Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost 10/2
SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
OCTOBER 2, 2022
ST. PAUL’S LUTHERAN CHURCH, FALLS CHURCH, VA
8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
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THE ENTRANCE RITE
PRELUDE Lord Jesus Christ, Be Present Now Settings: P. Manz
WELCOME
ENTRANCE HYMN #902 (Stand) Lord Jesus Christ, Be Present Now
1 Lord Jesus Christ, be present now;
Our hearts in true devotion bow.
Your Spirit send with light divine,
And let Your truth within us shine.
2 Unseal our lips to sing Your praise
In endless hymns through all our days.
Increase our faith and light our minds;
And set us free from doubt that blinds.
3 Then shall we join the hosts that cry,
“O holy, holy Lord Most High!”
And in the light of that blest place
We then shall see You face to face.
4 All glory to the Father, Son,
And Holy Spirit, Three in One!
To You, O blessèd Trinity,
Be praise throughout eternity!
INVOCATION
In the name of the Father, and of the X 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 on 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)
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. (This means “Lord, have mercy.”)
For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise, and for the well-being of the church of God in Christ 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.
HYMN OF PRAISE #950 Spendor and Honor
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. O God,
our refuge and strength, the author of all godliness, by Your grace hear the prayers of Your Church. Grant that those things which we ask in faith we may receive through Your bountiful mercy; 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) Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4
The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw.
O Lord, how long shall I cry for help,
and you will not hear?
Or cry to you “Violence!”
and you will not save?
Why do you make me see iniquity,
and why do you idly look at wrong?
Destruction and violence are before me;
strife and contention arise.
So the law is paralyzed,
and justice never goes forth.
For the wicked surround the righteous;
so justice goes forth perverted.
I will take my stand at my watchpost
and station myself on the tower,
and look out to see what he will say to me,
and what I will answer concerning my complaint.
And the Lord answered me:
“Write the vision;
make it plain on tablets,
so he may run who reads it.
For still the vision awaits its appointed time;
it hastens to the end—it will not lie.
If it seems slow, wait for it;
it will surely come; it will not delay.
“Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,
but the righteous shall live by his faith.”
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
(10:30) PSALM 62 (Sung responsively)
For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress;
I shall not be greatly shaken.
How long will all of you attack a man
to batter him,
like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
They only plan to thrust him down from his high position.
They take pleasure in falsehood.
They bless with their mouths,
but inwardly they curse.
For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
for my hope is from him.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress;
I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my salvation and my glory;
my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us.
Those of low estate are but a breath;
those of high estate are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
they are together lighter than a breath.
Put no trust in extortion;
set no vain hopes on robbery;
if riches increase, set not your heart on them.
Once God has spoken;
twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,
and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.
For you will render to a man
according to his work.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
SECOND LESSON 2 Timothy 1:1-14
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus,
To Timothy, my beloved child:
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
(10:30) CHILDREN’S SERMON
ALLELUIA VERSE (Stand)
Alleluia.
Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
Alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL Luke 17:1-10
The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the 17th chapter
Glory to You, O Lord.
[Jesus] said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
“Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”
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:
If you worshiped with us before Covid, you may remember that I used to include sermon notes in the worship folders each Sunday. This was before I started writing out my sermons and making them available on our website. On the sermon notes I would occasionally include a comic written by my friend Jim Wetzstein, a professor at Valparaiso University. Jim circulates a weekly comic commenting on the church’s assigned readings, and they’re always very clever. The comic features two sheep: one who asks funny questions or makes unique observations, and one who gives a wise answer in reply.
This week’s comic has the first sheep suggesting that Jesus might need a few pointers on team building. He says this because he doesn’t think Jesus is being very effective when he calls his disciples “unworthy servants.” The second sheep responds by suggesting that the first sheep is perhaps missing the point. But the first sheep doesn’t hear this, because he’s already off and running with alternate suggestions, saying: “Maybe an incentive or recognition program would be better.” He then adds: “I know, disciple of the month!” The notes off to the side point out the convenience of the idea since there are twelve disciples.
The suggestion of that first sheep is humorous because we know Jesus doesn’t need any help, nor does he need to use the kinds of programs we do. Still, the sheep’s reaction to Jesus’ words isn’t that strange either, because we too might hear Jesus’ description as kind of a put-down. “Unworthy servants?” Is that who we are?
Let’s dive in to this a bit.
When hearing these words of Jesus, one thing we should recall is that Jesus also described or addressed his followers with other words too, and that these words usually indicated a closer and more enjoyable relationship.
For instance, Jesus sometimes referred to his disciples as friends. Back in chapter twelve (v.4), Jesus began a statement to them by saying: “I tell you, my friends…” which was just a quick reference but pointed ahead to what he later said very directly: “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15). Here Jesus indicates that the idea of his disciples as servants has in fact been superseded by the idea of them as friends.
Along these same lines, Jesus also indicated that his disciples were like family to him. One time, when asked about his mother and brothers, Jesus stretched out his hand toward his disciples and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!” (Matthew 12:49).
Today’s text uses the word “apostles” to describe the disciples. That word indicates that the disciples both had a job to do and also possessed a high status. Jesus trusted them to carry out his very own work, in his name. And he gave them authority and blessing to do it.
So, we see that “unworthy servants” is not the only or even the primary way that Jesus wants his disciples to understand themselves. It’s just one way among many.
Still, since Jesus used the phrase, we should consider it seriously. “Why is it,” we should ask, “that Jesus feels the need to employ such language?”
For those first disciples of Jesus, perhaps they needed to hear it because they were growing in their sense of importance and needed to be knocked down a bit. Jesus had already sent them out twice before on their own, and soon he would leave them and entrust his work to them.
Furthermore, as we’ve discovered the last two Sundays, the disciples knew that they were part of a Great Reversal in which they – as ones starting out poor and lowly – where being raised up to new heights. Jesus’ label of them as servants may have been invoked to keep them from thinking too highly of themselves. Perhaps they needed a reminder that their new place of honor and authority would still involve service, and that they didn’t bring as much to the table as they may have thought.
This label of Jesus for his first disciples is certainly intended for us as well. That’s because there are times when we, too, need a reality check.
And this is especially true as we consider the high calling that the Lord Jesus gives us. You and I may not be called as apostles. But like the apostles we are called to give witness to Jesus, which comes with his blessing and authority. In our work, the Lord lifts us up too.
But even in this high calling, we are also still servants.
To his servants, the Lord gives special directions. Our text today has two of them in particular.
First, disciples of Jesus are not only to avoid temptation themselves, but also avoid leading others into temptation. “Woe to the one through whom they come,” said Jesus. This statement of Jesus speaks to an extra measure of care we are to give as his servants. St. Paul spoke to this care a number of times in his writings, like when he said to the Romans (14:13): “never put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.” This calling of ours will involve some sacrifice. But it will also be rewarded.
The second special direction Jesus mentions in today’s reading is “pay attention to yourselves.” And here we note that this means paying attention to both one’s self and to one’s fellow disciples. We know this because of the verb form used in the original language and because
Jesus goes on to describe things which are to be noticed, saying: “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents forgive him.”
Rebuking another’s sin is a high calling as well, and one that we are definitely not worthy to do. But Jesus calls us to this task anyway when we are his disciple.
About this task, we should note that this is one which should always be done with great care. Today we read from Second Timothy chapter one, but if we were to press ahead to chapter four, we would hear St. Paul urge Timothy and the others to: “reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (4:2). Here we are reminded that if we can’t explain the sin to the one who has committed it, nor communicate the rebuke with gentleness and patience, then we have no business giving it.
A rebuke is only given for the purpose of turning the sinner to repentance. And it is only to be done in love.
Likewise, when repentance comes, we must be quick to declare God’s forgiveness. And we must extend our own forgiveness as well.
This is difficult work. It will take great faith. Which is no doubt why the disciples of Jesus in today’s reading then said to him: “increase our faith!”
As we know from the scriptures, Jesus will give an increase of faith when we ask for it. He is always ready to give. But Jesus also wants us to know that any amount of faith is powerful. And that’s the point of his reply to the disciples. “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed,” he said, “you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” Jesus pushes his disciples to go ahead with their work even though their faith may be small, even as he challenges them to refine, nurture and rely on their faith.
Today’s Gospel reading shows Jesus both building up his disciples and working to keep them humble. They are to live by faith – faith in him. Such faith will give disciples confidence in carrying out their tasks. And, at the same time, it will guide them in carrying out their tasks according to God’s will.
Our Old Testament reading today was no doubt chosen to emphasize this importance of living by faith. Habakkuk the prophet had been doing God’s work of calling his people to repentance, but the people would not listen. Moreover, their wickedness was not only an affront to God but also a threat to Habakkuk himself. Habakkuk therefore cried out to the Lord for justice and help, adding that common plea of the prophets: “how long?”
The Lord answered Habakkuk. He told him to write. He urged him to be patient. And he told how he knew that those who would not listen to him had a “puffed-up soul” and were “not right within.”
Then, having assured Habakkuk that he was aware of the situation and would deal with it in time, God said to him: “but the righteous shall live by faith.” And with these words God both assured Habakkuk of his righteousness and urged him to keep the faith. God made it clear that in contrast to the arrogant person, the one who lives by faith is righteous.
St. Paul understood all of this. In the first chapter of his great epistle to the Romans, he quotes Habakkuk as he describes the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul says: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith’” (1:16,17).
Good works can make one righteous to a point. But never righteous enough to receive salvation. Jesus Christ, through his death on the cross, is the one who makes people righteous. He does this through his death on the cross. There he paid the price of our sin, so that we might receive his righteousness and be saved. This Gospel – meaning Good News – is the one the prophets all pointed to, and which has been given by the Holy Spirit.
And by the way, Paul’s words in Romans are often translated instead as “the just shall live by faith.” The words “righteous” and “justice” are the same in Greek. Using the word “just” makes it even more clear that we are saved by being justified in God’s sight, and not because of our own righteousness.
All this is important because we sometimes slip into believing that our salvation is dependent upon our works and not Christ’s. And that understanding only leads to frustration and failure.
There’s an old story about a man who came to the Pearly Gates and asked St. Peter for entrance. Peter said to him: “On what basis should you be let in?”
“Well,” said the man, “I worked in the world of financial management, and I labored hard to make that realm a place where God’s will was done.”
“That’s great,” replied Saint Peter, “but, of course, we expected that.”
The man then said: “Uh … well, earlier I worked several years at low wages in the mission field. I tackled the causes of poverty and injustice in the Developing World. I worked directly with children, families and their communities. I even helped some people escape from human traffickers.”
“More good work,” said Peter. “Well done.”
The man expected to gain his entrance at this point. But Peter just stood there.
“Look,” said the man “I’ve worked hard to be faithful ever since God called me. I’ve kept my hand on the plow as it were and not looked back.”
“And your point is?” asked Peter.
The man, now clearly concerned, stammered, “That’s all I’ve got! There’s nothing more but the grace of God!”
“Exactly,” said Saint Peter, opening the gate. “Come on in.”
Sometimes we need to be reminded of our unworthiness before God. Not only will it keep us from thinking we can save ourselves by our good works, but it will also keep us from thinking that God somehow owes us thanks or that he owes us certain blessings.
God cares for us according to his mercy and grace. He provides for us, loves us, and considers us family. He has even prepared a home for us in the New Creation to come.
We are unworthy of these great blessings. But God gives them to us anyway.
He also blesses us by putting us to work in his kingdom. Being his servant is a blessing too.
We are unworthy servants, yes. But ones who are more than this too. We have great worth in the eyes of God because God loves us and because Jesus has earned our salvation.
May God then lead us and guide us in our service. And may he remind us of the great worth and value we have as his beloved children. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.
HYMN OF THE DAY #587 (Stand) I Know My Faith Is Founded
1 I know my faith is founded
On Jesus Christ, my God and Lord;
And this my faith confessing,
Unmoved I stand on His sure Word.
Our reason cannot fathom
The truth of God profound;
Who trusts in human wisdom
Relies on shifting ground.
God’s Word is all-sufficient,
It makes divinely sure;
And trusting in its wisdom,
My faith shall rest secure.
2 Increase my faith, dear Savior,
For Satan seeks by night and day
To rob me of this treasure
And take my hope of bliss away.
But, Lord, with You beside me,
I shall be undismayed;
And led by Your good Spirit,
I shall be unafraid.
Abide with me, O Savior,
A firmer faith bestow;
Then I shall bid defiance
To ev’ry evil foe.
3 In faith, Lord, let me serve You;
Though persecution, grief, and pain
Should seek to overwhelm me,
Let me a steadfast trust retain;
And then at my departure,
Lord, take me home to You,
Your riches to inherit
As all You said holds true.
In life and death, Lord, keep me
Until Your heav’n I gain,
Where I by Your great mercy
The end of faith attain.
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.
O Lord, our heavenly Father, receive our thanks for preserving Your Word in this world of uncertainty, confusion and lies. Grant us to love Your Law and rejoice in Your Gospel promises, that we may live always and forever in Your peace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, remember us in our holy calling of servanthood to you and to your people. Embolden us in our testimony concerning our Lord Jesus and strengthen us by Your power to courageously suffer for the Gospel, guarding the good deposit entrusted to us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, as Timothy learned of Christ from his faithful grandmother Lois and his faithful mother Eunice, so also bless all parents and grandparents that they too might bear witness to Christ in the caring of their children. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy God, preserve us from paralyzed law and perverted justice. Teach those whom You have placed in authority over us to govern wisely, that in this life we might live free of strife and contention. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all grace, remember those who suffer from violence, discord, illness or affliction, especially those who have suffered as a result of hurricane Ian, those afflicted by the war in Ukraine, and those we name in our hearts before you at this time… Be also with Victoria, Geraine, Ann, Sophia, Dolly, Melissa, Gloria, Norma, Trudy, Mary Ann, June, Peter, Wendy, Ron, Tawni, Reaghann, James, and Linda, granting them healing and care according to Your will. Strengthen them by Christ’s righteousness to await Your timing and live by faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful God, though we are unworthy servants You clothe us in Your Son’s righteousness and prepare a supper for us. Let us come with repentant hearts to receive Christ’s body and blood, ever grateful that He became the Suffering Servant who went to the cross for our salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Receive our thanks for the callings You have given us. Grant that we might rejoice to labor in service to You until You gather us to Your banquet table in heaven; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
OFFERTORY #955 (Stand) Let the Vineyards Be Fruitful
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
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, hold Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who on this day overcame death and the grave and by His glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting 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 #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 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.
WORDS OF OUR LORD
PAX DOMINI
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
Amen.
AGNUS DEI — I #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)
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.
PRAYER (Stand)
DISTRIBUTION MUSIC I Know My Faith Is Founded Setting: J. Weber
NUNC DIMITTIS #937 (Stand)
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 #819 Sing Praise to God, The Highest Good
1 Sing praise to God, the highest good,
The author of creation,
The God of love who understood
Our need for His salvation.
With healing balm our souls He fills
And ev’ry faithless murmur stills:
To God all praise and glory!
2 What God’s almighty pow’r has made,
In mercy He is keeping.
By morning glow or evening shade
His eye is never sleeping.
Within the kingdom of His might
All things are just and good and right:
To God all praise and glory!
3 We sought the Lord in our distress;
O God, in mercy hear us.
Our Savior saw our helplessness
And came with peace to cheer us.
For this we thank and praise the Lord,
Who is by one and all adored:
To God all praise and glory!
4 He never shall forsake His flock,
His chosen generation;
He is their refuge and their rock,
Their peace and their salvation.
As with a mother’s tender hand,
He leads His own, His chosen band:
To God all praise and glory!
5 All who confess Christ’s holy name,
Give God the praise and glory.
Let all who know His pow’r proclaim
Aloud the wondrous story.
Cast ev’ry idol from its throne,
For God is God, and He alone:
To God all praise and glory!
DISMISSAL
Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE Sing Praise to God, The Highest Good Setting: K. Kolander
Those serving:
Sunday, October 2,
8:00 p.m.:
Greeter: Steve Berg
Comm. assist: Dede Dixon
Reader: Norm Williams
10:30 a.m.:
Greeter: Marian Robinson
Comm. assist: Jill Hecht
Reader: Arron Siebrass
FELLOWSHIP: Board of Education
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 © 2022 Concordia Publishing House.
Splendor and Honor Text: Carl P. Daw, Jr., 1944 Text: © 1990 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326 Tune: K. Lee Scott, 1950 Tune: © 1987 K. Lee Scott, admin. MorningStar Music Publishers. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326
Let the Vineyards Be Fruitful Text: John W. Arthur, 1922–80
Tune: Richard W. Hillert, 1923–2010 Text & Tune: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326
Sanctus Text: Traditional; tr. International Consultation on English Texts, alt. Tune: Mark L. Bender, 1951 Text: © 1975 International Consultation on English Texts. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326 Tune: © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326
Agnus Dei — I Text: Traditional; tr. International Consultation on English Texts, alt. Tune: Paul D. Weber, 1949Text: © 1975 International Consultation on English Texts. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326 Tune: © 2001 Paul D. Weber. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326
Lord, Bid Your Servant Go in PeaceText (sts. 1–2): James Quinn, 1919–2010; (st. 3): Henry V. Gerike, 1948 Text (sts. 1–2): © 1969, 1989 OCP Publications; (st. 3): © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326 Tune: American Tune: Public domain
Lord Jesus Christ, Be Present Now Text: Lutherisch Hand-Büchlein, 1648, Altenburg; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.Tune: Cantionale Germanicum, 1628, Gochsheim text & Tune: Public domain
Seek Ye First Text &Tune: Karen Lafferty, b. 1948 Text & Tune: © 1972 Cccm Music (ASCAP) Universal Music/Brentwood Benson Publications (ASCAP), admin. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com. Used by permission: OneLicense no. A-701491
I Know My Faith Is Founded Text: Erdmann Neumeister, 1671–1756; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.Tune: Concentus novi, 1540, Augsburg Tune: Public domain
Sing Praise to God, the Highest Good Text: Johann Jacob Schütz, 1640–90; (sts. 1–3, 5): tr. Frances E. Cox, 1812–97, adapt.; (st. 4): tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, adapt. Text: Public domain Tune: Melchior Vulpius, c. 1570–1615 Tune: Public domain
