicants will come up the center aisle and return via the side aisle. When all from the pulpit side have communed, the baptismal font side will commune in the same manner. We ask that the wine be consumed away from the tray table. Empty cups should be dropped into the receptacles.
DISTRIBUTION HYMN O Lord, We Praise Thee LSB 617
1 O Lord, we praise Thee, bless Thee, and adore Thee,
In thanksgiving bow before Thee.
Thou with Thy body and Thy blood didst nourish
Our weak souls that they may flourish:
O Lord, have mercy!
May Thy body, Lord, born of Mary,
That our sins and sorrows did carry,
And Thy blood for us plead
In all trial, fear, and need:
O Lord, have mercy!
2 Thy holy body into death was given,
Life to win for us in heaven.
No greater love than this to Thee could bind us;
May this feast thereof remind us!
O Lord, have mercy!
Lord, Thy kindness did so constrain Thee
That Thy blood should bless and sustain me.
All our debt Thou hast paid;
Peace with God once more is made:
O Lord, have mercy!
3 May God bestow on us His grace and favor
That we follow Christ our Savior
And live together here in love and union
Nor despise this blest Communion!
O Lord, have mercy!
Let not Thy good Spirit forsake us;
Grant that heav’nly-minded He make us;
Give Thy Church, Lord, to see
Days of peace and unity:
O Lord, have mercy!
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 How Firm A Foundation LSB 728
1 How firm a foundation, O saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He has said
Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?
2 “Fear not! I am with you, O be not dismayed,
For I am your God and will still give you aid;
I’ll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand,
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.
3 “The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose
I will not, I will not, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never, forsake!
4 “When through fiery trials your pathway will lie,
My grace, all-sufficient, will be your supply.
The flames will not hurt you; I only design
Your dross to consume and your gold to refine.
5 “Throughout all their lifetime My people will prove
My sov’reign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And then, when gray hairs will their temples adorn,
Like lambs they will still in My bosom be borne.”
ANNOUNCEMENTS (Be seated)
DISMISSAL
Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE How Firm a Foundation Setting: Jeffery Blersch
Those serving:
Saturday, June 24, 5:00 p.m.:
Greeter: Steve Berg
Comm. assist: Jim Easterly
Reader: Cameron Swanson
Sunday, June 25, 10:00 a.m.:
Greeter: Lynn Jacquez
Comm. assist: Dan Buuck
Reader: Lynn Jacquez
AV Assistants: Hannes Buuck, Andreas Buuck
FLOWERS: To the glory of God and in memory of Janet’s grandmother, Hazel Porterfield.
The Poores
Fellowship Contributors: Board of Fellowship
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 © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
Create in Me Text: Psalm 51:10–12 Tune: Johann Georg Winer, 1583–1651, adapt. Text & Tune: Public domain
504 Father Most Holy Text: Latin, c. 10th cent.; tr. Percy Dearmer, 1867–1936, alt.Tune: Antiphoner, 1681, Paris Text and tune: Public domain
659 Lord of Our Life Text: Matthäus Apelles von Löwenstern, 1594–1648; tr. Philip Pusey, 1799–1855, alt. Tune: Antiphoner, 1746, Poitiers Text & Tune: Public domain
617 O Lord, We Praise Thee Text: tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.
Tune: Geystliche gesangk Buchleyn, 1524, Wittenberg, ed. Johann Walter Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326 Tune: Public domain
728 How Firm a Foundation Text: A Selection of Hymns, 1787, London, alt. Tune: Genuine Church Music, 1832, Winchester Text and tune: Public domain
