Third Sunday after Epiphany 1/26/2025
THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY
JANUARY 26, 2025
IN THE NAME OF JESUS, WELCOME TO ST. PAUL’S!
8:00 & 10:30 a.m.
✠ ✠ ✠
THE ENTRANCE RITE
PRELUDE Hail to the Lord’s Anointed Setting: Matthew Machemer
WELCOME
ENTRANCE HYMN Hail to the Lord’s Anointed LSB 398
1 Hail to the Lord’s anointed,
Great David’s greater Son!
Hail, in the time appointed,
His reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
To set the captive free,
To take away transgression
And rule in equity.
2 He comes with rescue speedy
To those who suffer wrong,
To help the poor and needy
And bid the weak be strong;
To give them songs for sighing,
Their darkness turn to light,
Whose souls, condemned and dying,
Were precious in His sight.
3 He shall come down like showers
Upon the fruitful earth;
Love, joy, and hope, like flowers,
Spring in His path to birth.
Before Him on the mountains
Shall peace, the herald, go;
And righteousness in fountains
From hill to valley flow.
4 Kings shall fall down before Him
And gold and incense bring;
All nations shall adore Him,
His praise all people sing.
To Him shall prayer unceasing
And daily vows ascend;
His kingdom still increasing,
A kingdom without end.
5 O’er ev’ry foe victorious,
He on His throne shall rest,
From age to age more glorious,
All blessing and all-blest.
The tide of time shall never
His covenant remove;
His name shall stand forever—
That name to us is Love.
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. Almighty and everlasting God,
mercifully look upon our infirmities and stretch forth the hand of Your majesty to
heal and defend us; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns
with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
✠ ✠ ✠
THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
FIRST LESSON (Be seated) Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
All the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. . .
And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. . .
They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.
And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
8:00 PSALM 19:7-14 (Sung responsively)
10:30 ANTHEM Jubilation Choir The Only Son From Heaven (LSB 402) Setting: John Behnke
1 The only Son from heaven,
Foretold by ancient seers,
By God the Father given,
In human form appears.
No sphere His light confining,
No star so brightly shining
As He, our Morning Star.
2 O time of God appointed,
O bright and holy morn!
He comes, the king anointed,
The Christ, the virgin-born,
Grim death to vanquish for us,
To open heav’n before us
And bring us life again.
3 O Lord, our hearts awaken
To know and love You more,
In faith to stand unshaken,
In spirit to adore,
That we, through this world moving,
Each glimpse of heaven proving,
May reap its fullness there.
4 O Father, here before You
With God the Holy Ghost
And Jesus, we adore You,
O pride of angel host:
Before You mortals lowly
Cry, “Holy, holy, holy,
O blessèd Trinity!”
SECOND LESSON I Corinthians 12:12-31a
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
(10:30) CHILDREN’S SERMON
GOSPEL 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 Luke 4:16-30
The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the 4th chapter.
Glory to You, O Lord.
[Jesus] came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself.’ What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.” And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, he went away.
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:
Why did Jesus do it? Everything was going so well. The people of his home town loved his sermon and seemed proud of him and his gracious words. But then he threw out a harsh accusation against them. And of course everything changed. Why did Jesus do it?
Actually, he didn’t do it. At least not the way I just described. There’s more to the story. We know this because Matthew and Mark also give an account of that day.
According to their Gospels, Jesus wasn’t the one who initiated the conflict. The hard feelings came first from the hearers. Unlike Luke’s telling, where the people only remarked that Jesus was Joseph’s son, Matthew and Mark record that the people had plenty of other things to say as well. They noted how Jesus’ family was there among them, and they remarked at how surprising it was that Jesus had such wisdom. And these observations soon caused them to turn against Jesus. Matthew and Mark say they “took offense at him.” Clearly what was happening was that the people didn’t like one of their own to be shining so brightly.
This evening the Kansas City Chiefs football team will play in yet another conference championship game. In my view, people generally like the Chiefs – recognizing their talent and their mostly good character. But at the same time, lots of people are sick of them winning all the time. Good feelings can quickly change.
It was the disdain of Jesus by his hometown residents that caused Jesus to accuse them. And really his words were simply calling out the reasons they were having trouble with him. He noted out how they wouldn’t believe without seeing a miracle like the one he had done in Capernaum. And he quoted a saying popularly known to be true – the one where a prophet is without honor in his hometown.
Yes, it may seem that Jesus added extra fuel to the fire that day by also telling how the prophets Elijah and Elisha helped foreigners instead of locals. The people heard this message as an implication that they weren’t worthy of a prophet. But actually, Jesus was simply pointing out a hard truth – one that people would need to realize.
We’ll explore that truth a little later in the sermon. But here I’d like us to consider a few other things about Luke’s account.
While Luke may have shortened the story by leaving out the details which describe the people’s turning, he adds other details in their place. Specifically, he tells us which text Jesus used for his sermon. And also the sermon’s main message.
Jesus’ text was from the prophet Isaiah, the 61st chapter. In these verses the prophet tells how the spirit of the Lord had anointed him to proclaim good news to the poor. To emphasize the importance of this good news, Isaiah adds further statements to unfold the message – telling of liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and the proclaiming of the year of the Lord’s favor – all great blessings from God. He also tells of other blessings which Luke doesn’t quote in his telling.
Isaiah’s message pointed ahead to a time when God would bring these great blessings to his people. And these blessings would come through an anointed one – which in Hebrew is the word “Messiah.” Added to the many other prophecies of the scriptures giving similar messages, Isaiah’s words here led the people to wait eagerly for a great Messianic age to come – one in which there would be complete liberty, healing and restoration.
When Jesus gave his message that day, his point was that Isaiah’s prophecy was being fulfilled in their hearing. And we know that in saying this Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah who would usher in this new age.
But the people listening to Jesus that day probably didn’t consider this. For Jesus was the carpenter’s son – seemingly just a humble man like them. The “fulfillment” they probably thought he meant was simply the liberty and healing which comes every time God’s word is read by his gathered people. Jesus’ words were gracious to them in that Jesus seemed to affirm the prophet’s message. And maybe they were also deemed gracious because he spoke pleasingly and probably had a nice look on his face.
When we today think of gracious words, we likely think of words that are complimentary or kind or easily heard. Those of us who desire to get along with others and make a good impression learn how to speak this way. Gracious speech is appreciated by others and helpful in achieving success.
I recently had a visiting pastor compliment me after the service by saying that I was “easy to listen to.” I took this to mean that the thoughts of the sermon were presented in a clear and coherent manner and that I was communicating in a way that could be easily followed. But maybe he meant something different. Maybe he meant that I had a gracious tone. I do try to put people at ease. Or maybe he meant my thoughts were just nice and simple!
The people listening to Jesus that day specifically noted his gracious words. But they had no idea just how gracious his words really were. For Jesus’ words were ultimately gracious not because of how pleasing they sounded but because they communicated God’s plan of salvation. They told of God’s grace – the message that God is merciful and that he forgives repentant sinners.
By recording this message of Jesus happening here, at the beginning of his ministry, Luke wants us to know up front about the content of Jesus’ preaching and about his claim to be the Messiah. Jesus will be preaching good news! And this news will tell of God bringing salvation, through the Messiah.
Understanding this sermon as a tone-setter in Luke’s Gospel helps us then make sense of another difference between this story as told by Luke and as told by the other writers. When Matthew and Mark tell it, the story comes a little later in Jesus’ ministry. Jesus by that point had been ministering for a while. And he was there in Nazareth that day with his disciples, not alone as he is in Luke.
Some have concluded that Jesus actually went to his hometown of Nazareth twice, and that he was rejected both times. But a better explanation, in my view, is that Luke simply moves the rejection story to an earlier point in Jesus’ ministry, combining it with his first sermon in order to make a point.
His point is that Jesus will be rejected by his own. And this rejection will come not just because prophets are without honor among their own but because this prophet’s message is difficult.
Evidence of this moving of the story can be found in Jesus’ reference to what he had done in Capernaum. Jesus says to the people: “Doubtless you will [say]…: ‘What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’” But in Luke’s Gospel, the story of Jesus healing the man in Capernaum comes after this episode.
What we know for sure is that each of the Gospel writers wants us to wrestle with the reality of Jesus being rejected by his own. John, in his very first chapter, says Jesus “came to his own, and his own people did not receive him” (1:11). The other Gospels all demonstrate this through the story of Jesus’ rejection in his home town. And they also note other instances of rejection too, particularly at the end of his ministry, when the people shout for him to be crucified.
Here we should understand that these messages of Jesus being rejected are also giving a message to us. The Gospels are compelling us to ask ourselves: are we rejecting Jesus? And if we are, might we be rejecting him because he seems too familiar to us – just another man like us or perhaps someone we’ve heard about so often that we’re not moved by him as we once were?
As we know, some people reject Jesus for the simple reason that they don’t like his message. Might that be our thought too?
In thinking about such things, we should note that Luke’s account calls us to wrestle with one further aspect as well. And this is the fact that Jesus often gets rejected because he urges us to love those outsides of our circles, and to engage with them too. We recall how the people in Luke’s telling became extra agitated when Jesus told them of Elijah and Elisha reaching beyond Israel’s borders to extend help and care. People often think they should only take care of themselves and their own instead. What about you?
As Jesus sets the tone for his ministry, he wants people to know that he has come for the whole world, not just those in Israel. Yes, at one point he will say to someone: “I have only come to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But his words at that time were meant to give a particular challenge and were only meant for that particular time in his ministry. Jesus concluded his ministry by saying: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” And here, in this culminating statement of his, we see clearly that Jesus was not just concerned about reaching Jews but reaching Gentiles as well.
In our New Testament reading today, Paul speaks to the church about the importance of its unity. And he begins by saying that the church is made up of Jews and Greeks – with the word “Greeks” standing in for the Gentiles. He then illustrates his point about unity by calling the church the “body of Christ” and by pointing out how all members of the church – like all parts of the body – are necessary and honorable.
This teaching of Jesus about unity among peoples was new to many and thus needed to be repeated often. This is why Paul makes mention of it in just about every one of his epistles. This teaching is the “hard truth” I mentioned at the very beginning. Its message is hard because we tend to love our home towns and home peoples and home countries more than we love others. And also because we buy into the lie that banding together with our own is the best way to achieve safety and prosperity.
Sometimes we just forget about the importance of forging unity with others. We get busy with our own lives and concerns and fail to notice those around us. But Jesus won’t let us forget it, even when we try to push his message away.
The people of Jesus’ hometown got so angry with Jesus that they drove him to a cliff with the intention of throwing him down and killing him. But Jesus escaped, by walking right through them.
Jesus saved himself that day because his time had not yet come. But a few years later his time would come. At that time the leaders of the nation would put him on trial and the crowds would cry out “Crucify him!”
And at that time, Jesus could have once again freed himself from the people’s clutches. But he didn’t. Instead, he humbly submitted himself to their angry will.
Jesus’ death was the ultimate sign that his path would be one of rejection. As Isaiah says in another of his prophecies: “He was despised and rejected by men.”
But as we’ve seen, Jesus can overcome rejection. And that’s what happened with the rejection of his death. It was not his end. For three days later he rose again to life. God vindicated him, because his death was not deserved.
In the same way, God will vindicate us. But not because our death is undeserved. Rather, God vindicates us because of Jesus, our Savior – the one who brings good news to the poor and proclaims the release of captives and recovery of sight to the blind; who sets at liberty those who are oppressed and announces the year of the Lord’s favor.
After Jesus gave his sermon and walked through the angry crowds, the text tells us that he “went on his way.” Yes, he went on his way to preach more sermons, to challenge more lives, to heal more illnesses, and to walk the way of the cross.
But remember that Jesus didn’t walk alone. As we will see in our upcoming readings, he invited people to walk with him. And he issues this same invitation to you and me.
When one walks with Jesus, they will face times of rejection as he did. But they will also learn to marvel at what he shares. And their lives will be changed; because of his liberty and restoration.
Jesus has good news for each of us. And this news is given in the most gracious of all words – the words that tell of his life, death and resurrection.
Knowing these words, let us be gracious to one another. And let us walk together with Jesus along his path.
In his holy name. Amen.
HYMN OF THE DAY (Stand) Lord, ‘Tis Not That I Did Choose Thee LSB 573
1 Lord, ’tis not that I did choose Thee;
That, I know, could never be;
For this heart would still refuse Thee
Had Thy grace not chosen me.
Thou hast from the sin that stained me
Washed and cleansed and set me free
And unto this end ordained me,
That I ever live to Thee.
2 It was grace in Christ that called me,
Taught my darkened heart and mind;
Else the world had yet enthralled me,
To Thy heav’nly glories blind.
Now I worship none above Thee;
For Thy grace alone I thirst,
Knowing well that, if I love Thee,
Thou, O Lord, didst love me first.
D 3 Praise the God of all creation;
Praise the Father’s boundless love.
Praise the Lamb, our expiation,
Priest and King enthroned above.
Praise the Spirit of salvation,
Him by whom our spirits live.
Undivided adoration
To the great Jehovah give.
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 Lord of Zion, who has arisen and shown pity to our fallen world and set us free from sin and death; and in thanksgiving for Christ, in whom the appointed time of favor has come for all people, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For the gift of the Holy Spirit in the Word of God, that Christ’s name would be declared among all peoples and His grace received with delight in every place, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For eagerness to hear the Word of God with understanding, as in the days of Ezra the priest, that with attentive ears we may receive it, our days be sanctified by it, and His commandments be put into practice among us, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For all servants in the Church, that blessed with a variety of gifts from the one Holy Spirit, each may use them for the common good of God’s people, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For those who govern our communities and country, that they would be given wisdom and courage to lead; that they would follow God’s will rather than man’s whims; and that our Father would grant us willingness to support them with our prayers and encouragement, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For the comfort of those who mourn and the care of those who need healing, especially those on our prayer list and those we name in our hearts at this time… that the Great Physician would mend the bodies and uplift the spirits of all who need His compassion, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
For faith and gratitude among us, that we would not despise the Lord who has come with favor to deliver us and who gives cleansing and strength in His blessed Sacrament; and that He would not pass through us and go away as at Nazareth, but dwell among us graciously, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
OFFERTORY VERSE 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.
✠ ✠ ✠
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 … 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.
DISTRIBUTION (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.
COMMUNION HYMN Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord LSB 637
1 Draw near and take the body of the Lord,
And drink the holy blood for you outpoured;
Offered was He for greatest and for least,
Himself the victim and Himself the priest.
2 He who His saints in this world rules and shields,
To all believers life eternal yields;
With heav’nly bread He makes the hungry whole,
Gives living waters to the thirsting soul.
3 Come forward then with faithful hearts sincere,
And take the pledges of salvation here.
O Lord, our hearts with grateful thanks endow
As in this feast of love You bless us now.
BLESSING
NUNC DIMITTIS (Stand) 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
BENEDICTION
SENDING HYMN The People That in Darkness Sat LSB 412
1 The people that in darkness sat
A glorious light have seen;
The light has shined on them who long
In shades of death have been,
In shades of death have been.
2 To hail Thee, Sun of Righteousness,
The gath’ring nations come;
They joy as when the reapers bear
Their harvest treasures home,
Their harvest treasures home.
3 To us a Child of hope is born,
To us a Son is giv’n,
And on His shoulder ever rests
All pow’r in earth and heav’n,
All pow’r in earth and heav’n.
4 His name shall be the Prince of Peace,
The Everlasting Lord,
The Wonderful, the Counselor,
The God by all adored,
The God by all adored.
5 His righteous government and pow’r
Shall over all extend;
On judgment and on justice based,
His reign shall have no end,
His reign shall have no end.
6 Lord Jesus, reign in us, we pray,
And make us Thine alone,
Who with the Father ever art
And Holy Spirit, one,
And Holy Spirit, one.
DISMISSAL
Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE The People That in Darkness Sat Setting: Brad Hall
FLOWERS: “In Thanksgiving for the Lord’s endless blessings.” By Priscilla Altmann
FELLOWSHIP: Board of Stewardship
Those serving:
8:00 a.m.
Greeter: Steve Berg
Comm. assist: Melissa Jansen
Reader: Norm Williams
10:30 a.m.
Greeter: Jason Starck
Comm. assist: Dede Dixon
Reader: Michael Chamberlain
Acolyte: Noelle Blomster
AV Assistants: 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 © 2025 Concordia Publishing House.
955 Let the Vineyards Be Fruitful Text: John W. Arthur, 1922–80 Tune: Richard W. Hillert, 1923–2010 Text and tune: ©1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110005326
398 Hail to the Lord’s Anointed Text: James Montgomery, 1771–1854, alt. Tune: Leonhart Schröter, c. 1532–c. 1601 Text and tune: Public domain
573 Lord, ’Tis Not That I Did Choose Thee Text: Josiah Conder, 1789–1855, alt. Tune: Erbaulicher Musicalischer Christen-Schatz, 1745, Basel Text and tune: Public domain
637 Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord Text: Latin, 7th cent.; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66,
alt. Tune: Trente quatre Pseaumes de David, 1551, Geneva, ed. Louis Bourgeois Text & tune: Public domain
412 The People That in Darkness Sat Text: John Morison, 1749–98, alt. Tune: Nicolaus Herman, c. 1480–1561 Text and tune: Public domain
