The day of Pentecost 5/28/23
THE DAY OF PENTECOST
May 28, 2023
IN THE NAME OF JESUS, WELCOME TO ST. PAUL’S!
8:00 & 10:30 a.m.
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THE ENTRANCE RITE
PRELUDE Come, Oh, Come, O Quickening Spirit Settings: 1 Jan Bender; 2.Flor Peeters; 3 Hans Klotz
WELCOME
ENTRANCE HYMN Come, Oh, Come, O Quickening Spirit LBW
1 Come, O come, O quickening Spirit,
God before the dawn of time!
Fire our hearts with holy ardor,
Blessed Comforter sublime!
Let your radiance fill our night,
Turning darkness into light.
2 Only that which you desire.
Be our object; with your hand
Lead our every thought and action
Let them be at your command..
All our sinfulness erase
With the increase of your grace.
3 Blessèd Spirit, still renewing
All who dwell upon the earth,
When the evil one assails us
Help us prove our heavenly birth;
Arm us with your mighty sword
In the legions of the Lord.
4 Help us keep the faith forever;
Let not Satan, death or shame
Draw us from you, or deprive us
Of the honor of your Name.
When the foe would lure us hence,
Be, O God, our sure defense.
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,
on this day You once taught the hearts of Your faithful people by sending them the light of Your Holy Spirit. Grant us in our day by the same Spirit to have a right understanding in all things and evermore to rejoice in His holy consolation; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
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THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
FIRST LESSON (Be seated) Numbers 11:24-30
Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord. And he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tent. Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it.
Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.” But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM 25:1-15 (Sung responsively)
To you, O Lord,
I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust;
let me not be put to shame;
let not my enemies exult over me.
Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.
Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!
Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
For your name’s sake, O Lord,
pardon my guilt, for it is great.
Who is the man who fears the Lord?
Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
His soul shall abide in well-being,
and his offspring shall inherit the land.
The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him,
and he makes known to them his covenant.
My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
for he will pluck my feet out of the net.
SECOND LESSON Acts 2:1-21
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’”
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
(10:30) CHILDREN’S SERMON
ALLELUIA VERSE (Stand)
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL John 7:37-39
The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the 7th chapter
Glory to You, O Lord.
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to You, O Christ
SERMON (Be seated)
Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus. Amen. Dear friends in Christ:
Today we celebrate the great giving of the Holy Spirit that occurred on the day of Pentecost. As you probably know, the primary image associated with this day is that of fire. The banner you passed in the narthex on your way into the sanctuary has flames of fire on it. And if I were to pull back the chasuble I’m wearing and show you the stole underneath you would see that it is adorned with flames as well. Fire is associated with Pentecost because tongues as of fire hovered over the disciples as the Spirit came upon them.
In our Gospel reading today, Jesus invites us to think of Pentecost with a different image: that of water. Jesus calls out to those who are thirsty telling them that he has living water to give. And John, who records these words of Jesus, explains that Jesus is speaking about the Holy Spirit who would be given after Jesus was glorified, meaning raised from the dead. This giving of the Spirit, as we heard in the Acts reading, happened as prophesied at the festival of Pentecost.
To further explore this connection between water and the Spirit, let’s dive into the Gospel reading a little more. One particular thing we should note is its context. John tells us that Jesus gave his invitation “on the last day of the feast.” The feast mentioned here is not Pentecost, which occurred each year in the spring, but the Feast of Tabernacles, also called Booths, which occurred in the fall.
As at Pentecost, God’s people gathered for the yearly Festival of Tabernacles in order to celebrate the harvest. The Festival of Tabernacles celebrated the last harvest of the year, while the Festival of Pentecost, held fifty days after Passover, was a time to give thanks for the first harvest of the year.
Both of these festivals also recalled events from Jewish history. Pentecost was a day to remember the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai. The Festival of Tabernacles recalled how the people lived in tents during the years following their great exodus from Egypt – years in which they wandered in the wilderness until brought to the promised land. The festivals were celebrations of God’s goodness and grace seen in both harvest and history.
Interestingly, scholars have discovered that the celebration of these festivals included an element that is also very common in our day – the purchase of souvenirs. During the Feast of Tabernacles, one of the souvenirs people could buy to help them remember the experience was a small water jar.
We may wonder why a water jar would be featured during a celebration of the harvest. For our fall festivals, such as Thanksgiving, we tend to have items such as a cornucopia or a basket of harvested goods.
But when we think about it, water is definitely necessary for a harvest. It was also incredibly important for those Israelites who wandered for years in the wilderness.
At the festival, the priests in Jerusalem would process to the pool of Siloam during the time of each day’s morning sacrifice and fill a pitcher with water. They would then carry that pitcher through the streets until they came to the Temple’s place of sacrifice. There, they would pour out the water as the trumpets sounded and the people sang: “Therefore, with joy shall you draw water from the wells of salvation.” Those words come from a song found in the book of Isaiah, chapter twelve. You may recognize them from a version of it that we sometimes sing in our liturgy.
At the heart of the people’s joy was the mystery of the rock at Meribah, as recorded in the Book of Numbers chapter twenty (vs.1-13). During Israel’s trek through the wilderness, the people complained about not having enough water. So at Meribah, God told Moses to strike the rock with his staff. When he did so, water miraculously flowed from the rock.
And here we are reminded that God’s grace comes in the midst of need, and even despite rebellion. God remembers his people and hears their prayers – including their complaints.
The story reminds us, too, that God often extends his grace by raising up a prophet to carry out his plans. In this case, God showed his great power and compassion through Moses.
And knowing all this helps us understand what Jesus meant when he spoke about water and the Spirit.
When we listen to the words of Jesus, we hear of a similar mystery. Just as God raised up a prophet to strike the rock and bring forth water in the desert, so too God the Father has raised up Jesus to bring forth living water from people. Jesus says, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’” (verse 38).
This giving is a mystery that happens only by grace. And it is a giving that results in something much greater than the temporary quenching of thirst. When God gives us his Spirit, his holiness flows through us.
We receive this Living Water Spirit every time we come to God and worship him in the name of the Lord Jesus. Think about this. When we come to worship, we do so aware of our sin and our great need. We realize that we complain far too often, and we know that our faith is lacking. Hardened and empty, we come to God asking for grace.
And then, as God’s word washes over us, and we partake again of his holy supper, God’s grace comes to us and does even more than we expect. God not only breaks open our hardened hearts and fills them with His refreshing Spirit, but he fills us so full that his grace overflows.
God’s grace is more than just a temporary transaction which fixes problems of the past. It is an eternal investment – one that breaks open people’s lives so that they can be ever-flowing streams of life-giving water for the world.
When Jesus our great high priest celebrated the festival in Jerusalem that day, he did not carry a water jar from the streets to the Temple like the other priests. And that’s because he would soon do something different. Jesus would move in the other direction – from the Temple to the streets. And he would do so with thousands of water jars – meaning the thousands of people he would fill with the Spirit. Jesus would use these to provide an abundant source of living water flowing into the world.
And all of this would begin at Pentecost. John points ahead to that day in his comments on Jesus’ words, saying: “Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive” (verse 39). Already in his early ministry, Jesus was prophesying of the great giving of the Spirit that would happen on that day.
And when that day came, Jesus sent the Spirit to fill the hearts of the disciples and pour forth from them one particularly important gift: that of life-giving speech. The disciple’s speech that day recalled how God had promised this giving of the Spirit through prophets such as Joel, as quoted in the reading. And it powerfully proclaimed that Jesus had died and risen again for the forgiveness of sins, so that all who repented, believed and were baptized would be saved. This proclamation is found in the verses right after the ones we read today, and we will read them next Sunday as the Pentecost celebration continues.
Finally, notice, too, that this giving of the Spirit by Jesus is abundant. In the Gospel reading he tells of “rivers of living water.” Christ’s giving of living water is not a drop, not a mist, not a stream, and not even just one river. But rivers, plural. And these rivers “flow” – meaning they actively bring Jesus and his grace into the world.
This past weekend, three states in the western part of our country came to a new agreement about their use of water from the Colorado River. Each state is very dependent on that water, and the agreement was made in hopes that it will save the river from a dangerous decline. Experts, however, are expressing skepticism that the agreed changes will be enough, saying there is still too much of a demand. I certainly can’t say whether that assessment is true. What I do know is that even a great river like the mighty Colorado has its limitations.
But with the rivers of living water sent by Jesus there are no limits. These rivers of the Spirit come from an endless source of power and grace – God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ.
These rivers bring life to a world that is dead in its trespasses. And they do it by bringing refreshment, cleansing and movement.
Refreshment comes as you and I drink Christ’s living water for our good health and happiness. His teachings direct us. His promises encourage us. And his Spirit gives us renewed strength.
Cleansing comes as the waters of Baptism wash away our sins. This cleansing took place once in the past, but also continues through all of our days. It comes as we repent of our sins and call on the name of Jesus our Savior. And it comes because Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins.
Movement comes as the Spirit pushes us to do the things the Spirit wants done. If you step into the mighty Colorado River, it will move you. I’ve felt that power. So also with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit moves God’s people to serve in the kingdom. It moves us to love others. And it moves us away from all that is unhealthy.
Jesus said: “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” This is not an exact quote of any one verse in scripture. Rather, Jesus puts this thought together based on many Old Testament verses which speak to God’s actions, and which use the metaphor of water. Perhaps his combining of these verses can remind us that the Spirit will move through God’s people in many different ways.
During the upcoming weeks and months, the church will lead us through the part of its calendar labelled “Sundays after Pentecost.” You may recall that there are a lot of Sundays after Pentecost! And this allows us a lot of time to hear and think about how the Holy Spirit refreshes, cleanses and moves us.
In these days we will consider many great lessons from the Spirit. But one that is not on our schedule of readings any time soon, and one that seems to me is particularly appropriate for today, is that great lesson from Galatians chapter five where Paul gives us a list of the “fruits of the Spirit.” As we think today about the Spirit flowing from us – God’s redeemed people – I can think of no better collection of Spirit-rivers than those given in these verses. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” And then Paul adds: “against such things there is no law” (Gal. 5:22-23).
When these rivers flow from us, good things happen. People will be helped and healed. They will be moved to live together as God intends.
And all of this will happen because God sends his Spirit among us. He did it at Pentecost. And he does it today.
Knowing this, may God keep us focused on Jesus – God’s Son, our Savior – that his Spirit may continue to flow to us and from us. In the holy name of Jesus. Amen.
HYMN OF THE DAY (Stand) Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord LSB 497
1 Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord,
With all Your graces now outpoured
On each believer’s mind and heart;
Your fervent love to them impart.
Lord, by the brightness of Your light
In holy faith Your Church unite;
From ev’ry land and ev’ry tongue
This to Your praise, O Lord, our God, be sung:
Alleluia, alleluia!
2 Come, holy Light, guide divine,
Now cause the Word of life to shine.
Teach us to know our God aright
And call Him Father with delight.
From ev’ry error keep us free;
Let none but Christ our master be
That we in living faith abide,
In Him, our Lord, with all our might confide.
Alleluia, alleluia!
3 Come, holy Fire, comfort true,
Grant us the will Your work to do
And in Your service to abide;
Let trials turn us not aside.
Lord, by Your pow’r prepare each heart,
And to our weakness strength impart
That bravely here we may contend,
Through life and death to You, our Lord, ascend.
Alleluia, alleluia!
NICENE CREED LSB, back cover
I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life ✠ of the world to come. Amen.
OFFERING
Offerings support the church’s mission work – both here and through our many partners. Offerings may be placed in the box at the sanctuary entrance or sent to the church through our website or the mail. Fellowship Cards help us welcome new people and track participation. Please fill one out and place it in the offering box following the service.
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH
In peace, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For the whole Christian Church on earth, that she would be filled, renewed, enlightened and sanctified by the Holy Spirit as on the first Pentecost; that many more will be called by the Gospel; and that the Sacraments would be administered faithfully and all Christians be kept in the true faith, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For faithful pastors and church workers devoted to the service of the God, who delivered His Word through Moses and the prophets, and fulfilled it in in Christ, who died for our sins and was raised for our justification, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
That all the people of God would show forth in holy lives the fruits of the Spirit which He has promised in the Scripture; that all pride, prejudice and hate would be removed so that the Gospel is not hindered and all may be welcomed in the name of Christ; and that we would have a servant’s heart, seeking not our own ways but the path that leads to eternal life, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
In thanksgiving for those who served our nation through military service and in grateful remembrance of those who gave their lives for us and the cause of freedom, that we may honor their sacrifice by using our liberty responsibly; for all who travel, that they would be kept safe; for our nation and its blessing; and for peace and prosperity throughout the world, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For the comfort of the Holy Spirit amidst the world’s darkness; that wounds would be soothed and healed, broken families restored, the depressed uplifted, the poor also aided, and all cries answered, especially for those on our prayer list and those we name in our hearts at this time… let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
That the Spirit of truth would clear away all distractions so that our hearts and minds may focus on Christ’s presence in his Holy Supper; and that we may come in faith to receive the forgiveness of our sins and the strengthening of our faith, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
That God would receive our praise and thanksgiving together with our tithes and offerings as tokens of our trust in Him; and that we may be moved to give faithfully according to the blessings we’ve been given, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
Almighty Father, with Your Son, Jesus Christ, send Your Holy Spirit into our hearts through Your Word to rule and govern us according to Your will, comfort us in every temptation and misfortune, and defend us against every error, that we may continue steadfast in the faith, increase in love and good works, and — trusting firmly in Your grace for us by His death — obtain eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
OFFERTORY Let the Vineyards Be Fruitful (LSB 955)
1 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, 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 MUSIC Come Down, O Love Divine Setting: Henry G. Ley
DISTRIBUTION HYMN Come Down, O Love Divine LSB 501
1 Come down, O Love divine;
Seek Thou this soul of mine,
And visit it with Thine own ardor glowing;
O Comforter, draw near;
Within my heart appear,
And kindle it, Thy holy flame bestowing.
2 O let it freely burn,
Till worldly passions turn
To dust and ashes in its heat consuming;
And let Thy glorious light
Shine ever on my sight,
And clothe me round, the while my path illuming.
3 Let holy charity
Mine outward vesture be
And lowliness become mine inner clothing—
True lowliness of heart,
Which takes the humbler part,
And o’er its own shortcomings weeps with loathing.
4 And so the yearning strong,
With which the soul will long,
Shall far outpass the pow’r of human telling;
No soul can guess His grace
Till it become the place
Wherein the Holy Spirit makes His dwelling.
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 #503 O Day Full of Grace
1 O day full of grace that now we see
Appearing on earth’s horizon,
Bring light from our God that we may be
Replete in His joy this season.
God, shine for us now in this dark place;
Your name on our hearts emblazon.
2 O day full of grace, O blessèd time,
Our Lord on the earth arriving;
Then came to the world that light sublime,
Great joy for us all retrieving;
For Jesus all mortals did embrace,
All darkness and shame removing.
3 For Christ bore our sins, and not His own,
When He on the cross was hanging;
And then He arose and moved the stone
That we, unto Him belonging,
Might join with angelic hosts to raise
Our voices in endless singing.
4 God came to us then at Pentecost,
His Spirit new life revealing,
That we might no more from Him be lost,
All darkness for us dispelling.
His flame will the mark of sin efface
And bring to us all His healing.
5 When we on that final journey go
That Christ is for us preparing,
We’ll gather in song, our hearts aglow,
All joy of the heavens sharing,
And walk in the light of God’s own place,
With angels His name adoring.
DISMISSAL
Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE Veni Creator Spiritus Setting: Flor Peeters
Those serving:
Sunday, May 28, 8:30 a.m.:
Greeter: Steve Janssen
Comm. assist: Judy Koucky
Reader: Norm Williams
10:30 a.m.:
Greeter: Bill Muller
Comm. assist: Jim Easterly
Reader: Bill Muller
AV Assistants: Hannes Buuck, Andreas Buuck
8:00 & 10:00 a.m. Trumpet: Amelia Jansen
Fellowship Contributors: Leisure Group
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.
Let the Vineyards Be Fruitful Text: John W. Arthur, 1922–80 Tune: Richard W. Hillert, 1923–2010 Tune: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326
Come, Oh, Come, Thou Quickening Spirit Text: Henrich Held, 1620–59; Edward T. Horn III b. 1909 Text: © 1958, Augsburg Fortress Used and Reprinted under OneLicense.net #A-701491 Tune: Neu-vermehrtes Gesangbuch, Meiningen, 1693 Tune: Public domain
Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord Text: tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt. Tune: Eyn Enchiridion oder Handbüchlein, 1524, Erfurt Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326 Tune: Public domain
Come Down, O Love Divine Text: Bianco da Siena, c. 1350–1434; tr. Richard F. Littledale, 1833–90 Tune: Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1872–1958 Text & Tune: Public domain
O Day Full of Grace Text: Scandinavian, c. 1450; tr. Gerald Thorson, 1921–2001 Tune: Christoph E. F. Weyse, 1774–1842 Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326 Tune: Public domain
