Fourth Sunday after Pentecost 6/15-16/24
THE FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
JUNE 15/16, 2024
IN THE NAME OF JESUS, WELCOME TO ST. PAUL’S!
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THE ENTRANCE RITE
PRELUDE Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty Setting: 1. Raymond Haan 2. Jan Bender
WELCOME
ENTRANCE HYMN Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty LSB 901
1 Open now thy gates of beauty;
Zion, let me enter there,
Where my soul in joyful duty
Waits for Him who answers prayer.
Oh, how blessèd is this place,
Filled with solace, light, and grace!
2 Gracious God, I come before Thee;
Come Thou also unto me.
Where we find Thee and adore Thee,
There a heav’n on earth must be.
To my heart, O enter Thou;
Let it be Thy temple now!
3 Here Thy praise is gladly chanted;
Here Thy seed is duly sown.
Let my soul, where it is planted,
Bring forth precious sheaves alone,
So that all I hear may be
Fruitful unto life in me.
4 Thou my faith increase and quicken;
Let me keep Thy gift divine,
Howsoe’er temptations thicken;
May Thy Word still o’er me shine
As my guiding star through life,
As my comfort in all strife.
5 Speak, O God, and I will hear Thee;
Let Thy will be done indeed.
May I undisturbed draw near Thee
While Thou dost Thy people feed.
Here of life the fountain flows;
Here is balm for all our woes.
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. Blessed Lord,
since You have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning, grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life; 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) Ezekiel 17:22-24
Thus says the Lord God: “I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out. I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest. And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the Lord; I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it.”
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM 1 (Sung responsively)
Blessèd is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
SECOND LESSON 2 Corinthians 5:1-10
We know that if the tent, which is our earthly home, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
10:30 CHILDREN’S SERMON
ALLELUIA VERSE (Stand) LSB 205
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL Mark 4:4:26-34
The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the 4th chapter.
Glory to You, O Lord.
[Jesus] said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to You, O Christ.
SERMON (Be seated)
Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus. Amen. Dear friends in Christ:
As we read through the Gospel of Mark this year, we’ve now arrived at the point where Jesus is starting to speak to the people in parables. Clearly, Jesus uses parables to help people remember his teachings. But parables also spur people on to do further seeking. For their messages can only be discovered by considering his other teachings.
Most of Jesus’ parables, including the two we read today (Mark 4:26-34), tell of something he calls the “Kingdom of God.” Today’s parables tell of the kingdom’s growth. The first parable emphasizes the mystery of the growth – explaining that it happens in an unknown way, much as a seed grows into a plant in ways we can’t fully understand. The second parable emphasizes the surprising amount of the kingdom’s growth – comparing this growth to a mustard seed, which starts out very small but grows into a large and productive plant.
Today’s Old Testament reading and Psalm also compare growth in God to plant growth. The prophet Ezekiel points to future growth coming from a sprig of an existing tree – the tree being Israel and the new growth being the new kingdom Jesus would build. The psalm points to the stability and productivity of individuals who are rooted in the word of God, comparing them to trees rooted next to a good water source.
When Jesus teaches about the Kingdom, one quickly realizes that the kingdom he describes encompasses both this life and the life to come. This understanding is reflected in today’s second reading as well – the reading which is our main text for consideration. In this reading, from his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul calls life here our “earthly home” and the life to come our “heavenly dwelling.” He also uses the language of “home” and “away.”
When Luther, in the Small Catechism, describes God’s kingdom, he includes a reference to this “now and not yet” feature of the kingdom as well. He says: “God’s kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us his Holy Spirit, so that by his grace we believe his holy word and lead godly lives here in time and there in eternity.”
The kingdom of God is here among us now because God is reigning in this world and has sent us his Holy Spirit. However, we his people don’t always live according to the kingdom’s ideals and goals. We struggle to believe, and we live far from godly lives. These are signs that the Kingdom is not fully realized among us. It is present now, but it is not yet fully what it is meant to be.
In today’s verses from Second Corinthians, Paul makes this distinction as a means of giving his readers more encouragement. As we’re discovering in our six-week sermon series on this book, Paul has decided that the church needs lots of encouragement. Here he gives it by reminding them of the future blessings they will know in the life to come.
As Paul tells of these blessings, notice that he also says things meant to equip the people to live properly in this world. Paul says that we are to make it our aim to please God. And pleasing God will involve some thinking and effort on our part.
As he did in the past few sections of his letter, Paul reminds us here that our bodies in this life are only going to last so long. Two Sundays ago he did this by saying that our bodies are like jars of clay. Last week he said that our “outer self is wasting away.” Today he says that our bodies are like tents.
Most of us are quite aware of the limitations of the body. We understand that it can crack and break like a jar. We know that our abilities are lost over time. And we know that, like a tent, the body only gives so much protection.
But we sometimes need reminding of this too. This is especially true for those among us who are in their early years. Those getting taller and smarter and more skilled each year tend to overlook such things.
When Paul refers to our body as a tent, this should remind us that in addition to being a scholar, a writer, a preacher and a missionary, Paul also practiced the trade of tentmaking. As one who made tents, to help support himself, he would certainly know of a tent’s capabilities and limitations.
Of life in our tents, Paul says: “in this tent we groan.” And this groaning, he shares, comes because we are “burdened.”
When I think of groans and burdens, I think of all the seemingly little pains that add up and slow our bodies down. Certainly these add up more quickly with age. But even when we’re younger, lots of things can happen to the body. We can get a blister from a new pair of shoes. A headache due to pressure – atmospheric or situational. A bruise from bumping into a chair. A sore throat from a cold. A pulled muscle from doing yard work. A sore back from sleeping in an awkward position. Etc. Etc. Our bodies hurt, and we groan. At all ages.
In the Bible, groaning is not necessarily a negative word. Rather it’s neutral. The Book of Exodus (2:23) records how the children of Israel groaned because of their slavery. We’re told that God heard their groanings and sent help to deliver them. In the Book of Romans, chapter eight, Paul notes that the whole creation groans and that we, too, groan as we eagerly await the redemption of our bodies. The groaning in each of these cases isn’t one of complaint but rather a cry of weariness and sadness.
In the Book of James (5:9), Christians are told not to groan against one another. And here that groaning should be understood as grumbling, which is how it’s usually translated. In the Book of Mark (7:34) we hear of Jesus groaning, right before he heals someone, and here the groaning is best understood as a sigh expressing deep feelings. In the Book of Romans, chapter eight again (v.26), we’re told that the Holy Spirit groans in prayers of intercession for us.
Note that in Second Corinthians Paul explains our groaning as a longing. He says: “For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling.” As much as our groans might sometimes be complaints, Christians will more properly groan as a sign of longing… for the better days ahead.
And this longing on our part is more than just a desire to be released from suffering. Paul makes this clear when he says: “Not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed.” The life to come is about gaining something good, not dropping something bad.
By contrast, the Greeks and Romans more often emphasized release from the body’s limits and pains. Many of them in fact despised the body. “The body is a tomb,” some said. Plotinus said he was ashamed that he had a body. Epictetus said of himself: “Thou are a poor soul burdened with a corpse.” Seneca wrote: “I am a higher being and born for higher things than to be a slave of my body, which I look upon only as a shackle put upon my freedom.”
Paul’s thought is very different. He wants to be further clothed, not unclothed. He’s waiting eagerly for the good life to come.
And note that Paul in this section of verses is emphasizing more of who or what we will be in the life to come rather than where we will be. The “heavenly dwelling” of which he speaks is not a place but rather our state of being. We will be “heavenly,” meaning Godly.
This new life of ours will be “eternal in the heavens.” And this phrase does indicate place. But it’s just one quick phrase he throws in.
We should note, too, that this phrase is simply shorthand for the full life to come. It’s not a mention of the specific stage that is heaven – the one that comes before the day of the resurrection.
Here we should rehearse what our Christian teaching tells us about the life to come. When we die, our soul will go to be with the Lord in heaven but our body will remain here on earth – at least for a time. When Christ comes again to usher in the new age, our bodies will then be resurrected and reunited with our souls, and we will live in the new creation with glorified bodies. This is the “further clothing” Paul mentions to the Corinthians.
Lutheran theologian Chad Bird recently wrote an article with the title: I Can’t Wait to Get Out of Heaven. His point is that heaven is not our final destination, nor is it the best of what is to come. Heaven will be wonderful because we will be released from earth’s pains and reside in the Lord’s presence. But the new creation beyond this will be even better.
In the church’s Committal liturgy, which is done when the body is laid to rest, we emphasize these things by reading the words of Paul from his first letter to the Corinthians. There in chapter fifteen, the great “resurrection chapter,” he says: “For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. And when the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory’” (15:52-54).
Having explained these things in his first letter with such detail and with such beauty, it seems Paul decided to keep things simpler when writing to them a second time. Rather than elaborating, he quickly moves on to explaining how this message should affect them.
His first thought on this is that Christ’s followers should exhibit courage. Like the verses from last week where we heard Paul say: “we do not lose heart,” Paul here tells them they can go forward in life with confidence and hope, saying: “We are always of good courage.”
And this good courage can be had even though we are “away from the Lord” and “home in the body” – meaning still here on earth, this side of heaven. Paul points out that we “would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord,” but he knows that this will happen soon enough. Until then, it is good enough that we walk by faith and not by sight.
In his letter to the Philippians, Paul expresses these same thoughts. And there he also concludes that God must be keeping him here in this life so that he can serve others. He says: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account” (Philippians 1:21-24).
Paul concludes his section on this topic to the Corinthians by saying: “So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.” And here we note that Paul encouraged the pleasing of God in his letters to both the Colossians and Thessalonians as well.
Paul says we are to make this pleasing of God our aim. He knows that we won’t ever be able to please God perfectly. But we still aim for perfection, for we know God’s ways are always the best.
And then Paul adds a note of warning. He says: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”
Here Paul’s words are very much like those of Jesus in Matthew 25 when he explains that people will be divided into good and bad before him – like sheep and goats – according to the works they have done. And this seems rather odd for Paul, who more often than not is careful to note that people are justified by grace through faith and not their works. But when we read on to the next verse, we understand what Paul is doing. There he says: “Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.” In other words, we Christians, even though we are saved, still need to maintain a fear of the Lord. And this will done by remembering his judgment.
If we were to read just a bit further in this chapter, we would hear Paul speak with great power and eloquence about what Christ has done to save us from the judgment to come. These are the words we’ve referenced the last two Sundays – the ones about us being reconciled to God – so I won’t repeat them again. But know that followers of Christ can live confidently in this grace. Our sins have been forgiven and our path to the new life to come has been cleared. Christ earned this for us by his death on the cross.
Until that day, we walk by faith and not by sight. As the hymn we will soon sing reminds us, we may not hear the actual voice of Jesus speaking to us now nor see his face just yet but someday we will. In the meantime, we have his promise to be with us in the water and the word, and in the bread and in the wine. Receiving these and knowing of the promise they contain is enough to sustain us.
God has prepared us for the life ahead and given us his Holy Spirit as a guarantee and pledge. May we then live our lives confidently in this faith and make it our aim to please him.
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
HYMN OF THE DAY (Stand) We Walk by Faith and Not by Sight LSB 720
1 We walk by faith and not by sight,
No gracious words we hear
From Him who spoke as none e’er spoke,
But we believe Him near.
2 We may not touch His hands and side,
Nor follow where He trod;
But in His promise we rejoice
And cry “My Lord and God!”
3 Help then, O Lord, our unbelief;
And may our faith abound
To call on You when You are near
And seek where You are found.
4 For You, O resurrected Lord,
Are found in means divine:
Beneath the water and the Word,
Beneath the bread and wine.
5 Lord, when our life of faith is done,
In realms of clearer light
We may behold You as You are,
With full and endless sight.
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
In peace, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
In thanksgiving to the Most High, who has planted His Holy Word among us; and for the Church’s healthy growth, that we may weather the storm-winds of this world steadfast in Christ, ever bearing the fruits of love and singing praises to His name, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For the preaching and teaching of God’s Holy Word, that by His Spirit it may sprout and grow when and where God pleases, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For this and every congregation, that God’s kingdom may be extended and we may have thankful hearts to marvel at His work, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
That God would send faithful laborers into His fields to scatter His seed here and abroad, so in due time a harvest may be reaped for His glory, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For our homes and families, that the Lord would bless the efforts of parents to teach their children, preserving them in the saving faith of Christ according to His promises; and for our fathers, that they would have confidence in their station and zeal for their task to faithfully care for their families and be examples to their children of godly life and love of Your Word, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For those in every need, especially those on our prayer list and those whom we name in our hearts at this time… that they would receive help, comfort and healing, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For all God’s servants who groan under the burdens of this earthly tent and long to be clothed with the glorious life to come, that God would give them good courage to walk by faith and not by sight, and hope in the resurrection during their times of mourning; and that they would make it their aim to please Him while here in the body until at last we are at home with Christ, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For all who commune this day, that the Lord who abounds in steadfast love would give them a holy fear of His wrath and a steadfast faith in His promises so that they would receive Christ’s body and blood for the forgiveness of sins, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
Into your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your goodness and mercy through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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 (Stand) LSB 208-210
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
SANCTUS LSB 208
Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth adored;
Heav’n and earth with full acclaim shout the glory of Your name.
Sing hosanna in the highest, sing hosanna to the Lord;
Truly blest is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
THE WORDS OF OUR LORD
PAX DOMINI
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
Amen.
AGNUS DEI LSB 210
1 O Jesus Christ, true Lamb of God,
You take the sin of the world away;
O Jesus Christ, true Lamb of God,
Have mercy on us, Lord, we pray.
2 O Jesus Christ, true Lamb of God,
You take the sin of the world away;
Have mercy on us, Jesus Christ,
And grant us peace, O Lord, we pray.
THE COMMUNION (Be seated)
Those wishing to commune at the foot of the steps should come forward first. Those wishing to commune at the altar rail should come forward after these, front rows first, from both sides of the aisle. After receiving, all should return to their seats. A common dismissal will be given at the end.
DISTRIBUTION HYMN Jesus Christ, My Sure Defense LSB 741
1 Jesus Christ, my sure defense
And my Savior, now is living!
Knowing this, my confidence
Rests upon the hope here given,
Though the night of death be fraught
Still with many_an anxious thought.
2 Jesus, my Redeemer, lives;
Likewise I to life shall waken.
He will bring me where He is;
Shall my courage then be shaken?
Shall I fear, or could the Head
Rise and leave His members dead?
3 No, too closely I am bound
By my hope to Christ forever;
Faith’s strong hand the Rock has found,
Grasped it, and will leave it never;
Even death now cannot part
From its Lord the trusting heart.
4 I am flesh and must return
To the dust, whence I am taken;
But by faith I now discern
That from death I shall awaken
With my Savior to abide
In His glory, at His side.
5 Glorified, I shall anew
With this flesh then be enshrouded;
In this body I shall view
God, my Lord, with eyes unclouded;
In this flesh I then shall see
Jesus Christ eternally.
6 Then take comfort and rejoice,
For His members Christ will cherish.
Fear not, they will hear His voice;
Dying, they will never perish;
For the very grave is stirred
When the trumpet’s blast is heard.
7 Laugh to scorn the gloomy grave
And at death no longer tremble;
He, the Lord, who came to save
Will at last His own assemble.
They will go their Lord to meet,
Treading death beneath their feet.
8 O, then, draw away your hearts
From all pleasures base and hollow;
Strive to share what He imparts
While you here His footsteps follow.
As you now still wait to rise,
Fix your hearts beyond the skies!
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 On What Has Now Been Sown LSB 921
1 On what has now been sown
Thy blessing, Lord, bestow;
The pow’r is Thine alone
To make it sprout and grow.
Do Thou in grace the harvest raise,
And Thou alone shalt have the praise!
2 To Thee our wants are known,
From Thee are all our pow’rs;
Accept what is Thine own
And pardon what is ours.
Our praises, Lord, and prayers receive,
And to Thy Word a blessing give.
3 O grant that each of us,
Now met before Thee here,
May meet together thus
When Thou and Thine appear
And follow Thee to heav’n, our home.
E’en so, amen, Lord Jesus, come!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
DISMISSAL
Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE On What Has Now Been Sown Setting: J. Wayne Kerr
FLOWERS: Flowers are given in honor of all fathers but especially our Heavenly Father for his many blessings.
By Marge Glass
FELLOWSHIP: Board of Evangelism
Those serving:
Saturday, June 15, 5:00 p.m.:
Greeter: Steve Janssen
Comm. Assist.: Jim Easterly
Reader: Melissa Hecht
Sunday, June 16, 10:00 a.m.:
Greeter: Aaron Siebrass
Comm. assist: Holly Siebrass
Reader: Dale Rogers
Acolyte: Andreas Buuck
AV Assist: Hannes Buuck, Andreas Buuck
Acknowledgments
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
955 Let the Vineyards Be Fruitful Text: John W. Arthur, 1922–80 Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326
901 Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty Text: Benjamin Schmolck, 1672–1737; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt. Tune: Joachim Neander, 1650–80 Text and tune: Public domain
720 We Walk by Faith and Not by Sight Text: Henry Alford, 1810–71, alt.
Tune: Marty Haugen, 1950 Text: Public domain Tune: © 1984 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326
741 Jesus Christ, My Sure Defense Text: Otto von Schwerin, 1616–79; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt. Tune: Johann Crüger, 1598–1662 Text and tune: Public domain
921 On What Has Now Been Sown Text: John Newton, 1725–1807, alt. Tune: John Darwall, 1731–89 Text and tune: Public domain
