Seventh Sunday a. Pentecost 7/7/24
SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
JULY 7, 2024
IN THE NAME OF JESUS, WELCOME TO ST. PAUL’S!
✠ ✠ ✠
THE ENTRANCE RITE
PRELUDE Lord of All Hopefulness Setting: Steven Wente
WELCOME
ENTRANCE HYMN Lord of All Hopefulness LSB 738
1 Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
Whose trust, ever childlike, no cares could destroy:
Be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
Your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.
2 Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
Whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe:
Be there at our labors, and give us, we pray,
Your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.
3 Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
Your hands swift to welcome, Your arms to embrace:
Be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
Your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.
4 Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
Whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm:
Be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,
Your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.
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,
Your almighty power is made known chiefly in showing mercy. Grant us the fullness of Your grace that we may be called to repentance and made partakers of Your heavenly treasures; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, 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 2:1-5
He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them.”
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM 123 (Sung responsively)
To you I lift up my eyes,
O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
Behold, as the eyes of servants
look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maidservant
to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
till he has mercy upon us.
Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us,
for we have had more than enough of contempt.
Our soul has had more than enough
of the scorn of those who are at ease,
of the contempt of the proud.
SECOND LESSON 2 Corinthians 12:1-10
I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. Though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. So to keep me from being too elated by the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
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 6:1-13
The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the 6th chapter.
Glory to You, O Lord.
[Jesus] went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief.
And he went about among the villages teaching.
And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to You, O Christ.
SERMON (Be seated)
Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus. Amen. Dear friends in Christ:
The Gospel lesson just read (Mark 6:1-3) tells of two distinct events in the life of our Lord Jesus. The first is his visit to his hometown of Nazareth, and the second is his sending out of his twelve closest disciples for a training exercise. In typical Markan fashion, each event is described briefly and succinctly.
While the two events are definitely distinct, they are also related in that they both involve efforts to help others. This help is given as God’s word is preached and as his healing is extended.
In addition, both efforts meet with varying degrees of success. The disciples were able to heal many but also presumably faced times of rejection, as Jesus warned them. And Jesus, though he was able to share of his wisdom and mighty works, was only able to heal a few people, presumably because the people had no faith in him.
In today’s second reading, although it was not chosen to correspond with the Gospel lesson, we hear about the subjects of preaching and healing as well. In it Paul continues his proclamation to the church in Corinth and mentions how at one point he asked God to heal him of a thorn in his flesh.
Regarding that request for healing, God, as we heard, decided not to heal Paul from his malady. And in today’s sermon we’ll do some thinking about why that might have been the case.
More importantly, however, we’ll look at Paul’s reaction to this rejection and consider what we can learn from it. His well-known statements here certainly capture our attention, but we want to make sure we understand what he is and is not saying.
To begin our examination, let’s first set these verses in their context. We have now come to the twelfth chapter of the book, which its second to last. At this point any new information that Paul shares will need to be seen in light of what he has shared already.
Of all the teachings of his that we’ve noted in our six-week series, the most important of these regards the subject of reconciliation. As Paul explains especially in chapter five, God has reconciled the world to himself through the sacrificial death of his Son Jesus. And this reconciliation means that the curse of death which plagues the world has been overcome. Now all who place their trust in Christ’s sacrifice will live beyond the grave and enter the blessed new life to come. As a further and related gift, God has also given us the means to be reconciled to one another in this life – a gift Paul calls the ministry of reconciliation.
And this is clearly the most important teaching of the book. But a secondary and related teaching regards the relationship of the Corinthians with Paul himself. As we’ve discovered, some of the people of the church were questioning Paul’s motives and ideas and authority. So Paul needed to explain these.
It is this second concern that gets brought to our attention right away in today’s section of verses. There Paul begins by saying: “I must go on boasting.”
“Boasting” is a word that Paul uses throughout his two letters to the Corinthians – much more, in fact, than in any other of his writings. We get the sense that once Paul started using it, and established its meaning, it then became a very helpful term in connecting his different teachings.
The establishment of the word’s meaning is important because, as we know, it has both a negative and positive connotation. And Paul uses it both ways in his letters.
According to Paul, boasting is bad when it involves an undue or excessive pointing to one’s self. Thus Paul instructs the people by saying things such as: “So let no one boast in men. For all things are [God’s] (3:21); and “Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? (5:6)”; and “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast” (13:4). Interestingly, this negative use is found much more frequently in Paul’s first letter.
But Paul also uses the word “boasting” in a positive way, especially in his second letter. This use highlights and promotes what God is doing through Paul. So for example, when Paul begins today’s section by saying: “I must go on boasting,” he’s indicating that he has good things from God to share.
Back in the very first chapter of his first letter, Paul’s first use of the word “boast” tells us how he will use it going forward. There he says: “God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord’” (1:28-31).
This quote that he gives – “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” – comes from the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah. There in his ninth chapter he said: “Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight,’ declares the LORD” (9:23-24).
When Paul writes to the Corinthians a second time, he repeats this summary of Jeremiah’s teaching. And this shows us, again, that by “boasting” Paul wants his readers to understand that he has exciting and meaningful things to share about God’s work. Paul knows that he’s taking a bit of a risk in using this word, since some might think he’s boasting about himself. But the joy and wonder of what Paul is sharing makes this risk worthwhile.
In today’s reading, Paul boasts about a time when God gave him a powerful and moving vision. This was a vision where Paul was caught up with God in the “third heaven” – a phrase probably meant to indicate how close he was to God. This vision he experienced was so vivid that he even wondered whether he might have physically been in that place – a place he also labelled with the strong word “paradise.”
Paul then takes extra steps to explain that his boasting is a means of celebrating what God had let him see and not something that he had earned. He’s not “tooting his own horn,” as people today say, but rather letting his readers know that the God he serves is a giver of wondrous gifts and that he, Paul, has been blessed by such gifts.
We should note, too, that Paul seems to be referring to more than just the vision itself, for he later speaks of “revelations” (plural, not singular). Here Paul may be indicating that he had many visions, or that the vision also brought further insight to him over time. Either way, he has been greatly blessed.
Paul then tells about something else God gave him. God had also given him a thorn in his flesh. And this may have been a literal thorn, or perhaps it was some other kind of physical ailment or maybe even some kind of emotional challenge. People have put forth endless theories about what Paul meant by this thorn. But since he doesn’t add any further description himself, there’s really no need for us to speculate.
What we do know is that this thorn caused him pain… so much so that he pleaded with God three times to take it away. And by “three times” Paul certainly doesn’t mean just three quick petitions of prayer. Instead, he likely means three extended periods of prayer – seasons of prayer perhaps – where he committed himself to pray specifically and urgently for his healing.
Another thing we know is Paul’s conclusions about this. Paul states clearly, twice, that it was God who gave him his painful thorn. And he knows why God gave it to him too. Paul concludes that the thorn was given to him to “keep him from becoming too elated (or conceited) because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations.”
Paul apparently believed that he tended to think too highly of himself. Which may explain why he was so careful in explaining about his boasting.
And yet, Paul certainly also knew that he wasn’t the only one with this problem. All people like to take credit for the good things that happen to then. That’s our human nature.
But Paul also knows that this isn’t right. People shouldn’t think they’re better than others; nor should they think that their success comes solely from their own efforts. Conceit is an ugliness that needs to be defeated.
Believing this, Paul then accepted the weakness God gave him. He resolved to live with the thorn, despite its pain.
To show his acceptance he boasted about it (of course!). He said: “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
Paul didn’t get angry about his struggle. Nor did he get depressed by it. He simply concluded that it was meant to keep him humble and that this would help him better receive Christ’s power – which was the greater gift.
Note that Paul’s reaction was not just an appreciation of Christ’s power either, but rather an actual reception of it. As he said: “…so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Christ’s power was molding him and shaping him; teaching him and gifting him. And that same power is given to all who believe.
Paul didn’t get hung up on God’s part in his suffering. He accepted it as something God gave him. But note that he also labelled it a “messenger of Satan to harass me.” Here we get an insight into Paul’s theology of suffering. Paul knows that suffering ultimately comes from evil and not God. But he also knows that God will allow evil to have its effect on us according to the limits of God’s plans and purposes. The curse of death has been overcome by Jesus but we still live under its power this side of heaven. And that means we will experience times of suffering until this life ends.
But God does not leave us to suffer alone. He is with us to console us and to extend his grace. He does this as he works healing in our bodies and souls, and he does this through his promise that we will ultimately be redeemed. Through Jesus we have been reconciled to God, and this means we are free from sin’s curse.
As we’ve discovered, Paul mentions God’s grace to the Corinthians many times. In today’s verses he shares how it was a direct answer to his prayer, for he records the Lord saying to him directly: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
About this word from the Lord, I’ve noticed that those Bibles which highlight the words of Jesus with red letters will usually highlight this verse too – indicating that the words come from the Lord Jesus himself. Such an understanding is certainly consistent with the way Paul writes here. For earlier in the chapter, when telling of his visions and revelations, he says that they were “of the Lord” and experienced “in Christ.” Paul’s pleading prayers may have taken him to a place where he experienced even more visions. And Jesus had spoken to him directly before, on the road to Damascus.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” This promise of Christ echoes what Christ said to his disciples right before he ascended into heaven… specifically his words: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes.”
The power of the Spirit was on full display on the day of Pentecost when the disciples spoke in different tongues. And that power was on display when the disciples performed miracles and when large numbers of people joined the faith.
But it was also on display in less dramatic ways too. Like when Paul and many others learned to accept their sufferings and achieve a spirit of contentment.
Paul concludes this portion of his letter to the Corinthians by saying: “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” And here we should do one more word examination to make sure we fully understand what Paul is saying. As with the word “boast,” the word “content” can be used in both negative and positive ways too.
On the negative side, we are never to be content with things such as sin or injustice. We are to fight against these and not accept them in our lives or in our midst.
But on the positive side, we are to definitely be content with what God gives us. And that includes the suffering which God allows.
The hymn we will soon sing is an Easter hymn. The text makes this clear. But we don’t always sing it at Easter, and I suppose that’s because it doesn’t seem as joyous as most of the other Easter hymns.
To help emphasize the message of joy, the hymn is punctuated with lots of exclamation points. It seems to me that contentment isn’t usually an emotion we associate with these, but perhaps we should. Contentment is a wonderful thing. Maybe the hymn can help us assign more worth to it than we normally do.
As we gather again in Christ’s name today, to pray for healing and relief, blessings and joy, let us also remember to pray for contentment. Christ Jesus said: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Like Paul, let us learn to believe this and to be content with Christ’s sufficient grace.
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
HYMN OF THE DAY (Stand) I Am Content! My Jesus Ever Lives LSB 468
1 I am content! My Jesus ever lives,
In whom my heart is pleased.
He has fulfilled the Law of God for me,
God’s wrath He has appeased.
Since He in death could perish never,
I also shall not die forever.
I am content!
I am content!
2 I am content! My Jesus is my head;
His member I shall be.
He bowed His head when on the cross He died
With cries of agony.
Now death is brought into subjection
For me by Jesus’ resurrection.
I am content!
I am content!
3 I am content! My Jesus is my light,
My radiant sun of grace.
His cheering rays beam blessings forth for all,
Sweet comfort, hope, and peace.
This Easter sun has brought salvation
And everlasting exultation.
I am content!
I am content!
4 I am content! At length I shall be free,
Awakened from the dead,
Arising glorious evermore to be
With You, my living head.
The chains that hold my body, sever;
Then shall my soul rejoice forever.
I am content!
I am content!
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.
We bless You, Lord, for You have heard the voice of our pleas for mercy and sent Your Son, Jesus Christ, our strength and shield. According to your abundant grace, save Your people and bless Your heritage forever. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Send laborers into Your harvest, Lord. Raise up new workers who are devoted to Your Word and to the task of spreading the Gospel. And provide for those who are serving in your church now, that neither the preaching nor the care of Your people may fall into neglect, and that people may know that prophets are among them. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Lord, You have revealed Your righteousness in the sight of the nations: Christ Jesus, Your holy arm. And by His death and resurrection You have worked our salvation. Continue to bless the efforts of our congregational ministries, and especially our Vacation Bible School which will be held this week. Strengthen its leaders, teach and encourage the children, and send your blessings of safety, joy and grace as we gather in your Son’s name. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, speak to the hearts of Your people in every home. Turn parents and children toward each other in love and patience. Banish the spirit of stubbornness and rebellion. And sanctify us all in Your truth. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, protect and defend our nation from its enemies. Support our leaders and preserve them from temptation. And through the work of all civil authorities help us to live quiet and peaceable lives according to Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, you turn our weakness into strength for the sake of Christ and provide us grace sufficient for every need. Give comfort to all who suffer, especially those whose pain is chronic, whose suffering is unknown, who wrestle with difficult thorns in body or mind, or who are tempted to despair. Intercede on behalf of those on our prayer list, as well as those whom we name in our hearts… In times of weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities, let us boast in Christ and His cross, by which we and our sufferings are sanctified. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious God, out of Your abundant blessing You satisfy us with Christ, the bread of life. Give repentance and faith to all who commune this day, that finding refuge in Your Son’s true body and blood, we may taste and see that You are good. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
All these things and whatever else You know that we need, grant us, Father, for the sake of Him who died and rose again and now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God 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 through AGNUS DEI (Stand) LSB 208-210
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 As Rebels Lord, Who Foolishly Have Wandered LSB 612
1 As rebels, Lord, who foolishly have wandered
Far from Your love—unfed, unclean, unclothed—
Dare we recall Your wealth so rashly squandered,
Dare hope to glean that bounty which we loathed?
2 Still we return, our contrite words rehearsing,
Speech, that within Your warm embrace soon dies;
All of our guilt, our shame, our pain reversing
As tears of joy and welcome fill Your eyes.
3 A feast of love for us You are preparing;
We who were lost, You give an honored place!
“Come, eat; come, drink, and be no more despairing—
Here taste again the treasures of My grace.”
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 Sent Forth by God’s Blessing LSB 643
1 Sent forth by God’s blessing,
Our true faith confessing,
The people of God from His dwelling take leave.
The Supper is ended.
O now be extended
The fruits of this service in all who believe.
The seed of His teaching,
Receptive souls reaching,
Shall blossom in action for God and for all.
His grace did invite us,
His love shall unite us
To work for God’s kingdom and answer His call.
2 With praise and thanksgiving
To God ever-living,
The tasks of our ev’ryday life we will face.
Our faith ever sharing,
In love ever caring,
Embracing His children of each tribe and race.
With Your feast You feed us,
With Your light now lead us;
Unite us as one in this life that we share.
Then may all the living
With praise and thanksgiving
Give honor to Christ and His name that we bear.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
DISMISSAL
Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE Sent Forth by God’s Blessing Setting: Melissa A. Kalbfleisch
FELLOWSHIP: LWML
Those serving:
Saturday, July 6, 5:00 p.m.:
Greeter: Steve Berg
Reader: Bill Muller
Sunday, June 7, 10:00 a.m.:
Greeter: Charles Fisher
Comm. assist: Dan Buuck
Reader: Charles Fisher
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
738 Lord of All Hopefulness Text: Jan Struther, 1901–53 Tune: Irish Text: © Oxford University Press. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326 Tune: Public domain
468 I Am Content! My Jesus Ever Lives Text: attr. Johann Joachim Möller, 1660–1733; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt. Tune: Johann Rudolph Ahle, 1625–73 Text and tune: Public domain
612 As Rebels, Lord, Who Foolishly Have Wandered Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Tune: Jeffrey N. Blersch, 1967 Text: © 1992 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326 Tune: © 2003 Jeffrey N. Blersch. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326
643 Sent Forth by God’s Blessing Text: Omer E. Westendorf, 1916–97, alt.
Tune: Welsh Text: © 1964 World Library Publications. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326 Tune: Public domain
